Montreal victory | The immense impact of a tiny defender

Athletes of extraordinary size naturally arouse fascination. The very large ones, obviously, but the very small ones even more so.

Curiosity is all the more keen in a contact sport like hockey. Talk to Cole Caufield or Brendan Gallagher, who have answered hundreds of questions about it since the start of their careers.

This is where Amanda Boulier enters the discussion. At 5’1″, she is the shortest player in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF). On the ice, you can spot it at first glance. Even though female hockey players are naturally smaller than their male counterparts, the difference between Boulier and her teammates or opponents is striking.

After having had great success in the now defunct Premier Hockey Federation, one would have thought that the American would have difficulty adapting to the LPHF, whose physical play took both the public and the players by surprise. However, that would have been to know her badly.

Upon his arrival in the city last March, following a transaction with Ottawa, Boulier became a pillar in the Montreal defense. She instantly gained the trust of the coaching staff. This season, her three points in just six games ranked third among the club’s defensemen, who definitely needed help at that position. And she spent some 45 minutes on the ice on May 11 during the surreal playoff clash against Boston which required three overtime periods.

“She is fearless,” said head coach Kori Cheverie Monday morning after the team’s practice. This is the mindset that is necessary to play in this league. No matter if it goes well or not, you have to invest tireless effort. This is the reason why she was able to accumulate all this experience. »

Because yes, at 31 years old, the Connecticut native is also one of the oldest players on the team, surpassed only by Marie-Philip Poulin.

Those who meet her obviously praise her qualities as a hockey player, starting with her mobility and her ability to move the puck. In addition, systematically, the word “leadership” is mentioned. Indeed, without being one of the best-known faces of La Victoire, Boulier has a strong influence in the locker room. Its impact, we understand, is inversely proportional to its size. This does not go unnoticed by her teammates, but also within management. She was, in fact, among the first players to sign a contract extension during the summer.

” Pride “

When these compliments are reported to her, the person concerned emphasizes that this contribution to the success of the group is her “greatest pride”.

“I’m not a superstar, but if I can help the superstars lighten the mood and have fun, I’ll do it,” Boulier said during a short interview with The Press. I believe that helping my teammates find joy in their daily lives, making them love the sport we play even more, is the most important thing I can leave. »

She is obviously aware that, on the ice, she does not embody the “traditional” defender, in the sense that hockey, especially men’s hockey, values. It is therefore not his build that will allow him to win his battles in front of the net.

She is also the first to know that her size “can be seen as a weakness”. “So I have to use my feet better and be more precise with my stick,” she adds. I use my brain and my vision more. »

“She won’t give the biggest pushes, but she’s always in the right place,” greeted Erin Ambrose. Far from being a colossus herself (5 ft 5 in), the star defender believes she has “a lot to learn” from Boulier in this regard.

However, don’t think that the American is shying away from physical play. “I like to give checks and I am ready to receive them,” she insists. Mentally, I don’t feel like the smallest. »

The teasing of opponents returns periodically, which does not affect him in the least. “Tell me something I don’t know!” “, she said, laughing.

Moreover, Amanda Boulier is relieved to be able to start the season with her team. After starting training camp in the injured group, she is back in shape. She also played a preparatory match last Friday; She admits to feeling “rusty” after long months without playing, but she finds her rhythm more and more each day.

Excited by the “depth” of the group of defenders, reinforced in particular by the addition of young American star Cayla Barnes and Swedish veteran Anna Kjelbin, Boulier repeats how “grateful” she is to return for a second season in the Burgundy uniform.

“The level of detail in the coaching is incredible,” she says. I know that I will continue to improve in this environment, because I know that every day I will be pushed to the maximum. I love it! »