Erin Ambrose feels that having the opportunity to play at the Bell Center would be historical.
On Sunday, eight players from Montreal’s PWHL squad had the opportunity to skate in front of a nearly packed Bell Centre.
Captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Erin Ambrose, Sarah Bujold, Mariah Keopple, Sarah Lefort, Maureen Murphy, Laura Stacey, and Tereza Vanisova joined the Canadiens for the annual Skills Competition.
Montreal leads the six-team PWHL with an 8-2-3 record in its maiden season. The club has had success both on and off the ice, defeating Minnesota 2-1 two Sundays ago in front of a sellout crowd of 10,172 at Place Bell in Laval, as well as selling out games at their normal home rink, the Verdun Auditorium, which has a capacity of little over 4,000. Montreal took top position with a 6-3 victory against Ottawa on Saturday in Verdun.
“I would say I’m not one bit surprised, to be honest,” she was quoted as saying. “When I was originally chosen here, I was ecstatic to be able to return. I got the opportunity to play in the CWHL with Les Canadiennes, and the fans have always been fantastic.”
Ambrose was born in Newmarket, Ontario, and began playing hockey at age five. The 29-year-old defenseman earned an NCAA title with Clarkson University in 2014, the same year she joined the national team, and a gold medal with Team Canada in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Montreal chose her in the first round (sixth overall) of last year’s PWHL draft.
Marie: Philip Poulin is invaluable to the game of hockey,” Ambrose stated. “For me personally, I can’t say enough about the person she is, the way she influences my day-to-day habits, and my ability to be a better person—nnot just as a hockey player. And then, with this league having the best player in the world be a part of what it took to get here, there aren’t enough words to describe it.
Ambrose had a chance to meet Cole Caufield for the first time on Sunday, and they were able to chat on the ice before the start of the skills competition. Ambrose said they talked about hockey, how the season is going for both teams, Montreal fans, and living in Montreal.
“We’re hockey players, too,” Ambrose said. “We play the exact same sport, and we’re representing the same city.”
“For us as a group and this team, Marie-Philip Poulin is our captain; she’s our leader,” he said. “The nicest thing about her is that she doesn’t just do or say what she wants our team to do. She was the first to show us the route. Carry on, and let’s follow Pou, because there’s no way we wouldn’t follow her wherever she goes. I am proud to be commanded by her and to call her a friend.”
Montreal’s next game is Saturday against Boston at the Verdun Auditorium (4 p.m., RDS).
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