On Wednesday, Montréal Victoire general manager Danièle Sauvageau confirmed that the team will protect captain Marie-Philip Poulin, forward Laura Stacey, and goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens in the upcoming PWHL expansion, per Pat Laprade. Sauvageau made the remarks at the team’s end-of-year media availability.
Montréal is the first team to officially announce their protection list, though the picks come as no surprise. The trio is the same three Montréal initially protected in expansion last year, and were instrumental in leading the Victoire to its first Walter Cup this season.
Poulin battled through injury to finish tied for the league-lead in points through the postseason, and was subsequently named the 2026 Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP. Stacey impressed offensively as well, finishing tied for tenth in the league and first on the Victoire with 22 points in 30 games. She added seven more points in the postseason, including the first-ever PWHL playoff hat trick.
Desbiens posted an impressive 19-4-2-0 record through the regular season, with seven shutouts and a league-leading .955 SV%. She was equally impressive in the postseason, leading all goaltenders with two shutouts and a .944 SV%. Desbiens was named a finalist for regular season MVP and Goaltender of the Year, the latter of which she won in 2025.
All three are currently signed through the 2027-28 season.
On the Bubble
While the Victoire’s decision to protect their veteran trio was expected, it doesn’t mean it was an easy one. In protecting Poulin, Stacey, and Desbiens, Sauvageau is leaving vulnerable a number of other top players who played a key role for Montréal in their Walter Cup winning season.
Defender Nicole Gosling was a stand out for the Victoire in her first season with the team, finishing tied for second in rookie scoring with 19 points. This week, Gosling was named a finalist for the 2026 Rookie of the Year. She is widely expected to be a top target for expansion teams, and will likely be one of the hardest players for Montréal to hold on to. The 24-year-old is currently signed with the Victoire through the 2027-28 season.
Acquired last summer, Abby Roque finished tied for the team-lead in points through the regular season (22) and playoffs (8). She regularly slotted onto the team’s top line alongside Poulin and Stacey. Roque earned the highest salary on the Victoire last season at $116,699 USD, and is now an unrestricted free agent.
Another notable player left exposed is veteran defender Erin Ambrose. Last year, the Victoire used their fourth protection slot on Ambrose (which activated once the team had already lost two players to expansion). The 2024 Defender of the Year is still a key part of Montréal’s blue line who they are expected to try and keep, especially if they lose Gosling. Ambrose is also an unrestricted free agent.
The six-phase expansion process officially begins on June 2, kicking off the process that will see Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose build their inaugural rosters. For the full details of this year’s four-team expansion, see The Ice Garden’s breakdown here.