Les Canadiennes continue rolling thanks to new faces (2024)

Les Canadiennes are coming off a Clarkson Cup winning season,however,they have found themselves in an interesting position this past offseason; losing several key pieces of their franchise.

Captain and leading scorer Marie-Philip Poulin, stalwart defender Lauriane Rougeau, and first-round pick Mélodie Daoust were all called to duty to train full time en route to representing Canada at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Three-time CWHL goalie of the year Charline Labonté announced her retirement from women’s hockey.

Blueliner Julie Chu left to focus on coaching full time at Concordia.

Caroline Ouellette had a baby (though her intention remains to try to return by the end of the season, and she remains listed on Montreal’s official roster).

General Manager Meg Hewings found herself in a position that wasn’t entirely unfamiliar, having dealt with losing squad members in 2014 leading up to the Olympics.

“What really happens is that you have two seasons in one,” Hewings said at the start of the year. “Our experience is that the team that sort of best manages that is able to really have an advantage when it comes to the end of the season.

The GM appears to have done a good job of that; 15 games into the regular season, Les Canadiennes find themselves at the top of the standings, two points ahead of Kunlun Red Star.

So, how have Les Canadiennes managed to not only stay competitive but dominate in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League? In large part, it’s due to those left behind (like interim captain Ann-Sophie Bettez and defender Cassandra Poudrier) stepping up to shoulder the load left in the absence of their teammates. It’s also because of the addition of some key players.

MEET THE NEW PLAYERS

Erinn Noseworthy: The Appin, Ontario native was drafted by Les Canadiennes in the fourth round of the 2017 CWHL Entry Draft. The Windsor College graduate has a goal and an assist through 11 games this season.

Tracy-Ann Lavigne: The former Concordia Stingers captain was selected in the eighth round of last summer’s entry draft, and earned her first CWHL point last weekend against Calgary.

Lore Baudrit: The 6-foot-3 forward is a product of the Université de Montréal’s Carabins program. Hailing from France, Baudrit is known as the “Gentle Giant” by her teammates, using her size effectively on the ice. She is the tallest player in the CWHL.

Kayla Tutino: Number 88 spent her rookie season with the Boston Blades, where she earned a spot on the 2016-17 CWHL All-Star team. Tutino captained the Boston University Terriers in her senior year playing NCAA hockey before going on to be drafted first overall by Boston in the 2016 draft. Tutino was traded to Montreal in the off-season, returning to her native Quebec. “Obviously being on the Montreal side is really special for me, being from the area,” Tutino said after beating her former team in October. “We all know Montreal is really passionate about hockey, and love the game. I was on the ice, looking up, and it’sSaturdayevening, and there’s people coming to watch us and support us. It’s eye-opening and really nice that people actually appreciate us. We just want to keep building off of that.”

Nachi Fujimoto: The Japanese defender was drafted by Les Canadiennes in 2016, but was traded to Boston after training camp. After spending a year developing, and earning an all-star spot as a rookie in 2017, Fujimoto returned to Montreal last summer. Her older sister, Nana, was Japan’s goalie at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Natalie Barrette: The University of Windsor alumnus was selected by Les Canadiennes in the third round of the 2017 draft. The defender has four assists this season and has been key in shoring up Montreal’s defensive deficiencies, left by the absence of Chu and Rougeau.

Erin Ambrose: The Olympic hopeful played her rookie season with the Toronto Furies last year, before being invited to Team Canada’s centralization camp in August. After playing in several exhibition games, and training full time for several months, the defender was cut from the national team last month. She was traded shortly thereafter to Montreal, where she immediately made an impact. Her puck-moving ability has helped her notch a goal and three assists in just four games with the Fabs, making her mark early on.

Laurence Beaulieu: The rookie has a goal and an assist this season, and has made an impact in each game in which she’s played. A graduate of Université de Montréal, the Stoneham, Quebec native feels comfortable playing with Les Canadiennes, where she finds herself reunited with several former teammates.

Emerance Maschmeyer: In perhaps the biggest blockbuster trade of the CWHL offseason, Inferno goalie Emerance Maschmeyer was sent to Montreal, under the counsel of Labonté. “Right after I got cut from the national team roster, she kind of called me up and was like, ‘Hey, you know what, if I were you, I don’t know if I could stay in that setting in Calgary, it’d be tough, just mentally and everything’ and I was like ‘okay, I’ll think about it.’ But she really stayed on me, and I’m happy that I made the change. It’s a new start, a fresh start.” Since coming to Montreal, Maschmeyer has posted a 10-1-2 record, 1.68 goals-against average and .931 save percentage, as well as being named goalie of the week three times so far this season.

The remaining third of the season should be interesting, given that the Olympians will return to their respective clubs.

“There’s always so much momentum, I think, that comes with the Olympics,” Hewings said. “I remember that four years ago, the game that the Olympians came back was held at Etienne-Desmarteau [Arena] and it was our first sold out game that we ever had.”

Les Canadiennes continue their quest to repeat as Clarkson Cup champions when they head to Toronto to take on the Furies on Saturday, January 20^th. Tickets are available for $15 and can be purchasedhere.

(Photo Credit: Shanna Martin)