Women's Worlds Preview: Canada vs. Switzerland - Hockey Canada

Canada’s National Women’s Team is in good hands thanks to the dedication and experience equipment manager Serge LeBlanc brings to the dressing room

They are essential to a hockey team, working long hours in the shadows, far from the spotlight. They aren’t household names. But no athlete who hits the ice with skates on their feet and a stick in their hands will tell you that their work is not appreciated. That their presence is not comforting.

Serge LeBlanc is one of those who makes sure players worry about nothing other than their performance on the ice. As an equipment manager, he is a master at setting up a dressing room. And the phrase " other related duties" certainly applies.

"I know, for example, during a game, that I will have to change blades because a player can be tougher with her blades than another,” he says. “I think my job is to provide a personalized service to each player."

A proud Acadian from Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, N.B., and a resident of the nearby village of Grande-Digue, LeBlanc has been involved with Team Canada for over 20 years. The Université de Moncton equipment manager has never hesitated to answer the Hockey Canada call, including twice at the Olympic Winter Games (2018 and 2022) with Canada’s Women's Olympic Team and twice at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2008 and 2011) with Canada’s National Junior Team.

LeBlanc spent 11 years (and almost 1,000 games) in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Moncton Wildcats. Along the way, he has participated in various Hockey Canada and international events with both men's and women's teams.

Since 2017, he has spent most of his time in arenas, on buses and in airports across the country and around the world with Canada’s National Women’s Team. A natural bon vivant, he has his own way of contributing to the success of Team Canada.

"Serge is an extraordinary person," says goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens. "You know that no matter what time you arrive at the arena, he's going to be there. He's the first to come, last to go. He's always happy to see us and he always wants to go the extra mile to make sure our lives are as smooth as possible."

"When you see Serge, he puts a smile on your face," adds veteran forward Brianne Jenner. "He's sort of like that fun uncle that everyone has in their family. That's the way I think of Serge. He's just he's reliable but a great time and just he fits in so well with the girls. He's one of the girls."

A valued and respected mentor

LeBlanc is not the only one who takes good care of the players. Andrew Davis joined him on the equipment staff this season, and the two are teaming up again at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship in Brampton. Davis first met LeBlanc in December 2015, when Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team played an exhibition game at Concordia prior to 2016 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

"It was the first time that I met anyone from Hockey Canada," recalls Davis. "I was so impressed with how he worked."

Davis’ first official Hockey Canada appearance came at Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team selection camp in August 2016. He was able to learn from LeBlanc, who was mentoring equipment managers ahead of a series against the United States.

"It was really the perfect experience to start with, because he was able to focus on showing us the Hockey Canada standard, which is the highest standard," notes Davis, a Hudson Heights, Que., native.

So how does LeBlanc go about mentoring the next generation of equipment managers?

"I try to show them what helps me to stay effective and to answer their questions," says the man known affectionately as Bayo in his home province. "It's not that I think I'm better than anyone else, that’s absolutely not it, but with my personality and the way I've acted, I've been able to learn a way to operate that makes me effective."

A trusted confidant

If you ask Davis what LeBlanc is like behind the scenes, a smile comes to his face.

"In any arena we went into [during the Rivalry Series], in Canada or the U.S., he wanted to know people’s stories. He likes to connect with people at the arena, the players and the staff. He's very approachable. He has won at almost every level. I almost never hear him talk about the wins, it's always about the people he's met along the way."

Desbiens agrees: "He knows everyone! I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t know Serge. He’s very warm-hearted, jovial and spontaneous."

LeBlanc's interpersonal skills serve everyone on the team, including head coach Troy Ryan, who frequently consults the dressing room veteran to help guide decisions.

"We did our first event together in 2006 [at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge]," says LeBlanc. We’ve known each other long enough that he trusts me to ask any question and I’ll be honest with him. He can, for example, ask me about the personality of the players as to whether they are a good fit within the team or not."

His golden moment

Throughout his extensive experience in game, both domestically and abroad, LeBlanc has made countless memories he will cherish. His favourite? He doesn’t hesitate.

"For sure, it's [winning an Olympic gold medal in] Beijing [with Canada’s Women’s Olympic Team],” he says. “I could have retired at that point, and I would have been happy with my career on the international stage. So, there's no doubt that seeing these girls for four years and having to deal with COVID and all that, the way they acted, trained and prepared, winning that was definitely the highlight of my career."

But there’s one more that deserves a mention.

"A personal highlight for me was reaching the 100-game mark with Team Canada in November 2021 in Finland,” LeBlanc says. “It was special to experience that, too."

Big shout out to 🇨🇦's National Women's Team Equipment Manager, @bayo291 on his 100th international game!
#OurGameIsBack pic.twitter.com/aRqR9UVqt2

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) November 13, 2021

Special for him, but also for the players who got to be part of that special night in the lead up to Beijing 2022.

"It was a very special moment," remembers Desbiens. "He’s very appreciated in our locker room, someone that we like to have around the team. One hundred games with the Canadian team, it’s really impressive. I'm sure he has many more to go. Every time we invite him, he comes and he's always happy."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiRmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmhvY2tleWNhbmFkYS5jYS9lbi1jYS9uZXdzL2Fwci0xNS1jYW4tc3VpLXByZXZpZXctMjAyMy13d2PSAQA?oc=5

2023-04-15 18:57:34Z
1942026041