Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante recently found herself in a delicate situation following public criticism of her city’s slow pace in preparing to host the National Hockey League’s (NHL) new 4 Nations tournament.

This tournament, scheduled for next February, must take place in two cities: Boston and Montreal. While Boston seems to have everything ready to welcome the best hockey players in the world, Montreal is lagging behind, much to the dismay of the NHL and some observers.

Renaud Lavoie, TVA sports journalist, sharply criticized the lack of proactivity of Montreal’s elected officials.

“It’s going back,” he told BPM Sports, stressing that it was urgent to confirm Montreal’s participation.

He compared the proactive approach of Boston, where elected officials took the lead in contacting the NHL to obtain the information the organization needed, to that of Montreal, where efforts appear to have stalled.

In response to this criticism, the City of Montreal wanted to provide clarity with an official statement.

“The city of Montreal is the sports city par excellence, and this is even more true when we talk about hockey, a sport appreciated by the population.”Can we read the statement sent by email?

The community claims to have taken the necessary steps and is now waiting for a response from the NHL.

“We are excited about the prospect of Montreal being selected as one of the two host cities for the National Hockey League’s Four Nations Showdown. We have shown this enthusiasm to the organizers and connected them with the entire Montreal hockey ecosystem.”

This response from the city is intended to reassure the population and hockey fans, while showing that real efforts are being made. Valérie Plante wanted to show that Montreal was not passive and was taking seriously the opportunity to co-organize this prestigious event.

Although Renaud Lavoie was initially critical, during another intervention at BPM Sports he realized that the situation was not irreparable.

“We usually want to sort things out a year in advance, but it’s not the end of the world that they haven’t been resolved yet.”he clarified, adding that the NHL firmly believes in the success of this event in Montreal.

He also underlined the confidence of the Montreal Canadiens representatives in the city’s ability to host the tournament.

The 4 Nations Showdown, which replaces the traditional All-Star Game weekend, will feature national teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.

This event promises to attract a large audience and generate great excitement among ice hockey fans.

In short, despite a slow start, Montreal and Valérie Plante seem determined to prove that the Quebec metropolis is up to the challenge.

The next few weeks will be crucial to complete preparations and ensure Montreal’s presence as host city of this international tournament.

Apparently the mayor doesn’t like being humiliated in public…