Marie-Philip Poulin, Brianne Jenner named captains of PWHL Montreal, Ottawa

Marie-Philip Poulin will captain a professional women's hockey team in her home province again.

PWHL Montreal announced its leadership group Friday afternoon during a Cirque du Soleil show in Montreal, when the artist appeared on the ice wearing a number 29 Poulin jersey with a C on it. Defender Erin Ambrose and forward Laura Stacey will be assistant captains.

Meanwhile, PWHL Ottawa also announced that longtime Team Canada assistant captain Brianne Jenner will wear the "C" in that city this season, with forward Emily Clark and defender Jincy Roese as assistant captains. 

Coverage of the first PWHL regular-season game on Jan. 1 at 12:30 p.m. ET (New York at Toronto) will be available on CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, and CBC TV, beginning with a pre-game show at 12 p.m. 

Jenner told reporters that the captaincy, which was announced at the Canadian Tire Centre before an Ottawa Senators game, is an honour.

"It's a dressing room that's full of great hockey players and great leaders," Jenner said. "So just really excited be a part of that group and to be here in Ottawa."

In Montreal, Poulin served as captain with Les Canadiennes of the Canadian Women's Hockey League before the league folded in 2019.

Poulin has also been captain of the Canadian women's national team since 2015, leading her team to an Olympic gold medal in 2022 and two world championships in 2021 and 2022.

Known to many as Captain Clutch for her ability to score big goals when her team needs them most, no hockey player, male or female, has scored more goals in Olympic gold-medal games than Poulin. That includes the game-winning goals in Vancouver in 2010, Sochi in 2014 and Beijing in 2022. 

"Marie-Philip is a phenomenal leader who continues to elevate the people around her," Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie said in a statement.

"She truly exemplifies what it is to be a pro hockey player. She cares about the people around her, and has really embraced this new journey that we're on together."

Ambrose also wore an "A" the last time she played in Montreal with Les Canadiennes during the 2018-19 season. She was the team's first-round draft pick in September, and is set to use her elite hockey IQ to quarterback the team's power play this season.

Stacey, who was captain of Dartmouth College in her final collegiate season, will bring speed and skill to Montreal this season. Along with Poulin and goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, she was one of the team's first free agent signings. Both she and Ambrose won an Olympic gold medal with Poulin in 2022.

Forward Kristin O'Neill will be an alternate assistant captain with Montreal, while the team also identified Desbiens, forward Ann-Sophie Bettez and defender Kati Tabin as being part of the leadership group.

Work ethic key to Jenner's leadership

Jenner has been a longtime leader in women's hockey, serving on the board of players who negotiated an eight-year collective bargaining agreement with the PWHL's ownership group.

The MVP of the 2022 Olympic tournament has always been known for her hard work, the kind of player who does everything right on and off the ice. She was one of the first players signed by the team in free agency in September, along with Clark and goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer.

Clark was once described by Jenner as the heartbeat of Team Canada for her work ethic and consistency as a teammate. Like Jenner, she was part of the 2022 gold-medal winning Canadian Olympic team.

Roese is a former captain of Ohio State University who has represented the U.S. national team several times. Hirshfeld said earlier this month that Roese has taken on a mentorship role with the team's younger players.

The PWHL's first-ever game is set for Jan. 1 at 12:30 p.m. ET, when Toronto hosts New York in front of a sold-out crowd at Mattamy Athletic Centre.

PWHL team previews:

• PWHL New York blue-line built around talented trio of young Canadians
• Sky is the limit for Poulin, Desbiens-led PWHL Montreal in inaugural season
• Swiss star Alina Müller among PWHL Boston squad boasting depth up and down lineup
• Familiarity an asset for PWHL Toronto heading into 1st season
• PWHL Minnesota enters season with firepower up front, led by 1st overall pick
• 'Focusing on us': PWHL Ottawa aims to build on team culture heading into inaugural season

Ottawa will host Montreal on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. ET. That game is also sold out, and with more than 7,800 tickets sold, it's set to break a record for the most-attended women's professional hockey game in North America.

Each team will play 24 games this season, culminating in playoffs that begin in early May.