Death of Claude Bédard: “A true builder of the Nordiques”, in the eyes of Marcel Aubut

When Marcel Aubut learned of Claude Bédard’s sudden death, he wanted to speak publicly at a rare time in recent years about the man he sees not only as a great player in sports journalism, but also as the architect behind the Nordic epic.

• Also read: Claude Bédard, a true pillar of the Journal, dies

The Nordiques’ former owner suffered a blow when the Journal switched to him.

“Ah no…” he blurted out before a long, heavy silence fell on the line.

“It’s not true? It seems to me that he was in such good shape. It hurts me a lot,” he had to say.

Before Me Aubut rose to president and then owner of the team, it was the group of six original founders that brought the Nordiques to Quebec in the AMH.

Because he knows very well to what extent Claude Bédard was secretly involved in all sorts of discussions, and because he encouraged the coming of the AMH to the city, Aubut goes so far as to say that, alongside Marius Fortier, John Dacres, Léo-Paul Beausoleil , Marcel Bédard, Jean-Claude Mathieu and Jean-Marc Bruneau.

“He and Claude Larochelle (du Soleil) should also be included in the group of builders of the Nordiques. “You really deserve this title,” he pleads.

A good relationship

As their respective careers progressed, Aubut and Bédard quickly discovered affinities and formed bonds.

The two were also in New York together when Quebec was awarded an NHL franchise. The day before they returned to Quebec, they were supposed to take the same flight home, but Aubut was late. The plane they were supposed to take had crashed at the end of the runway.

“We should have died together, but it wasn’t our time. I will never forget this evening, never in my life! “It’s indescribable what we experienced together and I’d rather not talk about it today,” he confessed.

Sport and business

According to Marcel Aubut, Claude Bédard was always distinguished by his shared passion for the world of sport and business.

“He had an affinity for the business world. This made him a journalist who was very open about the economy. He always understood the benefit of a professional sports franchise for a city like Quebec.

“He was both a very good journalist, a man with business acumen and an open instrument for all major projects,” said the lawyer.

The only thing he regrets in the case of Claude Bédard is the end of his collaboration with the Journal after 28 years of service in 1997.

“He was always a top-class journalist who left the profession far too quickly. For me the three words that describe him are: competence, integrity and courage. He really wasn’t a coward,” he said.