A year after his departure, the Remparts can finally enter the post-Patrick Roy era

Patrick Roy’s legacy will never be forgotten, with the Quebec Remparts, and a banner on the ceiling of the Videotron Centre will always be there to remind us of it. However, for the first time since his departure, it seems that we can finally begin the post-Patrick Roy era.

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Last year, even though Simon Gagné replaced him as general manager of the team and Éric Veilleux as head coach, his mark remained very present in the team’s entourage.

At the start of the season, several players he had brought with the Remparts and who had helped the team win the Gilles-Courteau Trophy and the Memorial Cup were still present, while Gagné and Veilleux had to live with the label of “Roy’s replacements.”

And Gagné got a taste of it during the trade period, when he traded said veterans in order to follow his plan to rebuild the team, and many fans did not hesitate to make known their dissatisfaction with the departure of these players who had given them so many great moments a few months earlier.

“Last year, we felt it a little bit. It was still Pat’s team, especially at the beginning of the season. Slowly, not quickly, with the trades we made during the holidays, it was really more my vision, my team. We saw very good players who had helped us the year before leave, but we had to think about the future.”

While last year was technically considered Year 1 of the rebuilding plan, it can be seen more as a transition year. The 2024-25 season will be the true first of the Gagné-Veilleux era. No player on the team played under Roy, although a few were drafted under his reign.

Still involved

However, it should not be believed that the head coach of the New York Islanders does not keep a close eye on what is happening with his former loves.

“He came by twice during training camp. We discussed a lot of topics related to the team. He’ll definitely never be far away. He even followed our exhibition games. I didn’t think he watched us that much, but he knew who had scored and who had points. I’ll probably call him to get his opinion a few times during the season, I know his phone is always open,” added Gagné, who plans to visit Roy and Benoit Desrosiers in New York at some point this season.

Evidence made

Despite his vast experience in the hockey world, Gagné was still a rookie in the general manager position last year. Without saying that he feels more comfortable this season, he acknowledges that he knows more about what awaits him.

“I have experience in the draft and the trade periods. Maybe last year, some general managers thought I was bluffing when I told them something before realizing I was telling the truth. Same thing on my side, I was able to get to know some colleagues better than others.

“I think that with the trades I made during the holidays and at the draft, I showed my colours and I’m happy with what we accomplished as an organization,” he said, adding that he already has an eye on the 2025 draft, which will once again be very important for the organization.

The opinion of the DG of the Remparts on…

… the quality of the 2024-2025 Remparts alignment

“We’re going to be an exciting team to watch. We’re young, but we’re young with talent. I see it in our practices, there’s a big difference from last year. Some nights, it’s going to be more difficult when we play against older teams, but otherwise we’re going to do well. It’s fun because the players we have are going to be here for a long time.”

…the draft season of 6-foot-8 goaltender Louis-Antoine Denault

“I won’t lie that there are already scouts asking about him. It’s a lot of pressure for a young guy who doesn’t have a lot of experience yet. He was very good at the end of the season last year in important games, so he has that experience under his belt. I expect there to be more difficult moments, but we built our defensive brigade with two 20-year-old players and a 19-year-old European to help him. We also have a sports psychologist at the team’s disposal, in addition to goalkeeping coach Pascal Lizotte who is doing a very good job. I’m confident he’ll react well.”

…the importance of playing young people despite the objective of making the series

“We will have to find a happy medium. We have young people who have to play and we have been clear, Eric [Veilleux] and me, that the 16-year-olds that we keep, they have to play. We are in year 2 of our reconstruction but we want to make the playoffs and the points will be important.”