Rumors began to circulate last week that the Juniors would be sold to a group led by former National Hockey Leaguer Joel Bouchard who would then relocate the team to Boisbriand, Quebec. Today, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League made the transaction official.
"League members voted in favour this morning of the sale of the Montreal Juniors franchise to a group led by Joël Bouchard," said QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau in a release. "Moreover, the members voted in favour of relocating the franchise to Boisbriand where the team will play its games at the Centre d’Excellence Sports Rousseau starting next season with renovations forthcoming to the facility to meet Quebec Major Junior Hockey League guidelines. I am very happy to welcome Joël Bouchard and his group to the QMJHL. It is always a pleasure to see our former players come back to the QMJHL family and get involved, especially as club owners."
Marc Brassard of the Gatineau newspaper Le Droit is reporting that along with Bouchard, the ownership group includes Danny Briere, Ian Lapperriere, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Drafted by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, Bouchard spent parts of four seasons with the Saint John Flames. He was an assistant coach with the Juniors last season and is also an analyst with RDS.
The Juniors entered the league as the St. John’s Fog Devils in 2005. After three years in Newfoundland, the team was sold to Farrel Miller who moved the team to Verdun, Quebec. After three seasons in the Montreal suburb they will now move north of Montreal to Boisbriand.
According to RDS, the team name and colours will change.
It’s been a wild few weeks in the league since the season ended with the Saint John Sea Dogs hoisting the Memorial Cup. Since all the good press the QMJHL got with that Cup win, one team has completely folded, another is relocating, and the No. 1 selection in the Entry Draft may not even report. There is never a dull moment in Quebec league land.
Photo Credit: Willy Palov Twitter
Is it just me, or do I hear an anglophone announcer call this team Boy-Band?
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Congrtaulations and Best of luck for your future. Keep it up !
ReplyDeleteThis team will move again in the next years. Everytime there's a team in the region of Montréal, they always move. Junior Hockey is not big around there. Anyways, i hope they stick it there for good.
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