A press briefing for the Montreal team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF) took place Monday in connection with the announcement of the signing of three players: Elaine Chuli, Amanda Boulier and Mariah Keopple. Several questions were therefore asked of the general director Danièle Sauvageau. However, like Bruce Wayne in his bat-cave, the latter has transformed, not into a superhero, but into a politician.
Always very friendly and voluble in his answers, Sauvageau only forgot one thing: to answer the question.
Here are some examples:
Question : “The defensive squad is starting to fill out with five defenders signed and the team’s first pick playing that position. What will happen to players like Brigitte Laganière, Catherine Daoust and Madison Bizal?
Answer : “In fact, you are obviously talking about three players who were with us last year and for next year, indeed, there are signings, but there will also be a free agent period and then, everyone will obviously have the opportunity to meet again in the fall. The players who were with us last year find themselves in a period of indecision for the moment. Obviously summer is longer than other markets, meaning our training camp will take place next November. So I remind you that last year we had seven players on our team who showed up to training camp and who managed to do themselves justice in a certain way and obtain a position with us. So we fully intend during the next training camp to be able to invite players who will have a chance, like last year, to showcase themselves and acquire a position within the team.
Does this mean that Laganière, Daoust and Bizal will not be signed and will instead be invited to camp? Hard to say…
Question : “Do you have an update on Amanda Kessel’s case?”
Answer : “A lot of time has passed since then, but above all there is a lot ahead of us. I can confirm that we have communicated with all the players from whom we obtained the rights during the draft. Just this morning, I was in discussion with certain agents and there are meetings planned during the week. So, it’s still a long summer ahead of us. So, it’s the status quo, that is to say we haven’t yet signed any of the players we drafted.”
Simply an anthology piece.
Question : “Following up on the Kessel file, what is your level of optimism to see her play in Montreal, in line with her desire to play in Boston?”
Answer : “The players had until the Saturday before the draft session to remain on the draft list. When you register for the draft, it means that you are available, that you want to play and that you are ready to play, regardless of where you are drafted. So, now, yes, there are a lot of things that have been said. I probably haven’t read everything that’s been said, but one thing for sure is that for us, the information we have is that she wants to play hockey. She might even like to do another Olympic cycle. With the talent and age she has, it’s more than possible. So for us, the goal is to invite her to camp, for her to show up to camp and possibly for her to play hockey next season.
“Play hockey next season,” but Danièle doesn’t specify with whom. After all, as she has so eloquently said a few times, she is an employee of the league. So if Kessel plays in the league, no matter where, everyone will be happy, right?
Photo credit: AFP
One last one
Question : “Given that there is starting to be a shortage of regular positions on the defensive brigade, in the discussions you had with the captain of the Swedish team, Anna Kjellbin, would she be willing to come and play here in North America in a reservist role or coming to camp without having signed a contract?
Answer : “The players who, obviously, find themselves without a contract between now and training camp, we have the responsibility to compare them with the players we had last year and also to see what that represents. play in this league. So, I think that the players who were drafted in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th rounds are very aware that they also find themselves with a group of players who were already there and then they have to arrive at camp in full swing. form, physical and mental, and to demonstrate that the choice we had was the right one for them and to be able to compare themselves to the rest of the players who were already there.
I have a headache.
Two incorrect pieces of information
And like any good politician, there are some errors in the information shared by Ms. Sauvageau.
When I asked Danièle if she and her coaching staff had signed new contracts given that management contracts end on June 30, she told me that she was an employee of the league and that There were no contracts in the sense I mentioned.
However, The Athletic recently published that the contracts of general managers and coaches were for a period of one year, ending on June 30, information which was confirmed to me by another source.
Also, regarding the team’s obligations if a signed player is cut at training camp, Danièle responded that there is nothing that would allow her to break a contract based on the player’s performance.
Which is entirely false.
The collective agreement is very clear at this level. Only two-year and three-year contracts signed last year are guaranteed. All other contracts signed this year can be terminated based on poor on-ice performance, as stipulated in Article 7.5 of the collective agreement.
You will understand that I find it all a shame. This language is something that has often been criticized by certain administrations of the Montreal Canadiens and I find that the Montreal team in the LPHF has the opportunity to distance itself from this speech. However, there have been two press conferences since the end of the season in which several questions have been avoided. Is a little transparency too much to ask for?
In short, a disappointing press briefing, in which the only thing we learned was that if the city of Montreal is looking for a new mayor, Danièle Sauvageau could be an ideal candidate!
