There's plenty of action early in the Montreal Victoire's training camp including status updates for Ann-Renee Desbiens and Lina Ljungblom, a look at Montreal's contract situation and more.
Wednesday morning, it was the first on-ice practice at training camp with the full group of players and staff for the Montreal Victoire and there were a couple of newsworthy things to report.
All 29 players were on the ice, but two: forward Lina Ljungblom and goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens. And with Desbiens also missing the first two games of the Rivalry Series, there was legitimate concern she was injured.
Asked about it after practice, head coach Kori Cheverie was reassuring for both of them.
“Just precautionary things for Desbiens. You know, for her it’s just about finding the right timing to get back with the group and we’re not worried about it,” said Cheverie, adding that Desbiens was not injured, and that she would start the season.
Regarding Ljungblom, there’s nothing to be worried about.
“She’s not well, she’s sick. So, she’ll be back,” said Cheverie, without mentioning when exactly Ljungblom would be back.
Technically, Montreal’s training camp officially started last Friday. The team went on the ice on Monday, without media being invited. But between the international games and the Hall of Fame inductions, it wasn’t the full group. That’s why Wednesday was the first real practice in a sense.
“We knew the Rivalry Series was going to be busy,” explained Kori Cheverie. “And then with Danielle's induction, a few of us were there to support her, so there was not much to do yesterday other than just, you know, tie up some loose ends.”
Contract Talk
One of the most talked about news about the Montreal Victoire over the past few months has been the contracts’ extension and restructuration signed by Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Ann-Renée Desbiens.
The three of them had one year left on their contract and decided to sign a two-year extension, believed to be a better salary, but also agreed to be paid less than they were supposed to this year in order for the team to be able to bring new talented players to replace the ones Montreal lost to the expansion and free agency.
“We had mutual discussions with Danièle, individually, and at the end of the day, we knew there was a salary cap,” explained captain Marie-Philip Poulin. “So, it was a question of figuring out how to manage that, where and how, mainly to have girls coming in who are also able to get paid. It was done mutually. It wasn’t meant to blow up. For us, it was only to have the girls to go to the finals.”
If Poulin, Stacey, and Desbiens were the first three players to sign with the team before the inaugural season, Erin Ambrose, Montreal’s first-round draft pick in the initial draft, is as much part of that leadership group, even though she didn’t sign an extension. She came close of being forced to leave the team at the expense of the expansion draft, and was ecstatic to stay in Montreal, the place she calls home for a number of years now.
Playing the last season of a three-year contract, she’s not concerned right now with contract talks, although she did have a lengthy answer to give.
“There's nothing imminent. I'm not on a timeline to make things settle,” Ambrose said. “Daniele and I had some great conversations about it and we talked about uncertainty and everything like that. But I want to focus everything, every ounce of my being on this year. It's going to be a crazy year with hopefully the Olympics, hopefully bringing the Walter cup to this city. And for me, I want to make sure that I'm focused on that solely. I do think things will take care of themselves when they're supposed to. But for me, like I told Danielle, my feet are here in Montreal wholeheartedly. I think you guys all know that how much I love this city, how much I love this team, and I don't think it's ever going to be something that's oh, contract talks are distracting or anything like that.”
Ambrose continued:
“I love this group. I love being here and there's no question about that. It's more so just dealing with things away from the rink as a whole, as where I'm at in my life and figuring out what is kind of best for me and that'll all just be dealt with once the season's over. I just think that adding on that anxiety and that little bit of pressure right now isn't something that I want to take on this year and how big of a year it can be. So, for me, I just really want to focus on this year. I mean, you look at the core that we have locked up after this year and it's obviously something that is very enticing. But I know for myself I just need to focus on this season and really put everything I have into this group, hopefully the Olympics and then kind of revisit everything after the season's done.”
A Late Signing
One of the reasons Montreal and its top players had to agree on a different deal is that the team had trouble respecting the budget while getting the players they wanted. And that’s also why only one draft pick from the most recent draft got signed so far, and she was signed late in the game.
In 2024, Cayla Barnes, that year’s Montreal first-round draft pick, was signed on June 21. This year, Nicole Gosling, the Victoire 2025 first-round draft pick was only signed on October 10.
Gosling kind of confirmed that things were not simple within the team.
“Yeah, I just felt like we weren't in a rush into the process. Also, like some things were happening internally,” Gosling admitted. “So, just making sure that people were okay and everything. It just that kind of put a little bit of a pause into the negotiations. But honestly, during the whole process, I wasn't worried about anything. I knew I wanted to be signed before camp, and camp's just starting now, so honestly, I didn't have a timeline on wanting to be signed. But I'm happy a deal got done and I'm happy both parties are happy.”
Ultimate Teammates
For head coach Kori Cheverie, what Poulin, Stacey, and Desbiens did well illustrate what these players are all about and what the team means to them.
“I think that those three are the ultimate teammates in whatever is asked of them,” said Cheverie. “Whatever they do on the ice, they're always putting the team first. And, you know, I can't speak about that too much, but I just think that all of our group, we want people who are here to have that team first mentality and be as one. And, you know, there are people who want us to win and put us in a position every single day on the ice to help us with that. And so, they're good leaders in our group.”
Montreal has two more practices Thursday and Friday, before playing its first preseason games Saturday and Monday, against the Boston Fleet.