Peter Black

Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

There’s nothing official about expanding the league yet, but there’s a desire among the players at Quebec City Hall to have a Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) team in the city.

In what might be called a faceoff, Coun. Anne Corriveau of Québec D’Abord, the official opposition party at City Hall, proposed in a statement at the very end of the Jan. 16 city council meeting that the city “encourage” the acquisition of a PWHL team.

At 7:30 the following morning, Limoilou Coun. and Transition Québec leader Jackie Smith sent out a notice of a news conference later that morning to discuss “the return of professional hockey to Quebec City.”

Regardless of which city councillor won possession of the political puck, the city executive committee member responsible for sports, Coun. Jean-François Gosselin, a one-time professional hockey player, was quick to jump into the play.

Gosselin told a media scrum, “It’s a good idea. If there is a promoter who comes forward, we will respond.” He added, “Quebec is a hotbed of talent and it would help boost women’s hockey, which is very intense and very physical even if there is no body checking.”

In a statement, Smith said, “A PWHL team would only be positive for Quebec City. It would be good for hockey fans, good for our young girls, good for the local economy and the Videotron Centre.” She added, “The revival of the historic rivalry between Quebec and Montreal would be a major asset for this emerging league and the players would play in a modern and certainly noisy arena.”

While there are still some die-hards, such as the Coalition Avenir Québec government, who believe in the eventual return of a National Hockey League team to the Quebec capital, Smith said she believed it was time to move on.

“I hope that politicians will tell citizens the truth: the NHL will never return to Quebec; economic reality does not allow it; the league does not see the point in it.… Let’s leave the past behind us – the future of professional hockey in Quebec is female. Let’s open our arms to the PWHL, and I am convinced that before long, we will have a professional hockey team in Quebec,” Smith said.

In her proposal, Corriveau, noting the Montreal PWHL team sold out its home opening game at the Verdun Auditorium on Jan. 13, said, “Given that the female representation in a predominantly male sport helps eliminate discrimination in sport … the creation of a PWHL team in Quebec would be an opportunity to encourage the sport and once again demonstrate the passion of the people of Quebec for professional hockey.”

Despite the enthusiasm at City Hall and elsewhere, the wait may be a long one for an interested promoter to formally apply for a PWHL franchise.

In an email to the QCT, PWHL communications director Paul Krotz said, “We are gratified by, and deeply appreciative of, the enthusiastic response our league has received from our founding fans and business partners. The PWHL community has been growing daily since our launch this month, and we are committed to extending that growth and momentum as we go forward.”

Regarding new franchises, Krotz said, “To this point, our focus has been on sharing the stories of our athletes and on creating an environment in which they can excel and entertain. While a time may come when the expressions of interest we’ve received from other markets can be given the attention they deserve, that time has not been identified. We launched our league on a remarkably aggressive timeline, and our current priority is to serve our inaugural six markets to the best of our ability.”

The PWHL, created in August 2023, currently has six teams – Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York and Minnesota – all owned by the league, which is backed by American billionaire Mark Walters, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Players earn between $35,000 and $80,000 US, plus bonuses. Those amounts will rise by three per cent annually over the course of the eight-year deal. The salary cap is $1.26 million US.

The teams do not have names other than those of their host cities. The inaugural season, which began on Jan. 1, will have 24 games; next year’s full schedule, beginning in November, will have 32.

There is speculation that a March 16 game between Toronto and Montreal, currently marked “to be determined” on the PWHL schedule, may be staged in Quebec City.

The Montreal PWHL team salutes the fans at the club’s sold-out home opener on Jan. 13 at the Verdun Auditorium.

Photo courtesy of the PWHL