#kr.translation

CHRISTINE ROGER: Before I let you go celebrate, you were witness to a lot of Marie-Philip's achievements. This was an extremely difficult year for her, mentally, physically, she had to dig deep to stand here on her two feet today. Did she manage to surprise you yet again, being crowned playoff MVP, how do you react to that?

BEAUDOIN: You and your girlfriend have this rule. That is to say, you don't bring hockey at home, or love in the locker room. You're even in separate rooms when the team is on the road. So you're really teammates, and you're the captain, that's how it works.

POULIN: Yes! It works like that. I think that for us, trying to separate the two a little [is good], because we're both big competitors. And I won't lie, sometimes we say that we have to leave it at the door, but when we get home, I won't lie, we're still talking about it. But that's part of this whole thing.

BEAUDOIN: For sure. You got married a year ago. What do you remember from that day?

POULIN: What a great party! To have all of our loved ones in the same place, for a whole day, to receive the amount of love that we got, celebrating together, singing together, it was the most beautiful night of our lives after tonight!

BEAUDOIN: Oh, yeah, we love that!

POULIN: Not too bad, right?

BEAUDOIN: On social media, I remember seeing, after your wedding, I don't know if you remember, you and your girlfriend were in the middle of the room, and everybody started singing this song from Celine [Dion], do you remember that? What was it? What happened? Everyone just...

Behind Marie-Philip Poulin's success, there's a little bit of Caroline Ouellette. The best hockey player in the world, as told by her teammate.

I had heard of Marie-Philip before she moved to Montreal at a very young age, and joined the Canadian women's national team. Everyone knew that she was a remarkable talent. From the start, Marie-Philip was like a little sister to me, someone I wanted to take under my wing. I wanted to do for her what France Saint-Louis, a childhood idol of mine and a great mentor throughout my career, had done for me. I made it my personal mission to help her as much as possible. Charline Labonté, Kim St-Pierre and I, we wanted to live with her in preparation for the Vancouver Olympics. Hockey Canada wasn't sure of what they should do, because of the age difference. They wanted Marie-Philip to stay with a billet house. We thought we could help her grow as an athlete, and as a person. When I remember that year, when the four of us lived together, that was one of the best years of my career, because I spent it with three of my best friends.

MARTIN MCGUIRE: I saw you smile when Martin (St-Louis) said we don't take ourselves too seriously, and we interact with a lot of humour with each other. Is it important for you to have that type of work environment, Kent?

KENT HUGHES: Absolutely. I think that you gotta have fun when you go to work. We work for too many hours, for too long, that if we don't have fun at work, then we won't have fun in life. Martin is right, we still have serious jobs, everyone has a serious job, except maybe comedians.

MCGUIRE: Except maybe us! I don't know if it's all that serious [laughter]. We have a lot of fun anyway, but I'll let you continue.

REPORTER: What does it mean to you to see this league grow in only three years? There's been a lot of discussions and criticisms on expansion, and the way it sort of undressed the original teams. How do you see the growth of the PWHL?

OUELLETTE: Well, growth is really good news already, because I think there were too many players for the number of teams who were capable of developing at this caliber. And you know, I think in any league, any sport, when you're expanding, you have to make sure you're going to have good teams on the market immediately. For sure, with Montreal, we definitely didn't expect to lose that much, I think all of the teams would tell you the same, that's the reality. That said, I think Danielle (Sauvageau), Kori (Cheverie), and all of the Victoire's staff did an incredible job with free agency, to rebuild the team and uh, I think we're really going to have an excellent group with the Victoire this year. You know, the girls who left, well they're going to have other challenges. Jenn Gardiner's going to be able to play in her hometown. Cayla Barnes always dreamed of being an ambassador in her country, to help develop women's hockey on the West Coast in the U.S. So you know, it's one of the challenges of being a professional athlete. You can play a match, and then get traded. My generation always dreamed of it, now that it's here, you have to live with the good sides, and the harder ones too.

REPORTER: One of the strong narratives coming out of the moves Danielle made, the departures, the arrivals, is that the Victoire might be harder to play against, and that that was maybe something that was missing a little bit, some meanness in the team, especially for the playoffs. Do you agree with this analysis? Do you agree that it was something the team was missing? Do you think it's one of the things that have been improved upon?

