French team wins Quebec Pee-Wee Championship? The Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble team wrote this page of history on Sunday by being crowned champions in the BB category at the Videotron Centre.
Never before in 64 years have our “cousins” achieved such a feat. Only one team from France has come close: Rouen, which reached the Inter C final in 2005.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Roy/Quebec Pitball Championships
The emotion was palpable in coach Laurent Tomasino's voice, just minutes after his players celebrated at length at center ice, and then in the locker room, in their 3-1 win over Rapids du Lac Saint-Jean North.
This is because in the land of “football”, hockey is still far from having a bad reputation. Add to that the high costs associated with his practice, which he estimates at 5,000 euros per season at Paul level (about $7,200), and recruiting players becomes a daunting task.
“It is a tremendous joy, because it is the result of many years of work,” he said. To take these youngsters and raise them to such a high level is very satisfying.
Daughter of Brent Aubin
If the name Brûleurs de Loups can ring a bell for many Quebec hockey fans, it's without a doubt because players from here have worn their colors among the professionals.
There was Eric Chouinard, of course, between 2014 and 2017, and another former member of the Quebec Remparts, Brent Aubin, who currently plays for the team from southeastern France.
Aubin's name also appears in the lineup for the junior team Brûleurs de Loups, as his daughter Lea is a member of the team.
Photography by Jessica Lapinski
So the young player, who followed her father to France, received some advice on the art of performing in front of a solemn crowd at the Videotron Centre, before her first match.
“my dad [qui n’a pas fait le déplacement] It was exhausting for me! She stressed that it went well in the end.
They were invincible
Listening to him, the team never expected to experience such an extraordinary tournament. The Brûleurs de Loups won all six of their matches, guided in particular by the brilliance of Melo Girard, who collected 10 points.
“We thought we could do well when we got here, but winning it all, no,” Leah Aubin noted with a wide smile.
It's done now. With a place in the long history of Pee-wee's heroism.
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“In the sixth round, we were looking for a Quebecer, but he was selected.”