Canadian winger Mélodie Daoust, who debuted with Team Canada at age 22, announced today she is leaving pro hockey just a decade later, leaving the game for a coaching position at age 32, capping a career highlighted by two Olympic Gold medals, a World Championship Gold and Bronze medal, along with two tournament MVP titles and a CIS championship.

Daoust made her pro debut with the Montréal Stars in 2011, before joining the McGill University squad for the next seasons, capturing the CIS Championship in 2014. Daoust then returned to the CWHL, spending two seasons with the Montréal Canadiennes before the league shut down, joining Montréal of the PWHPA for the next three seasons. Daoust joined Montréal of the PWHL for their inaugural season, but was held to just six regular season and three playoff games. Daoust also dabbled in coaching as early as 2018, working as an assistant with the University of Montréal for four seasons, before retiring to join the private Bourget Collège as head coach.

A native of Valleyfield, Québec, Daoust captured under-18 Gold in 2010, and then surprisingly made her senior team debut at the Olympics, an unexpected addition to the 2014 Sochi roster that captured Gold. Daoust would make her next appearance at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, winning Silver, despite capturing tournament MVP honours. Daoust would finally debut at the World Championships in 2019, capturing Bronze, then going on to capture World Championship Gold in 2021 (once again as tournament MVP), as well as a second Olympic Gold at the 2022 Beijing Games, her final appearance with Team Canada.

Over her decade in the international spotlight, Daoust captured the IHLC a total of ten times in her career, first in 2013 and the last in 2021, en route to Olympic Gold later that winter. We wish Mélodie and her family the very best for her retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: Mélodie Daoust – IIHF – HHOF – IOC