Poulin, Desbiens among the five Montreal Victoire stars on Canada Olympic roster

Team Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin, right, and Laura Stacey, left, celebrate a game-tying goal by teammate Blayre Turnbull during the third period of Rivalry Series hockey action against Team USA in Halifax on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)

Five Montreal Victoire stars will lace up for Canada at next month’s Milan-Cortina Olympics in Italy.

Canada unveiled its roster for the women’s hockey team that will look to defend the gold medal won four years ago in China.

As expected, captain Marie-Philip Poulin and linemate (and wife) Laura Stacey made the squad, along with defenders Erin Ambrose and Kati Tabin and goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens.

• READ MORE: Montreal Victoire forwards on U.S., Czech Olympic rosters heading to Milan-Cortina

Poulin and Desbiens are the lone Quebecers on the squad.

“Captain Clutch” Poulin, 34, will lace up for her fifth Olympic Games, having won three golds and a silver already.

The 31-year-old Desbiens was the first-choice goalie for Canada’s gold-medal winning team in Beijing in 2022, and won silver in 2018 in PyeongChang. Stacey, 31, is also playing in her third Games for Canada.

It is the second Games for Ambrose, 31, and the 28-year-old Tapin is making their first appearance at an Olympics for Canada.

Forwards Kristin O’Neill, who was traded to New York from Montreal in December, is also on the squad.

The Canadians open their tournament against Finland on Feb. 5.

Canada has won five of seven gold medals since women’s hockey made its Olympic debut in Nagano, Japan.

German Victoire

Desbiens’ backup on the Victoire, 27-year-old Sandra Abstreiter was announced as part of Germany’s Olympic squad heading to Italy.

It will be the first Olympic Games for the Freising native, who has been a staple on past German squads.