Hockey wasn’t the only topic of discussion in the Canadiens and Golden Knights locker room. Among the Quebec players on both teams there was talk of the death of Karl Tremblay, the singer of the Cowboys Fringants.
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“It’s music that everyone can identify with. On long bus rides when I was far away from Quebec, it brought me home. There were times when I was the only Quebecer on my team. Cowboys music was always part of my playlist. It felt good to come home and listen to their songs. It is a group that has left its mark in Quebec. I saw several of their concerts.
David Savard spoke from the heart about the death of Karl Tremblay, who died of prostate cancer at the age of 47.
Savard was drafted in the fourth round by the Drakkar in 2007 and played just 35 games in Baie-Comeau. He was traded in his first season in the QMJHL and ended up in New Brunswick with the Moncton Wildcats.
After three seasons in Moncton, he played in Springfield, Columbus and Tampa. Between the ages of 17 and 30, he was in an English-speaking environment. Before returning to Montreal for the 2021-2022 season, the defender let himself be lulled by the voice of Cowboys singer Fringants to feel closer to Quebec.
“The Cowboys were part of my youth,” Savard said. The first concert I saw was in Saint-Liboire, in the small Martin-Bracteur Arena. I must have been 10 or 11 years old. I saw the group live at the Bell Centre, but also at the Quebec Festival this summer. It was such a sad moment. I will have incredible memories with this group. I had great moments with their music.”
The magic of the plains
Savard’s voice was full of emotion as he remembered one of the Cowboys’ last concerts on the Plains of Abraham in front of 90,000 people. Weakened by illness, Karl Tremblay delivered one of the group’s classics with great emotion: “On my Shoulder”.
“It was emotional to see how difficult it seemed to stay on stage,” Savard recalled. They brought a chair, he sat down, he took breaks. You could see how badly he wanted to do it. He didn’t take long breaks to keep the crowd going. Everyone was there with him to experience this last magnificent moment on the plains. It was quite extraordinary. Everyone has great respect for him, for all the energy he gave to this big concert. It was very special to be able to be there at that moment.”
Photo Stevens LeBlanc/Le Journal de Quebec
Still suffering from a broken left hand, Savard said he never had the opportunity to meet in person the members of the group that shaped his generation.
Quebec is in mourning
“It was a heavy blow, the whole of Quebec mourns him today.”
Nicolas Roy was still stowing away his equipment in the opposing team’s small dressing room when he said this sentence. Upon arriving at the Bell Center, Roy heard songs by the Cowboys Fringants.
“I’m from Amos and I had the opportunity to see them perform there,” the Golden Knights center said. They wandered all over Quebec. I always enjoyed listening to them. For me, cowboys music is my roots in Quebec and great nights out with friends. I’m really sad about his death.”
Samuel Montembeault and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard also often listened to cowboys music.
“It’s coming to get you,” Montembeault said. I was in the car with my parents on Wednesday and we were coming back from the grocery store. They interrupted the radio broadcast to announce the news. It was really sad.”
“When I opened social media, it was everywhere. You noticed even more how much he touched many people. We heard his songs. I texted Harvey-Pinard as soon as I learned of his death. This is sad news.”