Road Report from Montreal

April 8, 2011 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Lewiston MAINEiacs News Release


Greetings from Montreal, where the weather is spectacular, and hopefully, the MAINEiacs' performance tonight will match that in game one of their second round series against the Junior.

The team made the trip up after Wednesday's practice at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, giving the Montreal natives a chance to spend an extra day around home. On Wednesday night, most of the team enjoyed dinner at La Cage Aux Sports, while four players, four staff members, and I all headed to the QMJHL Hall of Fame Ceremony and Awards Gala.

The night began with a meet and greet, which served as a great opportunity to see various friends from other teams, while also getting to meet people for the first time. A few former teammates got together and mingled for a bit, while front office members and league personnel were spread out in the crowd. Throughout the course of the night, I had the opportunity to catch up with Chicoutimi broadcaster Anthony Marcotte, while also being able to be a part of a conversation with Darren Rumble, Tim Schurman, and Saint John head coach Gerard Gallant. I also noticed JF Houle chatting with Victoriaville head coach Yannick Jean, following both clubs' first round series wins. While everyone is on opposite sides on the ice, everyone tends to be friends off of the ice, making the hockey community such a fun group to be part of.

After the meet and greet, we were seated for dinner and the awards. With only eight seats per table, the MAINEiacs were one seat short, meaning I was the odd man out to find a spot to go. The people running the event ended up finding a location for me, which I was very grateful for. As dinner got underway, I began talking with the people at my table, as they were showing genuine interest in Lewiston and the MAINEiacs. Everyone had an "LHJMQ" pin on, so I knew they were with the league in some capacity. So, I began asking them what they did. When I got around to the person to my left, his initial response was, "You don't want to know." The wheels in my head began turning right away, as I responded by asking again. His answer, "I am the Director of Referees." My immediate response was a laugh followed by, "That is outstanding!" Richard Trottier and I talked throughout the evening, and when I broke the news to Bill Schurman and company, everyone burst out into laughter, finding it completely amusing that our paths would end up crossing in such a way. I guess everything happens for a reason, right'

The dinner was followed by the Hall of Fame Ceremony and Awards Gala, which was a terrific presentation. It was wonderful being able to listen to the Hall of Famers speak, while also getting a chance to see the current players honored for well-played seasons on the ice. Of course, there was one MAINEiac who walked away with hardware, as Etienne Brodeur was named as a second team all-star. Etienne was excited about the honor, and I must say, I am wondering where he is going to be able to fit his award on the bus on the ride home!

On Thursday morning, the team headed to the rink for practice, while I headed back to the Hyatt-Regency Hotel for the announcements of the first overall pick at the QMJHL Entry Draft, as well as the host of the 2012 Mastercard Memorial Cup. For the first overall pick, Baie-Comeau and Rouyn-Noranda had three pins each in three containers, and the containers were spun around in a metal case, with one container being picked as the winner. One of Baie-Comeau's containers came out, giving them the first overall pick. As for the naming of the Mastercard Memorial Cup host, the trophy was brought out, while three different people gave speeches. At the end of the third speech, the winner was announced, with Shawinigan being named as the host for 2012. There were a lot of people within the Cataractes organization in the room, leading to an exciting cheer when the announcement was made. I will say that from a personal perspective, I was surprised, as I thought it would be heading to Saint John. However, with that being said, Centre Bionest is a terrific facility, they have some super people there, and I wish them a heartfelt congratulations.

Following a stop at Boston Pizza for lunch, the team ventured over to the Bell Centre, where they were taken on a tour by Rejean Houle. Although I had toured the Bell Centre once before, this time around was definitely a lot more special. It's not every day that you get to be shown around an NHL building by a former NHL player, and ever since meeting him last season, I have always had the utmost respect for Mr. Houle. Since most of the MAINEiacs team is made up of Montreal fans, the players were certainly in their glory, as they made their way around the home of the Habs.

After the tour, we had dinner at the hotel, before everyone went their separate ways. The staff was in search of a coffee place other than Tim Horton's, so they elected to take my advice and give Second Cup a shot. Everyone seemed to be impressed, so apparently, restaurant analyzing could be something for me to do in my spare time. Since the MAINEiacs were 0-2 when I had Second Cup's gourmet hot chocolate, I changed it up, ordering an iced hot chocolate. For those wondering, yes, I am extremely superstitious.

Moving ahead to today (Friday), the team once again had a morning skate, followed by lunch at Boston Pizza. However, I went a different route, hitting one of the attractions that I missed in October - the Biodome. The Biodome is an indoor museum of sorts, featuring animals and plants from five different ecosystems across the world. JF originally told me that it was a must-see, and he was right, as I definitely enjoyed it. While there, I walked around the area, making a brief stop inside of Olympic Stadium (former home of the Montreal Expos, as well as the major stadium used during the 1976 Summer Olympics), while also going around the outsides of Maurice Richard Arena (former home of the Montreal Rocket) and Saputo Stadium (home of the Montreal Impact soccer team). Although the area around the Bell Centre gets most of the attention in Montreal, the complex around Olympic Stadium is also rather impressive.

Now that I've had my fun in Montreal, it's time to get down to business (which in this case, is also fun), as the MAINEiacs will open up their second round series against the Junior with games one and two tonight and tomorrow. After a thrilling first round win over Moncton, I hope you are all as fired up as I am to see if Lewiston can make it two series wins in a row. Tonight, the puck drops at 7:05, followed by a 3:05 face-off tomorrow afternoon. If you are coming up to one or both of the games, I'll look forward to seeing you. If not, be sure to head over to Gippers, and we'll see you back in Lewiston for games three and four. Enjoy the broadcast, and GO MAINEIACS!



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2011


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