QMJHL breaks the ice with first outdoor games
Wednesday January 28, 2015
The QMJHL made history this past weekend, dropping the puck in its first ever pair of outdoor games in Saint-Tite, QC, a small community northeast of Shawinigan. The host Shawinigan Cataractes dueled to a pair of close games, splitting the two contests with a win over Victoriaville and a shootout loss to Québec as a total of over 13,000 fans took in the action.
Played in a scenic venue, the games were held at a large grandstand at the Saint-Tite fairgrounds, the home of the annual Saint-Tite Western Festival that attracts more than 500,000 visitors each September. The Western Festival is known to host one of the best outdoor rodeos in all of North America, spanning a period of 10 days and is the largest Western attraction in Eastern Canada.
Cataractes’ 17 year-old standout Anthony Beauvillier had a memorable weekend, picking up six points (2-4–6) over the two games. “We are truly fortunate to play in the Winter Classic,” he told L’Hebdo du St. Maurice reporter Samuel Duranceau-Cloutier. “These are beautiful moments. At one point, I looked at the bleachers and I realized how privileged we are. The crowd really helped us. I have no words, it’s amazing.”
Beauvillier didn’t miss a beat in his return from the 2015 BMO CHL/OHL Top Prospects Game in St. Catharines, ON where he captained Team Cherry. He earned first star honours with a goal and three assists on Friday night as his club defeated Victoriaville 4-2 with his late second period goal standing as the game winner.
Beauvillier picked up a goal and an assist on both of Shawinigan’s first two goals on Saturday as they took out a 2-0 lead on Québec after 20 minutes. The lead would be short-lived though as second period markers from Kurt Etchegary and New York Rangers prospect Ryan Graves knotted things at two.
Though Beauvillier scored in the shootout for the Cataractes, Québec tallies from Vladimir Tkachev and Marc-Olivier Roy sealed the deal on the Remparts’ 28th win of the season by a score of 3-2.
“We could not have a better place to play an outdoor game,” said Québec Head Coach Philippe Boucher. “Congratulations to the organizers for the experience they delivered to our players and fans.”
Outdoor games have now been played all across the CHL. The WHL’s Calgary Hitmen and Regina Pats battled at McMahon Stadium in Edmonton during the 2011 Heritage Classic while the Spokane Chiefs played host to the Kootenay Ice outdoors that same season.
The OHL followed suit in December 2013 as four teams participated in the Winter Classic in Detroit. The Windsor Spitfires faced the Saginaw Spirit while the London Knights took on the Plymouth Whalers at Comerica Park.
The QMJHL now rounds out the group, with the Shawinigan Cataractes hosting a memorable weekend of outdoor hockey.
For more information on the event, visit theqmjhl.ca
