Good news for women's Elite sports in Montréal - Verdun Auditorium to Become Official Training Centre of Les Canadiennes de Montréal
MONTRÉAL, Sept. 18, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montréal, accompanied by Jean-François Parenteau, Mayor of the Borough of Verdun; Dimitrios (Jim) Beis, Ville de Montréal Executive Committee member responsible for Procurement, Sports and Leisure activities and Communities of diverse origins, as well as Brenda Andress, Commissioner of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), and Meg Hewings, General Manager of the women's elite ice hockey team Les Canadiennes de Montréal, announced an agreement in principle between the Borough of Verdun and Les Canadiennes de Montréal, to make the Verdun Auditorium their official training centre.
Les Canadiennes will be able to move into the Auditorium as soon as it reopens after the renovations have been completed. The agreement in principle provides for maintaining the ice time reserved for Verdun's sports associations and offering tickets at an affordable price so that families can attend the games.
"Montréal is a big sports and hockey city and this agreement proves it once again. Les Canadiennes' team is a model sports organization with a number of talented players from Québec City and Montréal. By consolidating this champion team's place in Greater Montréal, at the iconic Verdun Auditorium, we are ensuring that young female hockey players in minor hockey programs in Montréal will be able to hope that they will one day wear Les Canadiennes' sweater and proudly represent their city on the national and international scenes," stated Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montréal.
"The Borough of Verdun continues to position itself as a major hub in the development of ice sports in Montréal. It was only natural that the Verdun Auditorium should become home to Les Canadiennes de Montréal, with its long hockey-related history, its great notoriety and its 3,000 available seats. This team will definitely be a source of pride for Verdunites and is sure to inspire young athletes in local sports associations," remarked Verdun Mayor Jean-François Parenteau.
"One of our priorities is to provide an environment that promotes playing sports, both for amateur athletes and those at the elite level. With the upcoming renovations at the Verdun Auditorium and the establishment of the training centre of Les Canadiennes de Montréal in this amphitheatre, all conditions are in place for motivating residents to take part in sports and for encouraging healthy habits," added Dimitrios (Jim) Beis.
"The Verdun Auditorium is an ideal place for enabling Les Canadiennes' organization to grow and position itself as the symbol of the development of hockey in the years to come. The Club is very eager to become involved in Verdun's dynamic community and to promote hockey and sports initiatives, while inspiring youngsters in the Borough. Ville de Montréal and Les Canadiennes of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) share the same mission of promoting an active lifestyle for all residents and encouraging the future growth of the sport, both locally and throughout Québec," stated Meg Hewings, the Club's General Manager.
Les Canadiennes de Montréal
Montréal has a rich tradition of hockey success. The first organized women's hockey game was played in Montréal and Les Canadiennes' club existed back in the 1930s, making it one of the first women's French Canadian hockey teams in Québec. The club's name change to Les Canadiennes de Montréal (formerly Les Stars de Montréal) dates back to 2015. The CWHL was founded in 2007.
Winners of four Clarkson Cups (2009, 2011, 2012 and 2017), Les Canadiennes are renowned for their tremendous team consisting of Olympic athletes, hopefuls in the Canadian National team's program as well as stars from colleges and universities who have since graduated. Some of the players, including Marie-Philip Poulin, Caroline Ouellette and Charline Labonté, are Olympic Gold Medallists.
SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Arrondissement de Verdun
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