Rougeau Retires, Heads into Hockey Ops

Earlier this week, Lauriane Rougeau became the latest pro women's hockey player to announce her retirement from the game, following a prosperous career that culminated with PWHL Toronto last season.

Rougeau, 34, isn't walking away from the sport completely, though. She'll continue her work in Toronto off the ice, serving as Manager of Hockey Operations for the Toronto Sceptres.

Years ago, players were able to skate in the CWHL before joining an NCAA team, and Rougeau did just that. She appeared in eight games over two seasons with the Montréal Stars and captained Canada's U18 team at the U-18 Worlds, where she earned a silver medal. She was also named the best defender and one of the top three players on Canada's team. In 2009, she won the Clarkson Cup with the Stars.

Following a brief, stint with the Dawson College Blues, Rougeau enjoyed a storied four-year career at Cornell, providing offense while making herself well-known as a defensive defender. She averaged nearly a point-per-game during her NCAA career, including 32 points in 33 games in her freshman season.

After being named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2010, she received a number of other accolades, including being a four-time Patty Kazmaier Award nominee. She also made the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team, the NCAA Tournament All-Tournament Team and was a four-time second team All-American.

It came as no surprise, then, when she was named Cornell's captain for her fourth season. Given how much she gave to the program, it was the next logical step when, in 2023, her alma mater honored her with induction into the Cornell Hall of Fame.

Following her collegiate career, she spent the next eight years in Montréal, first with the CWHL's Stars and Canadiennes, then with the PWHPA. She won the PWHPA championship in 2023 as part of Team Harvey's and signed with Toronto for the inaugural PWHL season, posting one point in 24 games. She scored the game-winner in the shootout on January 20th, 2024, as Toronto beat Montréal 4-3.

All the while, she made numerous appearances for Canada on the international stage, winning an Olympic gold medal in 2014 and silver in 2018. Four silver medals and one gold medal at Worlds followed.

Concurrently, Rougeau began her coaching career with Concordia in 2016 and spent four seasons with the Stingers as an assistant coach. Now, she'll get the chance to continue her work with the Sceptres, a team she's already plenty familiar with, and get to further grow in her off-ice experience.

Congratulations to Lauriane on her retirement!