Postcard | Noises and rumors

(Baie-Comeau) The Henry-Leonard Center is renowned for its noise level and we quickly understand why when we observe the most ingenious fans show up at the arena.

It starts with the subtle Jean-François and Marc, with their subtle fire extinguishers converted into subtle noise machines. Machines that they have already measured at 120 dB, the equivalent of an ambulance siren.

They only use it “when the guys get on the ice and when there are goals,” they specify. On Thursday, however, they were tempted to do it a little more often. At the start of the series, Louis Robitaille, head coach of the Cape Breton Eagles, publicly denounced the various devices used by fans, in the name of the safety of players and officials.

An explanation rejected by our two friends. “He called a timeout and the crowd was burying him, that’s why!” He should do like J.-F. [Grégoire, entraîneur-chef du Drakkar], he speaks and makes signs at the same time! »

With this release, Robitaille became the head of the Turk supporters of the Drakkar. A few hours after the game, the Eagles’ bus parked in front of the hotel, where the team would spend the night before returning to Nova Scotia the next day. The Press was then seated at the St-Pancrace microbrewery, next to the hotel, just to inform you, dear public. By the way, the poutine sauce is fabulous.

The arrival of the bus generated “Ti-Louiiiiiis!” » well felt by the microbrewery’s customers, who wanted to troll the coach opponent. A tough crowd, especially since Robitaille is one of the easiest coaches to approach. But hey, it plays hard in the playoffs.

Jean-François and Marc are not the only supporters to show creativity. Boat horns are all the rage around here.

The good Tommy, bartender at St-Pancrace, had also told us that Canadian Tire had installed a huge Drakkar guardian mask in the row where said horns are sold. We refuse to believe in coincidence.

The most ingenious, however, are not satisfied with a simple horn. Some have actually cloned a species, i.e. horns stuck to a drill. Let’s call it a horn.

Sitting in the front row, behind one of the two goals, Claude Mineau proudly displays his. Assembly cost: “around 150 piasters,” he calculates.

It promises for the final.

The other item that we notice quite quickly are the orange wigs, in honor of the very red-headed Justin Poirier.

Poirier became a headliner for the Drakkar this season, scoring 51 goals in 68 games. In the playoffs, he scores at an insane rate: 17 goals in 13 games, including the equalizing goal on Thursday.

Poirier is eligible for the draft next June. His scoring skills should make him a first-round pick, but scouts are hesitant about him, particularly because of his size (5’7″) and a perception that he is one-dimensional.

We go to Tim Hortons, three hours before the game, where we are quickly unmasked by the local regulars. “We were wondering who you were!” », admits a lady.

There are half a dozen very welcoming people who invite us to sit down with them for tea. It will of course be about the Drakkar. The aforementioned lady also follows the team closely. “Poirier, he’s small, but he’s got it! “, she says. She promised herself she would watch the match on television.

Gaëtan had his ticket for the match. “Come and see us in section 8, the people are super smart,” he says. It was finally him who went up to the media section to shake us up during the second intermission. A nice guy, this Gaëtan.

Baie-Comeau is hockey, but also fishing. Our new friends praise the many lakes in the region, and particularly focus on the Perini fishing camp.

“Did you know that John F. Kennedy and Marilyn spent a week there? It looks like their initials are written somewhere, one of them tells us. The founder of Baie-Comeau [Robert McCormick] had the Chicago Tribune, he had it printed here. He knew all the big shots in the United States! »

His neighbor adds. “I already slept in the same bed as Marilyn, I saw them, the initials! »

Read “Drakkar de Baie-Comeau: The small market that thinks big”