On January 2, Montreal’s PWHL team will play their inaugural game in Ottawa at TD Place Arena. The game is a sell out, and will set a North American women’s hockey regular season attendance record with over 8,000 fans.
We will get to know Montreal’s roster so you have an idea of what to expect when you tune into the first game, which will be available to stream on the PWHL’s YouTube channel, TSN 1, 4, and 5, RDS2, and TSN+. The game starts at 7:00 p.m. and with the Montreal Canadiens game starting at 8pm in Dallas, you can check out the first period before making the switch (or not).
This will be part one where we will look at the three goaltenders and eight defenders on the roster. Part two will look at the forwards.
Goaltenders
#35 Ann-Renée Desbiens
Age: 29
Contract: Three years
Acquired: Foundational Signing
Birthplace: Clermont, QC, CAN
Last year: Team Harvey’s (PWHPA)
College: Wisconsin
Desbiens spent the majority of her time in college in the shadow of Shannon Szabados but her ascent to #1 goaltender in Canada came around the same time as the 3 on 3 Women’s All-Star Showcase at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. As the starting goaltender for Canada, she is 22-1 at the World Championships and Olympics. She is considered the best goaltender in the world, and is assuredly the number one in Montreal.
#20 Elaine Chuli
Age: 29
Contract: One year
Acquired: Draft (13-78)
Birthplace: Waterford, ON, Canada
Last year: Toronto Six (PHF)
College: UConn
Chuli’s professional career has taken her to China, Toronto, and now to Montreal. The PWHL will be her third professional league after the CWHL and PHF. She also spent a year in the PWHPA. Last year, she won the championship with the Six as their starting goaltender. She has experience as a starter, and has the ability to step in as a very solid second option in Montreal.
#1 Marlène Boissonnault
Age: 26
Contract: Undisclosed
Acquired: Free Agent
Birthplace: Dundee, NB, CAN
Last year: Team Harvey’s (PWHPA)
College: Cornell
Boissonnault will start the season as the team’s third goaltender. She had a great career at Cornell, but has played sparingly at the professional level since graduation because of the depth at the goaltending position in the sport. She was also the third goalie on Team Harvey’s last year behind Desbiens and Geneviève Lacasse. She won the battle for the third goalie spot ahead of three other camp invites.
Defence
#23 Erin Ambrose
Shoots: Right
Age: 29
Contract: Three years
Acquired: Draft (1-6)
Birthplace: Keswick, ON, CAN
Last year: Team Sonnet (PWHPA)
College: Clarkson
Ambrose is clearly Montreal’s top defender. Her claim to fame is her passing and puck movement. She is one of the best passers from the defence position in the game. She will also be a huge factor on the power play. She will wear an A for the team, like she did with the Canadiennes in the CWHL. Montreal’s offence will be its calling card and Ambrose will be asked to lead that from the back. She missed all of the Utica pre-season games with a lower-body injury suffered at the Rivalry Series.
#6 Madison Bizal
Shoots: Left
Age: 23
Contract: Undisclosed
Acquired: Draft (8-43)
Birthplace: Elk River, MN, USA
Last year: Ohio State (NCAA)
College: Ohio State
Bizal is one of two first-year professionals on Montreal’s defence after five years at Ohio State, where she won a national championship. Bizal is not someone who will be expected to provide a ton of offence but like most players on the defence, she is a good transition player. She will be in the mix for a depth role, and it’s hard to judge who will be the top three players on the left side of the defence.
#4 Catherine Daoust
Shoots: Right
Age: 28
Contract: Undisclosed
Acquired: Free Agent
Birthplace: Ile-Bizard, QC, CAN
Last year: Montreal Force (PHF)
College: Minnesota-Duluth
Daoust is one of three players who went from the Canadiennes to PWHPA to the Force to PWHL. She has five years of pro experience, and wore a letter for the Force last season. As a right-hand defender, she will be the favourite for the third slot on the right side, but it is possible they put someone on their off-side.
#2 Mariah Keopple
Shoots: Left
Age: 23
Contract: One year
Acquired: Free Agent
Birthplace: Menomonie, WI, USA
Last year: Princeton (NCAA)
College: Princeton
Keopple has been one of the better surprises at Montreal camp. She makes solid plays, and will definitely be in the mix for a regular slot on the defence. With eight defenders starting the year healthy, there will be two who will sit out on any given night. Keopple is the tallest defender on the Montreal roster at 5’9″ and has shown that she can move the puck well. She wore an ‘A’ in her senior season at Princeton.
#10 Brigitte Laganière
Shoots: Left
Age: 27
Contract: One year
Acquired: Free Agent
Birthplace: Montreal, QC, CAN
Last year: Montreal Force (PHF)
College: Concordia
Laganière was one of the players who was a pleasant surprise and beat out Maude Poulin-Labelle, who ended up being a waiver claim with the Toronto team. Laganière is someone who will be in the mix with Bizal, Daoust, and Leah Lum for some of the final spots in the lineup on any given night. She’s another player who fits that same mold as well. She’s not flashy but she’ll make good passes and be competitive defensively.
#96 Dominika Lásková
Shoots: Right
Age: 27
Contract: Two years
Acquired: Draft (4-19)
Birthplace: Praha, CZE
Last year: Toronto Six (PHF)
College: Merrimack College
Lásková, like Ambrose is one of the few defenders with a spot locked in. She will be on the right side on that second pairing. She has played forward at times, but will likely be locked in on defence on this Montreal team, which is why they made her a fourth-round pick. She moves the puck well, and can also lock things down defensively. Lásková will likely be heavily involved on the second power play unit and filled in for Ambrose on the top unit when she was injured. She is a two-time bronze medalist at the World Championships.
#12 Leah Lum
Shoots: Left
Age: 27
Contract: Undisclosed
Acquired: Free Agent
Birthplace: Richmond, BC, CAN
Last year: Toronto Six (PHF)
College: UConn
Lum was and still is listed as a forward on the roster, but she played defence throughout the Utica pre-season camp and that is where she has been skating at Montreal practice. Her versatility earned her a roster spot, but her ability to lead the rush is what will earn her a spot in the lineup. Her backwards skating and gap control don’t look like someone who switches positions, and she doesn’t stick out negatively. Although born in Canada, she has represented China at the World Championships and the 2022 Beijing Olympics and played there in the CWHL and Russian league.
#9 Kati Tabin
Shoots: Left
Age: 26
Contract: Two years
Acquired: Draft (5-30)
Birthplace: Winnipeg, MB, CAN
Last year: Toronto Six (PHF)
College: Quinnipiac
Tabin, like Ambrose, also missed the entire Utica camp and the three pre-season games. It likely means that Montreal was without their top pair as it is expected that Tabin will be Ambrose’s partner on that top pair for Montreal. She is someone who likes to play offensively but has been working on her defensive game as well. She led all PHF defenders in scoring last year with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists in 24 games).
She is also part of the leadership group although she won’t wear a letter. She made an instant impression on head coach Kori Cheverie.
“She’s the ultimate competitor, she’s a pro,” Cheverie said. “She approaches every day that way. During camp, we didn’t have her for a bit because of an injury but even the way she approached that and getting healthy was something that was amazing to see. She’s someone who wants to win and she’s somebody who influences the group.”
