Tuesday, January 16, 9 a.m. There are still 23 days left until the start of the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. In the event offices, very close to the Videotron Center, everyone is busy with their work and the calm that prevails does not suggest that in three weeks the world of minor hockey will be just a few steps away.
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The general director of the tournament, Patrick Dom, agreed to be accompanied for a day to live with him the daily life of the organizer of the Pee Wee tournament, less than a month before his first games.
There is no chaos: the six full-time employees are not running through the offices making the final preparations. Of course, there are still a lot of details to be clarified and Dom's phone won't ring in our presence.
But everything is under control.
“There is still a lot to do, but we are on schedule. The hardest thing right now is that COVID is taking its toll. Nobody answers the phone anymore! Yesterday a lady replied to me and it had been two months since I wrote to her. It’s a bit annoying,” Dom tells us with his usual candor.
During the Journal's visit, less than a month before the start of the competition, the phone of the general manager of the International Pee Wee Hockey Tournament was ringing off the hook. Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
All hats
Dom has been associated with the Pee Wee Tournament for 33 years, including 22 years as general manager, and wears all hats.
He initially welcomes us accompanied by communications and marketing manager Julie Hamel, as a company film is planned at the Videotron Center accompanied by former Nordiques player Marc Fortier and Capitales president Michel Laplante.
This video, intended to serve as a game to animate the audience during the tournament, is quite simple: we show pictograms to the two men who have to guess what food it is.
Both Laplante and Fortier had been informed of the key points and that it was a food-themed quiz as it was sponsored by an agri-food partner, but nothing more.
And from the first minutes we feel the competitive spirit of the two men, but above all their strong sense of humor.
“Okay, so I know the seven types of apples…” Laplante lists tonelessly, as if he wanted to tell his “opponent” that he has done his homework.
“Yes, and I’m sure you know about grapes,” Fortier says, sparking laughter.
Michel Laplante took part in a quiz for a promotional video that will be broadcast during the Pee-Wee tournament. All under the watchful eye of Patrick Dom, while Marc Fortier made sure to capture everything on his cell phone. Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
Once filming is finished, we pass by the place where the official tournament clothing is kept. Hundreds of boxes are piled up in this small room where Bruno Dufour works.
The demand is huge this year and the small tournament team sometimes struggles to supply it.
“One thing I can tell you is that the recession doesn’t affect us. We sold three times more last year than we did this time, and honestly I don't know why. We have orders as far away as Seoul and Hong Kong,” says Dom.
Patrick Dom stops in the room where the linen sold during the event is kept with the image of the tournament. At his side is the head of infrastructure and promotional clothing, Bruno Dufour. Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
Thanks to the volunteers
Throughout the day, Dom has to sort out small problems: from deciding on the color of the posters that guide fans out of the Videotron center to following up on research into each host family that wants to accommodate young Pipi-Weis.
And bigger ones, like meeting with employees from different departments at the Videotron Center to make sure everyone is on the same page and avoid unpleasant surprises.
The general director of the Pee-Wee tournament Patrick Dom in a meeting with Quebecor employees. Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
But here too there is nothing to indicate that we are in the final stretch and that the 64th Pee-Wee tournament will begin in three weeks.
We also point out to him in his office that this is not the madness we expected. After all, you organize the largest minor ice hockey tournament in the world with just six full-time employees…
“Everyone touches everything. It is an advantage to be few, but if one stays away for a long time, we are in trouble.”
The author of these lines with Patrick Dom in his office. Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
But Dom doesn't hide it: The Pee-wee tournament is the business of the event's six employees, but also of the approximately 800 volunteers who donate their time free of charge every year.
“Everyone is important. We have 18 different committees and the leaders of these committees are machines. They are amazing. You are independent, never call me.”