It’s almost noon on Tuesday at the Verdun Auditorium. The training of the Montrealers of the LPHF ends. They leave the ice rink, taking the time to sign the cap of a young girl near the ice. The latter will, however, still have to wait a little longer for the clutches of Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey, since the two stars of the team are still practicing their shots.
They are not alone. Head coach Kori Cheverie accompanies them. Just like Caroline Ouellette, who we see for the first time on the ice with the Montreal team this week.
The Canadian hockey legend has actually been working as a consultant with the team since the start of the season.
“With my job with Concordia University, it just wasn’t possible to be there most of the time,” the four-time Olympic gold medalist told The Press during a telephone interview in the afternoon.
Ouellette is his wife Julie Chu’s assistant with the Stingers, who won a third consecutive provincial title with a near-perfect record last March. This assignment now finished, she can now concentrate on Montrealers full time.
“I am used to collaborating with Kori, from our work with the Canadian team,” notes Ouellette. [L’adjointe] Noémie Marin is a woman with whom I played on the same trio for years. Everyone brings different expertise. »
Ouellette will not be behind the team’s bench, but will now participate in practices daily until the end of Montreal’s activities.
“When you have a team led by Marie-Philip Poulin, you know that every day, the group will work hard. It is an honor and a privilege to join this team. »
“She’s been through it all”
Poulin has always said it, and repeated it Tuesday after the session: Ouellette is his “idol”.
“To have her on the ice, to listen to her, she knows how to coach, it’s magnificent,” underlines the Quebecer.
Those who attend the Montreal team’s matches most often will have noticed the presence of Caroline Ouellette in the stands throughout the season. Failing to be present around the team every day, she was “the eyes in the sky [eyes in the sky] », to use the image of Kori Cheverie.
“Everything that we don’t have time to do or that doesn’t fit into the flow of our training tasks, we hand it over to him,” explains the head coach, taking among other things the example of put into play.
“Consultant, technical coach, there is no title,” says general director Danièle Sauvageau with a laugh. I don’t think so, anyway. I’ll have to look, but I haven’t given it a title! »
Never mind. Players, like Laura Stacey, praise the “experience” and “feedback” that such a sporting legend can offer.
She’s been through it all, she knows how it feels, what to say and when to say it. To have him with us, honestly, it’s incredible. We are really lucky.
Laura Stacey
“It’s a new voice on the team,” adds Poulin. It’s just an adjustment. The girls are super excited, and happy to have a great coach like that coming to help us. »
A qualification confirmed from Wednesday?
With all that, Montreal will play a crucial match in its race for first place in the LPHF on Wednesday in Verdun. With 35 points – 3 behind Toronto – and 3 games to play, Montreal can also confirm its place in the playoffs from this clash against the New Yorkers, last, “who are fighting for their survival”, says Stacey.
“If you play hockey in a league, you always want to finish first,” she says. […] But it won’t happen if we don’t stay in the present moment, focusing on the match in front of us. »
The other advantage – or not – of finishing first is that the team that achieves this can choose its opponent in the first round.
“I don’t really think about that,” Kori Cheverie said. I don’t want to face this team, nor this one, nor that one. »
With four teams qualifying for the post-season tournament, we understand that this vague list means that none of the options is more interesting than the other.
If, by chance, Montreal achieves this objective set “since day 1” and “which remains accessible” today, Danièle Sauvageau is ready.
“I established a form of criteria,” she submits. When we are in this situation, we will not do [le choix] on the spur of emotion, but according to the criteria we have given ourselves. »
No chance of her revealing them on this warm spring Tuesday. “I’ll tell you about it after the playoffs!” »