“When you hit a home run in New York, it’s a grand slam.” This is how the general manager of the Big Apple team in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League describes the magic of the city.
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“It’s a big beast to tame,” confirmed Pascal Daoust on Wednesday during a video conference, on the eve of a very special activity in the heart of the megalopolis.
The captain’s opening, Micah Zandee-Hart, Canadian Olympic champion in Beijing, took place on Thursday at the famous ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center, in front of the immense illuminated tree that we often see in Christmas movies.
Michel Bergeron often repeats: “In New York everything is bigger.” Daoust and the other Quebecers in the organization understand this perfectly.
“A lot of people stopped to look at us and film us,” he told Diary the team’s service manager, Katia Clément-Heydra.
Photo credit: Photo taken from X account @PWHL_NewYork
Two homes
Daoust acknowledges that it will be a big challenge to make oneself known in this jungle where there are a thousand things to do. For this inaugural season, the New York club will play their home games in two arenas, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Elmont, New York, home of the NHL’s Islanders. More than an hour’s drive separates the two amphitheaters.
“It’s food for thought, things that will facilitate the membership of our members, make us visible and known,” said the former GM of the Val-d’Or Foreurs in the QMJHL. There’s even the Empire State Building that will light up with our colors. It’s no small thing when something happens in New York.”
Photo credit: Zoom screenshot
Four French-speaking players
Daoust and Clément-Heydra are not the only Quebecers on the New York team. There’s Christophe Perreault, director of recruitment and advanced statistics, but there are mainly three players.
Elizabeth Giguère, Jade Downie-Landry and Alexandra Labelle, all from the draft, experienced euphoria in downtown Manhattan on Thursday.
It remains to be seen if the three forwards will form a trio like Gilbert Perreault, Richard Martin, and René Robert did in the 1970s with the Buffalo Sabres, in the state… of New York.
The “French Connection” of women could even expand to include the Frenchwoman Chloé Aurard.
“The three women from Quebec are not here because Pascal Daoust is here. They are here because they deserve to be in the best league in the world and deserve to be part of this team,” assured the manager.
Photo credit: Photo provided by LPHF
Two offensive machines
The latter specifies that the three met expectations during training camp and convinced the staff who didn’t know them.
Giguère, who wore the Canadian uniform last year during the Rivalry Series against the Americans, was chosen by Daoust in the 28th ranking due in particular to her “offensive, experience and NCAA training”, but also to her “intelligence, ability to see the ice 360 degrees and distribute pucks all over the place”.
“When she decides to shift into second and third gear, all her intelligence and execution emerge,” analyzed Daoust.
As for Downie-Landry, the top scorer of the last season of the Montreal Force in the defunct First Women’s Hockey Federation, and Labelle, Daoust knows them well. When he was assistant coach of the University of Montreal Carabins, he faced the former, who played for the McGill Martlets, and coached the latter for five campaigns.
“Jade, my God, she caused heart attacks in everyone behind the bench because you knew she could change the game in a blink of an eye, a play. You should never underestimate her when she has the puck and should never lose sight of her when she doesn’t,” the GM explained.
“We know (Labelle) brings intelligence, responsibility, respect for the game by 200 feet, by 85 feet wide, by 17,000 square feet. She is disciplined, an excellent teammate, and capable of having her offensive touch. Along with American Alex Carpenter, there should be a lot of goals this season in New York.”
Photo credit: Screenshot, PWHL (LPHF)
Almost a quartet
Defender Christine Deaudelin almost joined the trio of Quebecers, but despite a good camp, she was cut.
“On the bus we can’t all sit in the front row, we have to occupy different seats,” Daoust imagined. Christine has something to offer in this league, the only dilemma is the number of chairs available.
“In the short or medium term, for athletes who will remain in shape, who will remain prepared, there will certainly be opportunities,” said Daoust.