The nominations for the 51st Athletes’ Gala, which will take place on November 2nd, are now known and the selection committee makes no secret of the fact that a good old debate is back on the agenda. Should professional athletes be paid the same as so-called amateur athletes?
No fewer than 37 athletes, 10 coaches and six teams from the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions are nominated in the 11 categories.
A quick look at the nominees reveals that some big names in professional sports are represented in the table.
Such is the case with newly retired Patrice Bergeron, who after a historic regular season with the Bruins again won the Selke Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best defensive forward. He will be joined by Jonathan Marchessault, a Stanley Cup winner with the Golden Knights, and Édouard Julien, who had an impressive first season in Major League Baseball with the Twins.
There were a total of 120 nominations and the debates were “interesting and constructive,” said the selection committee.
“It was one of the best years. It’s always rewarding. It brings different opinions, all good, and we have to be open to that,” noted one of the committee members, Claudine Bergeron.
Still sparks
It is not the first time that the question between amateur and professional sports has been raised. In the late 1970s, Nordiques striker Marc Tardif expressed his discomfort at not feeling truly at home among athletes who had to make financial sacrifices to play their sport.
Even if some top athletes today manage to live better through practicing their sport, the debate within the selection committee remains unresolved.
“They are different realities, but they are athletes at the beginning and the Quebec region honors the best, whether it is a professional or amateur sport. And who are amateurs now?” wondered Claudine Bergeron.
“You have to look at the sport and the athletes, where they have come the furthest. That’s the direction we’re going. Monetary question: Let’s look at T4, everyone’s income? Or do we recognize the athlete in himself? We always come back to this. We recognize the athlete in his sport,” she continued.
Two realities
For his part, cross-country skier Antoine Cyr, nominated in the International Men’s Individual Sports category, was happy to be one of the athletes considered, even if fans of cross-country skiing will never experience the same reality as those of professional sports.
“There are so many good athletes in the area. Amateur sport is completely different. We don’t really live on high salaries. “I think it’s something extraordinary to be among the finalists of the athletes’ gala,” he said.
It should be noted that competition in the team category will be fierce, as it is the only team to have six nominees (Blizzard SSF, Remparts, Capitales, as well as Rouge et Or Football, Women’s Cross-Country and Rugby), as all of these teams represent have won a championship.
The career of former boxer Fernand Marcotte is honored with the Jacques Amyot Prize.
NOMINATES FOR THE ATHLETES GALA
Men’s international individual sport
- Antoine Cyr, cross-country skiing
- Jean-Simon Desgagnés, athletics
- Laurent Dubreuil, speed skating
- Eliot Grondin, snowboard cross
- Nicolas-Guy Turbide, para swimming
International women’s individual sport
- Laurie Blouin, snowboard
- Sabrina Duchesne, para swimming
- Aurelie Rivard, para swimming
- Laurence St-Germain, alpine skiing
- Marion Thénault, freestyle skiing
International partner/teammate
- Patrice Bergeron, ice hockey
- Antoine Cyr, cross-country skiing
- Laurent Dubreuil, speed skating
- Edouard Julien, baseball
- Jonathan Marchessault, ice hockey
Men’s National Individual Sport
- Mathis Beaulieu, triathlon
- Ayoub Bouriel, Taekwondo
- Louis-David Chalifoux, freestyle skiing
- Victor Primeau, freestyle skiing
- James Savard-Ferguson, snowboard cross
Women’s National Individual Sport
- Elizabeth Desrosiers-McArthur, canoeing
- Charlie Fontaine, freestyle skiing
- Émilie Greenfield, speed skating
- Ashley Koehler, freestyle skiing
- Justine Lamontagne, alpine skiing
National partner/teammate
- Elizabeth Desrosiers-McArthur, canoeing
- Nathan Gaucher, ice hockey
- David Glaude, baseball
- Kevin Mital, football
- Joshua Roy, ice hockey
Individual sports trainer
- Louis Bouchard, cross-country skiing
- Gregor Jelonek, speed skating
- Félix-Antoine Lapointe, athletics
- Frédéric Loyer, canoe-kayak
- Marc-André Pelletier, swimming
Team sports coach
- Glen Constantin, football
- Patrick Roy, ice hockey
- Patrick Scalabrini, baseball
- Mathieu Turcotte, ice hockey
- François Vachon-Marceau, rugby
Female discovery
- Charline Bourque, judo
- Rafaëlle Carrier, mountain bike
- Maria-Magdaleina Delye, judo
- Noémie Jobin, artistic swimming
- Maude Ricard, Taekwondo
Male discovery
- Jacob Fortin, Taekwondo
- Médéric Fortin, cross-country skiing
- Léo Fortin-Dionne, cycling
- Étienne Lacasse, figure skating
- Luka Sullivan, speed skating
team
- St-François Seminary Blizzard, ice hockey
- Capitals of Quebec, Baseball
- Quebec Remparts, ice hockey
- Red and gold of the USA. Laval, women’s cross country
- Red and gold of the USA. Laval, football
- Red and gold of the USA. Laval, rugby