Community Moment | A rewarding visit to Elsipogtog for the Wildcats
The Moncton Wildcats and the entire community of Elsipogtog First Nation, located near the Richibucto Reserve in New Brunswick, had a day to remember last Tuesday.
Daniel Lacroix’s team travelled to Elsipogtog to hold their daily hockey practice in front of a Chief Young Eagle Recreation Centre packed with curious fans.
The special day also included a meet-and-greet with local youth, a community lobster dinner as well as a blessing ceremony. Wildcats Director of Hockey Operations Ritchie Thibeau had been toying with the idea of a visit for several weeks.
“It’s something we really wanted to do. The Wildcats are the community’s team. It was the perfect opportunity to visit them, and I know it’s a place where we can make a difference,” he explains. “People were really excited to see the Wildcats bus arrive. It was really impressive to see so many people there!”
Several hundred people attended the Wildcats on-ice practice. For dinner, everyone was then invited to the community center across the street.
On a personal level, Ritchie Thibeau experienced all kinds of emotions during this memorable day. In particular, he was able to salute a good friend of his, Jumbo Sock, who died far too young in a fishing accident in 2021. The latter’s son, Tyrone, played many seasons of minor field hockey alongside Thibeau’s son, Brandon.
“When I heard they were going to do a memorial [for Jumbo], I knew I’d have to check it out. We were in arenas together every winter. I think it’s a really good idea to pay tribute to him.”
According to Thibeau, this kind of visit by his team could also inspire many of the aboriginal youngsters.
“We wanted to show them that our guys are just like them. They’re hard-working kids who have a passion and a goal to play professional hockey. We wanted them to see that it’s a possibility for them too, that they have options to do lots of things in life.”
Moncton’s new captain, Yoan Loshing, spoke of an inspiring experience.
“It was a great idea to be able to spend time with young children who don’t necessarily have the chance to come and see us play. It was really nice to have the chance to rub shoulders with them,” mentioned the Wildcats’ number 28.
“You could see that the younger kids were really excited to see us and talk to us. This kind of visit is very important. When we can go and visit our supporters, directly in their communities, it makes us all happy.”
Elsipogtog counselor Everett Sanipass, who played a large part in organizing the day, had nothing but good things to say about the Wildcats.
“This great initiative showed me that the Wildcats organization really cares about our community. We’re very grateful that they took the time to come and see us and meet our youngsters,” he said. “This event brought the whole community together, young and old. And that was the whole point of the visit!”
Sanipass, who played in the QMJHL between 1984 and 1987 with the Granby Bisons and Verdun Jr. Canadiens, went on to play a total of 164 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks and Quebec Nordiques.
“The presence [of the Wildcats] brought back so many cherished memories from my youth. It was beautiful to see the kids from our community running around to get photos and autographs with the players,” he said, visibly moved.
“When I was their age, it was very rare to see players who aspired to play in the NHL one day make their way out to our part of the country. That’s why I think Moncton’s visit inspired a lot of young people,” admitted Sanipass.
“It’s amazing to see that sometimes it takes almost nothing to change a person’s path, and that it’s okay to leave your community to go chase your dreams.”
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(Photo credit : Daniel St-Louis)
