In just two and a half years, Jocelyn Thibault will have managed to bring the sport of ice hockey in Quebec to an unprecedented level, assures the president of the federation's board of directors, Claude Fortin, who invites recalcitrant organizations to examine awareness.
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The announcement of Jocelyn Thibault's departure from the board of Hockey Quebec on Thursday evening sparked a wave of support for the hockey player, but also outrage towards certain regional organizations that refuse to move forward.
Internally, Mr. Fortin makes no secret of the fact: Thibault's departure went wrong.
“Anyone who hesitates has a target in their sights. I hope there are some who question themselves and look in the mirror,” he said.
Photo provided by Hockey Quebec
There is great disappointment in the Hockey Quebec offices as the federation appears to have finally found the person through whom change could be brought about.
During the hiring process, Hockey Quebec received 127 applications for the general manager position before reducing the number to five and then confirming the hiring of Thibault, who had edged out all other candidates in the various tests and interviews.
Then the effect was noticeable immediately.
“He's a committed guy, that's not possible. Immediately after taking office, he bought a condominium in Montreal to be close to the action. Sometimes he refused to return to his house in Estrie on weekends because he wanted to be close to people.”
Thibault took office when Hockey Quebec was in the throes of a major internal crisis, with the federation forced to initiate mediation proceedings due to an alleged toxic climate at its Montreal headquarters.
“He came into the office, made contacts with the employees and even managed to negotiate a five-year collective agreement. It shows that people trusted him.”
Photo QMI Agency, Toma Iczkovits
Main projects
What frustrates Mr. Fortin is that real change has taken place under Thibault.
“One of Jocelyn’s great strengths was her relationship with the government. We had important issues to deal with and when he spoke to the minister she really listened. It was useful for us because Jocelyn had a big influence.
This influence was felt on various levels and made it possible to advance issues.
“Through his fame and power, he came forward to Hockey Canada and Scott Salmond to make them aware of how our players were being treated. He planted seeds everywhere and was part of a three-person selection committee at Hockey Canada,” he mentions, adding that he was represented at various international federations, including Finland and the USA.
The appeal of school hockey
Mr. Fortin mentions in particular the completion of the harmonization of school hockey, a matter that had been started before him but which he completed.
And this success was another example of the regional resistance that Thibault used to justify his departure.
“It bothers the regions because they feel like they are losing power. They accuse Hockey Quebec and Jocelyn of favoring the school network and losing members. In our eyes, a member at the civic or school level is a member of us. Sometimes a little competition helps you improve, but there are some who find it irritating.”
It is these “three or four” fireproof branches that will ultimately defeat Thibault, laments Claude Fortin.
“Jocelyn doesn’t like confrontation. He wants everyone to get along. This is the page that Stéphane [Auger, son remplaçant] will bring. I'm disappointed that we didn't bring Stéphane along sooner because I think if we had, Jocelyn would still be with us.
He had warned
When Thibault announced his retirement, the Hockey Quebec CEO recalled a pithy sentence Thibault uttered during an interview as part of the 2021 hiring process.
“We asked him how he would react if the board made a decision that didn’t suit him. His response was, “If it's something that goes against my values, I'll take my things and leave.” In this case, it's not the CA's fault, but he did exactly what he said he would do.”
Mr. Fortin then concluded our interview, which lasted just over 45 minutes, before paying his final respects to Jocelyn Thibault.
“I had the opportunity to meet Jean Béliveau and immediately understood why everyone who knew him well still called him Mr. Béliveau. I can tell you this: I knew Jocelyn Thibault, but for me now it’s Mr. Thibault.”