Posted at 8:00 a.m.
Organized by the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA), the showcase went through Truro, Toronto, Ottawa and Washington this year. In Montreal, it will be called Vitrine Quartexx. And it’s at the Center 21.02 that it will happen, Saturday and Sunday.
“The Olympians are not there, but when you look at a year when the Olympians play, there are 23 players on the American and Canadian teams,” explains Bettez. Of the pool of 200 players, the rest will be there this weekend. »
Talent, then. Divided into four teams: Bauer (Boston), Adidas (Minnesota), Scotiabank (Calgary) and Harvey’s (Montreal).
It’s been a long time – the time of a pandemic, more precisely – that such a women’s hockey event had not taken place in the metropolis. Team Harvey’s players, who train twice a week at Center 21.02, are eager to finally “give women’s hockey to Montreal fans.”
“When we put things on social media, people want to know when we’re playing and tell us they’re going to be there,” Bettez said.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Ann-Sophie Bettez
People follow us and it’s fun to see their enthusiasm. They really want to come and encourage us, they are happy that there is hockey in Montreal. Often, what I say is that it comes from them, from the supporters. We are happy to play in front of them.
Ann-Sophie Bettez
Before the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) died out in 2019, the Montreal Canadiens relied on a strong partisan presence at their games. Bettez, then one of the best players on the circuit, remembers it very well.
“Even the girls from other teams told us: ‘It’s sick, playing in Montreal, you have good fans, it’s fun.’ That, for me, shows a lot that the fans here are exceptional. »
It’s a safe bet that there will be many young hockey players in the stands. “For young people who play atom, pee-wee up, it gives them a visual of what it could look like later, playing in front of fans in Montreal,” says Bettez.
“We are closer than ever”
We’ve been talking about it for a long time, even more so since the victory of the Canadian team at the Beijing Olympics. Everything indicates that it will arrive soon, this professional women’s hockey league. Well, many will say.
“We’re closer than ever and I’m really hopeful that there’s a league coming sooner than we think,” says Ann-Sophie Bettez.
With Center 21.02, led by Danièle Sauvageau, women’s hockey is in good hands in Montreal, argues Bettez.
“There’s a lot of support,” she said. When we look at the facilities and the structure in place in Montreal, we have a good start, a good base. On top of that, we have good supporters. This is the magic recipe. »
Now, all we have to do is have the league, the pro team in Montreal, so that everything kicks in and the other provinces, regions or states model what we have here. Because I think it’s going to work really well.
Ann-Sophie Bettez
Ann-Sophie Bettez probably won’t be the one to benefit the most from this future league, given that she has fewer games left to play than she has played, but she will certainly have helped put it together. in his way.
“The girls who are at the midget, college or university level and who are going to come this weekend, at least they will see the level of competitiveness that there is on the ice, she maintains. Maybe it will give them hope that they have a place to play and that they don’t have to go and find a full-time job.
“It’s a bit of a big debate to say to yourself: you have to work to be able to pay for your things, but you have to work full time. You are a little limited in time. If we want to be able to perform at our best, we have to have a remunerative side. »