Sophie Jaques was traded from Boston to Minnesota, and scored twice for Minnesota against her former team in game two of the PWHL finals. She discusses her trade and return.
Sophie Jaques was traded from Boston to Minnesota, and scored twice for Minnesota against her former team in game two of the PWHL finals. She discusses her trade and return.
LOWELL, MA — When Boston dealt the highly touted rookie Sophie Jaques to Minnesota for Susanna Tapani and Abby Cook in the first trade in PWHL history, it was unclear who would come out on the better end of the swap.
Jaques left the NCAA ranks about as decorated as they come. The 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Winner was a force to be reckoned with on Ohio State’s blueline throughout her college tenure, totalling 107 points in two seasons.
But the fit in Boston didn’t appear to be clicking, and a goal-stricken Boston squad needed a lift on offense. That’s why Tapani—a three-time Olympian—was attractive for a squad hungry for a jolt in production.
And after both players switched places, it looked like Minnesota benefited more from the deal. Jaques acclimated herself on Minnesota’s blue line, picking up ten points after being held scoreless in Boston through her first seven games.
“All the players and coaching staff have been great at welcoming me in, and I feel like I’ve been put in a position that plays to my strengths and has allowed be succeed with the team so far,” Jaques said.
For Boston? Tapani provided a spark, but her numbers in Minnesota (five points in nine games) certainly were trajected on a faster pace than in Boston (eight points in 17 games).
But that all changed when Boston rode into the postseason. Tapani was the overtime heroine in two of the three overtime games in their round 1 clash with Montreal. The veteran then scored in Game 1 of the PWHL Finals against her former team.
Boston was beginning to reap the benefits of the trade.
However, Jaques reminded her former team what she was capable of in Game 2 on Tuesday night. The rookie defender lit the lamp in the first period, notching her first goal of the postseason before sinking an empty-netter in the third to push Minnesota past Boston, 3-0.
“It was definitely weird playing here for the first time on a different team,” Jaques said. “But coming in here we knew we needed to get one win on the road, and I think we played really well today after coming back from Sunday’s game. It was really fun.”
And while it was hard for Boston head coach Courtney Kessel to witness her former player secure a pivotal Game 2 victory on home ice, she believes the trade was mutually beneficial.
“It’s great to see Sophia doing well,” said Kessel. “You never want someone to not do well, it doesn’t matter if they’re on your team or not. I think her poise with the puck and the way she moves it, has been great. The trade worked out for both of us.”