Canadiens honour Caroline Ouellete’s Hall of Fame hockey career

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Four-time Olympic champion about to realize a dream next month, when she will get to watch women play professionally.

Author of the article:

Pat Hickey  •  Special to Montreal Gazette

Published Dec 08, 2023  •  3 minute read

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When the as-yet-unnamed Montreal team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League faces off against Boston in its inaugural home game on Jan. 13, Caroline Ouellette will be a part of the story.

Ouellette, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last month, will be on hand to witness the culmination of a dream that began when she was a nine-year-old begging her parents for a chance to play hockey.

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“I envy them so much,” Ouellette said Thursday before the Canadiens saluted her Hall of Fame career before the game between the Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings. “I am so proud, but I wouldn’t change anything in my career. I had my time.”

And what a time it was.

When Ouellette played her final game — she was pregnant with her older daughter Liv when she helped Les Canadiennes defeat Calgary 3-1 in the Clarkson Cup final — she had a Hall of Fame resumé. She had amassed with four Olympic gold medals and 12 world championship medals — six gold and six silver. She also had four Clarkson Cup titles and a place in the top 10 in NCAA scoring at the University of Minnesota-Duluth

“My parents (André and Nicole) allowed me to realize this dream,” Ouellette said. “I would never have gotten there without their help. I don’t come from a wealthy family. They made several financial sacrifices to allow me to play hockey, baseball and softball with the Quebec team. All my life, I have tried to find ways to thank them for what they have done. I had invited them to several tournaments and world championships. In Toronto (at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony), I saw all the joy in my parents’ faces. I will never forget that. For me, it wasn’t something I thought possible. If I could, I would still play hockey.”

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A sustainable professional league was always the goal for the women, but Ouellette said it was a matter of the players believing in the dream and self-promotion. Players often had to buy their own equipment and put career opportunities on hold. Ouellette’s mother was a fixture at Les Canadiennes games, selling tickets and team merchandise.

Ouellette said women are invested in growing the game. She pointed to the example of Marie-Philip Poulin, who is often referred to as the Sidney Crosby of women’s hockey.

“She joins me every summer for my camps,” Ouellette explained. “She doesn’t have to do that, but she understands that young girls are the future of this game.

When Ouellette was asked if she was surprised that it took so long for a professional league to get off the ground, she replied: “Yes.”

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“I thought there was a chance in 2010 when 13 million people watched the women’s Olympic final,” Ouellette said. “The interest was there, but it didn’t work out.”

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Ouellette is hoping the PWHL will provide a showcase that attracts sports fans — men as well as women. She drew a comparison to women’s tennis, which took a while to build a following.

The analogy fits because while Los Angeles Dodgers primary owner Mark Walter is bankrolling the PWHL, his ownership group includes women’s sports pioneer Billie Jean King, who has spearheaded the drive for equal prize money for men and women in professional tennis.

While Ouellette’s playing days are over, she remains involved in hockey. In addition to her camps, she shares the coaching duties for the Concordia Stingers women’s team with her off-ice partner Julie Chu. The Stingers are currently No. 1 in Canada with a 13-0 record.

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