Une Année Supplémentaire

If you don't recognize the stylized "S" to the left, that's ok because I had no idea that the Université de Sherbrooke Vert-et-Or used that as a logo. As you may know, Sherbrooke was looking to get into men's and women's hockey at the U SPORTS level with the addition of hockey teams by 2027 thanks to a generous donation. With Laval ready to go this season, I had assumed that SHerbrooke had pushed their scheduling up to bring their team into the RSEQ at the same time. It turns out that not everything would follow the logical addition of two teams at the same time as the Vert-et-Or remain committed to the 2027 start date for university hockey.

I have no issue with admitting that I was wrong on this one as my wish to see university-level women's hockey grow and improve is being shared by one province across this nation. Sherbrooke has made a handful of announcements for their men's hockey team's debut next season when it comes to staffing and players, but the women's team doesn't even exist on their athletics page yet. This isn't a setback, but one would hope that a page for the women's team is on the horizon.

That being said, the 2027 debut for the Vert-et-Or in the RSEQ will happen at the Thibault GM Complex where the school and arena agreed to a three-year deal to have all activities - practices and games - held there. You might be thinking, "Aren't they going to be around more than three years?" when it comes to this arena deal, but Sherbrooke is planning an ambitious new project: a new arena!

As Camille Guindon wrote in her article for Le Collectif, the arena project still has several key details that have to be sorted out including capacity, layout, and the services that will be offered, but by having the two university teams as initial tenants the arena will see revenue streams develop. The total cost is currently estimated at between $25 million and $40 million, but the arena project received a $15 million donation from businessman Herb Black and funds from the Serge Savard Fund. Perhaps a future arena isn't impossible.

As Guindon's wrote in the article, though, was the note that read "A women's team could also be created as early as the following year."

I'm not asking Sherbrooke to rush the creation of a women's team, and seeing all the moving parts that surround the Sherbrooke entries into men's and women's hockey justifies that extra year of preparation and setup. Sherbrooke's efforts to recruit won't be easier with the other five teams in the RSEQ still needing players next season, but the women's program still needs all of its coaching staff hired which is something that needs to happen sooner than later.

Five teams will take the ice this season with a sixth team planning for a 2027 debut. The RSEQ is still the smallest conference in U SPORTS women's hockey with the new additions, but the six-team RSEQ is far more legitimate than the four-team RSEQ ever was. I'll be watching Laval's progress this season when it comes to the Rouge-et-Or's competitiveness with teams like Concordia, Montreal, and Bishop's, and their growth should be the map that Sherbrooke follows for their 2027 debut. If Laval does well, Sherbrooke should replicate that.

In summary, nothing is happening on the surface for the Sherbrooke Vert-et-Or women's team right now. Under the surface, however, the building of the coachign staff will start soon, a possible new arena announcement seems to be imminent, and 25 women will be given a chance to be Sherbrooke's inaugural women's hockey team. If you're a fan of U SPORTS women's hockey, having Sherbrooke take this gap year might be disappointing at first, but they're working on making hockey better for everyone in and around Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Keep up the good work, and we'll see you in 2027, Sherbrooke!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!