Marlene Boissonault dreams of a professional league

If she had the power to change things in women’s hockey, Marlene Boisnault would have made it her mission to increase the opportunities given to girls so that, like boys, they would have easy access to the game. fulfill your dreams.

Dundee’s Acadian doesn’t budge, it has nothing to do with talent if the best women’s hockey players on the planet still don’t deserve a professional league worthy of the name.

The 24-year-old goaltender believes that if given the opportunity, and this includes better presence in the media (television, radio, newspapers, etc.), women will be able to convince the public to embrace women’s hockey.

“The media can have a big impact at this stage. It takes more people who believe in the product,” she said. If I had the power to do so, I would make it easier for women to showcase their talents gives.”

“All we want is to be able to play professionally without having any other job to support ourselves. We want to be treated like boys.”

In this regard, she cites some women as examples of opportunities to recruit important positions on NHL teams that help advance the cause.

Think of Cammy Granato as the senior director and director, respectively, of the recruiting player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, or the recruiter for the Seattle Kraken. There is also Julie Choo who attended the Tampa Bay Lightning rookie camp as an assistant coach.

“The talent of women is being appreciated more and more and I call it development. We are witnessing the birth of something. I am sure the day is not far when there will be a woman behind the bench of a National League team,” She says.

Marlène Boissonnault has returned from a 24-day stay in Russia, where she had the opportunity to taste the life of a professional within the KRS Vanke Rays of Shenzhen, a club in the Women’s Hockey League (WHL) of Russia. The circuit has 10 teams, including defending champion KRS Venke Rez, who normally plays in China but who has temporarily relocated to Moscow due to the pandemic.

Not only did she love her experience, but most of all she got to see with her own eyes what her daily life might be like if she had access to a professional league in North America.

“It was a great experience and the ability to play is good,” she says. This is professional hockey. There were girls from the national teams of Russia, Sweden, China, Finland and other countries. We won four of our matches and I played three of them. We won the gold medal.”

If she doesn’t rule out the possibility of returning to play in Russia this winter, she still wants to focus her efforts on the Calgary team within the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA).

“I’m going back to my routine, which means I’ll also continue to train with the national team at the Olympic Center. But my focus will be mostly on the Calgary team for the PWHPA tournament. We have Tru, Nova Scotia (12-14) There is also a tournament scheduled in November),” she says.

She also intends to closely follow the file of a potential new Women’s Hockey League. The construction of the new circuit could be confirmed after the Beijing Olympics this winter.

“We are on the right track,” she admits. It’s about continuing to work hard and building a good foundation. I have no doubt that soon we will have a professional league in Canada and the United States. We have been told for several months that the league will be operational after the Olympics boom. We have been told that many resources and forces will be added to this new league, which is expected to launch in the fall of 2022.”

In short…

Marlene Boissonault has apparently experienced some misadventures due to the language barrier in Moscow, as well as in Sochi, where the tournament was presented. “English is not a second language and we only speak Russian. That’s why our phone was needed to help with translation. Luckily, Russians are very nice and they don’t hesitate to help you out. I also have something to move around The timing was there. I loved Red Square and the area around this monument. The architecture with the unique shapes and vibrant colors is incredible,” she says…

The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), the only semi-professional women’s circuit in North America, has decided to change its name. The league will now be called the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). The PHF has five teams on American soil, the Buffalo Beauties, where Acadians play Marie-Joe Pelletier, the Boston Pride, the Connecticut Whales, the Minnesota Whitecaps and the Metropolitan Riveters (New York), plus a club in Canada, the Toronto Six. Circuit activities will start from 6th November…