Serge Haché: 2000 games with the Olympiques

February 5^th, 2016 will be a defining date in the career of the Gatineau Olympique’s Serge Haché. This Friday when the Drummondville Voltigeurs pay visit to the Robert-Guertin Centre, Haché will be taking part in his 2000^th QMJHL game as the Gatineau equipment manager.

It will in fact be the culmination of 29 years of experience. 1987 with the Sudbury Wolfs was his first year with the Ontario Hockey League. He would later join the then Hull Olympiques for the 1988-1989 season. All during the next 27 years he would be both equipment manager and the team’s first medical responder. It was only this year that the Olympiques took on a physiotherapist, which has allowed Haché to concentrate on equipment, which is more than a little to take care of by itself.

The Team at its Best

Despite what many would imagine, being the equipment manager of a team is no easy task. Even if it is something that usually takes place in the background, it’s a vital position.

‘The things I have to do are not apparent the public, but I like it like that. I like to keep things quiet. I don’t like to march at the front of the parade. I know my role with the team and I like it,’ he emphasised.

A typical day for him starts around 6:30 or 7 AM, when Serge makes preparations for the morning practice. He has to make sure the players’ equipment is adequate and prepped, and also that the coaches have the tools they need at their disposal. After the practice, he is in charge of collecting and sorting the equipment, of cleaning the locker room, and of doing a few loads of laundry. Sometimes he even has to get out his needle and thread to make repairs on a player’s equipment. After, it is his job to orchestrate the logistics of the team’s road trips: Bus schedule, negotiating hotel prices, organizing meals, the road practice schedule. Sometimes he needs to order new equipment, the most frequent request being for new sticks. Finally, he has to make sure that his own tools of the trade are taken care of and working at all times. ‘I don’t know what I would do without my laundry and my skate sharpener,’ he admits.

Working with Young People

Over the of the last 28 years, Serge has worked along side the players in Gatineau locker room, and it is these young men, the team’s young ambassadors, that are his greatest pride.

‘The thing that makes me the proudest about my work, it’s that over three or fours years, I can help these young guys develop as people. I want to help them grow in the sport. They have a passion, a dream, and I encourage them to follow it to the end. I want to see them become our best citizens. When I see them 15 or 20 years later, married with kids, that makes me feel proud. I am always there to help them and they know that they can come talk to me because I’m someone they can trust.’

Things have changed a lot since he started with the Olympiques. Equipment technology is more advanced, the way certain tasks are done has evolved, demands are greater, and the players too, have changed. ‘One of my strengths is that I understand today’s young people because I have two children of 19 and 24 at home. The way young people look at things isn’t the same; they aren’t as formal as us, so I changed my approach.’

Collecting the equipment, cleaning, washing, little talks, being confided in, and also equipment prep, skate sharpening and more. You read a list like that and can tell that Serge plays both dad and mom to his young players. ‘And that’s fine by me,’ he insists. ‘Sometimes I talk to them gently, I listen to them and hear what they have to say, and at other times, I have to talk to them a little more directly, because you have to. That’s what I call Hard love, soft love.’

Highlights of His 28 Years

Even after 28 years, Serge still doesn’t find his daily duties to be routine. Every day he finds a new enthusiasm, but above all pride. ‘I have the luck to work in a winning environment, and that, that’s motivating and satisfying.’

One of his favourite jobs has always been getting the locker room ready before the game. He hangs the jerseys, arranges the equipment all clean and folded, making sure everything looks right. ‘For the players, there is pride too; in going into the locker room and seeing their name there.’

For everyone, there are jobs that we enjoy and others not so much. For Serge, the latter would be the bus trips that can seem endless. ‘I don’t hate it, but it’s not the most fun thing. Let’s just say that Cape Breton is a long way away. I know the league by heart, no doubt about that.’

Finally, among his best memories, would be the 1997 Gatineau Memorial Cup, and the 7 President Cups won by the Olympiques, not to mention the two World Junior Championships he took part in.

On the occasion of his 2000 game milestone, Serge Haché was presented with a small gift by the QMJHL officials.

Translation: Richard Dumas