No, I would call that a distinction without difference.^Rivals are different from DIRECT rivals.
Gadbois currently hosts a ton of "direct rivals", to use your term. They just took on both of Hubbell/Donohue's main domestic rivals just last season. They've got three different senior Canadian teams battling it out for placements. Hubbell/Donohue, for that matter, have been open about their desire to challenge for first. And so on.
Fernandez and Hanyu were both young skaters on the rise; Hanyu had just won a Worlds medal, Fernandez was on the brink of his. They were both strong podium contenders for Pyeongchang, and there were only three spots on that podium. And that dynamic worked. Just as I'd dispute the idea that having rivals train together is inherently bad. The example of Gadbois would also show that, since Marie-France et al. were successful in balancing the teams.in the instances where it happens, nothing good comes out of it (e.g. D/W vs V/M, Med vs Zag).
And no, I would hardly consider Hanyu's transferal to TCC to be apples-to-apples comparison. P/C was arguably the frontrunner for gold. Wouldn't say the same for Fernandez.
P/C themselves considered that the coaches were fair. They were well within their rights to object and go elsewhere, if they so chose, as ultimately each athlete has the sole ability to decide what sort of training environment works best for them (as was also the case in the final years of the Detroit dynasty, where I think Tessa and Scott were at fault for not dealing with their own escalating dissatisfaction with how things were going there -- I don't personally think Zueva did anything wrong either, but that environment wasn't working anymore, and V/M were the only ones who could make that choice for themselves).