After leading Canada to the gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Marie-Philip Poulin has cemented her legacy as one of, if not the greatest women's hockey player of all-time.
Poulin has accomplished a ton on the international stage with Canada. She's won three Olympic gold medals, two Women's World Championship gold medals, as well as a handful of silver medals at the Women's World Championship and 2018 Winter Olympics.
Marie-Philip Poulin will turn 31 at the end of March, what could be next for the Beauceville (Quebec) native?
According to RDS, the Trois-Rivières Lions, ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, have expressed interest in signing Marie-Philip Poulin.
"I played with her, I know what she is capable of doing. I saw like everyone else what she still offered in terms of performance at the Olympics. I think she could hold her own with us. However, I don't know what awaits her. Does she have another commitment? Does professional hockey interest her? Does she want to take up this kind of challenge? These answers belong to her. Me, on my side, all I can do is let her know our interest. If it's mutual, it could go pretty fast!" Lions general manager Marc-André Bergeron said.
If Poulin were to sign with the Lions, she would be the first female skater (forward or defenceman) to sign in the East Coast Hockey League. Retired goaltender and women's hockey trailblazer Manon Rhéaume played in the ECHL for a trio of teams during the mid-90's.
Bergeron added, "She's the best of her sport. She won everything she could win in girls. She is at the top of her game. I think everyone wonders how far she could go in men's hockey. If she's interested, we'll do it right. We will allow her to practice, to feel comfortable before being sent into the fray. We always said we were there to give opportunities."
Source: RDS
