THE GOLDEN RULEBOOK
Canadian Olympic hockey hero Marie-Philip Poulin: “Some days it’s hard, some days you are tired, but you have 21 girls behind you. They have your back.”
When you step onto the ice with Canadian national team captain Marie-Philip Poulin, even to do an interview, you realize very quickly that this is one special hockey player. She grabs a puck and flips it into the top corner of the net from more than halfway down the rink like it’s nothing. Her skating is incredible: quick and explosive, yet compact and technically sound. Poulin scored the gold-medal goals at the last two Winter Olympics and, at age 26, is considered one of the top players in the world. With the next Games less than three months away, and a new sponsorship deal with Tide, Poulin shared insights into the game and her own preparations for Pyeongchang at Leaside Gardens this past week:
You are an elite-level player, but still sponsorships are hard to come by for female hockey players. How did this deal with Tide come together for you?
Obviously, it means the world, just being able to work with Tide is something very special, and even as a kid I always used Tide, to tell you the truth, and it kind of ties in, their (slogan) Raise the Bar . . . I want to raise the bar every time, I want to push myself every day and raise the bar all the time, so we team up very well, and it’s obviously something special for women to have that sponsorship. It raises the bar for (sponsorship opportunities for other female players) and that’s very important too.
How important is it for you to set an example for the younger players coming into the game?
Very important. It was special for me coming up as a kid to have those role models for my career. Caroline Ouellette helped me for all those years, and being able to be that role model for younger girls is something I really cherish and something I strive for. Coming out onto the ice and having those girls with big eyes and being able to spark their dreams, it’s really important to me . . . being able not only to help them out as players but as people too. We have the hockey camps. That’s what I want to do, raise the bar for them, help them. It’s something I want to continue doing.
How has women’s hockey grown since you started?
It’s grown a lot. I can see differences. My first world championships back in 2009, to today, they’ve come a long way. The bar is raised every time there is a competition. You can see with the CWHL, with the world championships and the Olympics. You can see other teams coming into their own, coming onto the world stage, and we’re growing it as a sport. The Olympics in 2014, that game (OT win over U.S.A.) really put women’s hockey on the map. I talk to people all the time and they still remember where they were during that game. And knowing there were 13 million Canadians watching that game. It is really something that I am so proud to be a part of. We want to keep doing that, for those little girls who are playing now, and one day they can make a living out of playing hockey.
You have this sponsorship, but in women’s hockey can you make a living out of it, and what’s your perspective on the pay women receive for playing the game?
This year, with the CWHL, the girls started to get paid, but they can’t make a living out of it, sadly. So, to be honest, we want to keep pushing that one day, the next generation can make a living out of it. Some of us girls have that sponsorship that helps us make a living, but we want to keep that going for others.
Is hockey now your full-time job?
Right now, it is . . . with this sponsor I have, being able to team up with Tide, it’s something I’m really thankful for. And being here today, obviously that’s why I’m here, to be able to talk about that great partnership. And this is a big year, an Olympic year, so playing hockey full-time is something I’ve always dreamed of, and, hopefully, I can keep doing it for the next several years.
You hear Leafs coach Mike Babcock always talk about “getting better.” How do you embrace that ideal? Because it’s a phrase that is THE phrase in hockey these days.
For me, I think that subject, it’s just all about the passion for the game I have. Since I was young, I fell in love with hockey. The first time I put that equipment on (at 6 years old), it’s been my passion. I don’t take anything for granted. It’s something that makes me different and I want to be better every day, push myself, and raising the bar is so very important in this sport. I love training, I love sweating, I love training on the ice, off the ice, and it’s something I cherish every day. And the best part, it’s a team sport. Some days it’s hard, some days you are tired, but you have 21 girls behind you, they have your back. That’s something that makes me want to be better every day, for them, for myself.
You are a captain, and the Olympics are coming up. What is your message to the team?
Keep pushing, keep getting better, raise the bar every time you play. You have to have fun as well. That’s something you live by, pushing yourself and having fun, never giving up ever. That keeps me going, makes me want to get out of bed, to push myself.
Canada vs. the U.S.A. It happens all the time. The two countries are dominant in the women’s game. So, is that good or bad for women’s hockey?
Canada and the U.S.A., we keep pushing the game for the other coun- tries to develop. Finland is coming on strong, the last world championships, we lost to them. So, we see the improvement, we see their federation putting the money into their program. Every game we play against Finland, and against Switzerland and Sweden, is something we take pride in. We know they are improving, but for us we want to keep improving too. We are all working hard to keep improving women’s hockey.
Your mentor, Caroline Ouellette, and Julie Chu, former captains of Canada and the U.S.A., respectively, welcomed a child into their lives — how did that make you feel?
It was amazing. Caroline and Julie are both my good friends and . . . now having a little girl, and maybe making a little hockey player, it’s wonderful.
What kind of a leader are you?
I think over the years I’ve learned to be a bit more vocal. I’m a shy girl, but I like to lead by example. That’s something I strive for every day, and I like to get other people involved and to push them . . . like when they see a little something on the ice, you lift a stick, you backcheck, you hope there’s something they can take out of it.
What motivates you?
Playing in the Olympics and winning the gold medal. And day to day, just getting better all the time. Those are the things you strive for every day, knowing that if I push myself to get better, not only for myself, but for my teammates too, for my family, and my friends, it’s something that keeps you motivated . . . one of my biggest fears is to disappoint people.
How important is your family with regards to the person and the player you have become?
Family, they are my backbone. They’ve always been there. I have an older brother who plays hockey too. . . . I don’t come from a wealthy family and they did everything they could do for us to play and it’s something I’ll never be able to put into words, how grateful I am to them.
You have two Olympic golden goals and you are compared to Sidney Crosby. How do you feel about that?
I’m a shy girl and I don’t feel I’m on the same level as him at all. For me, I try to keep improving every day. He’s a great player, I look up to him, and it’s something where everything he does he keeps raising the bar for his team and teammates, and it’s special for me to be able to watch him do that. I strive to do the same things.
Last question, and one we always ask: Name three people, alive or dead, that you would like to have dinner with.
Chantal Petitclerc, Olympic wheelchair athlete . . . uhmmm, Céline Dion. And . . . Cassie Campbell.”