Reduced registration fees, skating lessons in elementary school, better supervision of women’s hockey: the Quebec Committee on the Development of Hockey in Quebec unveiled a report on Thursday focused on fun and accessibility.
Posted at 4:57 p.m.
Updated at 5:34 p.m.
Accompanied by Isabelle Charest, Minister for Education and responsible for the Status of Women, committee chairman Marc Denis presented the work of his group.
The 50-page report is signed by 16 other members, including Dany Dubé, Guillaume Latendresse, Caroline Ouellette, Danièle Sauvageau and Jocelyn Thibault. Last November, the provincial government commissioned the 17 experts to scrutinize the Quebec hockey system.
The Quebec Committee on the Development of Hockey in Quebec has made nine recommendations to the Legault government to improve the hockey ecosystem and propose a better method for the development of young players from here.
It is possible to summarize the conclusions proposed by the group of experts in four main areas.
Hockey for all
One of the group’s priorities was to give hockey the place it deserves, so that every Quebecer could have direct and privileged access to this sport, which should be officially declared a national sport of Quebec, according to the report. This is also his very first proposal.
In its quest for accessibility, the Committee would like ice skating to be part of the school program starting in elementary school, in order to give all young people the basics necessary to learn and play hockey.
At a press conference, Mr.me Charest pointed to the significant drop in registrations over the past few years. “Hockey is about to change and evolve, for the better. »
PHOTO ERICK LABBÉ, THE SUN
Isabelle Charest, Minister for Education
One of the main points of the report, according to Marc Denis, is to give as many families as possible the luxury of having their children play hockey, which has become an increasingly expensive and inaccessible discipline for many households across the province. . The Committee suggests reducing the financial, structural, material, temporal and geographical constraints of families. These include tax credits and initiatives established to reduce registration, equipment and transportation costs.
Women’s hockey also figures prominently in the report. The number of players from Quebec is decreasing in the national teams of the different categories. To remedy this, the group of experts wants to promote the promotion of women’s hockey and better supervise the development and career of players, in addition to assigning key positions within the structure of Hockey Québec to women.
The report also proposes better access to para hockey and adapted hockey players, in addition to promoting accessibility for Aboriginal and Inuit peoples.
For pleasure
Another axis of paramount importance for the committee was to give back the taste to the players to practice hockey for the pleasure, quite simply. The focus has long been on competitive development and “we need to refocus our expectations,” explained Marc Denis at a press conference.
This is why it is proposed that before the age of 13, young people play close to home, without the need to travel to other regions, and that the context of the matches is lighter, appropriate and versatile. . In addition, still for young people under 13, the committee proposes to “redefine the competitive model”, in particular by changing the method of classification and statistics, by eliminating categories that are too competitive and by modifying the player classification system. .
Marc Denis also mentioned the fact that one of the most important proposals is the creation of regional technical advisor positions, to oversee hockey in the different regions served by Hockey Quebec. Then, to ensure that the various principles mentioned are implemented.
Develop and keep young people in Quebec
In its report, the Committee emphasized the importance of developing young players in Quebec. Many leave Quebec to go to other provinces and other countries, because after a certain age or a certain level, the Quebec infrastructures are insufficient for many athletes.
For example, considering that nearly 14% of National Hockey League players have never been drafted, it was essential for Marc Denis’ group to think about players who develop later and who don’t have the chance , for example, to shine in the QMJHL between the ages of 16 and 20. This is why they targeted the university network. Out of 70 university teams in Canada, seven are from Quebec and two come from French-speaking schools; the Patriotes of the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières for men and the Carabins of the University of Montreal for women. The committee wants to better supervise Quebec athletes up to the highest levels.
The U17 and U18 levels have also been scrutinized and the report wishes to reorganize these categories to avoid overclassification and to develop young people in a fair way, in particular.
Create a safe environment
The report was also careful not to focus only on the players, but also on the structure. It is for this reason that the experts consulted attached great importance to the safety of young people, but also of referees, coaches and volunteers, especially at the minor level.
One of the proposals is therefore to put forward a security department and officials directly at Hockey Quebec.
The committee also looked at fights in the QMJHL and the dangerousness of sport at different stages of development and proposed avenues for awareness and management of injuries and concussions.
He also suggests installing security cameras in all arenas in Quebec to prevent the worst incidents and to be able to shed light more easily on violent events or events that do not correspond to the security codes established by Hockey Quebec.
Following the presentation of the report, Minister Isabelle Charest affirmed that she “welcomed it with great enthusiasm”, in addition to “committing to following up on it quickly”.