Montreal's other professional hockey team is off to a perfect start.
Les Canadiennes women's team stands undefeated so far this season.
Founded in 2007 as the Montreal Stars, the team is a partner to the NHL’s Habs and play in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.
This season, like their male counterparts, the players are getting paid.
The stipends are peanuts compared to the NHL players: the maximum one player can make is $10,000, which is why 80 per cent of the players have a full-time job away from the rink.
“We always took for granted that we did it for free so for us it was normal that we've never been paid,” said forward Ann-Sophie Bettez. “Whether it's paid for or not paid, I did it for the love of the game and now it's kind of a bonus.”
When Bettez is not at the rink, she's at her other job – a full-time role as a financial advisor.
“I wake up at 6:15 and I'm gone by 7, so knowing we have practice on the Thursday night and I'll be home at 11:30, that night is pretty short,” she said.
Every week there are long hours spent between the rink and the workplace, as well as travel time to away games.
The money is just enough to cover the basics so they can do their jobs on the ice.
“All the hockey sticks, the equipment, the skates, it's pretty expensive, so to have a bit of support, it's nice to be able to use that money,” she said.
“They don't even call it a salary, they call it a ‘stipend’ and it covers the minimum expenses, the travel,” added forward Karell Emard.
The league said this is just a start, adding that as the game grows in popularity, so will the salaries.
Bettez’s favourite player is NHLer Brendan Gallagher. Even if she made the maximum salary, it was still be 275 times less than his.
Still, the stipend is a step in the right direction, the players say.
“Hopefully one day we can live off the salary like a professional athlete,” said forward Kayla Tutino.
