It’s safe to say that Montréal has fallen in love with its PWHL team. The games in Verdun are already sold out and the Place Bell is also filling up nicely. Whenever the players are introduced, it’s always the local heroes who get the loudest cheers. The mere mention of Captain Clutch’s name Marie-Philip Poulin sends the crowd into a frenzy and Ann-Renée Desbiens’ fantastic performances in net has fans chanting her names three times already, but this is not a two-player team.
In most games, it’s a 24-year-old American winger who plays on Poulin’s right; Maureen Murphy. The Northeastern graduate may play for the enemy on the international stage but she’s fast becoming a crucial part of Montreal’s attack. With seven points in eight games, Murphy is eighth in scoring league wise and the second among rookies. Only her former linemate Alina Müller has more points in her first pro year with nine in six games, tied with New York’s Alex Carpenter for the lead league wise. There was never any doubt that Northeastern’s top line formed by Chloé Aurard, Müller, and Murphy herself would have a huge impact on the PWHL, especially since the former two were picked 21st and third overall at the draft.
According to Murphy, playing with them was the perfect prelude to skating alongside the best player in the world and Tereza Vanišová. The Buffalo born player has come a long way since her dad introduced her to the sport. Without further ado, here’s my chat with the bright, articulated young woman who’s taking Montreal by storm.
[Note: Murphy’s answers were slightly edited for ease of reading]
Karine Hains: How did you get hooked on hockey?
Maureen Murphy: Well, my dad played hockey, but he wasn’t very good mind you. Still, he kind of just threw me on the ice, and went like there you go. I guess, I liked it because I stuck with it.
KH: You played in the NCAA with two teams, Providence College and Northeastern for six years, what did you study that took so long?
MM: Well, I was at Providence and then Covid happened and so I switched, I’ve got a health science major and I’m now in law school.
KH: Which athletes did you admire growing up?
MM: Well, on the American team definitely Julie Chu and on team Canada, Marie-Philip Poulin. Yes, even if she played for the wrong team because you know I never thought I would reach that level, the national team level and so I never thought I would play against her, so it didn’t really matter to me.
KH: Wow so you’re now playing with a player you idolized growing up, were you nervous about playing with her?
MM: No, I wouldn’t say that I was really, it was more about trusting myself and getting her to trust me.
KH: What did you think when you were drafted by Montreal? Did you expect it? Did you go oh my god I’m going to French land?
MM: (Laughs) – No, I was surprised, I didn’t expect to go that early, so I guess I’m grateful for that. I hadn’t talked to them at all, I had talked to Ottawa and Boston. So, it was definitely a surprise and my agent had texted me like, I didn’t have my phone on me . He was like I think you’re going to get drafted by Montreal and I didn’t see it. So, I was just surprised.
KH: Why on earth did you not have your phone on you on such an important day?
MM: I was just trying to you know, live in the moment, enjoy it and like I had so many friends there, my parents where there and I knew that people were going to be taking photos. So, like, I didn’t need to be taking photo. Someone I’m sure would have gotten some. I was just really trying to take it all in.
KH: What was your first thought when you heard your name?
MM: It was definitely about the language, but I was just really shocked, like totally, totally surprised. And then I think I ran into Pou (Marie-Philip Poulin) and Laura (Stacey) and Ann. Erin (Ambrose) was doing some media stuff since she got drafted in the first round, but I just remember like oh my god they know my name! They were really nice, already offering to go check out apartments and help me in whatever I needed, so that was kind of surreal. And I remember being like totally shocked like I was having an out of body experience.
KH: What about when you got to Montreal, your first practice, when you realized you were going to be on Marie-Philip Poulin’s line, where you a bit starstruck for a minute or like oh god, that’s the woman I admired growing up, wow?
MM: I mean I didn’t really know I was going to be on her line, like I remember on the first day being nervous and telling myself right, I need to prove that I can skate with them, I mean being drafted so early, I didn’t want them to think they had made a mistake by like drafting me that high, so I think I was just trying to focus on working very hard and being a good teammate like doing the little things right, but I was nervous too.”
KH: When did you find out you’d play on her line for the first game?
MM: I mean we played together in Utica and I played horribly, I just was nervous even though the games didn’t matter and she was great about it but I didn’t know if I would stay on her line. But we have so many great players that even if I wasn’t then, I’d find somebody else and we’d have fun and do well, but I think it wasn’t even about…I guess it was just like crazy to me that like the coaches and Pou and T (Tereza Vanišová) they like trusted me to like still play with them. And I think it’s still something that I’m trying to adjust and get used to. Because they have a lot of trust in me, so I’m just trying to trust myself.
