Sauvageau Honoured By The Montreal Canadiens

Before their game against the Dallas Stars, the Montreal Canadiens hosted a little get-together between journalists to honour Montreal Victoire GM Daniele Sauvageau and RDS journalist Francois Gagnon for their induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

On Monday, both made their entries into the Hall: Gagnon as the winner of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award and Sauvageau as the first woman inducted as a builder, joining the 118 men who were already members. The Victoire GM has had quite a long career before landing the top job for the PWHL original six club.

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From the youngest age, Sauvageau had a passion for the game, but as a child in Deux-Montagnes, she wasn’t allowed to play organized hockey because she wasn’t a boy. Instead of running home to cry about it, she found other ways to get involved. Because a door was shut in her face, Sauvageau found a way to break one glass ceiling after another. She created the Carabins women's hockey programme, thus providing many women with a path to play organized hockey.

An accomplished coach, she became the first woman to take the helm of a QMJHL team, and she led the Women’s national team to its first-ever gold medal at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. That all-important medal was won on 02.21.2002, and when Sauvageau decided to create an excellence center for women's hockey players in Montreal, she called it Centre 21.02 for apparent reasons.

Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) on X Encore bravo à Danièle Sauvageau et François Gagnon pour leurs nombreuses réalisations et leur apport au monde du hockey 👏 Once more, stick taps to Danièle Sauvageau and François Gagnon for their extraordinary work and contributions toward the hockey community #HHOF2025

She felt that was necessary, not only for when there would be a professional women’s league, but also for the national team. When Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin moved to Montreal to play hockey, Sauvageau was there, supporting her behind the scenes.

When the CWHL folded, Sauvageau kept working toward her goal of creating a professional women's league. When investors were found for the project and the PWHL was created, absolutely nobody was surprised when the new Hall of Fame member was appointed as its GM.

Whoever shut the door in Sauvageau’s face made a huge difference in this country’s hockey history. Quite philosophical, she says that everything happens for a reason, and looking at everything she’s accomplished and the path she's cleared for so many young girls, it’s hard not to agree.

To commemorate her and Gagnon’s induction into the Hall, the Canadiens had a signed 25 jersey made in each of their names and framed them. They were presented with them ahead of the game, in front of many of their colleagues, an experience they’ll no doubt remember long after they step away from the game they love.