A timid response.

   If you haven't been to a QMJHL game in a few years, one of the things you will notice is that fighting is way down. What used to be a common occurrence, part and parcel of most games, has slowly but steadily been disappearing over the last decade. 

    An example of this changing reality, a paradigm shift if you will, can be seen in an incident which occurred in last night's tilt at Le Colisée between the Val d'Or Foreurs and the Quebec Remparts.

   Before going on, please take a moment to view this short clip.

   Other than the ugly and blatant knee-on-knee hit that was delivered on the Remparts' star 16 year old rookie Anthony Duclair by Val d'Or defenceman Alex Filiatrault, do you notice anything about this particular sequence?

   If you are an older hockey fan, like me, there is a good chance that you noticed that the response to the hit by Duclair's teammates might be qualified as somewhat reserved. Polite, even. In fact, the only Remparts gloves to be found on the ice are those of Duclair himself as he writhes in pain on the ice. 

   Now, have a look at this other knee-on-knee hit on another star Remparts rookie, 17 year old Nick Sorensen. This time the hit was delivered by Baie-Comeau's veteran forward Jonathan Lessard back on October 28th.

  

   Do you see any similarities? Well for one, they both occurred on the Remparts' home ice, second, they both involve highly talented rookie players, and third, the response by the Quebec players cannot be qualified as being very energetic. The fact that in the last frame of the clip, Jonathan Lessard is seen, standing, unmolested, over the injured Sorensen, speaks, at least to me, volumes.

   Now there will be plenty who will say that fighting has no place in hockey and that all it accomplishes is an escalation in violence and that it has no real tactical or strategic value for a team.

   Others will say that there are rules in place to protect the players and that we should simply let the referees and league officials apply those rules and every thing will be fine. 

   The reality is that hockey is, and always has been, a violent game. How can it not be? It is played on a hard surface, in an enclosed area, by men on skates, with sticks, shooting a hard puck, all at high speed. Physical contact is not only inevitable, it is part and parcel of the way the game is played.

   It is also a game where teamwork is an essential element for success. One of the basic tenets of teamwork, is that individual players are expected to look out for their teammates. 

   While I know that my view is widely seen as coming from another time, another generation, most successful hockey teams over the years have had a "One for all, all for one" mentality. You attack one of us, you attack all of us.

   This is not to say that all teams should behave like marauding bands of thugs, but opponents need to know that you will stick up for each other and deliver a response when teams start taking liberties with your players.  This is particularly true on your home ice in front of your own fans.

   When looking at the response of the Quebec Remparts to blatant assaults on two of their young star players, one can't help but think that they look a little like the little kid who runs to the teacher or to his mommy whenever something goes wrong. You see a lot of pointing and hear lots of complaining, but not much else.

   "If you can't beat them in the alley, you can't beat them on the ice", this was true when Hall of Fame coach and general manager Conn Smythe said it decades ago, and it's still true now.

   While hits such as those delivered by Lessard and Filiatrault have no place in the game and must be punished, one thing is clear. Teams can certainly come in to Le Colisée and expect to be able to manhandle the Remparts. All they will do is cry to the refs.

* Note: Jonathan Lessard was suspended for 15 games for his hit on Nick Sorensen who is out for the season. Anthony Duclair's injury is less severe that originally feared. He will likely miss 7 to 10 days. No word as of this writing on supplementary discipline to Alex Filiatrault.

  

The future is bright.

   There's an old adage in hockey that says that quite often the best trade you make, is the one that you don't. 

   As we watched players like Morgan Ellis, Brandon Gormley, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Logan Shaw head for new teams with hopes of playoff success, you have to think that the PEI Rocket received some calls inquiring about the availability of their star 19 year old forward, Ben Duffy.

   Duffy, for those who may not know, recently became the franchise's career leading scorer, and is presently in 5th spot in this season's QMJHL scoring race with 59 points in 41 games. On many nights he has been one of the only, if not the only, bright spots on a young Rocket squad looking to find it's way.

   He has proven himself, night in and night out, to be the kind of player that most coaches dream about. A low maintenance type of guy, who just goes out there, plays hard, and produces on a consistent basis. On a young team such as the PEI Rocket, that type of leadership can pay off handsomely as they strive to establish a competitive and winning mindset.

   To be sure there will be some who say the PEI club missed an opportunity to pick up some interesting prospect, either in terms of players already in the league or in terms of high draft picks. It is a fair argument. But not one to which I happen to subscribe. To have a clear view of this, one must take a good look and see what the Rocket now has in hand.

    In goal, the tandem of 18 year old (he'll turn 19 next week) Maxime Lagacé and 17 year old Antoine Bibeau, gives the team a solid presence in the nets. While Lagacé has carried to bulk of the load, Bibeau has shown that he can be relied up should the call come. His win last night in Halifax against MacKinnon, Frk, et al, shows that.

   On the blue line, the club counts players who are developing, and will continue to develop in to fine hockey players. At only 16 years of age, Ryan Graves is showing that not only can he play in the league, but will likely become one of its top d-men. At only 18, Jimmy Oligny is continuing to improve. Dane Phaneuf, whom the Rocket signed for nothing, has proven himself to be a valuable addition. He is only 17 years old. Add to that Michael Abbott, 18, and recent addition Tyrone Sock, also 18, and it's easy to understand why there is justification for optimism in regards to the squad of Rocket rearguards.