OUELLETTE: Well, I think the truth of it in our sport is that the physicality is increasing more and more. Whether it be in the PWHL, or at the international level, we see it every year. It's faster, it's more physical, more physical contact is permitted. So it's something we didn't know at the first draft, at the time, no one knew that that was going to be allowed, so I think we had to adjust as we went. You know, even the athletes who, some of them played full contact in men's hockey when they were younger, but it's been years since they've done that. So you have to relearn how to initiate contact, but also how to receive it, to protect yourself. I know that's something we've been really trying to do with the Victoire, is helping our athletes protect themselves, learn how to absorb hits. But there's no doubt that if you look at the roster now, on paper, we've added size, we've added weight, so that can't hurt. Now it's about having all of the other skills, as a team, to be able to use that size, that weight, to protect the puck well, to maintain possession as a team, and to have a good season. But there are so many factors that come into play during a season that all the puzzle pieces really have to come together.

REPORTER: A topic I wanted to bring up with you, you're a coach. We talk a lot about the PWHL as a goal to reach, and a platform to develop players, but that could be the case for coaches as well. With the expansion, there are now only two female coaches out of eight teams in the PWHL. I'm not looking for a controversy, but I'm just wondering if you have an opinion on that. Do you think women should be more represented behind the bench? Is there improvement, is there work to be done on that side?

OUELLETTE: I think there's always work to be done. You know, I think Hockey Canada started a few year ago the Creating Coaches program to develop more coaches. We have some athletes here at Concordia that participate in that program, so we're supporting them as young coaches who are just starting out. I think everything happened so fast in the sense that I've lived the two extremes, where maybe 15 years ago, there was no full-time job to be had in women's hockey. Then it started slowly, and now there are suddenly many opportunities, as a coach, as a GM, in all of those positions. We've got this girl Ariane Julien who graduated two years ago, who is now in charge of the Montreal Victoire's social media. So there are more and more opportunities for women and girls to work in hockey at the professional level, and of course we need more women at the table, more representation, and more programs to help them develop. You know, it's a big challenge to strike a good balance with family and coaching. You know, Courtney Kessel, she loves coaching, and she made the decision to go back to the collegiate level. I don't know her reasons, but could it be that a good work-family balance is easier to achieve at the collegiate level? I live it here at Concordia, I'm able to be a mother to two young girls, and to be a full-time coach. I love what I do. But I think all coaches, we dream of coaching professionally. You see the league, and all of the excitement that surrounds it. I know Montreal has an incredible staff, and it would really be a privilege to one day be able to join their ranks. But there are so many factors to consider to be able to thrive in that role.

REPORTER: Is it still one of your objectives to eventually, when the family will be elsewhere, to upgrade to the next level of coaching?

OUELLETTE: I think as a coach, we often receive opportunities. You know, we look at them, we consider them. There are always risks, and you have to be certain that it's worth it to--

REPORTER: There's less job security on the pro-level, maybe.

OUELLETTE: Yes, exactly. And we can see it already in the league, and you know, I think that all the frenzy surrounding the PWHL is also attracting men, who have maybe never really been involved in women's hockey, to join the league. Because here, you have the chance to work with the best in the sport, athletes who are committed, who are as dedicated on the ice as off of it, so these are extremely attractive positions. I think the collegiate level will keep helping to develop men and women as coaches to prepare them for the PWHL. Personally, I've had some excellent coaches, both men and women. I think that as an athlete, you always want the most qualified person. So that's really where we're at in our sport. It's extraordinary to see its expansion, and the interest that all of the coaches show for that position.

REPORTER: This year is an Olympic year. Has your role on the national team been defined? Will you be behind the bench with the national team?

OUELLETTE: Yeah, we're all waiting for confirmation. I think even the contract between the players and Hockey Canada is in the final stages of being signed, so once that's taken care of, I think the news are gonna start to come out. They just released the invitees for the men's orientation camp, it's starting to come out for the women's side, so we're hoping to follow, and that could be our goal. I would love to have the opportunity to coach for that Olympic team in 2026, that's one of my goals. Now, I'm just hoping it'll come true.

REPORTER: We were just talking about the rapid growth of the league, the expansion, you know it's also going to affect the national team's preparation. In your time, the players were centralized, you trained for a year, maybe more, in Calgary. Now the players literally have other commitments in the rink. How is that going to affect prepping for the national team, regardless of what your official position will be within it?

