A game to honor the 20 year old players and the fans!
GATINEAU – The Olympiques were in action tonight for the last time in the regular season as the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada visited the Slush Puppie Centre. For the occasion, the Olympiques organization wanted to celebrate their three 20 year old players who are finishing their junior training period this season. During the pre-game ceremony, Francesco Lapenna, Isaac Belliveau and Cole Cormier welcomed family members and friends on the ice to present the players with a gift.
Acquired from the Quebec Remparts in 2021, Cole Cormier will have spent two seasons in Gatineau and is enjoying his best season ever in terms of statistics with 33 goals and 36 assists in 65 games. Cormier has become an important part of the organization since his arrival.
Isaac Belliveau came to Gatineau in a trade for the 2020-21 season. The defenseman was then selected in the NHL draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins and recently signed his NHL entry-level contract with the same team. In 54 games this season, the defenseman has 46 points!
Newly arrived in Gatineau following a trade on December 19, Francesco Lapenna has wasted no time in becoming a fan favorite in Gatineau. In 23 games in a Gatineau uniform, Lapenna has a goals-against-average of 2.20 and an impressive .927 save percentage. Francesco will remain in the region next season when he joins the uOttawa Gee-Gees!
“I couldn’t have finished in a better place to end my career. The fans here in Gatineau are amazing and it feels like home! -Francesco Lapenna, Gatineau Olympiques goalie
Lots of goals!
At 14:19 in the first period, Tristan Luneau got rid of an opponent with his excellent puck control and sent a shot that escaped the Armada goalie’s sight to open the scoring! Just 1:13 later, while Louis Robitaille’s team was on the power play, Alexis Gendron collected a rebound and slid the puck past Gravel to make it 2-0 Gatineau. The #72 of the Olympiques scored his 54th of the season against his former team. Gatineau wasted no time in adding more! A little over a minute after Gendron’s goal, Marcel Marcel picked up a rebound and tripled the lead. The 5,000 fans at the Slush Puppie Center began to chant “Oh Marcel! as the Cowboys Fringants’ Marcel Galarneau song was played.
At the beginning of the second period, while the Gatineau team was on the power play, Tristan Luneau took a shot from the top of the offensive zone and the return shot fell in front of Alexis Gendron who scored his second of the game and 55th of the season! 4-0 Gatineau. A few minutes later, Riley Kidney controls the puck in offensive territory, goes around the net and on a fall, passes to Olivier Nadeau in the slot who scores a 5th consecutive goal for the crowd favorites!
In the middle of the 3rd, Jacob-Renaud Viau sends the puck into the back of the Armada territory, Antonin Verreault recovers and sends a perfect pass to Cole Cormier who is left alone in the slot to score the 6th goal of the game for the Olympiques. Gatineau’s Jacob-Renaud Viau gets his first QMJHL assist and 2nd point of the season on Cole Cormier’s 33rd goal of the season.
Fans on fire!
The 5000 fans present at the Slush Puppie Center made sure to finish the regular season in style! An electrifying atmosphere could be felt in the stands tonight! In addition to the incredible atmosphere throughout the season, fans broke a single season attendance record with 127,055 fans.
“Thank you to the 127,000 fans! They gave us wings!” -Louis Robitaille, Head Coach
Olympiques players also stayed on the ice after the game to hand out gifts to the many fans!
One last game before the playoffs
The Olympiques will hit the road to face the Armada this Saturday for the final game of the regular season. The QMJHL playoffs will then begin! The first round opponent is still unknown at this time but the Olympiques will host the first game of the series.
