Soaring through the Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee de Quebec, Marie-Philip Poulin, Mélodie Daoust and Ann-Renée Desbiens are still floating on their Olympic clouds. Awards aside, however, the three gold medalists note that the development of Quebec women’s hockey continues to encounter pitfalls.
Photo courtesy of Pee-Wee Tournament, Jonathan Roy
Marie-Philip Poulin, Ann-Renée Desbiens and Mélodie Daoust proudly displayed their gold medals won at the last Olympic Games.
Behind the beaming smiles of these three great ladies of hockey, the bitterness and tone of concern was palpable.
First, there was the report from the Hockey Recovery Committee, which sounded the alarm. Even though Ontario’s population is only 1.7 times that of Quebec, statistics show that there are eight times as many female hockey players registered.
To further the development of women’s ice hockey in Quebec, nothing like it announced this week with the conclusion of the program at Cégep Saint-Laurent. The institution noted the outcry and later corrected the situation by speaking of a “pause,” but the news remains worrying.
“Every time we think we’re taking a step forward, we find we’re taking two steps back,” said goalkeeper Ann-Renée Desbiens yesterday before an exhausting autograph session (see further text below).
work to do
The big star of the national team, Marie-Philip Poulin, made no secret of her frustration.
“It’s a shame,” she regretted. We see once again that there is still a lot to do on the female side, be it in any respect. It’s really a shame that this happened again today.
“There has to be something to bring this program back. Saint-Laurent has been successful for several years, and that’s sad. Caroline (Ouellette) played there, younger, like many women. I hope there will be something in place,” she wished.
Mélodie Daoust also seemed shocked.
“Saint-Laurent has always been a prestigious program with good coaches and good players graduating from there. This is another bad news for women’s hockey. It’s the leaders that make it not work. We can’t help but be frustrated by this news because it could have been a more positive turning point.
The professional path
As the sport drools at the base of the pyramid, the country’s best players continue to work in the shadows to build a pro league set to see the light of day in January 2023.
“We created the Players Association to bring together the best players in the same movement to eventually have a league. We have the right people behind us, we have to trust them and be patient. It takes time, but all great things take time,” said Poulin.
Even if the emergence of a professional league for Desbiens would not solve all ills, it would still be a source of inspiration for young people.
“We are only three Quebecers in the national team. There must be a successor. You have to start with the youngest, but also have a professional league to inspire them. Young girls need to be able to see us play and get to know us. This is an important first step. »
Great enthusiasm for the champions
The line in front of the three ice hockey players of the Canadian team was long.
Young and old alike cheered and a few tears of joy even shed.
Mélodie Daoust, ice hockey player
“Come on, don’t cry my big one, it’s only Marie-Philip Poulin, there’s nothing there!” joked Mélodie Daoust to a young suitor who was lured into meeting Poulin.
The popularity of the three hockey players is undeniable. After a warm welcome on the ice of the Videotron Center for a celebratory duel, the three ladies spent an hour and thirty minutes signing autographs for an audience made up mostly of young hockey players.
“Quietly, not quickly, we are coming from the Olympic cloud. It’s been a few months, but we still have a chance to compete in events like this, to be recognized and to share our Olympic experiences with the people,” said Poulin, who herself competed in the Elites of Beauce- Amiante, in 2004.
“Your dream starts here. It’s super exciting to share our passion. It’s a landmark pee-wee tournament for all young people,” she continued.
Behind the women’s team
Poulin also praised the efforts of his former teammate Caroline Ouellette, who put together the all-female team that has played at the tournament since 2016.
“Caro’s dedication to making this happen every year is unbelievable. It’s wonderful to see. It’s just the beginning of something big that makes these girls dream. They’re on the same level as the boys and that’s important,” she said.
Regarding whether the next possible step for the competition would be to create an all-women division at the Quebec Pee-Wee tournament, Poulin reiterated that “this
would be great”.
The tournament’s general manager Patrick Dom said the idea would have been impossible a few years ago but he would raise the matter with his Hockey Quebec counterpart Jocelyn Thibault.