OUELLETTE: Yeah, for sure, the centralization was the best possible preparation, because you had the 30 best women's hockey players in Canada training together, playing about 60 games that season, developing all of the possible team tactics you could together. That said, I think none of us would prefer that to a real season, with a championship, with teammates on your team, you know, you're not just playing your position every day. There are advantages to both, but I think we really found the perfect balance with Hockey Canada, to really have a semi-centralization at the beginning of the season, before the professional league starts. We're really going to be spending a lot of time together, developing chemistry, developing skills, making them understand that it's not a bootcamp, but rather an opportunity to be the best together, to push each other, to train and prepare for the beginning of the season. You know, I think about the years I've spent with les Canadiennes de Montréal, I would do anything to be back there, you know, to be able to play for a Clarkson Cup. Now it's ten times better, so I'm sure they must love being able to combine the two, to bridge them. You know we talked about it as the Canadian team last year, how it's important to keep the national team on top of our list of priorities. Yes, there's our professional team, but there's also the Canadian team, and they both have the same value. I think that the girls have really proved that to be true again this year, we can see it when they're together. It's a really special team, and that all starts with the leadership or Marie-Philip, Laura, and all of the other captains and assistant-captains on the team.

REPORTER: Earlier you were saying that it was an obvious logical choice for you to partner with Marie-Philip for the camp, but her schedule… I don't have access to her agenda, but it must be pretty packed. And in recent years, we're seeing her more and more, making public appearances and all that. Does it still impress you? That she consistently grants so much time and importance to being involved on the ice, when she must be training 5 to 6 times a week, multiple hours a day.

OUELLETTE: Yeah, 6 times, you're right in saying that. Yeah, absolutely. Actually those two, Marie-Philip and Laura, it's incredible everything that they're doing for young hockey players in their community, to inspire the youth, to help others. It makes me so so so proud, because you know, I met Marie-Philip at 17 years old. I saw a young person, who was extremely shy, who didn't speak English, you know, a little like me. We had sort of the same start with the Canadian team, and I've really watched her develop into an incredible leader, who understands the importance of giving back, but also the impact that a small conversation with a young athlete can have, someone who we don't know could be feeling bad, or going through a hard time, you know I think she's really realized the importance of that. And you know, she's here every day, giving it her all. Yesterday, she coached all morning, then she gave three conferences, and she stayed after to practice on the ice for an hour and a half. Marie-Philip, there's no one who works as hard as her, who is as passionate. You know, Laura is the same. She started Sticks in for charity, now there's going to be its first edition here in Montreal in a couple of weeks, and it's incredible what she's created for herself, to give back to various organizations that help people.

REPORTER: You know what it is to perform at an advanced age in hockey [Caro laughs and then he says something unintelligible]. She's 34 years old, this year for the first time in her career she's been named IIHF player of the year. I'm not going to list all of her accomplishments, but you understand that she's achieved pretty much all of them. Does it still amaze you that she's at this level? Does she still impress even you in the rink?

OUELLETTE: Absolutely, because I think it's her attitude and mindset that there's always something she can work on and improve. And you know, I've lived it, when you grow older, you're not necessarily the fastest, but what can you do that's going to help you play faster? So I think she's developed her skills to find open ice, to buy herself some time, to see her teammates. She works on her shot constantly, so she's able to get it off her stick even faster, with even more accuracy. She works on all aspects of skating, agility to change directions, you know, she's really someone who pushes herself out of her comfort zone. She's going to pinpoint the things she finds she's less good at, and she'll do just that. She's going to keep taking her strengths and bringing them to the next level. You know, I'm floored, and I even said it with the Canadian team, Marie-Philip, Laura, and Renata Fast, they're the ones who are the most in shape on the team. But you know, you often, every day, have to get them off the ice. Because the Zamboni has to pass, there's someone who booked the ice after, you have to whistle and kick them out because they're just going to keep on working, working, working. She did it with the national team, but she does this every day with the Victoire. There's no one in the stands, there's no one watching, but she's always going to do that. And yes, that impresses me.

REPORTER: Considering that, and all that she gives back to it, are you able to imagine women's hockey without Marie-Philip? Because at some point, 34 years old… Retirement will come eventually, we're not going to rush her, but are you able already to picture it? Or for now, are you just holding on to as much time as she'll give us.

REPORTER: I had a question about your calendar at the moment, your schedule. Because we're starting an olympic year, well starting, the olympic year is almost over at this point. How has your training regiment changed this year, in relation to last season, because you're getting older as well, have you changed your workload and all that?

POULIN: Um, yes, I've adapted a little. I think with this summer, with the Olympics, and the season coming up, I think that for all of us, it's new territory to be honest. Usually, we're centralized, and we go to Calgary for 6 months, but this year, it's a big change, and for sure, with growing a little older, you have to change a little. But you know, I'm really close with my physical trainer who's here, she knows how much to give me, and when to give me a day off, but you know, I love to train. I'm still learning to take a break sometimes. But uh no, it's cool, but everything is different.

