What We've Learned About The 'Culture' Of PWHL Montreal

PWHL Montreal established a distinct team culture in year one of the PWHL. Here's a look at the identity the team formed in their inaugural season.

PWHL Montreal's first season didn't end as they'd hope, but the offseason gives time to look back at what we’ve learned about Montreal, including their team culture and identity. Here is a look back at what PWHL Montreal was able to develop in their first season.

Key Staff: GM Daniele Sauvageau, Coach Kori Cheverie

Team leaders: Marie-Philip Poulin, Erin Ambrose, Laura Stacey

For PWHL Montreal, their three free-agent signings (Poulin, Stacey, and Ann-Renee Desbiens) gave them an instant star presence. Obviously, Poulin is considered the best player in the world, full stop. And Desbiens has been the #1 goalie for Team Canada for many years, so those are two heavyweights in talent and experience. Stacey (who is Poulin’s partner) is not just a convenient tandem signing; she deserves that spot in her own right as one of the fastest and most dangerous forwards in the Canadian ranks.

Montreal played in two different arenas, Verdun Auditorium, and older building with a lot of atmosphere, and Laval’s Place Bell, a larger professional setting. The games in Verdum were like a raucous party, and gave the fans a large role in creating a boisterous environment. The players celebrated wins with a ceremonial dance at center ice, a tradition that started with Mariah Keopple, Sarah Bujold and others, a spontaneous expression of their elation. The mix of Quebec natives and English-speaking Canadians and Americans (along with a couple of Czech players) seemed impeccable.

Skateboarder Annie Guglia was in attendance holding signs of positivity and cheering both teams in every game. The official social media account posted in both languages, and even coach Kori Cheverie began to speak French in a couple of interviews. On the ice, they were consistently on top of the standings or in second for a good portion of the season.

This success reflected the top of the organization, GM Daniele Sauvageau at the helm like a fierce captain steering the ship through choppy waters. Some of the adversity they faced began with injuries (to important defender Dominika Laskova, and forward Kennedy Marchment), and soon forced both coach and GM to rotate their lineup frequently. They signed Ottawa’s Mikyla Grant-Mentis after she was released, and she seemed to blend in well (she’s also been re-signed for this season). Maureen Murphy, a rookie from Northeastern, also flourished, occasionally lining up with Poulin. On the other hand, former PHF Boston Pride stalwart Jillian Dempsey never seemed to click or even attempt to blend with her new teammates.

The highlight of the season for Montreal had to be the Duel at the Top, a game against Toronto that broke the all-time record for the largest attendance at a women’s hockey game. The ovation for Poulin lasted several minutes and was an outpouring of the affection and respect for Canada’s “captain clutch,” that reflected how much these players have come to mean to the fans. For the most part, the culture of PWHL Montreal comes from knowing they have the world’s best player, and everyone follows her lead.

However, as March rolled on, an injury to Poulin herself took some of the wind out of their sails. The team lost four in a row heading into the World Championship break, and the lack of depth started to show. Needing blueliners, they traded for Amanda Boulier, but still were thin on defense. Even when Poulin returned, the lineup didn’t hold firm against challenges like facing PWHL Boston in the first round of the playoffs. The heartbreaking way they lost (in three straight overtime games, including one in triple overtime) was a blow to the relentless style of play they embraced.

At the 2024 draft, however, Montreal showed why they are one of the most intriguing teams to watch: like a mad scientist, GM Sauvageau took advantage of opportunities to draft two players that realistically should have gone to other teams – Abby Boreen (from Minnesota) was still on the board in the third round, and they selected her. As well, even though Amanda Kessel was said to only be interested in going to Boston, Sauvageau took her with the final pick and set up the team to possibly make a deal for a better player than any other seventh-round draft pick. They were able to sign last year’s pick, Lina Ljungblom, from the SDHL, and immediately gave themselves more depth up front. Questions remain, but the unique unpredictability of this team makes them a fascinating group to watch.