Montreal Victoire place Catherine Dubois on long-term injured reserve with upper-body injury

On Friday, the Montreal Victoire announced they have placed defender Catherine Dubois on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

In response, the team has signed defender Kelly-Ann Nadeau to a standard player agreement (SPA) for this season.

Dubois suffered the injury in the Victoire’s last game against the New York Sirens on Feb. 2. The 29-year-old registered 7:09 of ice time during the game, which isn’t far off the amount of action she’s seen on average this season. In the 2-1 victory, Dubois posted a shot on goal with an even plus/minus.

Per the PWHL’s LTIR rules, Dubois will not be eligible to return to the lineup on Feb. 25 when the Victoire hosts the Toronto Sceptres.

In playing 12 of Montreal’s 14 games this season, Dubois has scored two goals and two assists for four points with a +1 rating. She was forced to sit out one game as a result of a suspension handed down by the league after hitting Boston Fleet defender Megan Keller in the head on Dec. 30.

Nadeau began the 2024-25 season on the reserve list after having a respectable performance during training camp. The 26-year-old was invited to Montreal’s camp after playing five years at the University of Montreal, where she was named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian as well as a First Team RSÉQ All-Star last season.

“Kelly-Ann had a good training camp, and she has kept working hard every day since the beginning of the season,” General Manager Danièle Sauvageau said in a release. “She is often the last one to leave the ice following practice. We are looking forward to seeing her in a game, and we know that she is ready for this moment.”

Nadeau also won gold with Team Canada at the Winter University Games in Lake Placid in 2023.

The Victoire (8-3-1-2) sit first in the PWHL, five points ahead of the second-place Minnesota Frost. Montreal is set to host the Sirens again on Saturday afternoon.