PHF’s Force sign defenders Deaudelin and Baker, forward Labrecque to one-year deals

May 17, 2023 | 11:14 AM

MONTREAL — The Montreal Force have signed of three players as they stock their roster for the upcoming Premier Hockey Federation season, the club announced Wednesday.

Defenders Christine Deaudelin and Taylor Baker return to the team on one-year contracts, while rookie forward Marika Labrecque has joined up on the same term after graduating from McGill University.

Baker had nine points in 24 games in her debut PHF season in 2022-23 and was a member of Team World at the league’s all-star game.

The 25-year-old from Toronto, who represents Hungary at the international level, played four NCAA seasons at Rochester Institute of Technology followed by two seasons with MAC Budapest of the European Women’s Hockey League before joining the expansion Force.

Deaudelin, a 25-year-old from Beloeil, Que., led the Force blue line with three goals and tied Baker with nine points last season.

The 25-year-old Labrecque, who’s from Lac-Etchemin, Que., will make her professional debut after six seasons with the McGill Martlets, where she helped the team earn silver at the U SPORTS national championship in 2018-19 and a RSEQ championship in 2019-20.

The Force made their PHF debut last season, joining the Toronto Six as the league’s second Canadian team. They finished with eight wins (five in regulation) and 16 losses (14 in regulation) in their inaugural campaign.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2023.

The Canadian Press