The Quebec Remparts honored the members of the Memorial Cup champion present at the Videotron Center on Friday, winning convincingly against the Moncton Wildcats by a score of 4 to 1.
Zachary Bolduc with his 45and, Zachary Gravel, Nicolas Savoie and James Malatesta scored for the Remparts, who wore the 2006 beige jersey for the Memorial Cup tribute night. Mathis Cloutier came to deprive William Rousseau of a fourth shutout this season halfway through the third period.
“We had a good game. What I liked is that we played 60 minutes with the same intensity. This is what the players give themselves as a mission, night after night,” commented Patrick Roy.
Moreover, the head coach did not feel the need to discuss the 2006 victory with his troops before the meeting despite the presence of elders.
“It’s a different era. Anyway, the group is on a mission. The guys are on the mark. I don’t feel the need right now to motivate or say anything. We have leadership and the guys know what they want and are invested in it. »
LEMIEUX SOLID
Had it not been for the brilliance of goaltender Jonathan Lemieux, the score could have been much higher. Bombarded with 60 shots, the 20-year-old veteran multiplied the acrobatics, notably depriving Bolduc of a certain goal on a point-blank shot. On the other side, the Wildcats only directed 12 shots on Rousseau’s net.
“He was phenomenal. I don’t know how lucky we were, but it’s to his credit. At the same time, despite that, we keep the same rhythm. What I like is that we generate offense, but we play very well defensively as well,” added Roy.
Remparts and Wildcats could face each other in the first round of the playoffs and we already felt the tension rising on Friday. The match, physical, gave rise to a few spats after the whistles.
“We wanted to send a message tonight and we did it very well. We are very happy with the performance,” added captain Théo Rochette.
“It’s a big team win,” added Gravel. We’ve been playing well for a while and tonight, even though it was a physical match, the guys stayed calm and it paid off. »
The Remparts return to action on Sunday afternoon when they visit the Cataractes in Shawinigan. The latter lost Friday 3 to 2 against the Gatineau Olympiques.
A THOUGHT FOR BOSSY
While the hockey world is in mourning following the death of Mike Bossy, Patrick Roy also said he was saddened by the news.
“Too young,” he said. It’s truly sad. It’s a loss not just for the hockey world, but for everyone. He seemed very happy with TVA Sports and was doing an excellent job there. He had found a passion that drove him and he was doing great things. It’s sad to see him go. He was much too young. »
A chemistry that spans the years
Sixteen years. That’s how much time has passed since the Remparts won the Memorial Cup in 2006.
However, we had the impression that it was Friday that the band of Alexander Radulov had brought the big trophy to Quebec.
The Remparts took advantage of the visit of the Moncton Wildcats — a team they had beaten in the Memorial Cup final in 2006 — to honor this last edition of the organization’s champions.
For the occasion, nine former members of the team were on hand, namely goalkeeper Cédrick Desjardins, then captain Simon Courcelles as well as Maxime Lacroix, Nicolas Robillard, Joey Ryan, Yan Ouimet, Kevin Desfossés, Guillaume Veilleux and Christophe Poirier.
“The most striking thing for me tonight is the friendships we made, assured Courcelles. The bonds we have forged by rallying around a common goal. You see, we are already laughing, we are cramped. It’s a super warm atmosphere, ”continued the man who is now a firefighter in the Montreal region.
Meeting in 2015
The majority of these players had met again in 2015, when the tournament was presented in Quebec.
For former defender Joey Ryan, however, it was a first in Quebec since 2006 since in 2015, he had to decline the invitation due to the birth of his third child.
“What I will always remember about the team is the bond that united us. It was incredible and phenomenal and a big part of what made us realize what we did. We had fun playing. »
TIPS FROM ELDERS
Since 2006, never has a Remparts formation been as full of promise as this year’s.
If they had one piece of advice to give to the 2022 edition of the Red Devils, what would it be?
“It’s a wave of emotions and there will be ups and downs,” said Desjardins. When you have a conductor like Patrick [Roy] who is there, it helps. I remember that he had taken control of our emotions. But my message for the players would be to live this moment. To live each day as if it were the last. They have a lot of 19s and 20s so you never know. It’s a rollercoaster, but guys know that kind of pressure. To experience this, with the Remparts logo, is special. »