   Up front, Josh Currie and Victor Provencher are both 18 and are expected to continue to develop. 16 year old Yan-Pavel Laplante has shown that he will become a force in this league. 17 year old Matthew Bursey, picked up earlier this season in a trade with Shawinigan, is quickly becoming a fan favourite, with his combination of high energy play and skill.

   The Rocket also count on two excellent European players. 18 year old Matej Beran, a 6'5" 210lbs center, is the club's second leading scorer, picking up an impressive 44 points in his first 41 games on North American ice. 18 year old defenceman, Tomas Pavelka, has played well as he continues to adapt to his new surroundings. He is the club's second highest scoring defenceman, behind 20 year old Marc-André Lévesque.

   As of this writing, the PEI Rocket sits in 17th place in the QMJHL, 2 points out of the final playoff spot, with two games in hand. To be sure, the first few months of the season have been trying at times. As with all young teams, putting together a consistent effort over the course of a full 60 minutes has been a challenge. Let's face it, putting together a consistent effort over the course a full 60 minutes is a challenge for most hockey teams. 

   But there have been bright spots. You can point to some positive performances. A come from behind win in OT at the Robert Guertin Arena against the Olympiques comes to mind. As does the recent streak of 4 wins against Maritime Division opponents.You could also point to the fact that this team doesn't quit, a trait that will pay off on the long run.

   Yes, the future is bright in PEI for Gordie Dwyer and his Rocket. Keeping Ben Duffy not only gives them a very real shot at making the playoffs this year, it gives them the opportunity to start next season with one of the best 20 year olds in the league. A 20 year old who will lead what promises to be a team to be reckoned with a solid core of young players who will continue to develop.

Somewhere Pat Burns is smiling.

Game 7 of the QMJHL semi-final series which featured the Quebec Remparts and the Gatineau Olympiques was held last night in front of over 11,000 frenzied Quebec Colisée fans.

It was only a few short days ago that the Remparts appeared to have Gatineau on the ropes, Patrick Roy's boys having a 3-1 series lead.

But a 5-3 win in Game 5 on Colisée ice served as notice to all that the 'Piques were not going to go gentle into that good night, but rather were intent on winning this series. A 4-0 domination by the Olympiques on their home ice, The Robert Guertin arena, - The Bob, as it's referred to by some fans - set the stage for tonight's winner-take-all tilt.

For the first period and a half, Gatineau kept the Remparts at bay with their stifling defence and spirited play. Taking advantage of their chances, they were up 2-0, when they started to show the first signs of developing chinks in their defensive armour.

Around the midway point of the second period the rink seemed to get bigger, and the Remparts started to find skating lanes into, ans space within, the Gatineau end and buzzed the Olympiques net, sending the teams to the dressing rooms tied 2-2 after two.

The Remparts seemed poised to continue their assault on the Gatineau net, while the Olympiques appeared at a loss to find the defensive formula which had served them so well over the course of the past two and a half games.

Whatever adjustments were made, whatever tactics were reviewed in the room, coach Benoit Groulx and his staff seemed to get things back on track because the Olympiques controlled the puck for much of the final period and clogged up the ice the few times the Remparts created some rushes.

Particularly impressive was the play of Nicolas Deslauriers, a third round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2009 NHL draft, who set the pace of the game from his position on the Gatineau blueline. He lead the way with timely bodychecks, steady stickhandling and sharp, accurate, outlet passes.

Jimmy Appleby, called in relief of Louis Domingue in the Remparts net in the first period after the second Gatineau goal, surrendered two goals in the final frame.

Philip-Michael Devos capped off the win with the empty net with three seconds left on the clock. 5-2 final score...

On to the final

And with this, Gatineau moves onto the President's Cup Final series where they will meet the regular season champs the St-John Sea Dogs.

The end of series handshake was particularly emotional as the Nicolas Deslauriers and Mikael Tam, the Remparts captain, led their teams through one of sports' few remaining displays of true sportsmanship.

After the Gatineau Olympiques headed off to the dressing room, the Remparts took one last skate around the Colisée ice to salute the fans.

Pat Burns.

As the fans streamed out of the building, into the rainy, cold Quebec City night, I couldn't help but think about Pat Burns, the former NHL coach with the Habs, Leafs, Bruins and Stanley Cup winner with the Devils.

It all started in Gatineau for Pat. He had impressed as a Midget coach while earning a living as a cop. After being offered the head coaching position with the then Hull Olympiques in 1984, Burns took a leave of absence from his job and took up coaching full time.

He would never look back.

In his three seasons with the Olympiques where he coached players such as Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille, high-scoring Guy Rouleau, longtime NHLer Stéphane Matteau, and Pat Brisson, Burns enjoyed his fair share of success.

In his second season at the helm, Burns led the 'Piques to their first QMJHL President's Cup and came within one win of the Memorial Cup, falling in the final to the OHL champion Guelph Platers, coached by present-day Hab bench boss Jacques Martin, by the score of 6-2.

Montreal calling.

In the summer of 1987, Serge Savard, General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens came calling and offered Burns the head coaching job with the Sherbrooke Canadiens, the Habs American Hockey League farm club, and the rest can be found in the pages of hockey history books.

In all the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques have played in 10 President's Cup Finals and have won a record seven trophies. They head into the 2011 Finals as definite underdogs. But as many teams over the years have learned, the St-John Sea Dogs had better not take the Olympiques too lightly.

Because this is a team that never quits. Pat Burns wouldn't have it.


Photo: Pat Burns waves to fans as they prepare to raise a banner in his honour at the Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau (Hull).
In 2007, he was elected to the QMJHL Hall of Fame.