Montreal Victoire Players Weigh In On The Future Of International Women's Hockey

The injury that Cayla Barnes suffered during game one of the Rivalry Series raised a lot of questions regarding the series itself and the international games played during the PWHL season.

In Montreal, six players and one coach participated in that series a couple of weeks ago. Two others competed for Sweden at the Lidl Hockey Games at the same time. While international hockey is important to the women’s game and embedded in their philosophy, all of them do realize changes will have to be made down the line.

One has already been made, with the Rivalry Series being only five games instead of seven like it was in the past.

“I think that the changes that have been made for this year will have an impact,” said goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens. “It will allow us to breathe a little more so it's a good change. But I won't lie, I want to play in the World Championship, so I don't want to see it go away or become like men's hockey.”

Becoming like men’s hockey would mean the World Championships being played at the same time as the PWHL playoffs and by players whose teams have been eliminated. With only six teams – eight next year if everything goes according to the league’s plan – there might not be enough pro players available to make a Canadian or American team. Unless you complete them with the development team’s players, mainly college players not ready yet to play with the senior team, like we will see in the Six-Nations tournament in Finland next month.

While talks about moving the worlds or any other international games are real, it will not be an easy task.

“We must understand that there are commitments that have been made for the next two or three years,” said Montreal’s GM Daniele Sauvageau. “These women want to play for their national team. It's different from men's hockey. International hockey at the women's level created the level of play that you see here. With the arrival of the PWHL, there are discussions. Should the World Championship stay in April? Should it be postponed to May? Should it should be at the beginning of the year, or in September or October? Everything is on the table right now.”

For the likes of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, Erin Ambrose and Ann-Renee Desbiens, who will all be in their early-to-mid 30s by the time the 2026 Olympics come, it might be their last opportunity to play at the Olympics and win another gold medal.

Therefore, getting to the Olympics is a priority and, in that regard, the Rivalry Series and the World Championships will help to shape that team. And because of that, any major changes before the Olympics might not be happening.

“It's part of the current season, it's going to be part of it until the 2026 Olympic Games,” Sauvageau said. “After that, I have the impression that we're going to look more at how national teams can make a selection without having to compete during the season.”

Those words are echoed by Montreal and Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin.

“I think that eventually this is something that we will have to take into consideration,” said Poulin. “You don't want to start the season with injured players so I think it's going to be something that will have to be put in place. Surely after the Olympic year.”

That’s all good and well, but in the meantime, the PWHL is growing, arenas are filling up, and the fan base wants to see the best players at their best.

In men’s hockey, the Summit Series, Canada Cup or the first World Cup were played before the start of the NHL season. But it was a different time where pro players were not admitted to the Olympics. After 1996, it took eight years to see another World Cup, and then 12 years to witness another one. And this season’s 4 Nations Face-Off will be played over eight days in lieu of the All-Star Game.

But in women’s hockey, things are different. This cycle occurs every year. It include three games before the season, and then two international breaks of one week each, and another one lasting three weeks for the World Championships. After a six-month wait since the end of the first season, the second PWHL season starts November 30 and already on December 9, there’s a one-week break, making it difficult to build momentum.

“I think there’s a constant conversation about what makes sense now with the pro league and what doesn’t,” said Montreal coach and Team Canada assistant coach Kori Cheverie. “The Rivalry Series has been in place for a long time now and everyone is holding true to their deal or side of the bargain there. But yeah, as the league continues to grow, we don’t necessarily maybe need as much of the Rivalry Series or the international play and you might see some of the schedule shifted a little bit.”

In any case, the players have to be consulted. And with most of the PWHL players not playing at the international level, it’s important that all players can be heard. Any decision will affect the entire league, not just some of it. And with all six player representatives and three out of four executive committee members of the PWHLPA playing or having played international hockey in the last few years, the influence towards international hockey is still strong.

“We are in talks about that all the time,” said Montreal players’ representative Laura Stacey. “Obviously, have the players’ best interests in mind. The health and safety are a big issue. It’s a tough question because as players we love competing, we love playing with Canada and the US, and the Rivalry Series; it’s amazing hockey to be a part of as well and it’s an honour to play for your country. It’s a fine balance between using those games to our advantage to get better, but also show up at training camp and be at our best. Eliminating two games this year will help, it’s a step in that direction of helping our bodies, recovering, learning that professional lifestyle. We’re learning as we go. This is brand new to us all.”

At the end of the day, women’s hockey will need to choose its priorities: PWHL or international hockey. It might just be too soon for that.