Luc Lang
luclang@qctonline.com

Quebec Premier François Legault was at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Nov. 18 to announce the creation of a new hockey development committee. The plan is to create “a hockey renaissance in Quebec” and work on multiple aspects of hockey development in the province, including infrastructure, the women’s game, integrating immigrants and training and retaining officials and coaches.

Legault, a hockey fan, asked former NHLer and current RDS hockey analyst Marc Denis to preside over this committee.
Flanked by Isabelle Charest, the associate education minister responsible for the status of women and sports, Legault said Denis and his group are expected to produce recommendations by the end of March 2022 on how to improve hockey programs in Quebec.

Legault also mentioned that he was disappointed to see the Montreal Canadiens, the only NHL team in the province, play a game without a player from Quebec in the lineup for the first time ever last season.

Also on the committee is the newly appointed executive director of Hockey Québec, former NHL goaltender Jocelyn Thibault. Newly elected hockey hall of famer Kim St-Pierre, former Canadian national women’s team head coach Danièle Sauvageau, former NHLers Stéphane Quintal and Guillaume Latendresse and four-time Olympic medalist Caroline Ouellette are also part of the group.

St. Lawrence Lions hockey

In collegiate hockey action in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), the CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence Lions played two games last weekend.

On Nov. 20 in Val-Bélair, the Lions ended their five-game losing streak when they edged the Griffons from Cégep de l’Outaouais 4-2. Mathis Croteau broke a 2-2 tie with 13 minutes left in the third period to give the Lions the lead.

Alex Pelletier, Fabrice Drouin and Guillaume Nadeau (empty net) also scored for St. Lawrence. Goaltender Charles-Antoine Julien, the game’s second star, stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced, including 26 in the first 40 minutes of play.

The team won its second game on Nov. 21, 7-3 against the Cégep de Saint Hyacinthe Lauréats. Drouin (one goal, two assists) and Félix-Antoine Houle (three assists) led the way for the Lions. Pelletier, Mathieu Martel, Justin Beauchemin, Mathieu Pigeon, Justin Lacombe and Croteau also scored for St. Lawrence. Julien blocked 32 of 35 shots in front of the Lions’ net for his seventh win of the season, his second in a row.