The Fadette School Green and Black captured the AA elite class championship trophy at the Quebec Pee-Wee tournament on Sunday. And if his head coach already had plenty of good reason to be happy about his charges' performance, he can now also boast of winning a final against “one of his childhood idols”, Vincent The Cavalier.
“That’s for sure when we won [samedi, en demi-finale]“I was a bit stressed,” said Martin Gohier De Grace with a smile shortly after the 2-1 triumph. But once the game starts, we don't think about it anymore! I didn’t look at the other bench once in the game.”
The former Lightning star has managed hockey teams in Florida for several years, and in Quebec he was at the helm of the Florida Alliance, the club for which his son Gabriel plays.
Photo Didier Desbusschere
But if the Vert et Noir coach now has a win against Lecavalier on his record, we had the feeling, as we listened, that this feat of arms was just an anecdote compared to all those his team has accomplished in recent weeks.
“All possible emotions”
The club, part of the Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe program, had a difficult season until mid-November.
However, the tide turned when Gohier De Grace, who is in his first year as coach, decided to surround himself more, says the man who ultimately led the only team in Quebec and even Canada by winning this 64th 1st year a trophy won edition of the Pee Wee Tournament.
Photo Didier Desbusschere
The Vert et Noir also won the Saint Hyacinthe tournament after the holidays.
“They make me experience all kinds of emotions! We spend our afternoons together. Sometimes it's discipline, sometimes we joke together, but in the end what matters is that everyone is on board with the Vert et Noir boat,” said Gohier De Grâce, shortly before his players placed a medal around his neck and jumped on him when he was in the middle of a television interview.
Special victory for a great hockey machine
In Class AAA, it's no surprise that the Mid Fairfield Rangers (who were led in Quebec in 2018 by one Martin St-Louis) won it all.
The undisputed first in its category in the United States, this team, made up of players from all over the country, has, before the start of the Pee-wee tournament, a record of 54 wins against … nine losses this season, including this one in the Renewal.
The prestigious program, with its hyper-structured play that sometimes makes NHL teams blush with envy, has continued its momentum and dominated its opponents over the last 10 days: six wins, no losses, 24 goals scored, six goals allowed and a triumph 5 goals 1 at the expense of the Semiahmoo Ravens in the finals.
Photo Didier Debusschere
Still, this victory was special for head coach Sean Haggerty, who won the title himself in the 1980s when managed by his father.
“Especially because of the history surrounding this tournament,” he smiled. After all, he is 64 years old. We play in front of 10,000 people. It’s a different tournament and we really wanted to win.”