Marie-Philip Poulin, widely regarded as the greatest women’s hockey player of her generation, received an honorary doctorate of civil law from Bishop’s University at its 199th annual convocation on Saturday.
Before 350 Bishop’s graduates and their families, who chanted “olé olé olé olé” in tribute to the hockey icon, she received her honorary degree from chancellor Daniel Fournier.
Poulin, 35, is a five-time Olympian and three-time Olympic gold medallist who scored the game-winning goal in three Olympic finals: She is known to fans as Captain Clutch. She is the only hockey player in history to score in four Olympic gold medal games and the first person to score 20 Olympic goals in modern ice hockey.
After winning silver with Team Canada at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February, she led the Montreal Victoire of the Professional Women’s Hockey League to the Walter Cup championship against the Ottawa Charge on May 20 and was named the playoff MVP.
Among her many accolades and honours, Poulin was named the PWHL’s most valuable player and the International Ice Hockey Federation’s female player of the year in 2025. She is a knight of the Ordre national du Québec.
Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin addresses Bishop’s University graduates at convocation upon receiving an honorary degree on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Jessica Ford
“Marie-Philip Poulin embodies values that are deeply aligned with the Bishop’s experience: excellence, leadership, humility and a deep commitment to community,” said Bishop’s principal and vice-chancellor Sébastien Lebel-Grenier.
“She has defined an era of her sport with integrity and an unwavering dedication to her teammates and her community.”
Erika Gray, professor of sports studies at Bishop’s, said in her citation at the convocation: “Marie-Philip Poulin is an inspiration beyond hockey and beyond sport. She has made it her mission to uphold: ‘If I can see, I can be,’ showing girls and women that they can dream boldly and be authentically themselves in the achievement of their dreams.”
Speaking at Saturday’s ceremony, Poulin said: “One of the greatest lessons hockey has taught me is that failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is part of success. Every athlete, every coach, every leader and every person sitting in this room will face moments where things do not go according to plan. Failure is precious, for it teaches us what success cannot. Failure teaches resilience, humility, responsibility and growth.”
Hockey, she said, has taught her discipline and competitiveness. “But more than anything, it has taught me how important it is to be a great teammate … not just in sports, but also in the real world because, eventually, all of us become part of teams.
“Whatever path you choose, you will always be surrounded by people. And people never forget how you make them feel.”
Poulin counselled the graduates: “As you leave here today, I encourage you to chase excellence. Work hard. Be ambitious. Dream big. Push yourself. But while you build your career, also build your character. Success matters. Achievement matters. But the way you treat people along the way matters even more.
“Be resilient. Be positive. Be dependable. Be someone who makes people around you better. This is what great teammates do. And the best part is, the world will always need them.”
Members of the Bishop’s Gaiters women’s ice hockey team presented Marie-Philip Poulin with a team jersey featuring her name and number. (Bishop’s University)
Following the ceremony, Poulin met with some members of the Gaiters women’s ice hockey team at Bishop’s, a few of whom graduated that day. The team presented her with a Gaiters jersey — complete with her name and number, 29.
The Gaiters team captured the U Sports national championship in 2025, defeating the Waterloo Warriors in the gold medal game.
“To win a national championship in just their fourth (U Sports-level) season is an incredible accomplishment — and I know how much dedication, trust and teamwork it takes to achieve something like that,” Poulin said.
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