“Disappointed”, “worn out”, Jocelyn Thibault will prematurely leave the general management of Hockey Quebec next June.
At the heart of his decision?
A conflict against half of the leaders of regional associations, who resist the rules of good governance that the former Canadian goalkeeper has been trying to impose on them for a year.
“Everyone is a bit master of their own home,” lamented the resigning CEO during a press meeting on Thursday afternoon. “Somehow, when you find yourself at a certain height in the structure, as a manager, you no longer have control – or very little – over the steering movements you want to give, over the directions you want to go. »
To illustrate the unbearable situation in which he found himself, Jocelyn Thibault multiplied the metaphors. “You have the impression of being in a rowboat with no oars, in a very rough sea. It’s a pretty special feeling for a manager. » Or again: “We have to put our sticks in the middle and play as a team. We must work together and be accountable. To move forward with a certain consistency and accountability. »
In an image, from me, this one: the regional lords want to keep their strong castles. They want to continue to maintain their little courtyard, in which cliques abound. With the result that the federation feels very far from its members. Too far.
“In the regions, it’s difficult,” explains Jocelyn Thibault. It’s difficult to bring our network into modernity for sound governance. I’m a structure guy. Whether in a hockey team or in a business, structure is so important. It all starts from there. We have work to do [ici]. It’s not the work that scares me. What tipped the scales was that as the CEO of the company, you really felt like you were in a minefield. There is no predictability. It’s extremely difficult. You are constantly in crisis management. We must succeed in restoring governance everywhere. It was a risk that I was no longer capable of taking. »
Storms, he agrees, are part of a manager’s life. Well, a big downpour from time to time is fine. But a series of hurricanes, as has been the case since his appointment in the fall of 2021, is exhausting.
Less than a month after his appointment, the Legault government established a committee of experts on the future of hockey. At the same time, the pandemic forced the cancellation of an entire season. Then there was the Hockey Canada scandal, the parliamentary commission on incidents in junior, as well as this difficult reform of the governance rules.
“Jocelyn had a rather special mandate,” recognizes the president of the board of directors of Hockey Québec, Claude Fortin. He knew how to raise standards to higher levels. He made a lot of progress for the federation. »
Within the limits of his powers, I might add.
Jocelyn Thibault confirms this: he did not have “all the levers” to make all the necessary modifications. In particular to “depoliticize hockey operations”. He completed this project within the federation, where the mandate of the members of the board of directors is now better defined. But it has not been able to do so everywhere in the system.
“It’s a hard blow. I’m not in the habit of not completing mandates. On the other hand, there are many people who believe in restructuring. It’s going to happen. The board of directors is very engaged. I’m sailing somewhere in there. I’m disappointed that I didn’t make it to the end. The last two years have worn the guy down a little. We had difficult situations to go through. People who know me know that I take this to heart. »
“Some will say that perhaps I lacked patience. It’s a bit of a fault of mine. But it’s a marathon. I am convinced that we will succeed. »
Claude Fortin was disappointed to soon lose his accomplice of recent years. “Jocelyn is a very good person. Everything he told us during the interview [d’embauche], he put it in place: his values, his principles, the young person at the center of decisions. »
The Minister of Sports, Isabelle Charest, wanted to “very sincerely thank Jocelyn Thibault for his commitment and dedication” as general director of Hockey Québec. “We will continue the work started with the whole team. »
Jocelyn Thibault got involved for the right reasons. I remain convinced that he was the right person to implement the recommendations of the Quebec Committee on the Development of Hockey, chaired by former player and analyst Marc Denis. Its values were in line with those of the final report.
“Confidence: I keep this document constantly updated. People would be very, very surprised to see everything we’ve done. [Mais] in the report, we also talk about the very few levers available to Hockey Quebec. » One of the recommendations was to give the federation the power to govern and guide the future of Quebec hockey. It still squeaks.
“I don’t want to feel sorry for the fate of the regions. Generally speaking, in the hockey ecosystem, Hockey Quebec has very little power over the structure. There are lots of elements that are difficult to implement. But in what we control, we have done a lot. I’m proud of it. »
What’s next?
Stéphane Auger will succeed him as director of hockey operations. The former NHL referee already works in the box, responsible for officiating, player safety and regulations. One of his big successes in recent years? The merger of the three school leagues. Another site strewn with bombs, which he was able to clear.
Nevertheless, what a disappointment, this departure of Jocelyn Thibault. He is the typical portrait of the passionate and dedicated manager that Quebec sport is looking for and needs. It is deplorable that regional presidents have exhausted his patience and enthusiasm.
Quebec hockey is not a winner from this revolt.
Neither do young people.