All-Montreal Victoire line in the spotlight for Canada at women's hockey worlds
Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Jennifer Gardiner have formed formidable trio
It took only six minutes into the first period of Canada's first preliminary-round game at the women's world championship for the first line to strike.
The rookie, Jennifer Gardiner, scored her first career world-championship goal against Finland, thanks in part to a secondary assist from her linemate and captain, Marie-Philip Poulin.
Veteran forward Laura Stacey completes the all-Montreal Victoire first line, which has been Canada's best so far after four games. Gardiner and Stacey have each recorded five points, while Poulin leads all forwards at the tournament with eight points.
They'll take on Japan in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET in České Budějovice, the Czech Republic city hosting this year's tournament.
"They're a fun line to watch, not a fun line to play against," Boston Fleet forward Jill Saulnier, who won Olympic gold alongside Stacey and Poulin in 2022, told CBC Sports' Hockey North this week. "They're obviously pretty skilled, a pretty deep group. Great people. It always comes back to that."
While the main goal at the tournament is win a world championship for a second consecutive year, it's also the last chance to test potential line combinations in a tournament format ahead of the Olympics next February. Twenty five players are wearing the red and white in the Czech Republic, but only 23 will go to Italy for the Olympics.
But it was hard to ignore the magic between Gardiner, Poulin and Stacey when the trio have played together for the PWHL-leading Victoire. Poulin leads the Victoire in points (23) followed by Stacey (20) and Gardiner (16).
"They have a little bit of everything," Canadian head coach Troy Ryan told The Canadian Press last week.
"Stacy and Pou are going to have some just natural chemistry, Stacey [is] someone who will be first on pucks ... likes to take pucks below the goal line. Pou, the way she thinks the game is next level, can finish as good as anybody. Gardiner is a good mix of a little bit energy and a little bit of youthfulness, but enough skill as well."
Surrounding Poulin with her Victoire linemates also frees up Fillier to play on a skilled second line with Sarah Nurse and Daryl Watts, the Toronto Sceptres forward who has recorded two goals in her first senior national team tournament.
Speed and skill
Stacey has played on the national team roster with Poulin for several years, but often lined up in a bottom six, energy type of role. For a while, she was part of a third line with Emily Clark and Blayre Turnbull that could do a little bit of everything, on top of being annoying to play against.
But Stacey's game has grown significantly over the last couple of years.
Then, in the PWHL, she tied for fifth in league goal scoring (with Poulin and Watts) last season while playing in all situations for Montreal. She's been a staple on the Montreal power play, but her size, reach and speed also help her thrive in a shutdown role.
Stacey scored the lone goal for Canada in a 2-1 preliminary-round loss to the United States on Sunday, cashing in on her second breakaway of the game.
WATCH | Hockey North - Saulnier talks 1st PWHL fight and career-changing trade:
Saulnier has played with or against Stacey for nearly two decades, beginning in junior hockey in Ontario, continuing through the Canadian Women's Hockey League and the Canadian national team, and into the PWHL
Watching Stacey's progression over that time has been "outstanding" both as a teammate and as a friend — Saulnier was part of the wedding party at Poulin and Stacey's wedding last summer.
"It's been an honour as a friend of hers to just watch her thrive," Saulnier said about Stacey. "That's all you want for your friends in sport is to just to see them pull out the best version of themselves, and I think that's what the world is seeing of her right now."
The rookie
Gardiner, meanwhile, has immediately clicked alongside Poulin in her rookie pro season. The captain has praised her young teammate's vision, speed and shot as she's watched her gain confidence and an opportunity on the national team.
The 23-year-old from Surrey, B.C. was on the cusp of making last year's world-championship team, and had been identified as one of the next players up on Team Canada.
"Her season and her play all season long in the PWHL showed that she's ready for the challenge of playing on the international stage," Canada's GM Gina Kingsbury told CBC Sports before the world championship began.
Poulin, meanwhile, is playing in her 13th world championship and proving she's still the best player in the world, whether it's scoring goals when Canada needs them, blocking a crucial shot or winning battles along the boards.
She goes into the quarterfinals just two points shy of the Canadian world championship career points record held by Hayley Wickenheiser (86), three assists away from Wickenheiser's Canadian assist record (49) and two goals from passing Jayna Hefford as the top Canadian goal scorer at the tournament (40).
All of which Poulin downplayed to The Canadian Press.
"I don't care about individual [records] at all," Poulin said. "I really don't care."
Knowing who Poulin could play with could mean one less difficult decision for Kingsbury, Ryan and the rest of the staff to make ahead of 2026.
"Just having those extra reps in practice, I feel like it helps knowing where they're going to be, what they're going to do, what they like to do, and kind of where we all excel," Stacey told The Canadian Press about Gardiner and Poulin.
"If I can get the two of them the puck on the forecheck, they can put the puck in quite well."
The winner between Canada and Japan will move on to the semifinals on Saturday.
The gold-medal game is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
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With files from The Canadian Press
