Only a few metres away from the ice, where the UNB Reds celebrated with family and friends as they raised a second straight U SPORTS U CUP, UQTR Patriotes superstar fifth-year Simon Lafrance began to cry.
Moments removed from a heartbreaking 4-0 loss to the Reds in the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship, Lafrance reflected on his journey at UQTR.
He’s seen it all at Trois-Riviéres: a global pandemic cancelling an entire season, a U CUP triumph two years later, his similarly talented brother Félix joining, three successive Queen’s Cup banners, and now, tragedy in his final university game. His words came out slowly, and his face grew red, but Lafrance overcame it.
“I think last year when [Félix] came, he was already good to step up this year,” Simon said. “So, I’m curious to see what’s going to [happen] next year. My brother is one thing, but you can have [Charles] Beaudoin and Conor Frenette, who’s been my centreman all year long… so yeah, it’s looking good for the future.”
The promising next generation goes even deeper: UQTR had 11 rookies on its roster this year, and despite the sudden loss of experience from the 2022 championship, it was still able to claim another two medals. It has come down to the Patriotes’ older group, along with head coach Marc Étienne-Hubert, putting in the extra work to guide the freshmen.
Of course, plenty of the new faces were already elite, plenty of credit is owed to UQTR’s recruiting. Just take a glance at Pier-Olivier Roy, who notched two points in the Queen’s Cup final and 21 in the regular season, shooting up the pecking order of the team
Rife with experience at the major junior level, the UQTR first-years showed up when the contests mattered. Against the juggernaut Reds, all of UQTR’s rookies didn’t look out of place and made it an uncomfortable game to play for UNB. These are all building blocks towards a 2024-25 campaign that is already shaping up to be memorable.
“Now, I couldn’t be more proud of these guys, 11 rookies who learn all year long and play their best game in the playoffs,” added Lafrance. “Even tonight, they were amazing on the back end… they bring so much to our team, even if they’re young.”
The past few months have been full of complex tasks for Étienne-Hubert, yet he’s proved once again that under his guidance, any Patriotes team can live up to the dynasty he’s built. Following all the turnover that the locker room endured over the Summer, some didn’t give them the same billing as a perennial contender in the OUA and at the national level. And despite the excuses that Étienne-Hubert could’ve used, none needed to be made.
“We are really proud of what we did this year, facing adversity as a pretty young team,” said the bench boss. We are proud of the way everyone competed and progressed all year long. We are also proud of the way the veterans led that young team. It’s really good for the program.”
Another departing senior is captain Davide Noël. He played big minutes in every game during the tournament and handed out a few heavy hits to try and spark a comeback out of his team.
No doubt, Noël has been a locker-room pillar throughout the season, an example to follow on the blueline for another brotherly dynamic duo in Kaylen and Mavrick Gauthier. From a high vantage point, you could tell that the Gauthiers play a similar style to Noël, hard-hitting and quickly moving the puck from defensive positions.
Kaylen had a golden opportunity to pull one back for UQTR in the first period and had done everything right. Positioned in open space, UNB goaltender Samuel Richard desperately slid across the crease, only for a shot to never come. Kaylen’s stick snapped in half. The exact same thing occurred in the third, this time for Simon. Luck ran out, and sometimes, that’s the difference in hockey. It’s a cruel sport.
With every UNB goal, the Patriotes managed to up the pressure, turning into arguably the best performance of any of the Reds’ opponents this postseason. Coming from a group largely made up of plucky, that’s not a feat to overlook.
In the moment, it’s tragic. However, a crushing blow like Sunday adds fuel to the fire for UQTR to go one further in Ottawa 12 months from now.
Seamlessly ushering in this crop of freshmen indicates that this era of Patriotes’ success is here to stay.
Étienne-Hubert’s closing statement warned rival schools: ” I’m looking forward to next year and to being back again.”