EYE ON SPORTS: Year two of the PWHL now in full swing…
This content is for QCT Online members only.
Join Now
Join Now
Already a member? Log in here
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) started its second season on Nov. 30 in Toronto and Montreal. The league has six teams (Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Minnesota, New York and Boston) but has added more games to the regular season calendar. Each team will now play 30 games, up from 24 in the inaugural season. The Montreal Victoire, with regional players Marie-Philip Poulin and Ann-Renée Desbiens in their lineup, played the Ottawa Charge twice this season and will play them again in Quebec City on Jan. 19. In this photo, Montreal’s Kristin O’Neill looks to receive a pass in front of Ottawa goalkeeper Emerance Maschmeyer in the Victoire’s 2-1 victory on Dec. 6 in the nation’s capital. (LL) (Screenshot) 
The Boston Bruins celebrated their 100th anniversary on Dec. 2, when they played their centennial game against the Montreal Canadiens, their longtime rivals. To mark the occasion, the team invited several players who left their marks in the history of the team. One of them was Johnny Bucyk, who played for the Bs from 1957 to 1978. Bucyk conducted the ceremonial faceoff, helped by Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden (right) and current Bruins captain Brad Marchand (left). The Bruins defeated the struggling Canadiens 6-3. (Photo courtesy of the Boston Bruins) 
It was Military Appreciation Night at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Nov. 5 as the Montreal Canadiens played their last home game before Remembrance Day. The Canadiens welcomed the Command Team of the 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (East) of the Canadian Army in Montreal. Brig.-Gen. Patrick Lemyre (second from right) was accompanied by Chief Warrant Officer Patrice Chartrand (second from left), and special guest Jean-René Décary (centre), a 91-year-old veteran of the Korean War. Décary enrolled on April 13, 1951, and was deployed on Oct. 3; he fought for 14 months. He later served nine years as a sergeant in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment. Décary is a member of Branch 265 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Quebec City. Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund (far left) and Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (far right) took the ceremonial faceoff. (LL) (Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images, courtesy of the Montreal Canadiens) 
The Université Laval Rouge et Or women’s soccer team advanced to the U Sports national championship by defeating the Université de Montréal Carabins 2-1 (5-4 on penalties) for the provincial title on Nov. 1. With the score tied 1-1 after 120 minutes, Mérédith St-Pierre’s goal sealed the win in a penalty shootout. Laval will play Trinity Western University (Langley, B.C.) in the quarterfinals on Nov. 7. The championship is being played at Dalhousie University in Halifax. (Photo courtesy of Université Laval Rouge et Or via X) 
Members of the Université Laval Rouge et Or rugby team celebrate after defeating the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees 30-26 in Ottawa to win the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) title on Oct. 19, a year after losing to the Gee-Gees in the 2023 title game. Behind 19-5 at halftime, the Rouge et Or scored a try in the final seconds of the game to seal a crucial win. The QCT’s regular sports coverage of Remparts hockey and college and university sports returns Nov. 6 – just in time for the RSEQ football playoffs featuring the Rouge et Or. (QCT staff) (Photo courtesy of Université Laval Rouge et Or via Facebook) 
Université Laval Rouge et Or kicker Felipe Forteza celebrates his team record 53-yard field goal with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter, to seal a 23-20 victory over the defending Vanier Cup champions, the Université de Montréal Carabins, in front of a Stade Telus record crowd of 20,903 fans on Sept. 7. (The previous record of 19,381 was set in 2019.) Université Laval’s previous record for the longest field goal was 49 yards, made by Christopher Milo in 2008. The Rouge et Or will visit the McGill Redbirds on Sept. 14. (screenshot) 
On Aug. 30, sports fans were shocked by news of the sudden death of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, were both killed by a drunk driver while riding their bikes in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, on Aug. 29. The brothers were in town for the wedding of their sister Katie to hockey player Devon Joyce on Aug. 30. Nicknamed “Johnny Hockey,” Gaudreau played 11 seasons in the NHL (nine in Calgary, two in Columbus), scoring 243 goals and 500 assists for 743 points in 763 games. (LL) (screenshot) 
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, announced Aug. 10 that he will not seek a re-election. Bach, a 1976 Olympic gold medalist in team fencing for Germany, has been at the helm of the IOC for the past 12 years and his second term will end in 2025. He officially closed the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Aug. 11. (LL)
(Photo: IOC/Greg Martin)