SHERBROOKE – Canada’s victorious performance at the last World Junior Hockey Championship is now immortalized by a giant mural at the Palais des sports Léopold-Drolet, home of the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
The Estrie team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ) wanted to keep a memory of this harvest of medals from the last World Juniors. Five members of the organization obtained a medal by participating in the grand final between Canada and the Czech Republic on January 5th.
Canadians Joshua Roy, Tyson Hinds and coach Stéphane Julien (gold medal), as well as Czechs David Spacek and Jakub Brabenec (silver medal), now look great on one of the walls of the amphitheater facing the rink.
The surprise was great among the players. They knew something was up, since two huge sheets were waiting for them when they returned from the trip to the Maritimes last week.
“No one expected it here. We are very happy with the team’s initiative, it’s big what we experienced. I think we wanted to stay humble in all of this, but having that in the arena is fun, said Montreal Canadiens prospect Joshua Roy on Friday. It’s a pride for the city, I had a lot of text messages congratulating me on the course. It’s a big and impressive tournament, so I’m happy to have been able to leave my mark.
For Julien, the Phoenix initiative is a significant recognition.
“It’s a whole project of the organization, we can just be proud. The players appreciate the gesture. It’s a bit more than we expected. It’s not something you look for after winning such an event, he said from the outset.
“A mural like that is a bit like championship streamers. They are part of the team’s history, it is very important. This is a good idea, since when you go to the other arenas, you see the many banners that have been won. Here, we have five players who were in the final of this big event. It’s not nothing, it’s something exceptional.”
A feat of arms to commemorate
This gesture was made in a very natural way in the eyes of the formation of the Eastern Townships.
“The influence for the team and the city of this performance has not faded yet. Five members of the same team taking part in a final like that is extremely rare and we wanted to celebrate in a big way,” launched the club’s general manager, Jacqueline Belleau.
Moreover, on a second mural, the Phoenix also honors the members of the team that won a gold medal at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup last summer, namely Julien, head coach of the maple leaf, Ethan Gauthier and the sports therapist Lucie Grandmont. Roy is also present for his involvement in winning the gold medal at the 2022 World Juniors.
