Mélodie Daoust

Biography

Mélodie Daoust has wanted to compete at the Olympic Games since she realized hockey was her passion. Her dream came true at Sochi 2014 where she scored one goal in Canada’s 3-1 semifinal victory over Switzerland, en route to the gold medal. She went on to be Canada’s leading scorer at PyeongChang 2018, totaling three goals and four assists, as the team won the silver medal. Daoust was named tournament MVP and one of three forwards on the media all-star team. 

Daoust won her second Olympic gold medal at Beijing 2022. She was injured during Canada’s opening game against Switzerland after being checked hard into the boards. She did not return to play until the semifinal, also against Switzerland, and recorded an assist in the victory. She played more than 13 minutes in the gold medal victory over the United States.

Daoust made her debut in the maple leaf in 2009 when she was a member of the silver medal-winning team at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. She helped the team improve to a gold medal the following year. 

Daoust competed for the National Women’s Team for the first time at the 2011 Four Nations Cup. Despite her two Olympic appearances, Daoust did not make her senior IIHF Women’s World Championship debut until 2019. She registered three goals and four assists as Canada came home with the bronze medal. In her second worlds appearance in 2021, Daoust was named tournament MVP and best forward. She led the event in scoring with six goals and six assists as Canada won gold for the first time in almost a decade. 

Daoust played collegiately for the McGill Martlets of the CIS/U Sports from 2011-12 to 2016-17. In her first year she was named CIS Rookie of the Year and helped the team win bronze at the CIS national championship. In 2012-13, Daoust became the first player to go directly from CIS Rookie of the Year to CIS Player of the Year, winning the Broderick Trophy. She led the CIS in scoring with 21 goals and 33 assists in 20 regular season games as McGill went a perfect 20-0. 

After red-shirting McGill’s 2013-14 season – in which the team won the CIS title – to play with the national team, Daoust returned to the Martlets in 2014-15 but missed most of the season after undergoing ACL surgery, forcing her off the ice for six months. After first serving as captain in 2015-16, she retained that title for her final university season and won her third Gladys Bean Trophy as McGill’s female athlete of the year.

Before beginning her collegiate career, Daoust played a pair of games for Montreal in the CWHL, tallying three assists in two games as an 18-year-old. She returned to Montreal and the CWHL after graduating from McGill and played one full season in 2018-19, scoring 20 points in 14 games, before the league ceased operations. She joined the PWHPA in Montreal in 2020, competing in the Dream Gap Tour. Daoust was a member of the Canadian All-Stars at the women’s showcase 3-on-3 game at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, defeating the American All-Stars 2-1.

A little more about Mélodie

Getting into the Sport: Started playing hockey at age five, wanting to follow her father and brother into the sport… It was an immediate passion, keeping her outside all day… Outside Interests: Graduated from McGill University with a degree in physical education in 2017… The first female NHL analyst for the TVA network… Assistant coach with the University of Montreal’s women’s hockey team… Enjoys watching TV, taking nightly walks with her dog, playing golf… Odds and Ends: Favourite motto: BTBYCB (Be the best you can be)… Good luck charm is a necklace with her number 17… Favourite Olympic memory is the women’s hockey team winning gold at Vancouver 2010… Role model has always been Caroline Ouellette who taught her how to be a great leader on and off the ice…