Host Remparts feature storied past, winning tradition
(Photo Credit: Duclair/Jonathan Roy)Wednesday April 1, 2015
The Quebec Remparts recently added a fourth number to their growing list of retirees, another contributor to what’s become one of the CHL’s most consistent and successful franchises and one that blends a storied past with an exciting group in 2014-15.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s number 44 ascended to the heights of the Colisee in late March, sparking vivid memories of a historic 2005-06 season that saw the Remparts become the first team to ever win a MasterCard Memorial Cup title without winning a league championship or being the Championship host. Their 6-2 win over the Moncton Wildcats marked the first time two QMJHL teams ever met in a Memorial Cup Final as the Remparts avenged a loss they suffered to the Wildcats in the QMJHL President’s Cup Finals.
Vlasic, whose number 44 joined Guy Lafleur’s number 4, Simon Gagne’s number 12 and Alexander Radulov’s number 22, played three seasons in Quebec from 2003-2006 before making the jump to the NHL at the age of 19. The Montreal, QC, native was a key contributor during Quebec’s 2006 playoff run, registering five goals, 24 assists and 29 points in 23 playoff contests. He added three assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-7 in four games during the 2006 MasterCard Memorial Cup.
Now a 670 game NHL veteran with the San Jose Sharks, Vlasic symbolizes a bridge of sorts in Remparts franchise history, one that ties the legacy of the dominant days of Guy Lafleur in the early 70’s to the current day regular season consistency demonstrated by the franchise.
Lafleur skated with the Remparts during the 1970 and 1971 seasons, leading the franchise to back-to-back QMJHL Championships along with its first Memorial Cup title in 1970. His 130 goals during the 1971 season are a Remparts franchise record, one that sits behind Mario Lemieux (133, 1983-84) for second in QMJHL history.
After winning five QMJHL titles in seven years (1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976), the Remparts franchise would move northeast to Beauport, QC, where it spent seven seasons as the Beauport Harfangs, a team that developed NHL talent in goaltender Martin Biron and Eric Daze.
The franchise returned to Quebec City in 1997 and has featured such NHL regulars as Simon Gagne, Antoine Vermette and Mike Ribeiro having worn the Remparts logo.
Since Vlasic, Alexander Radulov and Angelo Esposito powered the Remparts to their second MasterCard Memorial Cup title in 2006, the team hasn’t finished with under 37 wins in a season and stands as a perennial QMJHL contender. With 40 wins this season, the Remparts have now strung together at least 40 victories in six of their last seven seasons.
Their objective now? To conquer the playoffs, something that has proven to be quite the task for the competitive franchise in recent years.
After Patrick Roy coached the Remparts to their 2006 Memorial Cup crown, Quebec has advanced past the second round twice, suffering two semi-final losses in 2009 and 2011. Most recently, they made a first round exit to close out Philippe Boucher’s first year at the helm last spring.
The Remparts finished the year with the fourth best record in the QMJHL at 40-25-1-2, continuing an 22-year streak of franchise playoff appearances dating back to 1994. They enter the postseason with a strong blend of experience, speed and a strong pedigree in the crease.
Featuring the combination of Zachary Fucale and NHL Draft prospect Callum Booth in goal and a seasoned group of veterans on the back end headlined by the QMJHL’s leading scorer among defencemen in Nikolas Brouillard. Throw in a forward core led by Anthony Duclair, Adam Erne and Russian speedsters Dmytro Timashov and Vladimir Tkachev and the Remparts may potentially have all of the pieces needed to replicate their experience in 2006 on home ice this May.
This playoff run and subsequent MasterCard Memorial Cup Championship will be one for the memory books as the Remparts wrap up their time at the 66 year-old Colisee. They’ll move into the New Quebec City Amphitheatre that is set to open in September 2015 to begin next season.
The 2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup gets underway on May 21 from Quebec City, QC. All games will be broadcast live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports and on Sportsnet Radio.
For more information please visit www.mastercardmemorialcup.ca.