For the former Nordiques, Claude Bédard was much more than just the Journal de Québec’s columnist and sports director tasked with covering the team.
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“What I remember is that people like him, Claude Larochelle and Marius Fortier were among the greatest architects of the Nordiques’ arrival,” said former captain Marc Tardif.
“Professional hockey in Quebec has always been extremely important to him. We as players knew that he would stand up for his point of view even if we didn’t like it, and that was okay. We can’t always just name the good parts. You have to do what he did for 28 years anyway! I can’t help but think about his family,” continued the man who joined the Nordiques in 1974.
Marc Tardif brought joy to Nordiques fans from 1974 to 1983. ANNIE T. ROUSSEL/JOURNAL
An asset to Quebec
Former striker Michel Parizeau was a Nordique player from the start, in 1972. He quickly recognized the extent of Claude Bédard’s influence on Quebec’s sporting landscape.
“He believed deeply that Quebec deserved its team and he worked hard to get people interested in that idea at a time when many claimed Quebec wasn’t big enough for professional hockey.
“I still remember some of his columns supporting the Nordic cause. He was partly the one who sold the Nordiques idea to the Quebec business community,” he explained.
Michel Parizeau was part of the very first edition of the Nordiques at the AMH in 1972. Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
Hard but fair
Jean Martineau followed the team to Colorado after several seasons with the Nordiques. JMTL
In his role as press spokesman, Jean Martineau worked daily with Claude Bédard.
“I have had countless conversations with him. I often sat with him on the team’s charter flights and I quickly realized how much he cares about the Nordiques cause,” he remembers.
According to Martineau, we still have to remember that he was never shy when it came to being tough on the team.
“Claude could be very emotional. He always criticized our best players and in some cases that helped motivate them. The Nordics’ successes were important to him and he could criticize, but rightly so,” he explained.
The other issue that was close to Claude Bédard’s heart was the position of the Nordiques in relation to the Canadians.
“Claude was not afraid to say that Montreal never wanted Quebec in its league. It was a terrible lack of vision. He was never afraid of getting wet and did not hide after his articles.