A new professional hockey team has arrived in Montreal in recent months, that of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF), which attracts crowds to Verdun and Place Bell. She will also play at the Bell Center on April 20.
The QMJHL only has one team in the Greater Montreal sector, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. What impact does the arrival of the women’s team have on the QMJHL?
“The Armada arrived before the Laval Rocket took hold. And it installs very well. That’s a challenge. The Women’s League, you have to realize that it attracts a lot too, but I like to think that they are all accessible leagues in terms of tickets and dollars. It’s very family-friendly,” notes Mario Cecchini.
“Someone who loves hockey can definitely afford two games, two games and three games in each league. Would the person have gone to 12 places if there was just one league? Maybe, but it’s not, so we won’t cry about it. You have to continue to stand out and say: this is the best experience. »
In 2019, former QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau told our columnist Alexandre Pratt that he had an “interest” in a team on the South Shore of Montreal. Asked about the possibility of an upcoming expansion, Mario Cecchini replied: “We will look at it for two years. If it happens, it would be installed in the second five years out of the next ten years. »
There is the pool that you have to look at, you have to make sure that you don’t dilute the product too much. We have time to think.
Mario Cecchini, commissioner of the QMJHL
Moving one of the 18 clubs is not in the plans either. “I was clear on that: stability pays off,” he said.
“If there was an expansion one day, do we want to grow our footprint in Greater Montreal? Of course we would never say no to the place where there are a lot of people. (But) there is no question of moving in the short term, that is clear. »
Innovation committee and other projects
Mario Cecchini has all kinds of projects on his work table. One of them is to set up an “innovation committee”. He seeks to see how the game can “evolve”. The commissioner also says he is interested and inspired by what is happening with the LPHF, which has put in place innovative regulations.
“I like the regulation of the shorthanded goal which frees you from your dungeon,” he says. I would like to see how we can improve the game, the speed of the game. »
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Mario Cecchini, commissioner of the QMJHL
Among his other projects, Mario Cecchini talks about work on science: “I want to see what all science can bring about in terms of behavior and training,” he explains. He would also like university hockey in Quebec and the Maritimes to be “developed”.
“It’s a long process with the government, to have a league here where you can play, in a kind of mirror of the National League and the QMJHL. »
Finally, the commissioner highlights the state of the clubs’ infrastructures, some of which “need a little love”. “There are many sectors and you have to take them all one by one. We eat our elephant one slice at a time. »
Name change
In December 2023, the QMJHL made a name change. If the acronym remains the same, the circuit is now called the Maritimes Quebec Hockey League. A modification that the new commissioner was keen on.
“All my career, I fought for the opposite: for LCF to exist, for it to come out well, we put it on the vest. (…) There, I found myself in the opposite position. It was about respecting the supporters. Ultimately, it’s not the 6 teams, it’s the 25% of fans in the Maritimes who needed to be recognized, I think, after all these years and with everything they bring to the league. »
The commissioner also ensured that the CHL logo, which appears in English (CHL) behind the QMJHL jerseys, was translated. “Next year, it’s going to be LCH. (…) It is a recognition of the two founding languages that exist in that country. This is the basis. »
Media coverage, still a challenge
In September, Mario Cecchini told our columnist Alexandre Pratt that the media crisis represented “a major issue” for the QMJHL. Six months later, this is obviously still the case. The hiring of ex-journalist Raphaël Doucet as communications director and content creator “is part of that”.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Mario Cecchini, commissioner of the QMJHL
“It’s a worry, first of all because I come from that background, so it’s very high on my mind. (…) We suffer from our coverage. (Raphaël) is someone who had the talent to write, produce content and make it available to you. What we want to do is share this information. »
The idea of having a reporter at every club, as NHL.com does, is being discussed “on every team.” “It falls into the budget of each club. It depends on everyone’s priorities. But eventually, we’re going to have to think about that and look at it very closely because we’re going to have to produce our content more and more, that’s clear. »
“Superbly well coached”
Several QMJHL coaches have joined the professional ranks over the past year: Patrick Roy, Benoît Desrosiers, Stéphane Julien…
When we ask Mario Cecchini what these promotions say about the QMJHL, he tells us about the last four Memorial Cups, all won by teams from his circuit. He notably looks back on the final match of the Quebec Remparts, who blanked the Seattle Thunderbirds by a score of 5-0 to win the Memorial Cup in 2023.
“The Remparts completely dominated them. It’s undeniable that there are good players, but there is a whole game plan. (…) For us, it’s so strong. The more ambassadors from our league there are in the National League, the more it helps with recruitment. It helps to demystify things, to say: be careful, there’s some damn good hockey being played there, but it’s mainly because it’s superbly well coached. »
reference: www.lapresse.ca