She’s a champion, Marcus
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Welcome to the weekend!
Heads up that we’ll be off on Monday as our U.S. team celebrates Memorial Day weekend, but stay tuned for a French Open–focused edition of The Group Chat on Sunday. And with that, allons-y.
— Montréal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin, sharing her unfiltered reaction after teammate Abby Roque scored a jailbreak goal in the Victoire’s 4–0 championship-clinching win over the Ottawa Charge on Wednesday. Holding nothing back.
PWHL
🏒 She’s a champion, Marcus
The GIST: As you read and have surely seen all over your feed, Montréal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin is a Walter Cup champion and playoff MVP, a moment that feels both long-overdue and serendipitous for one of the world’s greatest hockey players. In honor of MPP’s victory, let’s get re-acquainted with Captain Clutch’s trailblazing lore.
💪 Poulin was instrumental in founding the PWHL: Shortly after the Canadian Women’s Hockey League folded in 2019, Poulin and other prominent players began laying the groundwork for what would become the PWHL, dreaming of a sustainable, cross-border women’s pro league. This time would be different.
- Six months before the PWHL’s January 2024 debut, the league’s players association ratified their collective bargaining agreement (CBA), a savvy move spearheaded by MPP to ensure that players were treated as professionals before puck drop.
- With Wednesday’s win, one of the PWHL’s resilient and relentless pioneers lifted the trophy she helped to create. Still crying.
👀 Zooming out: That full circle victory put a bow on a breakout season for the league.Viewership spiked and more than 1M fans attended games — and it’s only up from here with four expansion teams joining for the 2026-27 campaign. Up next? A game-changing draft on June 17th. Calendar, cleared.
Together With Liquid IV
Performance 🤝 Fashion
🏎️ A collab made in it-girl heaven: Canada’s #1 hydration powder, Liquid I.V., is teaming up with Sports Club Atelier for a limited-edition capsule collection designed for Montreal Race Weekend.
As experts in sport, style, and wellness, they know the motorsport mentality:
- 🔥 Got that sh!t on: The collection features a moto jacket and matching hat pulled directly from your trackside fashion moodboard.
- 💧 Stay hydrated: The jacket design features built-in pockets for Liquid I.V. sticks, weaving science-backed hydration (that’s on sale right now, BTW) directly into the design.
The Liquid I.V. x Sports Club Atelier collection drops exclusively today at the Liquid I.V. booth during the Crescent Street Race Weekend Festival. It’s available all weekend but quantities are limited, so mark your calendar (and start your engines).
*Offer runs now through June 7th at Costco Canada.
❤️🌀 Montreal Canadiens (up 1-0) hand Carolina Hurricanes first postseason loss
Starting on the ice, the age-old debate about rest vs. rhythm played out in real time last night as the Habs — who played back-to-back seven-game series — opened up a three-goal lead in the first period and never looked back. Their 6–2 win marks Montreal’s seventh road W of the playoffs, and they’ll skate for number eight when the puck drops on Game 2 tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.
🏰🏔️ Vegas Golden Knights (up 1-0) stun juggernaut Colorado Avalanche
Well, that wasn’t on our Bingo card. The typically explosive Avs offense failed to light the lamp until the third period of Wednesday’s 4–2 loss to the Knights. But the real issue was on the blue line: With superstar defenseman Cale Makar out, Colorado’s shuffled backline had too many miscues — and Vegas capitalized. Makar’s notably still listed as “day-to-day” ahead of tonight’s 8 p.m. ET Game 2.
🧡⚔️ NY Knicks (up 2-0) cruise to Game 2 win over Cleveland Cavaliers
Over on the hardwood, the Knicks didn’t need an improbable comeback this time around. Instead, they used a playoff career-high 14 assists from Jalen Brunson to beat the Cavs 109–93 last night. All five NY starters had double-digits, led by 26 points from Josh Hart. The series shifts to Cleveland for tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET Game 3 as Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs try to make up ground at home.
⛈️🐴 Oklahoma City Thunder (tied 1-1) bounceback against San Antonio Spurs
OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned to MVP form in Wednesday’s 122–113 victory, but injuries are piling up for both teams in this feisty series. The Spurs (who were already without De’Aaron Fox) could be down two ball handlers after Dylan Harper’s hamstring injury, while the Thunder lost Jalen Williams to the same ailment heading into tonight’s 8 p.m. ET Game 3 in San Antonio.
🎾 You already read The GIST’s newsletter. Now imagine actually talking back with fellow GISTers.
- 💻 That’s exactly what The GIST Plus, our premium community membership program, does. It turns passive scrolling into active fandom, with chats via Discord, exclusive content, and discounts from major leagues you won’t find anywhere else.
It’s where sports fans connect beyond the headline…and where your opinion is truly valued.
⚾ MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Toronto Blue Jays — Tonight at 7:07 p.m. ET — Sportsnet
- After salvaging a series split with the NY Yankees last night, the Jays are flying home to host a scrappy Pittsburgh squad for three weekend games. But unfortunately they’ll be without reliable pitcher José Berrios, who had season-ending Tommy John surgery on Wednesday.
⚽ NSL: Montreal Roses vs. Ottawa Rapid FC — Tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET — TSN
- Cancel your plans: The top two teams in the NSL square off for the first time this season, a game that features current Golden Boot leader, Montreal forward Elyse Bennett, plus rising league legend (and last year’s winner), Ottawa forward DB Pridham.
🏀 WNBA: Portland Fire vs. Toronto Tempo — Tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET — TSN
- Last night’s 100–72 loss to the Minnesota Lynx was not how the Tempo drew it up, but it’s not all bad news: Hamilton’s own Kia Nurse (23 points) knocked down six threes. Expect the Tempo to bounce back against the league’s other expansion squad.
🏎️ Formula 1: Canadian Grand Prix — Sunday at 4 p.m. ET — TSN
- Buckle up because not only is F1 and F1 Academy back on track, but it’s also a sprint weekend. That means double the races (though the sprint is just 23 laps compared to the GP’s 70), double the qualifying, and double the flag-waving fun.
So much content, so little time. Here are the sports articles and conversations that had GIST HQ talking this week.
🏎️ Montreal strippers call for strike during Canadian GP weekend (The Athletic)
🏀 Is the Modern NBA Breaking Its Stars? (The Ringer)
🎧 Don’t Use Trolls As A Cop-Out with Zoe Tzanis (Good Game with Sarah Spain)
🎾 What to know about the proposed player boycotts in tennis (ESPN)
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Grace DePaull, and Charlotte Mackenzie. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Elisha Gunaratnam and Briana Ekanem. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.