Despite losing all their exhibition matches and two out of their initial three season games, the team’s lack of bonding time may have contributed to the rough start. However, what followed was exceptional and resembled something out of a dream.

Their first triumph came in December 2022 when they became the Monteuil Tournament Champions. This win was a turning point for the team, and it gave them the confidence they needed to push forward. But it was the LHLL League Winners title in March 2023 that truly showcased the strength of the team’s bond. They finished first out of 21 teams, a remarkable achievement that was made possible because of the trust and support they had for one another.

In April 2023, the Laval Senators became the Laval Regional Champions, earning their place in the prestigious Chevrolet Cup. This tournament brought together the best teams from across the province, and the Senators made it to the quarter-finals, a testament to their skill and hard work.

The playoffs were the ultimate test of the Senators’ ability to work as a team, and they rose to the occasion. They beat out the top teams to win yet another championship, and it was a moment of pure joy and emotion for both the players and parents.

The bond that the players and parents formed on and off the ice was truly special. Parents were seen crying after the last match, a testament to the emotional connection that had been formed. The leadership of Head Coach Steve Santos and his staff was pivotal in unifying the team and establishing a culture of trust, respect, and encouragement.

The 2022-2023 M11 AA Laval Senators will be remembered not only for their remarkable victories but also for the bond they formed with one another. It was a season that showcased the power of teamwork, and the incredible impact it can have to triumph.

Players:

2 HUNEAULT, XAVIER
3 RENAUD, ZACK
4 QUESNEL, NICOLAS
6 ALMEIDA, DANTE
8 MARTINEZ, DANTE
9 CRISTOFARO, NOAH
10 SANTOS, NICHOLAS
11 ST-YVES, HUGO
12 MONDOUX, TAM-HUY NGUYEN
13 PANAGOPOULOS, NICHOLAS
14 DUCHESNE, ALEXANDRE
15 DE BEAUMONT, JUSTIN
16 BOUTIN, ZACK
19 VIEIRA, LEANDRO
22 DI CIOCCO, ADRIANO
31 TAN, DOMINIC
33 MOREAU, BASTIEN

Coaching Staff :

SANTOS, STEVE
CRISTOFARO, DAVID
TAN, EDWARD
BOUTIN, DAVID
QUESNEL, HUGUES
HUNEAULT, David

L’article Laval Senators M11 AA Team : A Dream Season est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

That foundation, Le BUT, is mostly an idea of Pierre Gendron, director of operations and president of Sports Rousseau – Groupe Gendron 3.0, and his colleagues.

The goal of the foundation is quite simple, as there’s no membership needed like some other foundations.

People wanting to help young people who can’t afford to buy equipment and play hockey can go to a Sports Rousseau store and drop off their hockey items in a red box identified in this regard, as explained in a press release.

Gendron was visibly moved by the official launch of the foundation. A video about him, showing clips of him younger, playing hockey and sharing beautiful moments with his loved ones, was also shown on a screen at the start of the conference.

“Like we saw in the video, it’s because of my mom and my love for hockey that I’m here today,” Gendron said. “My mom’s no longer with us now, but I want to thank her. She gave me everything. She made sure I didn’t notice anything. We weren’t rich, but I never noticed that. She worked very hard, had to do a lot for my registrations and often found me someone to drop me off and pick me up at games and practices.”

Joël Bouchard, former head coach of many junior and professional hockey teams, in addition to having had other important roles in the domain, concluded the press conference nicely.

“It’s now our job to help those young people,” said Bouchard. “When this press conference is over, I will go shopping and buy some items to put in the box. Today, I am a lucky man to be here and to be able to give back. The simple fact of that I know the equipment I’m going to buy will end up somewhere in Quebec, and help a young person to have an extraordinary experience, as we’ve had, us here, that gives me chills.”

L’article New Foundation to Help Young People Play Hockey est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

That team, that will be named the Laval VC, thus becomes the main version of the hockey club of the same name. Laval’s organization already had several AAA-level training courses for the youngest, including at the U16 and U18 levels.

The awarding of this expansion team was confirmed in July, allowing the VC to become the 13th club in the LHJAAAQ. “We will provide an ideal new home market for the league in the future,” said President Mario Nobili via press release.

A few weeks later, Michel Barrette was hired as head coach and general manager of the team.

Building a Team

Since it’s a new team, VC leaders needed to build a roster in just a few months.

The first step was the expansion draft, in which they selected a player from each of the 12 other LHJAAAQ clubs. They then drafted about 20 young hockey players during the league’s annual draft, benefiting from two selections in each round.

“We’re going to have six 20-year-old players in our roster,”Barrette said. “We don’t want to be just an expansion club, and have a few tough seasons to build a project. We’re coming into the league wanting to be on top.”

Although he’s aiming for the first place, the head coach believes that making it to the top seven teams would be a positive result for this year.

Offensive philosophy

Barrette thinks Tristan Gagné, Yan Nadon and Justin Charette are players to watch. To no one’s surprise, they’re all forwards, which fits with the model preconized in the LHJAAAQ.

“It’s an offensive league,” Barrette said. “We’ll be honest, it won’t often be 1-0 games. We need to produce a lot of offence, and we have surrounded our offensive elements with physical players who are working hard on the ice. We’re also having a lot of speed.”

Laval’s VC first regular season game will take place on Friday, Sept. 9, against the Cégep Beauce-Appalaches Condors. The home opening game will be on Sunday, Sept. 11, against the Collège Français de Longueuil.

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article The Laval VC, New Junior AAA Expansion Club est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.