REPORTER: With the arrival of this league, expansion and all, and the fact that all of the players on the national team are now much more involved outside of the international stage, the decentralization, how do you see it? How is it going to be organized this year, to prepare for the Olympics?

POULIN: Um, yes, to be honest, it's going to be a challenge, but a good challenge. I think for us and Hockey Canada, they've done an incredible job to find ways for us to get together. So really, it's going to be two weeks where we're going to meet up three times before the beginning of the season. So, once at the end of August, once in September, once in October, once in Calgary, once in Toronto, once in Montreal. So just to be able to have that point of connection together, before the year starts and we all go to our respective teams. It's going to be quite a busy year, but really finding these meetup points, whether it's off the ice, on the ice, to know what we have to do to go to the Olympics, it's super important. But I think that finding these moments to get together, to connect, to train, it's always really incredible, always a privilege, so uh. Those two weeks together are gonna be super important, starting at the end of August.

REPORTER: And you, as captain of the national team, do you make it a point of honor to keep in touch with the girls throughout the year, throughout their season, and do small check-ins?

POULIN: You have to, I think it's super important. I think I could be better at it, you know, sometimes it's so busy, we're going from one side to the other. But I think that each person, and you know the culture we've created on the national team, you know, we know these girls are putting in the work, they're doing their job. And for sure, it's always fun seeing each other, or texting or whatever, but you know, we're constantly playing against each other, so we have the chance to meet up, and to have a connection point at that moment.

REPORTER: It was a big topic at the end of the season, the famous expansion, and how it would affect the reconstruction of all the teams. The storm's over now. What do you think of the work that Danièle [Sauvageau] has done to rebuild the team a little? Lots of departures, lots of arrivals, what do you think of the team you'll have this year?

POULIN: Yes, I think, Danièle has done an incredible job. I think with everything that's happened, she signed players who are gonna contribute a lot, some veterans, some girls who are a little stronger. So, no, I'm super excited. I think that, you know, with professional sports, we're not necessarily used to it on the women's side, to see girls coming and going. Half of your team changes, with two new expansion teams. Everything was new, there were a lot of emotions all throughout the summer. But I think that now, to see that the season's going to start in November, that our gym has done the work, we are super excited. And also with the draft, with the new girls that are coming in, also super excited. I think all of that was new for us all when you see… With half of the team leaving, but you know, it's fun. We had a great year with the team we had, you know, with Barnesy, Jenn, Wilgren, you know, lots of people leaving, Boreen. But to see them go, I think that's very exciting. I think it says a lot about the work being done in Montreal, they've done very well.

REPORTER: One of the things that people were saying about the Victoire when Danièle was doing her signings, is the team's gotten bigger, and you are gonna be harder to face, harder to play against. Maybe during playoffs, that was something that was missing. I don't know, do you agree with that idea? That maybe you were easier to play during the playoffs and that with the girls arriving, you'll be harder to play?

POULIN: Yeah, for sure, it's going to be another advantage. I think we all know, the playoffs, it's a different season. It's physical, it's intense, and uh. During the last two year, unfortunately, you know, we haven't been able to get past the first round, you have to find it. Whether it's physically, mentally, but to be ready in that moment. But I think the work Danièle has done, to bring in these girls, we're super excited. And you can think about playoffs, but I think the work starts right at the beginning of the season, at game number one, and you go forward that way.

REPORTER: How do you see having Abby Roque as a teammate? You've had your little incidents in the past, made the highlights. To play with her, how do you think she'll fit into the team culture? And the idea of playing with her, and being teammates?

POULIN: Uh, super excited to be honest. I think you know, we're two competitors, we can see it in the videos. But I think that, you know, we talk, we text, we laugh about it. Like it or not, at the end of the day, both of us want to win, and we're super happy to have her in Montreal. She's, with faceoffs to be honest, she's one of the best in the league. She reads the game, she can shoot, she scored the first Michigan in the league. So to have her on our team, I think she's gonna bring a different aspect, tough. We're really lucky to have her.

REPORTER: I also asked you previously about Erin, and the possibility of losing her to expansion. In the end, you were able to keep her. How big is that, to have Erin Ambrose on the Victoire again next year?

POULIN: Yeah, super excited. I think that, want it or not, with this whole process… You know, it's not fun to think about maybe watching girls leave, and you know, Erin's… She's an important part of the team, part of leadership, the way that she plays. So to be able to keep her here in Montreal, we're super lucky, and super grateful, and uh, she brings so much to our team.

