Marie-Philippe Poulin said she couldn’t find enough positive things to say about her experience in the first year of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, even though she had to work through a malfunctioning microphone to express it.

 Poulin said this is just a minor issue that the PWHL needs to solve after the opening season to remember.

 She added, "This has been amazing, and it will continue to grow." "Clearly, we are in the first year. As with these microphones, there will be work to be done, but I believe it will improve in the second year, that’s for sure."

She said that the Montreal playoffs ended painfully last Tuesday night with an overtime loss for the third consecutive time against Boston, which swept the best-of-five semifinal series.

 After losing the first two games at home, Montreal took a 2-0 lead on the road in the third period of Game 3. Then Boston scored two goals – including a short-tying goal by Amanda Billeke with 3:43 remaining – to force overtime on Susanna. Tabani buried the game-winner.

 Three days later, the devastating playoff exit remained painful for the Montreal players, but it didn’t stop them from thinking positively about a special season in the historic first women’s professional league.

 Forward Laura Stacey said, "It was absolutely incredible. It exceeded all our expectations by a lot. We knew the product was there. We knew people wanted to be a part of it and wanted to see it. But I don’t think we dreamed or thought it would be to this extent."

Montreal sold out every venue and played in front of record crowds throughout the season, including a women’s hockey mark of 21,105 fans at the Bell Centre on April 20.

 General manager Danièle Sauvageau said demand in Montreal was so high this year that she couldn’t accomplish tasks without being chased by ticket requests.

 "People come to me and say: 'Ms. Sauvageau, we need tickets.' I say: 'Just wait, maybe I have one in my small pocket here.'

 "It’s incredible to have that."

Montreal also attracted 9,135 fans at the 10,000-seat Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, for the first playoff game before filling 10,172 seats in the second game. Toronto also sold out its first two games at the Coca-Cola Coliseum.

In contrast, meanwhile, Boston and Minnesota only attracted an attendance of about 3,000 people at their playoff games, raising some controversy over interest in the league across the border.

 Poulin said those games do not represent the bigger picture of the league's success this season, pointing to factors such as the location of the Boston arena outside the city and the fact that the Bruins NHL team played a playoff game in the Stanley Cup on the same night, albeit on the road. 

Poulin said, "I don’t think you can take those two moments and stamp this league as not working. The fans will come. They will come, they came and it was amazing. And it’s clear that in Boston, Minnesota, the people there are there for them too.

 "We really played in Minnesota when there were 13,000 people in the stands. We played in Boston when the atmosphere was packed.”

 Stacey quickly rejected, like Poulin, the idea that the league is headed anywhere but up next year.