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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Junior hockey comes to town
posted by jmeagher at 17h17
Imagine Sidney Crosby playing junior in Pointe Claire? (Wayne Cuddington, Ottawa Citizen)
Could the West Island support a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise?
It’s a hot-stove question that will surely be debated by local hockey fans Friday night when the Montreal Juniors visit Pointe Claire for a preseason tilt against the Gatineau Olympiques.
With tickets going for $5, a big, youthful crowd is expected at Bob Birnie Arena.
There has been talk for years about the QMJHL expanding to the Montreal suburbs or off-island communities of Laval and the South Shore.
But until someone builds a new 5,000-seat arena somewhere in Montreal, the mecca of the hockey world, the Juniors will continue to play out of old Verdun Auditorium
While the Aud has a charm all to itself, it’s seen its share of junior teams come and go over the years.
The Juniors, now entering their second season, are trying to succeed in a city where many other junior franchises have failed.
Remember the Montreal Rocket? That ship was launched in 1999 and tried to make a go of it at east-end Maurice Richard Arena. Crowds were decent the first season, but the honeymoon didn’t last.
The team eventually relocated to the downtown Bell Centre, the cavernous home of the Habs, but crowds were sparse and the team finally packed up and moved to Prince Edward Island.
The West Island could probably support a major junior hockey team, given sound ownership, some local player content and a modern multi-purpose facility.
But we’re talking millions just to score a chunk of prime West Island real estate, so it will take someone with very deep pockets, or a group of investors, to pull off a $$$ deal like that in these tough economic times.
In the meantime, the Montreal Juniors are building their fan base by reaching out to the local community.
Tomorrow night’s game in Pointe Claire will give many youngsters their first taste of major-junior hockey.
And don’t be surprised if the kids like what they see. The “Q” can be a very entertaining product when the superstars are alligned.
Imagine the buzz if former junior stars like Sidney Crosby or Vincent Lecavalier were coming to town with the Rimouski Océanic to battle the Juniors in Pointe Claire?
The place would be packed.
jmeagher@thegazette.canwest.com