If Omicron darkens the end of the year in Quebec and around the world, 2021 has reserved a clearer picture for us. To give some comfort, The duty delves into this series on moments or habits that we have been able to live or rediscover. Third and last memory: the return of the Canadian to the Stanley Cup final.
A diet of “dry bread and water” overwhelmed fans since the last Stanley Cup, bluntly believes Jean-Paul Da Silva.
The die-hard partisan has increased the number of rituals this year to once again invoke the coronation of Sainte-Flanelle. Visits to the graves of the Glorious deceased, various costumes or pious incantations, everything revolved around the NHL playoffs this spring, he said. Everything was paced according to the schedule of the parties. “In the end, I didn’t know what to do as a ceremony. “
The stars aligned smoothly during this period of deconfinement. The young players released their best games. Gatherings became permitted. Hopes too.
“I was 16 and 20 at the time of the last conquests. Let’s say that at 50, I took it to heart so much that at the end of the playoffs, it took me four days to get over it. I practically experienced it as a burnout. “
An intense passion that allowed Jean-Paul Da Silva, like many others, to forget the pandemic for a while. “I had more emotions this year, even if we did not win, than in 1986 and 1993, so the crowd was on board. “
In his hockey memorabilia store, Pierre-Olivier Loyer remembers just as well the frenzy that overwhelmed Quebec.
“When the Canadian reached the Association final, I said to myself that I was going to buy a small flag for my car… I am going on a trip for the weekend, telling myself that I would stay with it when I come back. . When I got to work on Monday, there wasn’t a single damn flag left. I never had my pennant! Suddenly, in one weekend, we sold all of the Canadiens’ items. When we say that people embark… They embarked solid! “
The plot that took shape was the scenario likely to relegate to oblivion the other adventures of 2021. From the outset against the Maple Leafs, first in the North division, the Canadian nosedive. As he was late 1-3 in the series, the smell of the cup in Montreal seemed very subtle.
“But, each time, it was small things that worked, observes the fan finished that is Jean-Paul Da Silva. Paul Byron’s kneeling goal. The overtime goal in the 5e Suzuki match on a Caufield pass. Kotkaniemi’s goal in overtime in game number 6. We were still on the verge of being eliminated, but we managed to get out of it. It was also during this first round that the Bell Center once again welcomed spectators – 2,500 people at most.
The sparse crowd, this “7e player ”, propels the Canadian all the same, which sweeps the following series against the Winnipeg Jets. The duel against Las Vegas turns out to be most exciting. What supporter does not remember this national holiday when the Canadian offered Quebecers a chance to regain the ultimate honors?
This story ends badly, but was able to “do good to the soul”, says Mr. Da Silva. “It seems that, in recent years, the population is divided on everything, on all subjects. Hockey is the only thing that brings people together. Everyone is behind the team. We saw that across Canada, even across the world. “
Pride beyond borders
The emotions have indeed crossed the borders of Quebec. The duty found one of the Montreal Canadiens’ biggest supporters in France. Frédéric Martel, who briefly lived in Quebec fifteen years ago, “hardly misses any game”.
With six hours of jet lag, he connected night after night to follow live the prowess of the blue-white-red at the same time as the hundreds of thousands of other supporters glued to their screens across the Atlantic.
“My wife, she slept while I watched the games. I could not live these moments with the sound to the maximum. I had ear cups, and when there were goals, I couldn’t celebrate the same way. Celebrating on your own is not easy. Celebrating in silence is not easy. “
The crowds gathered in front of the Bell Center at each performance made him regret the travel restrictions. “Despite the pandemic, people were there. I don’t think it’s experienced the same way in other American cities. We can see that Montreal is a city apart when it comes to hockey. “
As in 1993
The 2,320,000 Quebecers born since 1993 had never experienced such a jubilant event. “I have 13-14 year olds around me. They had never seen that, a Cup final. It was cute to see them experience the excitement, ”says Patrick Régnier.
By organizing friendly bets, he realized that the history of hockey in Quebec did not resonate so strongly with the youngest. “When we talk about the Glorious to young people, they don’t have the same background as we can have. I did not know the time of Maurice Richard and company, but this story, I lived it in 1986 and in 1993, compared to many young people who did not have the chance to live a Cup at Montreal. “
This momentary success thus marks the finest hockey moment in the life of this new generation of fans, including that of hockey player Maxime Diotte. “My stepfather was there in 1993 for the last Stanley Cup. Since this last cut, the Canadian has deteriorated a lot. He always told me that we would never see another Stanley Cup in Montreal. On the famous Midsummer’s Day evening, he looked me in the eye and said: “Anything is possible.” “
That glimmer of hope at the back of my eye has started a fire that’s not going to go out soon, he says.
“It’s like we won the Stanley Cup. It was euphoria. It was the first time that the Canadian made it to the final since 1993. In addition, it was Midsummer’s Day… It was exceptional! It’s hard to describe at the time, because it is a certain emotion. Even if we didn’t win, it will stay in my memory for sure. “
“There is a kind of union around that,” says Patrick Régnier philosophically. You don’t even know your neighbor, but you start talking to him about hockey when the Canadiens are in the series. Last year, we were able to talk about it for a long time. Even if we are each on our side, in our houses, we know that everyone is watching the games, following the score. There is something collective and very positive. When the Canadian is doing well, the world is doing well. It’s that simple. “