She was an MVP at the Olympics, an all-star gold-medal “collector” at the worlds and Winter Games, an original member of Montreal’s Professional Women’s Hockey League roster, and a dream chaser.

So it was with a heavy heart that 32-year-old Melodie Daoust announced on Tuesday that her competitive playing days are over, as she trades skates for a coach’s whistle at College Bourget in Rigaud, Que.