PWHL Montreal resign Amanda Boulier, Mariah Keopple, and Elaine Chuli

On Monday PWHL Montreal announced via a press release that they had resigned three core players. Defenseman Amanda Boulier and Mariah Keopple, as well as goaltender Elaine Chuli.

Keopple couldn’t hold back her excitement when meeting the media virtually as well as Chuli who said she wouldn’t want to play anywhere else.

“I am so excited to be here,” Keopple said. “To be back in Montreal which to me is the best city and I already miss being there and I can’t wait to be back.”

“I am super happy to be staying in Montreal,” Chuli said in French. “I am super excited to be back and playing in front of the best fans in the league and obviously we came up a little short this past season so I am looking forward to getting back to Montreal and starting another journey in year two.”

Danielle Sauvageau the team’s general manager was also visibly excited when talking about the signings she made bringing back three solid players.

Sauvageau mentioned in French that the players had agreed and signed their respective deals before the draft and to note Boulier had signed a two-year contract while Keopple and Chuli had signed one-year standard agreements.

“Amanda came to us late last season so we are happy to have her back and we signed three defensemen and one goalie which gives us stability,” Sauvageau said.

Boulier was traded to Montreal from Ottawa in the first-ever trade in exchange for Tereza Vanisova and had three assists playing in the team’s final six regular season games and three playoff games. Before being traded Boulier scored one goal and added five assists playing in the nation’s capital.

Keopple spent most of the season playing with Erin Ambrose despite not being drafted and making the team out of training camp and playing all 24 regular season games finishing with three assists.

Chuli finished the regular season with a record of 6-2 and started the season playing really well winning her first four games that she started and posting a 1.61 goals against average and a .949 save percentage.

The second season in the PWHL doesn’t start until November and teams will have exclusive rights to resign players until June 21st when the free agency period opens.