The Demers era begins among the Capitals

For the main person who has held a multitude of positions in the organization for 12 years, this appointment has never been a career objective.

“Absolutely not, Michel’s departure happened quickly and when the owners asked me if I was interested in the position, I had to think long and hard about the situation.”

His attachment to the Capitals, however, gave him his answer. He was also presented as a person who had blue and yellow blood.

“I believe I have the DNA of the Capitals in me. I was raised here and I’m like a fish to water. I became a manager and I became a dad here too. I have a strong feeling of belonging and I have the desire to continue this mission which was started 25 years ago,” explains Demers, who will not hesitate to ask Michel Laplante for advice if necessary.

A motivated young president

Charles Demers therefore takes over the destiny of the Quebec sports organization at only 31 years old. Even if he wishes to add his two cents, he assures that he will not forget the history of the training.

“The primary objective is to take care of what has been built over the years. There are many employees who have been with us for a long time and I know that the fans are attached to Michel Laplante. My goal is not to replace him, but to continue what he started.”

After three consecutive championships and a wave of immense love towards the organization, does the young leader believe he can still improve the winning recipe?

“The pressure I’m going to have is the pressure I’m going to put on my shoulders. I have a habit of never doing things by halves and that will remain the case. Obviously, we can’t expect championships every year, but what we can control we will do,” explains the man who wants to focus his attention on baseball operations, marketing and relations with the league. while abandoning his administrative tasks.

Asked if it was his biggest day professionally, Demers did not see things that way.

“I don’t feel like there’s a lot that’s going to change in my personality or in my day-to-day work. I will have the same qualities and the same faults as before and that is what I told the employees. To answer the question, no.”

Only one candidate

The owner Philippe Tremblay assured for his part that the list of candidates for the position was very short.

“He has been observing Michel for a long time, he knows the organization like the back of his hand and he provides us with continuity. The Capitals of tomorrow will be what we see today. It is remarkable that he took over as president of the organization at just 31 years old. The choice was easy to make, it was up to him.”

Tremblay assures that Demers checked all the boxes for the position.

“We didn’t look at any other candidates. The choice was easy. He is perfect for this position and is someone who is very creative and constantly reinventing himself. I’m not worried about the future of the Capitals.”

Stability

A similar story for manager Patrick Scalabrini who was delighted with this appointment.

“It wasn’t a big secret. Charles comes to dispel any doubts that might have arisen with Michel’s departure. He was already sailing the boat for a while and it’s no coincidence that there are more fans coming to the stadium for a while. It really stabilizes the organization.”

Scalabrini ended the discussion by assuring that his role is not expected to change with the new president in charge.

A batting presence

Demers made the media laugh by saying that he had even played a match for the Quebec Capitales in 2017.

With a shortage of personnel, Demers even wrote his own contract before going down to field level. He had borrowed undersized cleats from another player and took the manager’s glove.

“I told Pat that I did very well in center field when I was a junior. I was patrolling right field for the game and told myself that the ball should not be hit in my direction. I even went to bat and was struck out on three consecutive pitches,” the new president explains with a smile.