Dubbed 鈥渙ne of the greatest clutch performers this country has ever produced,鈥� Canadian women鈥檚 hockey team captain Marie-Philip Poulin has been voted The Canadian Press female athlete of the year for 2022.
鈥淚t sure tops up the year. I think 2022, when I take a little time to myself and rethink it, it鈥檚 quite amazing, not only personally, but as a group,鈥� Poulin told CP.
鈥淎 big thank you to people that voted, but this goes to the people around me, my teammates.鈥�
The 31-year-old forward from Beauceville, Que., this year became the only hockey player in the world, male or female, to score goals in four consecutive Olympic hockey finals.
Her two goals, including the eventual game-winner, drove Canada to a 3-2 win over archrival United States for gold Feb. 17 in Beijing鈥檚 Wukesong Arena.
With quick passing and shooting hands, peerless hockey sense and a sense of occasion, Poulin has produced seven goals in her four Olympic finals, including a late equalizer and an overtime winner in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
She鈥檚 captained Canada to back-to-back world championships in 2021 and 2022 after a run of five straight titles by the U.S.
After scoring the OT winner in the 2021 world final in Calgary, Poulin had five goals and five assists in seven games in September when Canada defended its crown in Herning, Denmark.
鈥淧oulin played a massive role on one of the most successful team performances in a long time,鈥� said Victoria Times-Colonist sports editor Brian Drewry. 鈥淪he led on and off the ice while thriving in the spotlight.鈥�
The Canadian Press began recognizing male and female athletes of the year in 1932.
CP鈥檚 male athlete of the year will be announced Thursday and the team of the year Friday.
In finishing first in this year鈥檚 survey of sports editors and broadcasters across the country with 22 votes out of 48, Poulin was called 鈥渢he ultimate big-game player.鈥�
Swimmer Summer McIntosh ranked second among voters with 10.
Poulin is the second hockey player to be voted The Canadian Press female athlete of the year after Hayley Wickenheiser in 2007.
Poulin is also just the third woman in a team sport to earn the distinction following Wickenheiser and soccer player Christine Sinclair (2012, 2020).
Poulin is uncomfortable talking about herself, but provided some insight into why she executes when hockey stakes are high.
鈥淪ometimes you ask yourself 鈥榳hy do you train so hard? Nobody is there, nobody is watching鈥�, but at the end of your life, it鈥檚 the work you put in when nobody is watching,鈥� Poulin said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 that extra rep, extra mile just to maybe one day be ready when that big moment happens. That鈥檚 how I鈥檝e been training my whole life. That extra rep, it doesn鈥檛 matter when it鈥檚 going to show, or when it鈥檚 going to matter, you know when those big moments happen, you鈥檙e ready.鈥�
Canadian women鈥檚 hockey team coach Troy Ryan concurs that Poulin prepares for pivotal situations every day of her hockey life.
鈥淪he treats really simple moments as pretty big moments,鈥� Ryan said. 鈥淚f she misses something in a typical rep in practice, you can see she鈥檚 not happy with herself. There鈥檚 hidden perfection in her.
鈥淚鈥檒l see a player come down the wing in a practice, a little bit lazy, lean on one foot and have a 75 per cent shot on goal. I鈥檝e coached Poulin for five years and never seen her do it. I鈥檝e never seen her half-ass a play.
鈥淲hen you play with that mentality, why wouldn鈥檛 you want the puck on your stick at the end of a game?鈥�
What鈥檚 less visible is Poulin鈥檚 captaincy style off the ice. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed the hockey lives of Canadian players for almost two years heading into Beijing.
Poulin is a driver of a team culture in which players are free to be who they are, and feel their contributions are valued, which translates into on-ice performance, Ryan said.
鈥淪he is pretty easy to follow. She does so many good things on the ice,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he stuff that she does off the ice, I don鈥檛 think a lot of people would really see.
鈥淵ou look up to her as the player and the performer she is, and the work she puts into it on the ice, but then she has an ability to make you feel good about who you are off the ice.鈥�
With 97 goals and 103 assists in 166 career games for Canada, Poulin ranks fifth all-time behind Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Caroline Ouellette and Danielle Goyette.
Wickenheiser, Hefford and Goyette are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Poulin is among the women striving for a sustainable professional women鈥檚 hockey league. Her name gives the Professional Women鈥檚 Hockey Players鈥� Association (PWHPA) the star power to pursue it.
Outside of the national team, Poulin plays in showcase games and tournaments in the PWHPA鈥檚 Dream Gap Tour.
The NHL鈥檚 Montreal Canadiens also hired Poulin as a player development consultant this year.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to see what 2023 has in store,鈥� Poulin said.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
