After multiple Olympic medals, PWHL honours and a Walter Cup championship ring, Montreal Victoire and Team Canada captain Marie Philip-Poulin can add another academic accolade to her name. Poulin received an honorary doctorate from Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Que. on Saturday. “When people look at athletes, they often see the big moments; the gold medals, the championships, the overtime goals, the celebrations, but those moments are only a very small part of the story,” she said at the ceremony. “What people do not always see are the early mornings, the difficult practices, the injuries, the losses, the setbacks and the moments where the confidence disappears for a while. Honestly, those moments matter just as much.” The honour comes a year after the Bishop Gaiters women’s hockey team won the U SPORTS national championship. Poulin met with the Gaiters women after the ceremony. “Marie-Philip Poulin embodies values that are deeply aligned with the Bishop’s experience: excellence, leadership, humility, and a deep commitment to community,” said Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sébastien Lebel-Grenier. “She has defined an era of her sport with integrity and an unwavering dedication to her teammates and her community. That she will meet our own Gaiters women’s hockey team following Convocation makes this a particularly meaningful moment for our university.” She was honoured with a doctorate of civil law for her long career, which includes three Olympic gold medals, two silvers, a PWHL MVP and a playoff MVP award. However, Poulin said it is not the successes of her career that made her into who she is. “One of the greatest lessons hockey has taught me is that failure is not the opposite of success; failure is part of the success,” said Poulin. “You will lose opportunities, you will make mistakes, there will be days when you question yourself.” Poulin was also named a knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2024. After attending CEGEP at Dawson College, Poulin attended Boston University from 2010 to 2015.
