Abby Roque believes she has a lot more to give, and she’ll get the chance to prove it in Montreal.
A talented, in-your-face centre who plays with an edge, Roque was traded from the New York Sirens to the Victoire last summer after two losing seasons in the Big Apple.
The 28-year-old from Michigan entered the PWHL as one of New York’s three foundational signings, a fixture on the United States national team after a standout college career for Wisconsin and strong world championship performances, but she hasn’t yet replicated that success in the women’s pro league.
“I don’t think I’ve hit my ceiling,” Roque said. “Last year I thought I played way better, and I think I still could have even played better than that.”
Roque produced 12 goals and 18 assists with a minus-23 goal-differential in 54 PWHL games for a New York team that finished last in each of the league’s first two seasons.
Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie also believes there’s more to unlock for Roque, who scored the league’s first “Michigan” goal and tallied 58 points in 36 games during her final college season in 2019-20.
“Abby is a special player,” head coach Kori Cheverie said. “She knows that over the two seasons in New York, she left some offence on the table there and didn’t maybe put the numbers up that she would have liked. And so for her here, it’s an opportunity for a fresh start.”
The Sirens traded Roque to the Victoire on June 25 in exchange for forward Kristin O’Neill and Montreal’s fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft.
Trades don’t happen very often in the PWHL, but Roque wasn’t caught off guard by the move.
“New York needed to move some pieces around and try something else, and I get that. And I wanted to be somewhere where we were trying to compete to win the whole thing,” she said after practice Wednesday at Verdun Auditorium. “I was excited when I found out, it’s a team that every time we played against them, they’re well organized, they play hard, and there are some great players.
“I was very excited to be able to go and try to compete for a Walter Cup.”
What she’s looking forward to most, Roque says, is having the rowdy Montreal fans on her side.
“There’s been a lot of games where I get booed every time I touch the puck, and it’s awesome,” she said. “Having those fans in your corner, I’m really excited.”
Roque and Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin have had their share of battles — both in the PWHL and in Canada-U.S. matchups.
Instead of pushing and shoving, they took turns skating together alongside forward Laura Stacey at practice last week.
“When we jumped on the ice, I saw her with a Victoire jersey and I thought, ‘Holy, I can’t believe Abby Roque has a Montreal Victoire jersey,’” Poulin said. “We all know how skilled she is, how much she can bring to a team. I’m super happy and proud to have her here in Montreal.”
The five-foot-seven Roque hopes her grit and physicality can help the Victoire get over the playoff hump after back-to-back semifinal exits despite being the higher seed.
“I’ve kind of been known to be more of a playoff player, that’s kind of where I like to come alive,” she said. “I want to compete, I show up in those moments and make it difficult on the other team.
“Add some smarts to the team but also add some toughness and grit, lead the team in that way, help try to pull people into the fight.”
Home sweet home
Jade Downie-Landry, another former Sirens player who joined the Victoire this past off-season, missed just about everything about being home — even rush-hour traffic.
“In my heart, it’s Montreal,” said the forward from nearby St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. “I’ve always been here. I went to CEGEP here, university here, so it feels like I always knew I wanted to come back to Montreal one day.
“Coming here in the morning, getting caught in traffic for an hour to cross the bridge, for me, I’m happy to do it because I’m in Montreal and I’m happy to be here.”
The 30-year-old Downie-Landry, who has 12 goals and seven assists in 54 PWHL games, said she grew as a player and person in New York.
“It was the first time I left home. I was 27 years old, so it’s not common to leave for the first time at that age,” she said. “It was a bit weird, but at the same time, I still liked my experience. It was completely different. It felt like I lived my university years, but at 27.”
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