Growing up, Ann-Sophie Bettez idolized both the women on Canada’s Olympic hockey team and the men playing in the National Hockey League. The existence of a perennial women’s hockey league at the professional level was uncertain. As such, Bettez earned a Bachelor of Commerce at McGill in 2011 and became a financial planner, balancing a job in the corporate world while continuing to play hockey. Bettez went on to play for Les Canadiennes de Montréal in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and later, the Montreal Force in the Premier Hockey Federation.
Recent investments in women’s hockey have had a significant impact on the local sporting landscape. The former Martlet emphasizes the importance of Centre 21.02, a high-performance training centre at Verdun Auditorium dedicated specifically to the women’s game. According to Bettez, this was especially important during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
“The Centre had [a certification] that allowed athletes to be on the ice during COVID. We were able to practice over the course of the summer and have skills coaches on-ice to be able to make sure we kept in shape,” Bettez said.
Bettez credits Centre 21.02 and its mission as contributing factors to the success of professional women’s hockey in Montreal.
“[The Centre] has hockey camps throughout the year, being able to get girls at a younger age, making sure they know the discipline it takes to be able to get to the next level,” said Bettez.
“I feel like all of this is kind of a melting pot that just led to this professional league.”
The launch of the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) allowed Bettez to be involved in a special part of hockey history, having netted the league’s first-ever overtime goal in a game against Ottawa on Jan. 2. For Bettez, PWHL Montreal’s season opener in Ottawa was memorable.
“We were waiting for so long. Training camp started in November, and it was so long before Jan. 2 came,” the McGill alum said. “It was the first game, it was our first win, and it was my first goal. They gave [the overtime goal puck] to me at the end of the game, so that’s a very special memory.”
Personal accolades aside, Montreal has had a successful start to the season, sitting atop the standings with a 5–3–2–2 record. When asked about the team’s objectives for the rest of the season, Bettez noted the importance of winning games in regulation and building chemistry within the squad.
“We have success by winning games in regulation, because […] a win in regulation time is three points. Going into overtime and winning is two points. So definitely trying to get some wins, five on five in regulation time [is important],” Bettez stated. “And just keep building that chemistry that we’re establishing off the ice, learning the tendencies of the players, and making sure we learn from our mistakes and making sure we also learn from the good things we’ve done.”
For Bettez, Montreal’s home victories end with a post-game victory dance accompanied by teammates Mariah Keopple, Gabrielle David, and Sarah Bujold. The four players created a dance to the tune of //Le Bal Masqué//, the team’s victory song, arising after the group heard the song while playing //Just Dance// during a road trip. This led to a spur-of-the-moment celebration at Place Bell.
“We were in a hotel, and that song came up. And then I was like, ‘This is a pretty cool song,’ and we started doing a dance,” the former Martlet said. “We decided [Le Bal Masqué] was gonna be our game-winning song and when we first did the dance at Place Bell it was kind of ‘Oh my god, did we just do that!?’ That was pretty cool.”
The celebration after Montreal’s home victories serves as a reminder for all fans of the joyous moments that sports can provide.
“It’s just a matter of putting smiles on people’s faces,” the forward said. “And to remind people that hockey is fun.”
The Tribune’s interview with Bettez was conducted on Feb. 7.
PWHL Montreal (5–3–2–2) will play next on Mar. 2 at 4:00 PM EST against PWHL Boston (4–2–2–4) at Verdun Auditorium. Follow the action live on CBC Gem, RDS, or the PWHL YouTube channel.
