Hickey on hockey: Legault’s approach to Quebec hockey is wrong

Quebec’s prime minister has far more important problems to tackle than trying to get more Quebecers into the NHL.

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There are many things that should concern the Prime Minister of Quebec, Franç ois Legault.

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Many hospitals in the province have been forced to close, at least partially, their emergency services.

There There is a serious shortage of nurses (and doctors) in Quebec.

Many paramedics resigned over working conditions and their union was ordered to strike on Thursday.

Opioid abuse claimed the lives of 547 Quebecers last year.

There is an increase in violent crime in Montreal.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not going away.

And since this is all about me, I haven’t had a family doctor since mine retired in June.

But the most pressing issue for Legault this week was how to get more Quebec players on the Canadiens roster. He announced the formation of a 15-member committee to relaunch Quebec hockey.

We don’t know how much taxpayer money is being spent, wasted, on this blue ribbon panel, but here are some free ideas:

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Minor hockey enrollments are down, but the lack of role models with Les Not-So-Glorieux cannot be blamed.

It’s because hockey places demands on families in terms of money and time.

It is because there is a growing awareness of concussions.

It is because children prefer to play baseball, soccer, basketball, soccer, tennis, or video games.

I know and respect many of the committee members, but the group also includes junior hockey executives who have contributed to the problems they are trying to fix. I’m afraid there are too many people in junior hockey who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo and too many parents who are too involved.

Legault expressed surprise that Ontario has eight times more registered players than Quebec. I am confident that Caroline Ouellette, Danièle Sauvageau and Kim St-Pierre will continue to work diligently to close this chasm, but this is an issue that requires the willingness of local communities to provide opportunities for girls.

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Legault spoke of hockey as “our national sport” and was not talking about it being Canada’s national sport. When he spoke of developing more Quebec players for the NHL, he wasn’t thinking of Alex Killorn, Marco Scandella or Michael Matheson.

Pointe-Claire native Michael Matheson plays defense for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the game against the Canadiens in Montreal on November 18, 2021.
Pointe-Claire native Michael Matheson plays defense for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the game against the Canadiens in Montreal on November 18, 2021. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

There are some English-speaking hockey coaches in Quebec and it might have been a good idea to include one on the committee. Someone like Peter Smith, who has succeeded as a coach at McGill University and the Olympics, or Jon Goyens, who knows the ins and outs of minor hockey.

And while we talk about people who are not on the committee, we hope you seek information from psychologists and doctors who can weigh in on the possible negative physical and mental aspects of the sport.

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We are No. 1: The Canadiens may be a terrible team, but Montreal has the most attendance in the NHL.

We should actually amend that statement because while the Canadiens may lead in ticket sales, there are a lot of people who just don’t bother to show up. That suggests the Canadiens have reached the point where you can’t give away tickets. There were many hundreds of empty seats in the bottom bowl of the Bell Center for Thursday’s game against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, a game generally considered a must-see contest.

Canadians claim an average share of 19,686, which is 92.5 percent of capacity. Chicago, which has led the league in attendance for a decade, has fallen to sixth place, averaging 18,142 fans.

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Five teams – Tampa Bay, Vegas, Boston, Washington and the Seattle Kraken expansion – are at 100% capacity or better. Buffalo, which has been better than expected, is at the bottom of the list, with an average participation of 7,901.

Hurricanes Strike Again: Those wild and crazy guys who run the Carolina Hurricanes Twitter feed had the most fun with the Canadiens this week.

“We may be a bunch of idiots, but we still care about our communities,” they tweeted. “In honor of World Kindness Day, walking sticks they have made a donation to the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. “

The tweet contained links to all NHL charities.

Carolina began teasing the Canadiens during the summer when the Hurricanes took out Jesperi Kotkaniemi with an offer sheet.

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Reference-montrealgazette.com

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