As President and CEO of Center 21.02, Danièle Sauvageau is very involved in the activities of the Montreal professional team of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). However, do not believe that she will not put her shoulder to the wheel when the circuit desired by the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) will settle in the metropolis.
In recent months, the two entities have been unable to agree on a merger and have decided to end negotiations. The PWHPA brings together the best players in the world, including the majority of Olympians.
Sauvageau has nothing to do with disputes, since his ultimate goal is that there are more opportunities for skaters to continue practicing their sport.
“What I want is to see players who can continue playing after graduating from university,” said the coach who led the national team to gold medals at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002.
“To think that it’s not a good idea to have two professional women’s hockey teams in Montreal is to infantilize women’s hockey. I’m tired of that.”
“If tomorrow morning a league of four or six teams is founded for the best players in the world, there would still be athletes left out. It’s a bit like having the National League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and nothing in between…”
“The Center 21.02 business plan was created based on having a much higher and much broader pyramid than the service offer we have in women’s hockey today.”
To contribute
It is with the objective of contributing to the long-term development of athletes and coaches that Danièle Sauvageau founded the Center 21.02, a place dedicated to high performance women’s hockey located in the borough of Verdun.
“We want to be part of the solution. The Centre’s service offer is part of this and has shown leadership,” she said.
“The Center oversees hockey operations, be it physical preparation, on-ice training and supervision of coaches. I’m here as CEO of the Center. It is therefore up to me to be responsible for the hockey side, ”said the 60-year-old woman to explain what her role is with the PHF team.
“Now let’s work so that our best players can play competitive matches on a regular basis. We are a few weeks away from having more concrete answers,” she added.
Kim St-Pierre the ambassador
Former Canadian national team goaltender Kim St-Pierre didn’t hesitate long when the borough of Saint-Laurent asked her to be one of the ambassadors for the reopening of Aréna Raymond-Bourque .
“It was with great pleasure that I accepted to take on this role, because I wanted to promote this beautiful space for Saint-Laurent. I hope to be able to inspire the population to be more active at the arena,” said the one who will share this role of ambassador with Danièle Sauvageau.
Work at Aréna Raymond-Bourque began in September 2019. The two rinks have been completely refurbished with a new scoreboard. The pro shop has been improved and wood has been given pride of place in the entrance hall. Several elements to improve the building’s ecological footprint have been implemented in this $28.8 million project.
“I saw the before and the after. It is really impressive. I can’t wait for everyone to be able to see this and use our two ice creams,” said Kim St-Pierre, who lives in the borough of Saint-Laurent.
When talking with the triple Olympic gold medalist, it was unthinkable not to mention the return of professional hockey to Montreal with the arrival of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).
Would Kim St-Pierre like to play a role in the club that will take its first steps in 2022-2023?
“We’ll see. Hockey is my passion and I would like to get involved in some way. They have my phone number.
That is what is said!
- Kim St-Pierre and Danièle Sauvageau will host the event highlighting the reopening of the arena on September 3. For the occasion, former Bosotn Bruins and Colorado Avalanche defender Raymond Bourque will be visiting the establishment that bears his name.