Marie-Philip Poulin named PWHL MVP as Montreal Victoire clean up at league awards

Six years have passed since Marie-Philip Poulin was named the most valuable player of a women's hockey league.

Poulin won the top award in the Canadian Women's Hockey League in 2018-19, when she guided a stacked Les Canadiennes de Montreal team to the Clarkson Cup final.

That season would be her last with Les Canadiennes, as the CWHL folded and players like Poulin suddenly had nowhere to play.

Much has changed since then. Poulin captained Team Canada to three world championships and an Olympic gold medal. A global pandemic took female players off the ice, before the players created what would become the PWHL.

But one thing hasn't changed one bit: Poulin remains the best and most dominant female hockey player in the world.

The Montreal Victoire captain received the Billie Jean King MVP Award at the Hard Rock Hotel in Ottawa on Wednesday, edging out Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast and former Boston Fleet forward Hilary Knight.

She was also named the league's top forward over New York Sirens rookie, Sarah Fillier, and Knight, who had a breakout season with the Boston Fleet.

"I'm truly privileged to be part of La Victoire," Poulin said. "I have a front row seat every day to what it's like to be a professional."

Poulin led the league in goal scoring last season, putting up 19 goals in 30 games. She helped guide the Victoire to first place, anchoring a top line alongside Laura Stacey and Jennifer Gardiner, who signed with PWHL Vancouver during the expansion process.

She also led the league in both shootout goals (five) and game winners (six), proving that she remains the kind of player who comes up biggest when it matters the most. Poulin was also nominated for MVP last season.

But Poulin's impact goes beyond her