2023-06-05 23:13:23
They had only received the invitation at the beginning of the day, but at least 2,000 fans invaded Place Jean-Béliveau in Quebec City on Monday evening to give the Quebec Remparts a good dose of love.
• Read also: The Remparts celebrated in front of the Videotron Centre: fans dazzled by the team concept
• Read also: Memorial Cup: Patrick Roy visibly touched by the wave of love from “fans”
• Read also: [EN IMAGES] The Remparts welcomed as champions in Quebec
• Read also: The Remparts champions of the Memorial Cup!
Remparts that had slept little. Not even 24 hours before, they had given their city the third Memorial Cup in its history, and the first since 2006.
The players and all the team staff had made their way home from Kamloops, British Columbia, overnight, and they had arrived early Monday morning with the precious trophy in their luggage.
Photo Agence QMI, Pascal Huot
But clearly, they savored this moment. A moment which, for many, was also a way of saying a last “hello” and “thank you” to their supporters, since this long-awaited conquest closed their junior career at the same time.
“I’m glad I went and got this for the amazing fans that you are,” goaltender William Rousseau said as the crowd began chanting his name.
Cell phones and Kobe
Zachary Bolduc, author of 50 goals in the regular season, filmed the crowd from the platform erected in front of the Videotron Center with his cell phone. Daniel Agostino appeared in front of the fans with Kobe, the young dog who became the team’s mascot during the playoffs.
And Charles Savoie had on his shoulders one of the boys of assistant coach Benoît Desrosiers when the players walked the red carpet decorated with Remparts logos in front of the Videotron Center, around 6:20 p.m.
Photo Agence QMI, Pascal Huot
The heroes of the acclaimed series
Several hundred “fans” then waited behind the fences installed during the day for more than two hours.
Ray Cloutier, the “voice” of the Remparts, then introduced the players one by one.
All were warmly applauded, but the biggest cheers were reserved for key players from recent playoffs and recent seasons.
There was James Malatesta, who won the QMJHL playoff MVP and Memorial Cup title, Rousseau, captain Théo Rochette, Justin Robidas, Pier-Olivier Roy and Bolduc.
hand in heart
The most beautiful of the ovations, however, was that offered to the head coach and general manager Patrick Roy.
The man who returned to the helm of the team five years ago, with the goal of building a club capable of bringing the Memorial Cup back to Quebec, thanked them by putting his hand to his heart several times, a small smile moved on the lips.
Nathan Gaucher and Nicolas Savoie then continued the celebration by presenting the “fans” with the Gilles-Courteau trophy, given to the champions of the playoffs.
Photo Agence QMI, Pascal Huot
Then, it was Rochette who showed the fans what they were all waiting for: the famous Memorial Cup, which they cheered with “olé! ole!”
“Winning with this group was very special, said the captain, before going for a walk with his teammates and signing autographs. And to finish it with you here, it’s incredible.”
The president of the Remparts, Jacques Tanguay, for his part greeted the “extraordinary amateurs” by reminding them that the team is theirs.
1686014032
#IMAGES #Memorial #Cup #Thousands #fans #gather #Quebec #bravo #Remparts
