The Red-And-Gold Standard

We've known that the RSEQ women's hockey conference was growing by two teams this season for some time as both Laval and Sherbrooke were joining the fun. Just like with any expansion hockey team, there will be a lot of firsts, an even greater amount of hope, and a few bumps in the road along the way when it comes to the inuagural season, but it seems one of those Quebec universities is trying to get ahead of the curve with an outstanding setup for their locker room. If Laval puts this kind of effort into everything including their play on the ice, they might be a new U SPORTS powerhouse!

This is what the players walked into yesterday when they were invited to check out their new space on campus for the first time.

Pretty nice digs, right? That looks like a great home at the Aréna du PEPS for the new women's team, and they could likely use this dressing room as a selling feature on campus tours for potential recruits. There are lots of U SPORTS programs who have nothing like this, so kudos to Laval University for investing their women!

Circle October 16 on your calendars as they'll play the Montreal Carabins that day in their first official action in the history of the school. Montreal is, of course, one of the teams that always has big seasons in the RSEQ with an appearance at Nationals almost a perennial event, so Laval will have a big test on their hands in that first game as they begin writing chapters into their history. It's said that "for one to be the best, they have to beat the best" so why not welcome the team that established the gold standard for university women's hockey in Quebec? It seems like a good measuring stick!

Of course, the team needs to look good when they step on the ice, so the jerseys should invoke a sense of pride with the design. Will Laval find the right setup? Will they bring a traditional hockey look?

The home jerseys are nearly flawless in their design, and I commend Laval for sticking to a traditional hockey sweater design. The red and white provide excellent contrast, the gold stripe fits nicely, they avoided overusing black, and the design with the shoulder yoke feels like this team has a rich history. The CCM logo above the Laval logo can go, but these jerseys hit all the checkboxes in their design.

Will the road jerseys bring that same excellent design? Let's find out!

This red jersey isn't as good as the white jersey mainly because there's way too much black. It needs more gold since Laval is the Rouge-Et-Or, and the change in the design altogether isn't quite an impactful as they may think it is. A black yoke would work if they brought back the gold stripes on the arms and the hems outlined by black, but these will work. They're clearly not as good as the white jerseys, but they'll work for Laval. I do like the gold outline on the numbers and name on the back, though, as they helps to make the name and number more readable. That's important for broadcasters!

Overall, Laval looks like they're kicking off their women's hockey history on the right foot with an amazing locker room experience and a solid wardrobe of jerseys. Their play on the ice will obviously determine where they finish in the standings, but they're off to a good start when it comes to the aesthetics of the team. Might the RSEQ might be the best-dressed conference in women's hockey?

Best of luck to the Laval Rouge-et-Or on their inaugural season! I'll be watching their progress, but I won't be doing a lot of writing about them or any other university women's team after Canada West made the decision for me to end The Rundown. I am, however, excited to see how well former Winnipeg Ice forward Talia Jones does, so there's definitiely a reason to keep an eye on the Laval Rouge-et-Or!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!