Head Coach
of The First Canadian Olympic Hockey Team
to Win Gold in 50 Years
She has done undercover narcotics work for
the Montreal Urban Police, busted a squad
car full of drug dealers, and even ordered
a forced entry and rescue of a double agent
whose life was in jeopardy.
So, was
Danièle Sauvageau worried about the
pressure of being the head coach of the
Canadian women's hockey team at the 2002
Winter Olympics? No, she was not. Ask her
how life and death police work compares
to the strain of gold-medal expectations
and Sauvageau calmly replies: "That
double agent's life was in my hands as the
main investigator in that drug case. You
don't have to think that fast in hockey."
Sauvageau
has worked at almost every level of hockey
open to female coaches. Those who have played
for her talk about her ability to prepare
a game plan and communicate it. Although
Canada's disappointing silver-medal showing
in Nagano ultimately cost Shannon Miller
her job as head coach, it worked to Sauvageau's
advantage, allowing her a chance to learn
from the team's miscues in Japan.
Sauvageau
brought in seven new players, introduced
a system into which everyone bought, spent
25-plus hours a week in team preparation,
and juggled her career as an MUC police
sergeant so she could be on the road 60
days for training camps, exhibition and
tournament games.
"Danièle created
an environment that gave players more freedom,
yet made them a little more responsible
for their own actions," said Ken Dufton,
who with Karen Hughes was one of Sauvageau's
assistant coaches. "There was a hangover
from Nagano that had to be dealt with, and
Danièle didn't waver for one second
from tough decisions that had to be made.
She did an outstanding job." 
July 15 2002
The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC)
is pleased to announce the appointment of
Danièle Sauvageau, head coach of
Canada's 2002 women's ice hockey team, as
its official spokesperson.
