30 greatest female athletes of all time
By Nick Villano
24. Marie Philip Poulin
Ice Hockey
Women’s hockey is as popular as ever, with the PWHL selling out arenas in its first year after two haphazard leagues failed simultaneously. However, women’s hockey has been a fun, exhilarating experience for decades now. It’s why the Hockey Hall of Fame started inducting women’s players alongside men.
That brings us to Marie Philip Poulin, a Canadian forward who currently plays for Montreal in the PWHL. She’s a three-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World Champion with the Canadian national team. You don’t get the nickname “Captain Clutch” for nothing. Like Sidney Crosby before her, she scored a “Golden Goal” for Team Canada in 2014 in Sochi. She scored another Golden Goal at the IIHF World Championships against their biggest rival, the U.S. of A. in 2021.
Even compared to her male counterparts, Poulin stands out. She is the first female hockey player to win the Northern Star Award (formerly known as the Lou Marsh Trophy) as Canada's top athlete of the year and the second to receive the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as The Canadian Press female athlete of the year.
Even in her 30s, she is still scoring more than a point per game in professional hockey. She will likely continue to represent Canada on the national stage for as long as they invite her. We can see another Golden Goal in her future.