LPHF | The “concrete” lessons of Kori Cheverie

After the halfway point of the inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF), Montrealers sit at the top of the circuit. The team can thank the offensive talent of players like Marie-Philip Poulin and the brilliance of its goalkeepers, of course. But the reasons for this success do not stop there.

“We are lucky to have a coach of this talent,” said forward Catherine Dubois after the morning training at the Verdun Auditorium. “It’s amazing how much she knows the game. »

Dubois talks here about Kori Cheverie, driver of the Montreal team. She particularly praises her hockey “intelligence”, and the “very interesting details” that she transmits to her players before matches.

“It’s not just information for information’s sake,” explains Dubois. It’s always concrete. […] I’ve had good coaches in my career, but I think Kori brings another vision of game which really helps me in terms of my understanding of the match. »

Ann-Sophie Bettez has also known many, coaches, over a journey of almost 20 years in hockey. For the veteran, Cheverie’s “strength” is “surrounding herself well” with “a great team of coaches”. She names among others the two Alex, Imbeault and Tremblay, who help the players with their puck handling and skating skills. As well as Noémie Marin who, like Cheverie, has experience with the Canadian national team.

“She listens to others, and is able to share her know-how,” emphasizes Bettez, just before recalling that Kori Cheverie also worked briefly for the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer.

“This expertise serves us well and helps us grow in this professional world. »

And what does the main interested party think of her own performance?

“There is always room for improvement,” judges Cheverie, who is 36 years old. “I’m still relatively early in my career, I’ll always continue to learn and grow. This season has been demanding, but positively. »

She says she “challenges herself” as a coach, particularly in the way she reacts when “moments that we see less often” occur in a match situation.

Her boss Danièle Sauvageau, the one who hired her, says she is “very satisfied” with the work she has done so far.

“The team climate is going really well,” rejoices the general director, who also gives credit to the staff who accompanies Cheverie in this adventure.

A busy schedule

This is rare for March 5: it was definitely colder inside than outside the Verdun Auditorium. Coming to meet the media in a corner of the secondary ice rink of the enclosure, our interlocutors all formulated their words while exhaling condensation.

Which testifies to the interest of the sixty supporters of the team who came to attend their club’s training on Tuesday. It’s spring in winter in Montreal, it’s spring break, but young and old alike have come to sit here to encourage the Montreal women’s hockey team during its training.

Several even stayed until the end to get autographs, notably from Marie-Philip Poulin as she came off the ice.

The star player, however, could not stay long since the team was preparing to take the bus towards Connecticut, where it will play against New York the first of three games in five days, this Wednesday. Montreal will then visit Toronto on Friday, then return to Place Bell against Ottawa on Sunday.

All the Montrealers interviewed on Tuesday say they have to take this busy week “one game at a time”. Bettez goes a little further, emphasizing having to go “period by period”, “dissecting” them into “five-minute” sequences.

“You shouldn’t see it as three games in five days, but take it step by step, trust the game plan and apply the advice on the ice. »

“We don’t play for our name behind our backs”

The Molson Brewery announced a new partnership with the LPHF on Tuesday morning. The company will try a pilot project for Friday’s match between Montreal and Toronto: as part of International Women’s Day, Molson wants the players’ names to no longer be hidden by their hair on the upper back, but rather highlighted at the bottom of their number. This initiative had already been attempted in the Premier Hockey Federation before.

“I’m a little indifferent,” announced Ann-Sophie Bettez straight away. There are some who say that hair hides [le nom]but if it fits in your pants…”

Danièle Sauvageau makes a similar remark, emphasizing that the opinion of the people she spoke to is “shared” and that “it’s going to get people talking.”

For Kori Cheverie, the good news is the interest shown by the sponsors.

Molson does not fail to point out that the company is sacrificing a little of its visibility as part of this campaign, by putting its name under the players’ hair.

“It’s a creative way to help promote our league and our players,” believes Cheverie. That’s great. »

That being said, “I know that our players are probably more interested in representing Montreal,” adds the technician.

Right in the target.

“The reality is that we don’t play for our name behind our backs,” recalls Dubois. We play for the name forward, for the team, for the city. We play for the fans. »

The vagueness surrounds Daoust

Mélodie Daoust, Canadian hockey legend, scored a goal in her very first game with the Montreal team last Saturday. As she has a simple 10-day contract in office due to her professional obligations, neither Cheverie nor Sauvageau wished to confirm her presence for the match against New York on Wednesday. “Is she going to join us?” asks the DG. It’s a possibility. » Furthermore, with the championship that the Concordia Stingers have just won, Danièle Sauvageau indicated that she was “closely following” Quebec forward Emmy Fecteau with a view to the next LPHF draft. “Emmy trains here in the summer, so we know her,” underlines the CEO before congratulating her on her five years spent in the Concordia program. “She’s going to have to register for the repechage. »