Canadiens: Trois-Rivières Expansion Marks Return to ECHL
Minor league hockey hasn’t had the largest presence in Quebec in recent years. However, an ECHL expansion announcement made this Thursday may change that for the Montreal Canadiens.
At first glance, Trois Rivieres might not look like a city with much hockey behind it.
With a population of just under 135,000 people, its best known for its location at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Laurence rivers, and its thriving paper exports. It’s one of many smaller towns that forms the Province of Quebec, distant from the dense populations of places like Montreal.
Situated on Avenue Gilles-Villeneuve sits a small, unassuming hockey rink. The Colisée de Trois-Rivières. It’s the small rink every small city contains: A capacity of 3,500 people, and a faded, off-white exterior, reminiscent of its roots in the glory days of minor league hockey. Big red letters out front read, Colisee. With a new rink under construction, it’s soon to become a passing memory of the faded hockey teams that have come and gone through this city.
The relationship between the minor leagues and the Province of Quebec is one that has only recently been retouched upon. Distant from the glory days of the Quebec Citadelles and the Sherbrooke Canadiens, the introduction of the Laval Rocket in 2016 marked a new phase for the Montreal Canadiens farm teams, and despite their struggles, the Rocket seemed to turn a page this year for the better.
With a closer location that’s a simple metro ride away compared to the distant cities of the defunct St. John’s Icecaps and Hamilton Bulldogs, the Habs returned to the roots that formed some of the defining moments of this franchise. From the entire purchase of the QSHL to acquire le Gros Bill himself, Jean Beliveau, to the short-lived QHL that once made a name for itself as the best league outside of the NHL.
This Thursday, another step was taken, going back to the small rink with the once full capacity. The ECHL is a league that the Canadiens have distanced themselves from in recent years. After their disastrous affiliation with the Brampton Beast that led to them jumping ship to the Ottawa Senators due to lack of support, the team has been bouncing around with their reassignments since then.
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Undrafted free agent Michael McNiven, who made a name for himself last year as a surprise starter for the Rocket, recording a 2.52 GAA over 30 games, played for 4 ECHL teams this year as the Habs struggled to find a place for him. In the end, he made his way back to the Rocket by year’s end, but it still showcased the struggles not having an ECHL affiliate can bring.
Then, an announcement came. Preliminary negotiations have begun for an ECHL expansion team, most likely affiliated with the Canadiens, to begin to play in Trois-Rivières. This will give the team a 3-way affiliation once again, and a settling place for players who can’t fit onto the Rocket roster for one reason or another. While the team is slated to begin to play in 2021-22, it still marks a welcome advancement for the Canadiens, in particular in regard to their prospects.
Despite its naysayers, the ECHL has its place in hockey for a reason, both as a settling ground for grizzled journeymen looking to play for the love of the game and bring a veteran presence for prospects, and the rookies looking to earn a shot at something bigger.
In its early years, the league put itself in the same boat as a lot of the lower minor leagues, especially with the influx of minor league hockey in the late 1990s. As those leagues slowly fizzled out, however, the ECHL stood tall, and eventually, it managed to distance itself from leagues like the SPHL, FHL, and LNAH.
For Montreal, this affiliation should allow the team to take more chances with their overager prospects and develop them in a much more suitable environment. While I’ve previously written about the surprise performances of players like Alexandre Alain, adjustment like that is rare, and to have a lower league to fine-tune your game a bit more will be beneficial.
One of the main issues the Rocket struggled with this year was the inconsistency of the Canadiens’ top prospects, with players like Josh Brook and Ryan Poehling struggling to adapt to the AHL game. While it is a stretch to see them being fine with an ECHL assignment, it could allow them to settle into their roles a bit more.
Current NHLers like Toronto Maple Leafs backup Jack Campbell, and former players like Blackhawks fan-favourite Scott Darling, spent their fair share of the team in the ECHL before making it back to the show, and it enabled them to reground themselves and find a love for the game that can sometimes be lost with greater expectations. The same can be said for the city of Trois-Rivières, who hasn’t seen a proper hockey team come through for years.
With a total of 12 teams having come through from 1931 to 2018, these have mainly been LNAH teams in recent years, fitting in perfectly with the quaint appeal of the Colisee. With a new stadium and a new team, however, look for this expansion team to potentially turn some heads, especially with the Canadiens great prospect pool.
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As a long-time fan of the ECHL and its history, it’s exciting to see a return to the league from the team that I’ve been covering for the last long while. It earned its place as a development league and should see a steady fanbase come through. Despite not seeing much hockey for a while, I believe this little team, town, and arena, has big things planned.