A wave of women’s hockey has swept across the city since the LPHF season began last January. We learned a few days ago that the Montreal team was preparing to take the Bell Center by storm and its general director, Danièle Sauvageau, now reveals that the craze extends to the Old Capital.
“We talk a lot about Quebec, about playing a match there,” she confirmed on Wednesday in an interview with The Press.
Even though the LPHF’s vice-president of hockey operations, Jayna Hefford, affirmed on February 28 that there was “nothing on the table” in terms of expansion for the moment, Sauvageau maintains that “the League is aware that people [de Québec] are interested in having a match.”
If the DG is careful not to provide further details, it is categorical: “This movement has started and it will not stop. »
“Like a wave,” she imagines. Is it going to be a little higher, then a little lower? That’s it, the next one move : stabilize what we have. »
Things are going well in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF). Better than expected, actually. “I think we exceeded everyone’s expectations. Especially mine,” said League administrator Stan Kasten on February 28.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The Montreal women’s team has been attracting crowds at the Auditorium de Verdun since the start of the season, and its four meetings at Place Bell in Laval were also a success.
In Montreal, the team has been attracting crowds to the Verdun Auditorium since the start of the season. His four meetings at Place Bell, home of the Laval Rocket, were also a success. At the first, which took place on a Tuesday in January, 6,334 supporters showed up. At the second ? 8646. No less than 10,172 people attended the third and fourth clashes.
We didn’t expect to have so many people. Specialists tell me that one of the reasons why [ça fonctionne à] Place Bell means there are no tickets.
Danièle Sauvageau, general manager of the Montreal team
In other words, the scarcity of tickets attracts people. According to the “experts” consulted by Danièle Sauvageau, it is necessary to create “a demand for the tickets”.
“Since we made the announcement [de notre match au Centre Bell le 20 avril], it’s incredible. People say: well, how are we going to get tickets? If you take the 10,000 supporters at Place Bell and add them up [aux partisans] who do not go to Place Bell, we are probably already close to the record. »
Stabilize
Let’s return to the notion of “stabilizing” what was established this year. How ? “Specialists tell me that it’s better to play in amphitheaters that are full,” explains Danièle Sauvageau. Even if he [reste seulement] 1000 [billets à vendre], perception will say that you do not play in front of full amphitheaters. »
It is therefore a question of being more cautious than not enough, we suggest to the general director.
“It’s like someone saying: I’d like to run. Professionals will tell you: go run 10 minutes, then 12, then 15 and 20. There, it looks like you are capable of running for an hour. If you had wanted to do an hour at the beginning, you would have done it two or three times and then you would not have done it again. »
It’s not caution, but when you go up a mountain, sometimes you have to come back down. We need to stabilize. To do this, I take the time to speak with experts to ask: what is the best thing we should do?
Danièle Sauvageau
Accessibility, location and other decisions
So what’s the best thing to do? Is it playing in two or three amphitheaters per year?
“There are people who come to Verdun and who will not come to Laval. Will people from the South Shore go to Laval? Once again, real estate agents tell you that you’re better off buying a smaller house, but in the right location. »
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The Montreal women’s team has been attracting crowds at the Auditorium de Verdun since the start of the season, and its four meetings at Place Bell in Laval were also a success.
Sauvageau also wants to make sure to keep the matches accessible to families who already attend the Verdun matches. This involves not only proximity, but also accessibility, by keeping tickets at a “reasonable” price.
“I understand that women’s hockey is now part of the sports industry, but we must keep it accessible for several more years,” she insists. And accessibility means making sure that you play in front of amphitheatres that are full. »
“In my dream, it would be to play two or three games per year at the Bell Centre. »
A special trading period
The LPHF announced Wednesday that the trade deadline would ultimately be March 18 at 4 p.m. rather than March 17 as planned, in order to “take into account the rescheduled weekend matches and the travel that will follow.” A roster freeze has also been added; this is established on March 19, at 12 p.m. This freeze will allow a player “who could be released before or at the trade deadline to sign with another team.” Each roster must have 23 players, in addition to 3 reserves, excluding players placed on the long-term injured list.
After Wednesday’s training, Danièle Sauvageau said she was torn as the fateful date approached. “I tell the players not to take it personal, because if it were up to me, I would have 50 players in Montreal. It’s probably the hardest because my whole life I’ve tried to provide players with an environment to play. In my case, to even think about trading someone, it’s not a nice feeling. »
Since GMs can’t trade draft picks at this time, these must be player trades. In other words, it must be “win-win”, says Sauvageau. “It’s not necessarily about building for the future, but it’s also about seeing in the short term. There is a lot of thinking that goes into it. If we go and look for player It’s not so much who we want to pick up, it’s who we don’t want to let go. »