REPORTER: I'd like to have your opinion, I brought it up to Caroline earlier. You know with the expansion, the two new teams have hired men to coach. Courtney Kessel has left Boston, she got replaced by a man as well. It means that now, there are only two women out of eight head coaches in the PWHL. We talk about the league as a place for women and female players to empower themselves, it could become that for coaches too. Does it bother you, to see women be less represented behind the bench? Do you think there's work to be done on that side?

POULIN: Well you know, for sure we want to keep growing on that side. We talk about a lot on the side of the players, we want to continue to have future generations, more players, but also on the coaching side. It's super important to have that representation behind the bench. But you know, how to say it, we want coaches, we want people involved in hockey. To have men who want to come work in women's hockey, that brings a lot. It's a different way of learning, to see what and how they see hockey. I think on the flipside as well, when you've got Jess Campbell working in men's hockey, that's remarkable too. So you know, we can see the same thing. To have men coming on the female side, who want to train us, who see that hockey is hockey. It's not necessarily men or women's hockey. So there are two sides to this, we really want to keep having women behind the bench, but to have men who want to coach us, that's cool to see too. You know, we want to see both sides of the coin. So all of that together, I think we can keep growing on that aspect, and bring more women behind the bench too.

REPORTER: You've had a fantastic year, voted, IIHF Female Player of the year. I'm not going to list everything you've won, but you've pretty much swiped them all. At 34 years old, do you feel that you're still capable of growing, that you still have some way to go? Do you feel like you still have a lot of runway in front of you? Or are you already starting to think about… I don't wanna push you, but how do you perceive that?

POULIN: Well to be honest, for now, I'm really in the present moment. I'm trying to make the most of it. I know I have a lot less runway than I had before. But I can tell you, I'd exchange all of those trophies for the big one, that's for sure. For me, if I am to keep going in the league, I know I need to have the mindset of trying to get better every day, and to really want it. You know, it's something I don't take for granted. I'm very lucky to see where my career has brought me, where I am as a player, as a person. But for me, it's really to take a step every day, how can I find a way to maybe tweak my shots, my skating. As a leader too, it's super important to try to push yourself just a little more, year after year, it's super important. Especially this year, you know, it's a big year. The Olympics, whether you mean to or not, you want to do well, you want to bring back that gold medal, we're all aware of it. Here in Montreal, we want to get that Walter cup. So yes, there are a lot of goals, but at the end of the day, it's really about focusing on the process, going step by step, and going forward.

REPORTER: What will it take from a league standpoint, and the progression it will have gone through for you to feel like you can take a step back? Do you get what I mean by that? In the sense that you're one of the faces of the league, of the selling points, you represent the Montreal Victoire. You're the captain, the face of the national team, I know you're going to bring it back to your teammates, but what will it take for you to like… To be at peace with the moment when you're going to retire, or have you not really thought about it for now?

POULIN: It's a really good question. I'd like for you to ask it again in a few years. I'm going to think about it. I haven't thought about it yet.

REPORTER: Does that mean you'll still be there in a couple of years?

POULIN: [Laughing] No, I don't know yet.

REPORTER: Can I ask you a last question?

POULIN: Yeah!

REPORTER: You know, we were talking about coaching. Kori won coach of the year. How do you think she's helped the team grow in the two years that she's been coaching you? What can you tell me about how she is as a coach, her qualities, and how she can push you to the next level?

POULIN: Kori is someone who's so determined, you know, she wants to win. She's a coach who wants to win, and that's something that as a player, when you have someone like her behind the bench, you want to do it for her. And I think she's someone who's always gonna push you to find little things where you can get better. She's someone who's really detail-oriented, whether it's in practice or during a game, if you don't stop in front of the net, she's going to let you know. You know, it's little things like that, those small details that are super important. And you know, as a group, it's not easy. It's been two years since the league has started, yes we want to win. But I think that at the end of the day, it's really each team, how are you gonna go forward. And every team goes through changes. You know, you can say, oh yeah half of the team in Monteal has changed, but every team has had that problem, if you can call it that. But it's about how the team adapts to these changes. And I think that Kori is someone who is so prepared, who can see everything that's happening, and who wants to tackle it as a challenge, and move forward in that way.

REPORTER: There are two expansion teams this year, who according to many, the observation is that they've benefitted from the expansion process, the way their teams are constructed. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but from your perspective as a player, does it give them more of a target on their back, or extra motivation for when you play them, to make a point of, yes you took a lot of our resources, but we're still here and we want to beat you.