Quebec Prime Minister says Canadiens can do more
The Montreal Canadiens are capable of doing better. That's what Quebec Prime Minister François Legault hammered home Thursday on TVA Sports.
This one was not necessarily talking about the catastrophic results of the team at the beginning of the season, but mostly at the level of recruitment of Quebec players.
He admits however to have seen an improvement on this point in the last months, with, among others, the signatures of David Savard, Mathieu Perreault and Cedric Paquette in the big club, as well as a panoply of natives of the Belle Province in the affiliated clubs that are the Laval Rocket and the Trois-Rivières Lions.
"I had good discussions with Geoff Molson and Marc Bergevin last spring. We saw some changes this summer, we saw Mathieu Perreault and David Savard arrive. We also got Jonathan Drouin. We have a situation where the pool has been reduced. When you look at the number of Quebecers in the NHL right now, there are about 30. There were once 90, so three times more. The Canadiens are doing their part, but we would like them to do even more. With the transactions they made this summer, I think the message got through."
Legault also lamented the regression of Quebec's hockey development program and says he has done everything he can to try to restore the province's image.
"I find it sad to see fewer young people playing hockey and fewer Quebecers in the NHL. I think something had to be done. There are problems that need to be fixed. I succeeded, with Isabelle Charest, in finding a great group of experts who have experience and who are ready to bring us ideas. They will submit their report on April 1 and we will be able to implement it. We want more young boys and girls playing hockey in Quebec."
Source : TVA Sports
