Premier Legault creates committee to help ‘relaunch’ Quebec hockey

Article content

Quebec’s two most popular sports, hockey and nationalism, came together on Thursday when Prime Minister François Legault unveiled a plan designed to produce more Québec talent for the NHL.

Article content

While Legault did not specifically mention the NHL, the relatively small number of Quebec players in the league has been a sore point for him and he expressed disappointment last season when the Canadiens played a game without a single Quebecer in the lineup for the first time. time. time in the team’s history.

Accompanied by Isabelle Charest, who is the junior education minister responsible for the status of women and sport, Legault appeared at the Bell Center to announce the creation of a 15-member committee to “relaunch” hockey in Quebec. The group will be led by former NHL goalkeeper and current RDS analyst Marc Denis. The group’s mandate is to provide recommendations by March 31, 2022 on how to improve hockey in the province.

Article content

Legault said hockey plays an important role in Quebec as “our national sport, part of our identity” and is a unifying force.

He noted that participation in hockey has declined steadily in recent years and that the study should have started years ago. But he noted that the time is right because there is a group of experts available and ready to take on the task.

The main goal of the committee, the prime minister said, is to increase the number of young people who play.

“The grassroots are very important and we need this to increase participation,” Denis said. “By increasing hockey, (Quebec hockey) will be more attractive to many NHL teams, not just the Montreal Canadiens. It will be more attractive for young women to watch the national women’s team.

Article content

“I think the tone has to change,” added Denis. “If we keep doing the same things over and over again, we will get the same results that we don’t like. Sport has given us a lot and there are many people around this table who are willing to give back ”.

Committee members include former NHL members Jocelyn Thibault, Guillaume Latendresse and Stéphane Quintal; four-time Olympic medalist Caroline Ouellette and recent Hall of
In addition to the fame Kim St-Pierre, as well as the highly respected female coach Danièle Sauvageau.

Legault’s announcement closely followed Hockey Quebec’s decision to hire former goalkeeper Thibaut as its CEO.

Thibault said he would consult with his staff and outside experts before forming an action plan, but said Hockey Quebec, the body that oversees minor hockey in the province, has to eliminate internal battles.

Hockey Quebec was experiencing a significant drop in enrollment prior to COVID and is also dealing with an officer shortage on the ice.

[email protected]

twitter.com/zababes1