The PWHL ended its season at the end of May. Both the NCAA and U Sports seasons ended two months earlier. With the next PWHL training camps only starting in November, it can be a very long break for a lot of players.
Here comes the Living Sisu Hockey League.
Organized by former Washington Capitals and current KHL goalie, Zach Fucale, as well as goalie coach Olivier Gervais, the LSHL runs yearly during the months of July and August. Held every Monday at the Hockey Etcetera rink, located in the Town of Mount Royal, an affluent on-island suburban town located northwest of downtown Montreal , it is a four team, 3-on-3 league, including a mix of pro and college players.
This year, the four captains are PWHL Montreal’s Laura Stacey, PWHL New York’s sixth round draft pick, Emmy Fecteau, as well as two PWHL free agents, Alexandra Labelle and Gabrielle David.
Without any surprise, Stacey had the first choice and drafted Marie-Philip Poulin. Captain Clutch is one of many PWHL contracted players to be part of the league. Others include PWHL Montreal's Maureen Murphy, Erin Ambrose, and Kristin O’Neill, PWHL New York's Jade Downie-Landry, and PWHL Ottawa's Savanah Harmon.
Unfortunately, on the opening night of the league, none of the Montreal players were available. Although article 26 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement seems to forbid players from participating in a summer league, that was not the reason. The Montreal players haven’t practiced since the end of the season, therefore, didn’t want to play a game and risk being injured. They should all be there next Monday.
And the risks are real. Last year, an unfortunate collision between Concordia’s Jessymaude Drapeau and then Montreal Carabins’ Audrey-Ann Veillette left the latter with a season-ending injury. As the PA message from WWE would say, “the hazards are real,” like any other sport or physical activity for that matter.
Also, let’s not forget that’s it’s a summer league and all the players won’t always be there every week. Replacement players are being called up when some regulars can’t show up.
One thing the organizers are doing this year is not compiling stats. They want this to be as friendly as possible, with the focus on charity. Of course, goals are compiled to determine a winner and a loser, but that’s about it. On Monday, Labelle’s team, sponsored by LiveBarn, defeated David’s Montreal Balance Board team by the score of 10-7. In the second game, Fecteau’s Accent beat Stacey’s Poulet Rouge 10-3. A three-goal game is not that much in this kind of league. Concordia’s Arianne Leblanc, who injured herself at the start of the playoffs last season, had a stellar performance backing up her former captain’s team. Last year, Leblanc, who was only 18-years-old , had a great summer season in the LSHL.
For the fans, this is a real treat, though. For $20, they can see some of the best PWHL players, as well as many potential future players. Canadian national champions, the Concordia Stingers, are probably the most well-represented team in the LSHL with seven regular players. If one wants to stay home or lives too far or out of town, games can be watched via YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook. And the beauty in all this is that all proceeds go to Pancreatic Cancer Canada.
The league will go through the end of August, with the final being played on August 20.
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