The hockey world is in mourning after learning that the victim of a traffic accident was Émile Gagné, a hockey player who left his mark wherever he played.
The news had a shock effect that still shakes everyone who was in contact with him to this day. The 19-year-old was well-known and popular in the sports community. He has been playing with the Mobux of McMaster in Montérégie since last May, but also played for the Prédateurs de Joliette after wearing the colors of the Princeville Titan.
Two Prédateurs players also traveled with Émile Gagné to all their games and training, in addition to having played their entire minor hockey careers with him, the team’s head coach, François-Olivier Parent, told TVA Nouvelles on Thursday.
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“Émile was such a good person. He was well-liked by all of his teammates, so it was definitely a shock to know that he would never come into our room again. […] We have truly lost a great person.”
It was also a real shockwave for the McMaster Mobux team. “He’s a guy with crazy talent. On the ice he was a magician, but he was a very down-to-earth guy,” described the organization’s president, Marco Bérubé.
Émile Gagné made his ice hockey debut in Trois-Rivières. He made his first skates at the Saint-Louis de France Minor Hockey Association. The president, Gaétan Bédard, will remember him as a player loved by all.
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“He was very committed to his sport. As we saw, he was able to climb the ladder quite quickly.”
During high school, he played for the Estacades de Trois-Rivières. Everyone will have good memories of him there too.
“It was definitely a big shock because Émile, I watched him grow up, I saw him evolve with me. “He is a player who really brought a good mood to the dressing room,” confided Carl-Émile Lemay, a former coach of Émile Gagné during his time at Estacades.
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His family still lives in the Mauritius region. Her mother, Sonia Désilets, was also touched by all the messages of love she received. “It’s heartwarming, that’s for sure. We are proud of him as always,” she said.
Hundreds of messages were left on social media. Several sports organizations have also published publications in his honor, including the Shawinigan Cataractes, which selected him in the draft several years ago.
“Our large family was devastated to learn of the death of Émile Gagné, a player from Mauricie whom we drafted in 2019. The entire Mauricie hockey community is in mourning,” the organization wrote.
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He has also been described as a real hockey enthusiast. Ms. Désilets also adds that he was playing all the time. “Émile, he arrived one evening and we didn’t know where he was going, but he wanted to go back somewhere to practice or play, that’s for sure.”
The Prédateurs’ number 22 will still remain on the ice throughout the season. Joliette team members plan to proudly wear his number on their helmets in his honor.
All organizations Émile Gagné played for have also expressed their sincere condolences to the family during this difficult time. Many players and coaches will show up to the funeral to say a final goodbye to their former teammate.
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To help the young player’s family get through this difficult time, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched. The aim of the initiative is to cover unforeseen expenses and to honor the memory of Émile Gagné.
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