Marie-Philip Poulin named 2022 Northern Star Award winner as Canada's top athlete
Poulin captained Canada to Beijing 2022 and Women’s World Championship gold
Marie-Philip Poulin received the 2022 Northern Star Award on Wednesday, voted Canada’s best athlete by a panel of Canadian sports broadcasters and journalists.
Poulin scored twice in the Beijing 2022 gold medal game as Canada returned to the top of the women’s Olympic ice hockey podium. She had a strong tournament, finishing second in tournament scoring with 17 points (six goals and eleven assists), behind teammate Sarah Nurse.
She also had an assist in the gold medal game at the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship, as Canada won both tournaments, completing an incredible double over their fierce rivals from south of the border.
“Captain Clutch”, as Poulin has become known, has now scored in four Olympic finals, the only hockey player male or female to do so. The 31-year-old won gold at Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2022, and silver at Pyeongchang 2018.
She is the 14th hockey player to be named Canada’s best athlete, but the first ever woman from the sport to pick up the award (which was formerly known as the Lou Marsh Award until recently).
One of the best players in the world, and arguably of all time, Poulin was also the opening ceremony flag bearer for Canada at the Olympics in Beijing, alongside a fellow legendary Canadian athlete, speed skater Charles Hamelin.
It has been a great year for Canadian athletes, with Poulin beating several other strong candidates. Long track speed skater Isabelle Weidemann, tennis player Félix Auger-Aliassime, para Nordic skier Brian McKeever, swimmer Summer McIntosh, and golfer Brooke Henderson among the other athletes to apparently receive consideration.
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This is phenomenal being the first woman hockey player to receive the award! But is Hayley Wickenheiser the =true= GOAT? After all; Wick has scored goals in Men's PRO hockey. Could MPP do that??