Marie-Philip Poulin named captain of Les Canadiennes

Montreal's top women's hockey team has a new leader for the Canadian Women's Hockey League's2016-17 season.

The team annouced Friday that after a player vote that Marie-Philip Poulin is replacing Cathy Chartrand as captain of Les Canadiennes.

Chartrand remains part of the team's leadership group as an alternate captain along with players Caroline Ouellette and Ann-Sophie Bettez.

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Poulin is one of the most prolific players in Canadian women's hockey history. She was instrumental to Canada's victories at the Olympic Gamesin both 2010 and 2014, scoring the winning goal in both goldmedal clinching games.

Last season she led the CWHL in scoring with 23 goals and 23 assists in only 22 games and was named the league MVP.

Poulin is the thirdcaptain in the history of Les Canadiennes franchise after Chartrand and Lisa-Marie Breton-Lebreux, who led the team under their former name the Montreal Stars.

Les Canadiennes open this year'sseason this Saturdayon the road against the Brampton Thunder.

The team's first home game is Oct. 22against the Toronto Furies at 5:30 p.m.at Centre tienne-Desmarteau.

Last year, the teamreached the league final but lost the Clarkson Cup to the Calgary Inferno.