KH: You turned pro this year. What was the plan for you if the PWHL didn’t happen?
MM: Well, I had talked to some of the PHF teams, but I was going to go play with the PWHPA and then do whatever the other American national team players were doing. So yeah I started law school in the fall, because we hadn’t really heard anything. I wasn’t really sure if I was going to be able to do that. It was going to be the goal, part time law school and then do whatever the other players did.
KH: Which Law School were you attending?
MM: Northeastern like the rest of my degree.
KH: How do you like Montreal as a city, a place to live?
MM: It’s really nice but a little cold, it’s been a while since I lived in Buffalo. I really like the French and the different culture and it’s similar to Boston in the sense that there’s a lot of Colleges. So, I think community wise it’s really nice and there’s so many different things. I live by the Atwater Market. So, I’m in a good spot where anything I need I can just walk to. The rink is only like ten minutes away, so it’s really nice and more affordable than Boston.
KH: What about the fan support at the rink, is it what you expected?
MM: I think I expected it to be lots of support but then when you get there, they’re like screaming and it’s really cool. And even just walking around like, when I was at the airport someone noticed my bag. My landlord knew. So it’s just like really exciting and we’re all very grateful.
KH: Did the people are the airport recognize you?
MM: No, they didn’t. A have a little leeway because I am American.
KH: Which arena do you prefer Laval or Verdun?
MM: I don’t know, I like, it’s hard to say, I don’t love the drive to Laval and I don’t know I like Verdun because it’s more community style but, I don’t know they both have different benefits, I can’t really pick a favorite.
KH: They do, but you know market value wise, there’s a lot more seats in Laval.
MM: I just worry, I don’t know if we could sell it out every game. Or like not sell it out but get that many fans every game.
KH: That’s a good question but I’m guessing that’s why they are trying both venues this year to test the market kind of, and besides the venue for March 16th is still unknown as far as I know, the Canadiens are in Calgary on that day, there are no shows or events in the building and you’re playing in the Scotia Bank Arena on the 16th of February so I half expect that to be the Bell Centre.
MM: I think we’re hoping but we haven’t heard anything. Yeah I think, there’s so many moving parts all the time, so even like the Scotia Bank thing, we heard about it the day of. Maybe like an hour before the general public but they don’t want to overwhelm us. I think once we know everyone else will know too.
[Note: the day after this interview, Daniele Sauvageau stated the March 16th game would not be set at the Bell Center but elsewhere, in neutral territory. There are a lot of rumbles out there about Pittsburgh perhaps being the host city. Kori Cheverie was a guest coach during the Penguins training camp, so there’s a link there…time will tell but forget the Bell Centre for now. Unless an existing game is moved there.]
Around The PWHL
KH: How is it playing in an NHL rink, because you did that in Minnesota, what was that feeling like?
MM: It was really cool, it was different than playing in Ottawa, just because in Ottawa there are fans right up to the glass and we were able to interact with them when we were on the ice. In an NHL arena, you’re a little bit more removed. So, there are more people and obviously it’s newer and there are a lot of resources, but it doesn’t feel as crazy because they’re not right on top of you. Ottawa felt so much louder.
KH: I think it was in Ottawa that Poulin was actually booed right? I was watching on the television going “but, that’s a national hero what are you doing?”
MM: Yeah, I was really shocked.
KH: I guess it just shows how much the fans are behind their team right? There’s no more nationality, even if you’re American the fans love you, it’s great right?
MM: Yeah it’s crazy, just how much the merchandise sold as well, I mean it sold out.
KH: How does the PWHL compare to your experience in the NCAA?
MM: Well, I mean it’s more professional, which I guess is implied, but I think we didn’t really know what to expect yet with the league being so new. But even like the media attention, the respect that people have, it’s just like you’re not a student, well I am still a student, but I think in college you’re still worrying about school and trying to balance that. And then people are just like a lot more mature, they’re older and they have families, and they have a routine so that’s nice, it’s weird being one of the younger ones again but it feels a lot more legitimate.
KH: How old are you? Speaking to the PWHL players, even the younger ones, you all sound so much more mature and articulate than young NHLers.
MM: Well, I just turned 24, and I don’t think I would have been able to skip college.
KH: Do you feel the league is delivering on its goal to allow its athlete to focus solely on hockey?
MM: Yeah, I think even like just little things, we’re really really lucky with Daniele (Sauvageau) and the rest of our staff. Like making sure our tickets are figured out the day before, food and like even moving here. Like it was, everyone is always there trying to help. So, when game time comes, that’s all you have to focus on and it’s really nice, and it’s something that I’m not used to, there’s so many moving parts all the time so I would say it’s really I would say a pleasant surprise.
