What’s Next for Nicolet?

Seasons have wrapped up, champions have been crowned and teams have moved. The BSR relocation saga is over and Grand-Mere is a no-go. Many wrinkles have been ironed out, but one item is still on the table: what about Nicolet? What’s next for the town that can finally say that, after three attempts, Senior AAA hockey isn’t an option.

The town is still a good geographic location, has a renovated venue and has a municipal council that has shown a willingness to work with senior teams. Let’s also not forget that it has a nice fan base, even if it’s not big enough to support AAA.  

The logical choice in terms of replacing the caliber of play is the AA Level LHSE (Senior Elite). The league is next in the province’s pecking order in terms of visibility and talent. This option would be the most satisfying for fans accustomed to AAA Hockey. Economically, the league seems to be a good fit with mostly small markets and arenas where Nicolet would be of average size. Geographically, Nicolet would be an outlier in a footprint that runs along a North/South axis going through Montreal. Only Contrecoeur would be less than a 100 kilometer drive from Nicolet. 

Inversely, Nicolet would be a good fit  for the league in both market recognition and franchise re-growth. The league lost two teams in the BSR Relocation, with Cowansville and Bedford combining under the Southbec Express title sponsorship. Getting a quick replacement would be important, and the 2-for-1 switch would seem natural. 

The logical choice in terms of geography and economics is the A Level LRH (Regional). This would be stepping down two levels, but the difference in talent could be made up for by the intensity of more regional rivalries. For perspective, half the league would be less than 100 kilometers away, and Nicolet could rekindle old rivalries with nearby Louiseville and Windsor as well as play up the shared history with St-Cyrille. In terms of market size, Nicolet would be one of the larger in the league. 

A potential dark horse in the mix could be icing a non-league team and playing a tournament style season similar to what was done in La Tuque this past year. 

Of course, there’s always the option of going dark for a season. The town got burned when discovering that the BSR Group never intended to stay, so letting things cool off isn’t a bad option. Fans attached to the LHSAAAQ have nearby teams, so there are still ways to satisfy the game night needs. 

What will actually happen is anyone’s guess. Things are quiet now, so it’s an open-ended matter of wait and see.