Erin Ambrose was named defender of the year in the PWHL’s inaugural season.
The 30-year-old veteran of Canada’s national team was Montreal Victoire’s top blue liner in Year 1 of the league, finishing with 18 points in Montreal’s second-place regular-season finish.
Ambrose is no stranger to the victory podium with three world championship golds, an Olympic gold and an NCAA title with Clarkson.
In a season of firsts for everyone in the PWHL, Ambrose set the bar for minutes played in a game, logging 55:18 of ice time in Montreal’s triple-overtime loss to Boston in Game 2 of their PWHL semifinal.
We spoke with Erin on Wednesday.
HOW LONG AFTER PLAYING THOSE 55:18 MINUTES DID YOU FINALLY GET TO SLEEP?
“It took a long time to fall asleep afterwards. I would say it was close to 3 a.m. We actually stayed in Montreal the next day and then travelled to Boston on the game day. That was decided on before the game even finished, so that was nice.”
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU LEARNED IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PWHL?
“I think just how to manage the day-to-day. As hockey players, obviously, we love routine, but we have kind of been used to from the last time we played consistently in either the CWHL or college is you play every Saturday or Sunday or every weekend. So, I think just getting into the groove of you have weekday games, weekday travel. Nothing is really a consistent schedule. I think it was mostly learning how to take care of myself on the off-days and in the downtime as the year went on.”
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT LIVING IN MONTREAL?
“I think my favourite part of it is it’s such a major city, but it doesn’t seem all that busy all the time. I’m pretty close to downtown and I can walk around down there and not be crowded at crosswalks. Traffic is very much similar to Toronto, so we don’t love that part, but I think just how big of a city it is, but it doesn’t feel like a big one at the same time.”
DESCRIBE THE CHEMISTRY ON CANADA’S NATIONAL WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM
“I honestly can’t put it into words. I think the group that we have had for the last few years, the core group of us, we are united, but at the same time we are driven and we push each other in ways that are pretty special. It is one of the most special groups I have ever been a part of, if not the most special.”
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST JAW-DROPPING MOMENT YOU HAVE WITNESSED FROM MARIE-PHILIP POULIN?
“I think my ‘oh my gosh’ moment was her overtime winner in Calgary (2021), but then it happened more frequently than you would think. Even last year in the PWHL to tie the game up against Toronto, she literally went through all five players on the ice by herself. She just does it so consistently that I shouldn’t even be surprised anymore.”
THE BIGGEST HOCKEY NAME TO COME FROM KESWICK THAT ISN’T AMBROSE?
“Well, you are probably going to say (one-time Leafs’ goalie) Curtis Joseph because he is probably the most well-known, but for me it’s Sean Walker (Carolina Hurricanes) or Chris Tierney (former NHLer now with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL). I played with Joseph’s son actually. He played with us on York-Simcoe Express.”
BEST MEAL YOU PREPARE?
“Probably my favourite one is stuffed peppers that I make. I don’t know why, but it’s one of my favourites, probably because I can usually get a three-pack and have 11/2 each time and it’s two meals in a row.”
ON A SCALE OF 1-10, WHAT’S THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRE-GAME NAP?
“Oh, if you would have asked me this five years ago I would have said zero because I wasn’t much of a napper. Now it’s probably an 8 or a 9. I feel like with age I have become more of a napper and I am very much OK with it. I usually won’t reach an hour. Usually, it’s about 45 minutes.”
MOST LIKELY POST-HOCKEY PLAYING CAREER PLANS AS OF TODAY?
“Very much still involved in the game, hopefully in some sort of management role once I’m done.”
BEST ICE YOU HAVE EVER SKATED ON?
“Tough question. I feel like the better ones we don’t get to consistently use, so I can’t tell if they really are, but the Bell Centre was quite good.”
IF YOU COULD CHANGE OHE THING ABOUT THE WAY THE GAME OF HOCKEY IS BROADCAST, WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
“I think it would be having someone consistently mic’d up. I think that access, especially when I’m a fan of the game, just hearing what people have to say and getting it out there right away because a lot of mic’d up experiences are shown later on. I think in-game stuff is pretty cool to see.”
BUCKET LIST SPORTING EVENT YOU DREAM OF ATTENDING?
“Wimbledon. I am not a tennis player, but I have always wanted to go to Wimbledon. I think it is one of, I mean obviously the bigger events ever and I would love to do it one time.”
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WILL WEAR OUT BEFORE YOU BUY A NEW ONE?
“Honestly, I don’t have one. I like new things quite frequently. I like the snugger feel to it and I feel like when things get too loose, it doesn’t feel as good.”
WHO IN YOUR PAST HAD THE MOST IMPACT ON THE WAY YOU PLAY HOCKEY?
“I would have to say Ken Dufton. He was my coach in junior and I had him for three years I believe and I think the way he saw how I saw the game, he allowed me to kind of hone in on that and really make a big difference.”
WHICH FEMALE ATHLETE OUTSIDE OF HOCKEY DO YOU ADMIRE MOST?
“Christine Sinclair without a doubt. I think she is one of not just the best Canadian athletes, but one of the best athletes to ever play. Honestly, I would do a lot of things to be able to sit down and have a dinner with her one time.”
A PLAY OR MOMENT IN YOUR HOCKEY CAREER THAT STANDS OUT ABOVE THE REST?
“I think one that really stands out is obviously the end result of (Olympic gold at) Beijing, but more specifically there was a goal against Finland that I assisted on of Sarah Nurse’s. I made a literal cross-goal-line pass to her. I think honestly she shot it from below the goal line. That is probably one of my favourite plays in recent memory.”
A DEFENCE PARTNER YOU WOULD ONE DAY LIKE TO PLAY WITH?
“I would love to be able to play with (U.S. national team and Boston Fleet player) Megan Keller. I think she is one of the greatest in our game right now. Megan Keller would be up there. (Finland national team captain) Jenni Hiirikoski would be up there. And then if I could throw in a former player I would say (Canadian national team player) Catherine Ward.”
WHAT DO YOU EAT ON YOUR CHEAT DAY?
“Probably a grilled burger on the BBQ and some corn on the cob, which isn’t really much of a cheat meal, but nothing beats that at the cottage in the summertime.”