The victory of the Girard family

(Tampa) Samuel Girard had plenty of people to talk to on the ice Sunday during the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup celebrations.

Guillaume Lefrancois
The Press

There was his mother, Guylaine, who had to temporarily close her family daycare center for the time of this final. “I said: it will happen what will happen, I will close if we go to the final. We have a staff shortage, too! »

There was his cousin William, his sister too, Jessica, who tried to contain the overflow of emotion. “It’s such an achievement for the whole family. It’s teamwork that we did together! “, she launched, between the sobs.

And there was the father, Tony, on a video call with another of his sons, Jérémy, who had to stay in Quebec. “He came for the first two games, but he has two young children, he is in the army, so he had to leave. His sister came to replace him! says Tony. The other brother, Christopher, had also returned to Quebec after attending Friday’s game in Denver, in the hope that the Avalanche will settle it in five.

Jérémy’s story, in particular, moved Quebec a few years ago, when it was known that he had given up his midget AAA season to allow Samuel to live his dream. The family could afford to pay for one registration, not two.

“My father facetimed him, he was crying, told Samuel Girard on the ice during the celebrations. Since the beginning of my career, he has supported me, he came to see me play in Shawinigan, three hours away. They come to Denver at least twice a year. I just have love to give them. »

In the locker room

Because he suffered a broken sternum in the second round, Girard did not participate in this final. It was from the locker room, along with the reserves, that he watched the Avalanche win 2-1 in Game 6 on Sunday.

Girard had nevertheless put on his player uniform for the celebrations.

“We said to ourselves that if we lead with five minutes to play, we were going to get dressed. I won’t lie, it was the longest five minutes of my life, it seemed like time wasn’t going down! »

Girard still had a say in this conquest. He had three points in seven playoff games when he fell in action, and was coming off a 28-point season in 67 games as part of the No. 2 defense pair.

“Even though he wasn’t on the ice, he gave his 100% all season, insists his mother, Guylaine. When he got injured, I told him: ‘It doesn’t matter, support your team and we will support you. That’s what a team is.” »

For a 5-foot-10, 170-pound defenseman, it’s obviously quite a victory to lift that Stanley Cup. We can guess the number of times he must have heard that he would never make it to the NHL. The simple fact that he had to wait at 47^e rank before being drafted in 2016, even though he had just had a fabulous offensive season, says a lot about perceptions about him. Her mother remembers it.

“To all those who told him he was too small for the National League… Today, with the Cup, they have it in their noses! It proves that yes, he can play in the National League, that you don’t have to be 6’7″, and weigh 200, 300 lbs. You can play. Martin St-Louis was smaller and he made his way.

“I’m so proud of him, he’s got a pig’s face and that’s having a pig’s face. He never let go. »

A second visit to Roberval

With all that, Roberval will host a rare visit this summer: the Stanley Cup. The players of the champion team are all entitled to their day with the salad bowl, which they fill with beer, champagne, poutine or Alphagetti, at their convenience.

For a city whose flagship event – ​​the International Crossing of Lac Saint-Jean – has been undermined for two years, this visit will do the greatest good.

This will be the second time the trophy will stop in Roberval, according to Guylaine Dion. The first visit was for Kraft Hockeyville, a contest that Roberval had won in 2008.

Guylaine Dion’s pride is palpable when she thinks of the day that awaits her son somewhere this summer.

“For the first time, the Cup will be lifted by a player. It won’t be the same! »

Aubé-Kubel too

Nicolas Aubé-Kubel was also in the locker room for this sixth game. A few hours before the game, we thought he was going to play, seeing Valeri Nichushkin arriving at the arena limping. But the Russian striker was finally at his post. Aubé-Kubel was therefore left out, but he played 14 of the Avalanche’s 20 games. He had no points, but had 49 hits. “It’s crazy stiff, the stress, he said, after the match. Looking at it from the outside is really hard. But now I have the same smile as the others. It’s an unexpected outcome for the Quebec forward, second-round pick in 2014, waived in November by the Philadelphia Flyers. It therefore went from one of the worst teams in the NHL to the future champion team.