Victoire place Maureen Murphy on long-term injured reserve
A tough blow for a player who has made massive strides this season.
On Sunday, the Montreal Victoire announced that the team has placed forward Maureen Murphy on long-term injured reserve. In response, the Victoire has signed forward Maya Labad to a standard contract.
Murphy suffered an upper-body injury during Montreal’s game this past Thursday against the Seattle Torrent. Late in the second period, the 26-year-old was hit by Torrent forward Theresa Schafzahl, who was recently acquired by the team from the Boston Fleet. The hit seemed like it was going to draw a penalty, but the referees didn’t have a clean look at the play, so Schafzahl got away scot-free.
However, Murphy was in considerable pain, leaving the ice while favoring her left arm. She didn’t return to the game, though Montreal went on to win the game, 4-1.
It’s a tough blow for Murphy, who was having a much better performance after a rough sophomore season in the PWHL. The Buffalo native had scored four goals and three assists for seven points, and seemed to be on her way to reaching double digits for the first time since the inaugural 2024 campaign.
Per the league’s LTIR rules, Murphy won’t be eligible to return to the lineup until April 11, when the Victoire visit the Fleet.
This is the second time that Labad has signed an SPA this season. When Montreal placed Jade Downie-Landry on LTIR back in November, the former Quinnipiac star was added to the main roster. She ended up playing four games in December, scoring in her PWHL debut against the Toronto Sceptres on Dec. 17. She played four games before JDL was activated from LTIR in early January.
Labad was taken by the Victoire in the fifth round, 36th overall, of the 2025 PWHL Draft.
The 23-year-old is expected to be in the lineup on Sunday night, when the Victoire takes on the Ottawa Charge in the Takeover Tour game in Winnipeg.
The Victoire (10-4-1-5) sits third in the PWHL, three points back of the Fleet and Minnesota Frost for first place.