28 years later | The Stanley Cup returns to the Lefebvres

After traveling to Tampere, Finland, with Aleksander Barkov, to Linköping, Sweden, with defenseman Gustav Forsling, to the Ohsweken Reserve, Ontario, where Brandon Montour grew up, to Alberta, to Milwaukee with GM Bill Zito, to St. Louis with Matthew Tkachuk, New Jersey, and then to Saint-Léonard the day before, the Stanley Cup landed in the enchanting setting of Brompton Lake on Thursday afternoon, one of its last stops of the summer.

Eastern Townships prodigal son Sylvain Lefebvre, assistant coach with the Florida Panthers, brought home the National Hockey League’s iconic trophy three decades after winning it in 1996 as a defenseman with the Colorado Avalanche.

The former head coach of the Canadiens’ farm club in Hamilton, then in Laval, was radiant upon his arrival with the Cup at the Brasserie du lac Brompton, in front of an obviously captivated crowd. He returned the favor by being very generous with the people and media on site.

“Richmond is my hometown, but I’ve spent the last 25, 26 years at Lac Brompton,” Lefebvre, 56, told the many journalists on hand. “It was important to me to give back to the community, and I’m asking people if they want to make a small donation for the local Le Stardien arena.” [fermé depuis 2022]. »

The former defender of the Canadiens, the Maple Leafs and the Avalanche will have won the Stanley Cup as a player, then as a coach.

“It’s a different feeling, obviously. As a player, you can give your all and make a difference on the ice. It’s more stressful as a coach because you don’t control what happens on the ice. But winning and seeing the players in sync is very satisfying,” he said.

In his role since 2022, Sylvain Lefebvre is in charge of defensemen and penalty kill situations. The Panthers, finalists last season, finished second in this department in the playoffs, with an 88% success rate, and the team allowed an average of 2.58 goals per game, for third place among clubs that made it past the first round.

“I’m really proud of the work that’s been done. It’s often said that defenses win championships. Winning the last game 2-1, having a defense that was tight enough to do well on the penalty kill against Connor McDavid’s team, that makes me feel like I’ve had a hand in it.”

The rise of Forsling

Among Sylvain Lefebvre’s highlights: the rise of defenseman Gustav Forsling, 28, a modest fifth-round pick in 2014, claimed on waivers by Florida in January 2021, now among the best in his profession in the NHL and richer with a six-year, $46 million contract.

“The hardest thing for a coach is to give the player confidence. I saw myself a little bit in Forsling. I was never drafted, it was maybe a little more difficult in my first years with the Canadiens, then my career took off when I felt Pat Burns’ confidence in me in Toronto. It’s about making certain adjustments, reinforcing what’s done well, and keeping open communication at all times. I had a good relationship not only with Forsling, but with Ekblad, Ekman-Larsson, Kulikov, the whole gang.”

The call from head coach Paul Maurice in 2022 surprised him, since the two men did not know each other.

“My first question to him was: How did you manage to find me? I’m deep in the woods in the Eastern Townships! He told me that my name had come up again.”

Sylvain Lefebvre was going through a tougher time professionally. He lost his assistant coaching job with the Columbus Blue Jackets in September 2021, just before the season, because he refused the COVID-19 vaccine. He wondered if he would be given another chance.

“It crossed my mind, but I was ready for it. I made my decision with my heart and with my head. I was ready to suffer the consequences. But in my wildest dreams, I had not imagined a night like this. I always believed in it. Maybe I appreciate it even more with what happened in Columbus.”

He said he has learned a lot from Paul Maurice in recent years, who lifted the Cup this summer after a three-decade wait. “Paul Maurice works extremely hard. He wasn’t 30 when he started in Hartford. Everything is calculated with him. He has an incredible structure. I learned a lot from the way he works, but also the way he communicates with the players, not only individually, but collectively.”

A baptism in the Cup!

Sylvain Lefebvre had a great moment Thursday when he baptized two of his grandchildren, Orion and Flynn, in the Stanley Cup, some 30 years after he baptized his daughter Alexanne in the trophy. For the occasion, the holy water was replaced by champagne.

“It’s special,” Lefebvre said. “I have six grandchildren. I could have baptized six at the same time! It’s probably a first to see two generations baptized in the Stanley Cup. I hope I live long enough to do a third generation!”

The idea came from her daughter Alexanne, Orion’s mother. “When he arrived with the Florida Panthers, I texted him telling him it was time to make history and win the Cup so he could baptize his grandchildren in it!” confided the young woman. He came really close last year. It was even more special this year.”