While Montreal Whimpers, Trois-Rivières Roars
A locally well known DJ gets the house pumping every game with light and smoke shows to get the crowd and players into the groove. During a stoppage of play a perfect balance between international and Quebec artists are played much to the delight of the locals. Something that has often been complained about during a Habs game.
Did You Know? The Colisée Videotron was not initially intended to be leased to the Lions? In fact, construction for the new arena began as early as 2010 with the original idea for the arena to be the new home of the UQTR Patriotes hockey program (Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières). With a $60 million price tag, the arena was scheduled to be ready for the 2020 season but UQTR administration balked at the cost of leasing the brand new arena and ended up not being the main tenants.
Thankfully the winds turned into the city’s favor as in only a few months, the ECHL approved of a new team in Trois-Rivières and the rest as they say, is history.
Hockey fans and media alike were wowed at the primary logo reveal and collectively agreed that the design was brilliant. A lion carved into a fleur-de-lys donned in white and Quebec blue with a shade of metallic grey to honor the old steel workers of the area. was perfectly executed. The red trim on the jerseys is an obvious nod to their NHL parent team the Canadiens, while the clean white keeps things fresh and let’s the logo do all the talking.
We need to go back to the Spring of Halak in 2010 where Belanger was with the Washington Capitals. Acquired from the Minnesota Wild for a 2nd round pick at the draft deadline, Belanger was brought in to bring depth in the bottom 6 after posting very respectable numbers in Minnesota (35 points in 60 games that year after posting 36 and 37 points the years prior with the Wild).
In Game 5 Belanger took a high stick from his future boss that resulted in losing nine teeth. Fans might remember seeing Belanger on the bench shortly afterwards pulling a loose tooth with his bare hands.
Belanger has always been a great hockey mind and a constant student of the game having played 820 games in the NHL with stints in the AHL, IHL, Italian A League during the 2005 lockout and a short 7 game stint in the KHL to close the books on his playing career in 2014. He never hid his desire to someday become a coach and climbed the ranks of Midget AAA and the QMJHL and eventually seeing former foe Bergeron trading his stick for a pen and handed the keys to the team to Belanger in order to show the world what he’s capable of behind the bench.
With the contract termination of Arsen Khisamutdinov (announcers must be happy not to deal with that one anymore), defenceman Hayden Shaw is the only player on the roster not born in Quebec, being from Woodbury, Minnesota.
Being the cultural man out has not been detrimental for Shaw at all as the former Jacksonville Iceman is on pace for a career year with 6 points in 6 games while posting a +10 which is excellent considering coach Belanger’s ultra offensive system.
Some recognizable names come in the likes of former Montreal Canadiens 4th round pick in 2011 Olivier Archambeault. Training camp invite Cedric Desruisseaux is showing immense talent that might help the 23 year old land at least an AHL contract in the near future. Former Arizona Coyotes 3rd round pick in 2008 Mathieu Brodeur, who’s reputation as an AHL/ECHL journeyman is seeing his hockey career revived as he has taken a leadership role and is playing solid defensively despite now hanging on the wrong side of 30.
Goaltending also has some notable names such as Philippe Desrosiers and Kevin Poulin. Desrosiers is a former 2nd round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2013 but has thus far spent his entire career bouncing between the AHL and ECHL. Kevin Poulin is of course known as the former prospect and third string goaltender for the New York Islanders, having actually given backup duties in 2013-14. Now serving as Desrosiers’ backup, Poulin is doing like many on the team and hoping coming back home will rejuvenate his career after seeing him make stops in the KHL, North American League, Austrian League, Swiss-A League, DEL and Swedish-1 league before coming back to the AHL and subsequently the ECHL.
Some stars were born and given a second life as well with the example of Peter Abbandonato quickly becoming a fan favorite. The Laval native posted an impressive 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in just 17 games, earning him a call up to the Laval Rockets roster where he has notched an assist in 3 games.
The ECHL is chalk full of scrappy players looking to be given a shot at a higher level and the Lions are no exception to the rule.
All in all, it’s all blending perfectly thus far. Let’s hope this team has continued success and remains a part of the Habs heritage for a long time.
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