Montreal Victoire Captain Poulin Played Through Knee Tears to Help Win Walter Cup but Faces Indefinite Absence After Surgery

Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin played through a torn ACL and torn meniscus in her right knee during the PWHL playoffs, ESPN reported. The team captured the Walter Cup title. Poulin, 35, first injured the knee in the preliminary round of the Olympics.

She continued playing for Canada through the knockout stage as the team reached the final and lost to the United States in overtime, finishing with silver. She aggravated the injury on March 15 against Boston and missed the next 10 games. Poulin returned for the playoffs and was named MVP after recording two goals and six assists in nine games.

She is scheduled for knee surgery in late July and is expected to be out indefinitely afterward. "Hockey, it is my life," Poulin said during a video news conference. "I won't lie, yes, it was painful.

Victoire general manager Danièle Sauvageau said the team will provide updates on Poulin's status as they become available and expressed confidence she will return to play in due time.