Hockey player Mélodie Daoust is retiring after a triumphant career that earned her numerous honors, including three Olympic medals.
The 32-year-old attacker made the announcement on social networks on Tuesday.
“Although I am emotional to say goodbye to the “Game” that I love so much, playing this wonderful sport has truly been one of the most beautiful journeys of my life,” she wrote in her publication.
Mélodie Daoust will have played her last match with the Montreal team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF) last May. The mother of a 6-year-old boy had signed a reserve contract with the Montreal team, which allowed her to play a total of six games and collect five points and two goals.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Mélodie Daoust played six games with the Montreal team in the LPHF
In her publication, the player welcomed the creation of a women’s hockey league in Canada, which in her eyes heralds the start of a new era. “The future of women’s hockey shines brighter than ever,” she wrote.
A brilliant career
Mélodie Daoust participated in three Olympic Games, from which she emerged victorious with two gold medals and a silver medal. She was also chosen MVP of the 2018 Olympic Games. The player from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield also won gold at the 2021 World Championships, where she scored twelve points in eight matches, as well as a medal bronze in 2019.
“I am filled with pride for the steps I have taken and the dreams I have been able to make come true,” she wrote on Twitter.
“From the pleasure of stepping on the ice during the inaugural season of the LPHF (with Montreal), to the honor of representing Canada in the world championship and during three Olympic Games, each moment has left an unforgettable mark in my life. »
With the Canadian team, Daoust scored four goals and nine points in 13 games over three Winter Games. She also collected six goals and 16 points in 14 games at the world championship.
“(Since I was little), hockey has guided me through life’s many twists and turns, reinforcing a work ethic that I witnessed every day as a child while my parents worked on our family farm in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. »
The striker has collected honors throughout her career. In her early days, she played for the McGill University Martlets, despite numerous offers from American universities. She also made the Canadian university circuit’s all-star team at the end of the 2012-2013 season.
Since 2022, she has been at the head of the women’s program at Collège Bourget alongside her partner Hanna Bunton, also a professional hockey player. An opportunity for the Olympic medalist to pass the torch to the next generation of players. “I look forward to giving back to the sport I love and inspiring young athletes to pursue their dream that is now within reach: playing women’s hockey,” the player wrote.