KH: On the team, you’re studying part-time, what about the other players? Are they like full time just focusing on hockey or do some of them still hold jobs do you know?
MM: Um, I know one other girl is in part-time school. I don’t know about other people’s job it’s like we’re basically after 1 PM, you’re free to spend the rest of your day however you want and it’s really nice. I mean at least for me, having school, it’s hard sometimes trying to fit it all in. But just, you know if you have a bad game, you’re like yeah my job is a professional athlete but there’s so many other components of my life that I think I speak for most of the girls when I say that if we just focus on hockey all the time. It’s going to be really hard to come back when you have a bad game or a bad practice. So, I think having a hobby or whether it’s something else is nice and the coaches have done a nice job. Sometimes I get mad. Sometimes they won’t let us stay on super later for extra ice-time or they won’t let us work out extra. We can do whatever we want for the most part, if we want to put in extra work if we want to, but there’s a limit especially with the season being so long. I think that’s nice. Even though sometimes I do get mad, I’m like “I want to stay on!” but they’re like no, go home and do other things. It’s refreshing.
KH: Who comes on the ice to tell you off and get you off the ice then?
MM: Well, it’s like sometimes our whole team will be sitting there ready to go on the ice early but Kori will be like ok, you can go on now! And it’s like 12:28 and practice is at 12:30. But it’s nice, they work with our sport performance staff and make sure that we’re like training enough and that we’re not doing too much because we’re playing until June which is abnormal so trying to make sure we’re healthy. Because I think at the end of June it’s going to be the team that is in the better shape, the healthiest that’s going to come out, that’s going to win this first season.
KH: It’s true that the season is really stretched out. I mean you’ve got a regular season that’s only 24 games so it could have been a bit more compacted, but then again, there’s this All-Star break, the rivalry series break.
MM: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is that Worlds (the World Championships) is in April and so I guess we’ve got like a good chunk there and I think just this first year is different. Worlds is like a week for tryouts and then the two-week tournament so that’s like the whole month and I think they were just trying to do the best they could this year. We didn’t play a game till January when in reality, normally in college you play October through December, so I don’t think we mind that it’s a longer season.
KH: What’s a typical day at the rink for you, both on match day and on training day, I know you said you’re pretty much free to do what you want from 1:00 PM, but what happens before then?
MM: We get to the rink anytime between 8:00 and 9:00. We’ve got breakfast provided for us, which is really nice and then we have a team meeting, our video, our special teams. Then sometimes we have a workout. If we don’t, then it’s just a regular warm-up, practice warm-up then we’ll practice. Sometimes there’s a workout after. Sometimes there isn’t. Then we eat lunch and after that it you want to meet with staff you can to go over film or whatever and then you’re free to go. That’s for training days.
On game days, everyone’s a bit different, but there’s a group of us that like to skate if the game’s later. If it’s at 7:00 PM, we’ll skate around like 10:00 or 11:00 just for half an hour, go home and take a nap and eat and then we’ll come back.
KH: What’s your pregame routine? Do you have like a pump-up song or something to get you going?
MM: [Little laugh] … Well…I meditate. Well, it’s not really meditation it’s called mindfulness and it’s like a way to focus and not get like too hyped up. There’s like a bell shaped curve right, so it’s like there’s a part between where your stimulus is high enough and your anxiety and whatever, but if you surpass that point like if I’m screaming and yelling and excited then I’m at the end of the bell curve. So it just helps me find like a good happy medium where I’m focused but I’m not too focused and I’m energized but I’m not crazy. It’s something I started at Northeastern and we worked like with a neuro company that made a pre practice and a pre game routine where they would like talk about our team, its values and visualize. Ever since then it’s been really helpful and if I can’t fit it in, I can definitely tell. That’s the biggest issue for me, being in the right headspace. My work ethic and my skill were never going to change and it’s 75 maybe more percent of the game is mental, so that’s been key for me.
KH: You’ve played against every team in the league now, which one do you think you’re going to have the biggest rivalry with?
MM: Um, probably Toronto. They have a lot of Canadian national team players, we have a lot of Canadian national team players and you know they’re competitive people so they don’t want to lose to their friends. I know that Montreal people don’t like Toronto people and Toronto people don’t like Montreal people from a sports’ perspective so…I know that the same can be said about Montreal people with Boston people and vice versa, but if you compare with the Toronto vs Boston game, it just felt a little different.
KH: Which of the game felt more physical? The one at Place Bell against New York it felt like both teams were really going at it. I mean at one stage I was almost scared Poulin and Abby Roque would fight.
