Daniele Sauvageau tends to say things as they are. She's remained vocal in women's hockey pushing for better facilities, training, and opportunities, and railing against what she believed to be unfair in past and present offerings in women's hockey. 

It's why when Sauvageau stated clearly this week that she would be putting all of her efforts toward the Montreal Victoire this season, before shifting and placing all of her efforts and focus into Team Canada, it was validation for what fans, players, and pundits have been saying for more than two years now. The message was clear: Team Canada deserves and needs 100% focus for their program, as does each PWHL team. 

Throughout the PWHL's first three seasons, Toronto Sceptres general manager Gina Kingsbury and head coach Troy Ryan were also the general manager and head coach respectively for Canada's national women's team.

When they took the dual roles, no one could have even predicted how difficult the balance would become. Too often however, the lines were being blurred. The conflict of interest, real or perceived, was obvious. It's not that Kingsbury and Ryan were incapable of being a coach and general manager. They both leave the program as highly successful leaders with Olympic and World Championship gold medals. But with events like the in-season Rivalry Series and World Championships, women's hockey has far greater commitment than North American men's hockey national teams for dual-staff. In this case, the level of crossover and required attention for the dual roles was too much for any one person. And both teams deserve more. Sauvageau said as much.

"It’s too much in a sense," she said of holding both roles.

"Obviously there, it’s another level and what I mean by that is that I think both organizations deserve to have... all that time for the following year."

And so, Danielle Sauvageau, who has her offseason signings and camp invitations complete for Montreal, as well as her staff hired for the 2026-27 PWHL season, can now focus on building Canada's roster until the November World Championships take place. 

The instant gold, silver, and bronze have been decided, Sauvageau will then shift all of her attention to bringing back-to-back Walter Cups to Montreal. And with the roster she assembled this summer, Sauvageau has the foundation to be a contender already, and likely enough pieces to make in season moves if necessary. 

As soon as the Walter Cup is decided, or the Victoire are eliminated, Sauvageau will make yet another shift, albeit this one the final move in her chess game. She'll flip into Canada's full time general manager role, as well as taking on role as vice-president of hockey operations for Hockey Canada. And from there, there's no looking back. It was a solution to a problem that hit the breaking point this season with Canada's worst results in years on the ice losing to USA at the Worlds and Olympics, and being swept in the Rivalry Series. There will never be a time where one job interferes with the other, which due to the scheduling of events like the Rivalry Series and Worlds, there was interference for both roles.

"That's a promise I did make to both organizations, I will never put one team in jeopardy over the other one," Sauvageau said.

With the last major signings of Sauvageau's in her PWHL general manager's role already complete, that issue is off the table. And as for Canada's struggles, when the 2026-27 PWHL season ends, Canadians will know that nothing is interfering with the efforts to get the program back on top. Sauvageau's 100% efforts will go toward building a roster capable of Olympic gold in 2030, which Sauvageau called the "main objective."

Sauvageau's role will also go well beyond that of national team gold, as she spoke of strengthening opportunities for women and girls in hockey at all levels, to "benefit every professional, U SPORT and NCAA" player in the system, as well as overseeing the U-18 and national development teams. 

As for a coach, with the PWHL working with the IIHF to move the World Championships to November each year, the PWHL, nor Team Canada need to worry about a conflict for the head coach of Canada's national team moving forward. The Rivalry Series will almost certainly move to September and October, and may even see the number of games creep back up. North American teams could also opt into Women's Euro Hockey Tour events in the future leading up to the World Championships. All of that work for a coach will be done and gone, including the World Championships, before the puck drops on the PWHL season. The only caveat could be if PWHL teams someday open training camps before or during Worlds, although that's not the intention of the shifted international calendar. 

Ultimately, Hockey Canada's decision to hire Daniele Sauvageau, and the decision to have Sauvageau shift to a full time builder for Canada's national program, solved a major issue for the PWHL and for Hockey Canada. Now, both programs will get the full time attention they need, deserve, and that fans expect.