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Quebec Ice: the view from the States





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Small Market Success
With hockey’s ever increasing cost, it’s nearly impossible for small markets to get in the game, let alone succeed. Unless, of course, you’re the Bellechasse Bucks. Since joining Quebec’s Senior AAA League in the Fall of 2024, the Bucks appear to have cracked the code by succeeding, and even trendsetting, in the league’s smallest market. When it was first announced in Le Voix du Sud in June of 2023 that AAA hockey was coming to Saint-Anselme, everything seemed to make sense;
Tim Ouellette
22 hours ago3 min read
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A Look at the LNAH's Newest and Most Intense Rivalry
When Saint-Hyacinthe and Laval met on November 15th, the game resembled one from the early 2000’s when gloves hit the ice almost as frequently as pucks hit the back of the net. Anyone watching for the first time would have simply seen a game that got out of hand. Anyone who has been watching for the last two seasons would have seen something else; the latest meeting in the LNAH’s most intense rivalry. Since Saint-Hyacinthe rejoined the league in the Fall of 2024, it seems the
Tim Ouellette
Nov 293 min read
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It's Here! Opening Weekend in the Q
We’re in the final countdown to the QMJHL’s opening weekend. The season opens this Thursday, setting the stage for a four night event....
Tim Ouellette
Sep 163 min read
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Navigating the Line Between Fighting and Violence
Starting from the NHL and working down through every level of hockey, leagues have made efforts to reduce or remove fighting. In the case of the LHSAAAQ, they’re making the effort to remove the violence. The move is far from simple semantics or word play, and so far seems to be satisfying players and fans, as well as sponsors. Per game, the league still enjoys an entertaining quantity of fights but has done so by establishing certain boundaries. Historically, the league wasn
Tim Ouellette
Aug 304 min read
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Powerhouses, Sleepers and Rebuilders
When the QMJHL season gets underway on September 18th, there will be teams everyone will be watching, teams everyone should be watching,...
Tim Ouellette
Aug 174 min read
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LNAH Opening Weekend: 3 Games to Watch
The LNAH has completed its draft and released its schedule. With the season fast approaching, the only thing that fans are waiting for...
Tim Ouellette
Jul 314 min read
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The Beauce Jaros: That Other Team from Slap Shot
Hockey fans around the world know the team and characters from Slap Shot. They know that the Charlestown Chiefs were actually the...
Tim Ouellette
Jul 174 min read
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LHSAAAQ: (Re)establishing Identity in Nicolet and Trois-Rivieres
The LHSAAAQ Offseason included a brief round of musical chairs, with the sale and relocation of the Nicolet franchise to Trois-Rivieres and the subsequent sale and relocation of the La Tuque franchise to Nicolet. The teams offered varying degrees of visibility to their new identities in the weeks leading up to the draft, but the league’s July 4 th  event served as their official introductions. The two teams unveiled new names and logos and made roster moves that helped define
Tim Ouellette
Jul 53 min read
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LHSAAAQ 2025 Draft Primer
We’re just under a week away from the 2025 LHSAAAQ Draft. The event can provide lots of information about where the league is going. Looking at previous drafts, recent initiatives and team movement, as well as making comparisons to other provincial leagues, we can draw some indications on the league’s future or, at a minimum, things to watch for. Visibility: The fact that the draft is taking place at a public venue versus a closed arena shows that the league is continuing to
Tim Ouellette
Jun 273 min read
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LNAH: Your Favorite Players aren't Limited to Europe Anymore.
Minor league fans have an incredible attachment to their favorite players and will follow their progress long after they depart the local...
Tim Ouellette
Jun 143 min read
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LHSAAAQ: Welcome Back Jean-Guy Talbot Coliseum!
The LHSAAAQ’s off season is well underway, and franchise movement has been a part of it. While the recent news of the sale and relocation of the LaTuque Wolves was quite a splash, the league taking another shot at Trois-Rivieres has been the big story.  The Coliseum has been attracting teams in various leagues since the departure of the QMJHL’s Draveurs in 1992, mostly without any lasting success . The list of leagues includes the LHSAAAQ as recently as 2023. What and where
Tim Ouellette
Jun 53 min read
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Exploring the Attendance Issue in Trois-Rivieres
Several big stories have come up this year in Trois-Rivieres. These stories have been great news: the team’s stability rebounding under...
Tim Ouellette
May 233 min read
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All Roads Lead to Rimouski
Starting this weekend the Canadian Hockey League’s biggest prize, the Memorial Cup, will be fought for and won in Rimouski. Sports fans...
Tim Ouellette
May 213 min read
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QMJHL Finals: Moncton on the Brink & the Impact on the Memorial Cup
When Rimouski edged Shawinigan in double overtime of game 7, it set up the finals that was most likely to happen when the QMJHL Playoffs...
Tim Ouellette
May 152 min read
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Sorel-Tracy: LNAH Champions
N They took to the ice Friday night and didn’t leave until Saturday morning. They left, however, with the Cup. The 6 Overtime win in game...
Tim Ouellette
May 132 min read
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LNAH Playoffs: Fighting to Make Sense of the 3L
The 2025 LNAH playoffs have included some great storylines, including one particular oddity that’s still playing out in the finals...
Tim Ouellette
May 43 min read
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Time to get Behind the Victoire
The big announcement this week was the addition of Vancouver to the PWHL. Once that happened, everyone knew it was only a matter of time...
Tim Ouellette
Apr 302 min read
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Granby: Still a Hockey Town.
When the Granby Bison won the 2025 LHSAAAQ championship, it put the town on the hockey map…sort of. In reality, it was always there....
Tim Ouellette
Apr 272 min read
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QMJHL Playoffs: Round 3
Round 3 kicks off tonight and gets fully underway this weekend as the QMJHL is down to it’s Final Four. The two matchups feature the...
Tim Ouellette
Apr 242 min read
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LHSAAAQ Playoffs: Live and Online!
With their finals being broadcast on ApexLiveTV, the LHSAAAQ went from low visibility senior hockey to something of a minor league in appearance overnight. This is a massive win for the league and couldn't have come with a better match up than the one going on right now. For those not in the province, it can’t be said how good or bad the hockey was, or how much it’s improved, as it couldn't be seen. In a world where visibility matters, the league was completely off the radar.
Tim Ouellette
Apr 202 min read
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