Road Report from Rimouski

January 23, 2011 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Lewiston MAINEiacs News Release


Good afternoon from Rimouski - the final destination on our weekend swing through New Brunswick and Quebec.

Last night's game was a tough one for the boys in white, as the MAINEiacs played solid hockey through the first 40 minutes of the contest. The score was 3-2 at that point, but upon further review, there's no way that the first goal should have counted (seven Titan on the ice and the play was offside by at least five feet... no joke), and the second goal was just a quick bounce back. Unfortunately, little bounces can affect the momentum of a game, and it did, as Acadie-Bathurst scored four in the third for a 6-3 win.

As for the positives of last night's game, I was totally impressed by the two shorthanded goals in the second period. Both plays began with turnovers at the defensive blueline (one forced by Brodeur, one forced by Henley), led to rushes in the offensive zone, which were both won by Houde-Caron, and were then finished on goals by Brodeur and Carrier. I love goals like those, because each part of the play is necessary for it to happen, and when recapping the goal, it all resorts back to teamwork and effort.

Speaking of Brodeur, that's now seven shorthanded goals and 39 total goals with 20 games left to go. As most of you know, I am a geek of sorts when it comes to statistics, so here is what we are looking at in terms of where Brodeur stands in franchise history for a single season. The seven shorthanded tallies put him in sole possession of second place, two goals behind Stefano Giliati, who recorded nine during the 2006-07 championship season. The 39 goals are tied with two other players (Alexandre Picard in 2003-04, David Perron in 2006-07) for fourth most in a single season. Mathieu Aubin's 47 from the 2005-06 season are the most, while Alexandre Picard (2003-04) and Stefano Giliati (2007-08) each lit the lamp 40 times, putting them into a tie for second.

Following last night's battle at the KC Irving Regional Centre, the team boarded the bus and hit the road for Rimouski. The beginning of the trip was rather amusing, as Wolfie (bus driver) has a GPS that tells us what time we are scheduled to arrive at our next destination. Because of the time change (Bathurst is Atlantic Time, Rimouski is Eastern Time), there was a big debate as to what time we would actually arrive. I think we got to the arena to drop off the equipment at around 12:45 Eastern Time. Luckily, the bus parks practically right next to the door at the arena, as it was frigid when we arrived.

After dropping off the equipment, it was straight to the hotel to catch some z's. When you first walk in, the front lobby of this hotel is spacious and welcoming. However, there is one hidden treasure that is pretty awesome when you find out about it. This hotel not only has an indoor pool, but the pool is equipped with a pair of water slides! There are rooms that overlook the pool, but unfortunately, Tim Schurman and I are off by two or three.

The hotel also has a nice restaurant in the lobby, which was where we ate brunch this morning. A lot of the players have similar things regardless of where we go, while some of the players will switch it up on a regular basis. For me, there are two constants - Froot Loops and Apple Juice. After that, it's anybody's guess. Sometimes, I'll try to mix in a yogurt, but that wasn't on the menu today. There was some pre-buttered toast that came with jam, so I took part in that. Also, because it was brunch, there was lunch food and lunch dessert. After Matt Flaherty came back with a mountain of ice cream (at least five scoops, maybe six), I couldn't resist it, so I snagged three scoops of chocolate. Needless to say, I've had my sugar fix, and I am ready to go!

Speaking of Matty, I forgot to mention it in last week's birthday edition of the road report - tomorrow is his birthday, which we will get to ring in at some point on our journey back to Maine tonight.

Today is my second trip to the Colisee de Rimouski, and my first trip was a good one (5-2 MAINEiacs win in October). The arena itself had some work done on it in preparation for hosting the 2009 Mastercard Memorial Cup, and it shows. The center ice video board is one of the better ones in the league, and I especially enjoyed their pregame video, which featured highlights from throughout their history. The shape of the seating is a bit different, especially when it comes to the player benches. I have to believe there is security in place during play, because if there isn't, fans could walk right behind the benches during play. Also, glass doesn't exist behind either bench.

The Rimouski Oceanic have had a rich history, and that is certainly evident when walking around the arena. Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards have two of the retired numbers in the rafters, which I'm sure will be joined by number 87 in the near future. In order to find Sid the Kid, make your way to the front entrance of the building, where pictures of four former players welcome you into the Colisee. The four players are: Crosby, Lecavalier, Richards, and Michel Ouellet. While Crosby has certainly had a brilliant career, a lot of people overlook Brad Richards. Did you know that Richards has been the CHL Player of the Year, QMJHL Playoff MVP, Memorial Cup MVP, and the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs That's pretty impressive! Oh yeah, and he also shared an NHL locker room with Darren Rumble, who just so happens to also be celebrating a birthday today!

The puck drops at 4:00 this afternoon, as the MAINEiacs and Oceanic renew their Telus East Division rivalry! Enjoy the broadcast, and after today, the boys will play seven of their next eight games on home ice!



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from January 23, 2011


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