MM: Toronto. I think they just like to play a more physical game. Like it’s their style, it’s what they try to do. I think the league is definitely more physical than people thought it was going to be, but I think Toronto was going to be physical from the start.
KH: And how was it for you to adapt to that kind of play? Because you didn’t have it in the NCAA did you?
MM: Yeah it’s a little different, you know, you have to think faster and get off the boards quicker, just be like a little bit more intentional.
KH: Do you know if internationally the rules are going to follow suit of are you going to go back to “no contact” when playing international games?
MM: I think they’ll let a lot of stuff go. It was already pretty physical maybe not as physical, but it still was.
Around Full Press Hockey
KH: Kori sometimes takes you off the top line to get you away from those tough match-ups Poulin always gets, how do you feel about that?
MM: I trust Kori. You know I told her I’ll fill water bottles if that’s what you want me to do. I think I’m having faith that she’s doing it not even for me but for the team, you know at the end of the day I don’t really care which line I’m on.
KK: Which of your teammates would you say you’ve got the best chemistry with on the ice?
MM: Oh well, Pou could play with anyone so… I like to play with Erin Ambrose and Kati Tabin a lot. They’re really vocal which especially as a young player, a rookie is very helpful, because I know if they want the puck, or if they want me to shoot or they’ll just support me, so that’s really helpful and I think it allows us to have more chemistry.
KH: Hypothetical question here, say you got arrested in Montreal, not that you would, but anyways, you got arrested here, who are you going to call with your one phone call?
MM: Definitely Daniele, she knows everybody, she’ll do anything for us.
KH: In your opinion, who’s got the best odds of making the PWHL, a woman who played on mixed teams growing up, or one that only played against girls the whole way through?
MM: Oh gosh, hum…I don’t know, I feel like when we were growing up, most of us played against boys, but it’s hard to say because I would hope now there’s more women’s youth teams so…I think it’s individual by individual.
KH: So, you played with boys in your youth then?
MM: Yeah, I played with boys until my freshman year in high school. I have some friends who only played against girls.
KH: If you could pick any players in the league, who would make your starting six?
MM: Hum… Alina Müller, Pou, but they’re both centers so that could be difficult…Hum…I don’t know because I’ve played with Aerin (Frankel) and Ann-Renée and like I can’t pick between the two. On d, I don’t know Ella Shelton but she’s obviously having a great year, so yeah I’d put her on my top six. I guess I would take Erin Ambrose as my other blueliner or Megan Keller. I’d probably go with Stace (Laura Stacey) she’s so effective and her stick is so long, and you know, she’s a great person too, she’s been really successful for us so far, but I’d take Kristin O’Neil too, I hate playing against her and I’m really glad she’s on our team. Really tough choices.
KH: So, you were a Sabres fan, are you still?
MM: I like them, I like the Bruins too…[seeing my face] I know, I won’t say it around here.
KH: A few quick questions to wrap things up,
KH: Favorite food?
MM: Lobster
KH: Favorite singer or band?
MM: Taylor Swift
KH: Favorite song?
MM: I’d still go with Taylor here; I would say Karma.
KH: Which series did you really binge?
MM: I binged Castle which is like a murder show, and I’ve also binged Suits.
KH: Aside from the Sabres, any other pro team you support?
MM: The Buffalo Bills
KH: Chiefs or 49ers, who do you pick?
MM: Ugh 49ers, I’m sorry Taylor, but the Chiefs beat us too many times and now people are comparing them to the Patriots when they went on their run and I hate the Patriots.
KH: So you like the Bruins but you hate the Patriots, that’s confusing?
MM: Well you know the Bruins are easy to like because they’re good. I could take the T which is like the metro to the arena and it took me like 10 minutes. At least when I was growing up, the Sabres were somewhat competitive with the Bruins, but when I was growing up with the Bills, the Patriots would just demolish us.
KH: Thank you very much for your time and for doing this Maureen, I’ll see you at the rink!
Aside from the fact she mentioned the Bruins were easy to like (clearly the Max Pacioretty–Zdeno Chara incident hasn’t affected her like the Montreal fans), Murphy will fit right in. It seems clear general manager Daniele Sauvageau intends to have her around for a long-time, having signed her to a three-year deal. The PWHL will have a break now to allow the national team players to feature in the Rivalry Series.
The Americans are currently leading the series 3-1 and could win the trophy with a fourth win. Last year, the Canadiens came back from behind to lift the trophy in Laval at the Place Bell. Who would have thought that a year later, Montrealers would be cheering on both Poulin and Murphy playing on the same team…what a treat!