The Montreal Canadiens have hired hockey legend Marie-Philip Poulin as player development consultant, general manager Kent Hughes announced on Tuesday.
Poulin, 31, will hold the position on a part-time basis as she will continue with her playing career with her involvement in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association and representing Canada on the international stage.
“We are thrilled with the addition of Marie-Philip Poulin to our hockey development department,” said Hughes. “Marie-Philip is one of the best players on the planet and she has won at the highest level, which will be very beneficial for our players. Her knowledge, leadership and vision of the game certainly make the Canadiens a better organization.”
According to the Canadiens, Poulin will work with players on the ice and in video sessions to help improve their skills. She will work alongside director of player development, Rob Ramage, and the team’s director of hockey development Adam Nicholas.
A decorated hockey player in her own right, Poulin has won 15 international medals in her career, including three Olympic golds, two IIHF World Championship titles, and four 4 Nations Cup championships. As a member of Les Canadiennes de Montreal of the CWHL, she was a three-time league MVP and two-time Clarkson Cup champion.
In March, Poulin said that as long as her body holds up, she has no plans on retiring and would like to play for Canada again at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026.
Once she does retire, the possibility of working in a front office is an option for Poulin.
“Obviously hockey’s a big part of my life and after my career, I would love to be involved, I would love to do something within hockey,” she said. “Obviously that would be lovely, I would love that. I still want to play a little bit more and after, we’ll see.”
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.