PEI Rocket to Retire Bureau's #22 Jersey
January 21, 2009 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
P.E.I. Rocket News Release
For the first time in the history of the PEI Rocket franchise, a jersey number will officially be retired at the Charlottetown Civic Centre. Up until the present time, the only jersey that was 'untouchable' for the organization was #9, which of course is in honour of the team's namesake, Maurice "The Rocket" Richard.
On Sunday, February 8th, the Rocket will pay tribute to former Captain, Pierre-André Bureau by permanently hanging #22 from the rafters of the CCC. The Rocket will play host to the Rimouski Océanique at the special Sunday time of 7:00 PM for this very special event. With February 9th being the inaugural Islander Day with no school, it is expected that the Sunday evening game will be a big success.
"Pierre-André was an incredible player for this organization", said President Serge Savard, Jr. "He was a great leader and he was a great captain. Every single game, you always knew that Pierre-André was going to give 100% effort every time he was on the ice", added Savard. Bureau played with the Rocket from 2000 until 2005 and holds the QMJHL record for most games played with one franchise, with 346 regular season games played. "This record is very special and it may never be broken" added the Rocket President, the QMJHL now plays fewer games per season, and it is very seldom that a player plays 5 seasons with the same organization."
In his career with the Rocket franchise, Bureau accumulated the following stats:
Regular Season Playoffs
Season GP G A Pts PIM's GP G A Pts PIM's
2000-2001 65 8 11 19 24 - - - - -
2001-2002 71 7 26 33 42 7 2 2 4 4
2002-2003 72 17 46 63 24 2 0 2 2 0
2003-2004 68 25 33 58 42 11 2 3 5 8
2004-2005 70 30 36 66 45 - - - - -
Career 346 87 152 239 177 20 4 7 11 12
"The #22 will never be worn by another player in the PEI Rocket franchise. It is the highest honour we can give to this very special individual. Bureau was the consummate leader and meant a lot to this franchise. Fans that had the chance to watch him play certainly grew to appreciate his efforts every night", said Savard.
"Very seldom do you have the chance to be associated with a player who has the type of qualities that this young man has. Bureau has moved on to University hockey and is now the Captain of the University of Moncton Blue Eagles and continues his leadership. Without a doubt, this is a man that will be a leader for years to come in anything he does. The same qualities that Pierre-André has in hockey, he will undoubtedly also have in the real world", said the Rocket President.
Pierre-André and his parents will be on hand for the ceremony, which will be held prior to game time. Fans are reminded to arrive early to take part in the pre-game festivities. Three of Bureau's autographed and game worn jerseys will be raffled off on the big night. A home jersey, a road jersey and of course the "PEI" third jersey will all be raffled off.
As a special offering for fans, in keeping with the #22 theme, the Rocket have announced that fans can purchase two adult tickets for $22.00 or 4 student/children's tickets for $22.00. "We wanted to highlight the #22 in every way possible, so we wanted to provide our fans with a little incentive with these special ticket prices", said GM Kent Hudson. "We want to make sure that we have plenty of fans in the building for this very special event", added Hudson.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2009
- Four QMJHL teams atop CHL Mosaik MasterCard Top 10 Rankings - QMJHL
- PEI Rocket to Retire Bureau's #22 Jersey - P.E.I. Rocket
- Roy and Remparts return - Moncton Wildcats
- A book about the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is under way - QMJHL
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