Pat Laprade breaks down some of the more notable final roster decisions for the Montreal Victoire including Dara Greig winning her spot back, the impact of Lina Ljungblom's absence, and Megan Warrener taking the third goalie spot.
Around 2 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, just as the Montreal Victoire was finishing practising at the Verdun Auditorium, the team confirmed what I had released earlier that morning, its 2025-26 roster.
Without any surprises, forwards Natalie Mlynkova and Skylar Irving got one-year deals. In fact, the only surprise was that Mlynkova didn’t sign a longer deal.
The Mlynkova deal was made for some time now. Contrary to Irving, who was still living at a hotel during training camp, Mlynkova was already looking for a permanent place to stay.
That said, the contract was signed somewhere in October, several months after the 2025 draft. Talking about why it took some time before it happened, GM Danièle Sauvageau explained that players’ representation can be an issue sometimes.
“The thing is, there are also agents who say, 'I want to wait and see what happens throughout the league.' And we weren't necessarily in a rush because, in the case of our first two picks, it was already certain that we were going to sign them,” explained Sauvageau, after her team’s practice on Thursday. “Now, I wanted to go in domino effect fashion, meaning signing our first pick and then the second. And there was a particular situation we mainly wanted to observe from the agent's side, to see what would happen. So, for us, it wasn’t concerning.”
As far as Irving goes, head coach Kori Cheverie liked that a lot of her upsides fit into the team’s new identity.
“A big body, a fast player who can shoot the puck, very eager to learn,” said Cheverie about Irving. “You know, someone who has had a good NCAA career and now is trying to make the adjustment and the jump to pro. Everything that we're trying to build with the size and the physicality and the grit, she has it there and it's just about applying it at this level.”
A Roller Coaster Journey
The story of Dara Greig is an interesting one. She was drafted in 2024, actually the last draft pick from that year still in Montreal. She played 29 games in the regular season, four in the playoffs, and then, didn’t revive a qualifying offer. She could have signed with any team, didn’t, and then agreed to a camp invite, and now earned one of the few SPA left. I’m also hearing that Sauvageau put her on the trading block in the past year, to no success.
In that sense, it was surprising to see her getting a regular spot with the team. But at the end of the day, Greig wanted to prove something and she actually did.
“Initially, not receiving a qualifying offer it kind of drove me to be even more motivated going into the off season and to come back even stronger and better and ready to go for camp and to work by butt off to get a contract again like I did last year,” said Greig on Thursday. “I’m happy that I was able to do that. I think I had a strong camp and I’m just going to use that momentum to keep going into the regular season.”
Over the summer, Greig worked on a few things and saw a difference at camp.
“I think my skating took a step. I think my board play and physicality are two of my strengths. I think it’s something they really look for. As well as my forechecking, grittiness and the ability to play in different scenarios, different roles. I think my versatility is something they like.”
Talking about Montreal’s number 17, Sauvageau mentioned that having played in the league is a big help when it comes to those decisions, while Cheverie explained why she liked about Greig.
“She's a very high IQ player. She's probably one of the best along the wall in the league, reading how to get a puck off the wall, how to keep speed on the breakout for her centre. And I think she had a better second game than her first game in the preseason, but she made the adjustments that she needed to and I thought she had a great camp both on and off the ice.”
Having a Camp
Both Sauvageau and Cheverie seemed pleased with Dara Greig, to the point that one could be wondering why she wasn’t signed over the summer. Sauvageau had a really good explanation to that.
“First, we wanted to have a training camp. So, for us, signing around 18-19 players, and then looking at a group of players, including the ones we drafted, it was important to let that healthy competition develop, and she was part of it. And it was an opportunity for her to say, 'I want to keep improving. I know you also drafted and signed players. I’m going to earn my spot, I’m going to show you.' Her bet and our bet paid off.”
A Missed Opportunity
The other SPA was given to goalie Megan Warrener, which we already figured out since Tricia Deguire got released on Tuesday.
And that decision is the most surprising to me. I know she hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season with the Montreal Force of the now-defunct PHF. And that she also got injured in between.
