After being released by Ottawa in January and struggling to find another team, Montreal proved to be a blessing for Sam Isbell, who returned to her home away from home.
Not only do over 45% of PWHL players earn $40,000 or less, but many are also on non-guaranteed contracts. Under the collective bargaining agreement, this means a general manager can release these players at any time without notice.
And that’s exactly what happened to Montreal Victoire forward Sam Isbell this past January, something she didn’t see coming, when the Ottawa Charge cut the veteran loose.
“I didn't really know it was gonna happen, to be honest,” Isbell said after practice last Friday. “I didn't really get a whole lot of information or a lot of answers there, but I know it's all part of it. So, long story short, I was definitely surprised.”
Isbell, 28, had played one year with the Montreal Force in the PHF, before signing as a reserve player with PWHL Boston. She played three games there before getting offered a standard contract with Ottawa in March 2024. She ended up playing 19 games over three seasons in the nation’s capital, before being let go on January 30.
Getting Ice Time Is Not Easy
The tough thing to do for a player in Isbell's situation is to find a way to stay active and to keep playing. It’s even harder when you get released late in the season.
“It was hard getting released from Ottawa,” she admitted. “I knew I wasn't ready to stop. Obviously, I believe in myself and my abilities, so I was just kind of waiting for my next opportunity. And I know Julie Chu (Concordia Stingers’ head coach) so I reached out to her not long after to see if I could come skate with Concordia. And yeah, it was a great environment. They welcomed me like family right away and I was just super fortunate to have such an amazing group of girls and an amazing coach to learn from.”
“It’s hard to find ice and like, to a high calibre too," Isbell continued. "I looked at going overseas, but their roster freeze period was already up by the time I was looking. So, I just wanted to stay on the ice here and skate as much as I could. I skate with Concordia like I said, and with Nathaniel Marx too. He's a good coach and does a lot of skills stuff in the summer. So yeah, it was weird because I wanted to obviously play for a team, but just kind of waiting for an opportunity.”
Not knowing what the future holds — both in the short and long term — is difficult for any player and can take a toll.
"It was hard,” Isbell explained. “I feel like the last three years I've learned a lot about myself and just the highs and lows of this league and I feel like I've been kind of a unique case in all three years, to be honest. I feel like as mentally challenging as it would have been like the first year, I think I've learned a lot in how to handle these situations and live in the limbo. So yeah, I think just trusting my abilities and finding ways to make myself better every day even if I'm not playing.”
Montreal, A Second Home
With the roster freeze date approaching, and injuries happening left and right in Montreal with Marie-Philip Poulin, Maureen Murphy and Erin Ambrose all being injured at the same time, Montreal was in need of players to finish the season. So, they reached out to Isbell's agent.
That was the call she was waiting for.
“It was relieving for sure. And just to be with such an amazing group with amazing coaching staff and support staff and GM and all the girls are just incredible too. And such a high calibre team. I mean, obviously going from no contract to the best team in the league is pretty special. And the girls have been great here.”
Montreal added defender Nadia Mattivi and Isbell, who can play either as a defender or forward.
“I've been signed as a forward here,” Isbell said. “Obviously, like the last two years I've been training as a D, but the rest of my life prior to that, I've been a forward. So, yeah, I'm comfortable in both positions. I feel like I'm a bit more confident probably in forward as, like, my natural instincts.”
Following her time at Mercyhurst, the Thunder Bay-born Isbell sought a return to her home away from home by joining the PWHPAs Montreal squad, followed by a season with the PHF's Force.
“Yeah, it's been home for six years, so just to be at home, don't have to move around, I'm just really lucky and grateful to be here. And happy that Danièle (Sauvageau) gave me that opportunity.”