But the fact of the matter is that the third goalie hasn’t played one single minute since the inaugural season in Montreal. And I understand that it’s an Olympic year and there might be more injuries, but there was a World Championship in the first two PWHL seasons, so injuries could have happened and it actually did last year with Ann-Renee Desbiens. Still, Sandra Abstreiter, who was the third goalie then, sat on the bench for a few games without having to step in front of the net.
My take on this is twofold.
Last season, when Desbiens got hurt, Deguire stepped up and took some days off from her regular work to help the team and signed a contract with Montreal s the third goalie. Just because of that, out of loyalty, I believe the team could have thanked her and gave her that contract.
Also, if you’re going to hire someone who will not play, why not hired one that can fit better in your market. Deguire is from Sherbrooke, Quebec, fully bilingual, and could have done interviews with media or be sent to events to represent the team. She could also have been an inspiration to local girls, especially young goalies.
And it’s not like Warrener, even if she’s younger than Deguire, was a draft pick that Montreal was attached to or has the potential to be the team’s future number one goalie. She was the backup at U Conn for three seasons, while Deguire brings more experience since she had been the number one goalie at McGill University and in the pros with the Force.
When asked if Deguire being French-Canadian was considered, Sauvageau was adamant about it.
“The answer will be a short one. Yes. Without a doubt. We know where we play, so yes, it was considered.”
It might have been considered; it obviously wasn’t enough at the end.
Always Being at Risk
Forward Lina Ljnugblom did miss all of the training camp. We don’t know exactly what is going on with her aside from being told she was sick. She has now been placed on the long-term injury reserve list, meaning she has to spend 21 days on it, retroactively to November 10. Before this period ends, Montreal will have played only two games.
Because of that, the team was able to sign another player to a standard contract, defender Kelly-Ann Nadeau, who played four games with the team out of the reserve team last season.
On Tuesday, when everyone was getting yesses and noes, Nadeau got a maybe or a “not sure exactly what yet”. To the point that on the officially press release, it stated that Nadeau initially was supposed to have a reserve player’s contract, but the team decided to activate her to a full SPA because of Ljungblom’s health.
It also means that one of the 26 players kept to start the season will lose her job when the Swedish forward comes back.
That being said, it doesn’t mean that Nadeau will be the one losing her job or being sent back to the reserve list when that happens.
“The rules are very clear,” mentioned Sauvageau. “It's that the players who haven't guaranteed contracts, like in Kelly-Ann's case, this is a group of players from which, when we have to make a decision, it will come from that group of players. And when it could happen at this point, I don't know. And there are plenty of other things that could happen in the meantime.”
Among that group of players with a non-guaranteed contract there are Alexandra Labelle, Jade Downie-Landry, Dara Greig, Catherine Dubois, Kaitlin Willoughby, and Maggie Flaherty. For someone like Catherine Dubois, who knows all too well how it feels to climb her way from the reserve list to a regular spot on the lineup, nothing is 100% certain.
“This is the reality for many players,” Dubois said. “With the number of teams and the number of players, there aren't many positions available, so our spot is always a bit at risk. But having reserve players who can prove themselves—I've been in that situation—gives players a chance to have a second opportunity, and that's the beauty of our league. It's stressful, but there are many stressful things, and if we started listing them all, it would never end. So, we try to focus on what we have rather than on what we don't.”
Keep Playing
Reserve players Tamara Giaquinto (D), Claire Vekich (F), and Maya Labad (F) complete the 2025-26 Montreal Victoire roster. Forward Audrey-Anne Veillette and Tricia Deguire were the only players let go by the team.
Sauvageau urged Deguire and Veillette to keep playing if they want to stand a chance to make it to the PWHL one day. Something easier said than done, with every PWHL team being full, and the SDHL in Sweden being packed as well. Switzerland and the EWHL are the better options. But financially speaking, it’s not as simple as it sounds, but the fact remain, with two to four expansion teams coming up next year, they have to be seen, they have to stay relevant.
And as long as there isn’t a development league, it’s the sad reality of women’s hockey.