He chose the Remparts over another chance to win a championship

Before leaving for the Christmas break, the general manager of the Quebec Remparts Simon Gagné met his captain, Justin Côté, with a simple question: do you want to be traded to an aspiring team?

Even though it wasn’t what he wanted to do, Gagné knew his 20-year-old’s name would be very popular on the trade market. When he acquired it from the Drummondville Voltigeurs last summer, however, he was clear with him: he was not acquiring it simply with the aim of re-exchanging it during the holiday period. .

The plan, if Côté agreed, was for him to spend the year in Quebec and continue to play the crucial role of mentor to the talented group of young players on the Remparts.

“But if he had asked me to trade him to an aspiring team, I would have done it. But when I met him before Christmas, his response was automatic: I want to stay here,” he adds.

Help young people

For Côté, it would have been easy, even logical, to request a transaction. After all, he experienced the euphoria of victory with the Voltigeurs last year, and it would have been completely legitimate for him to want to try one last time to experience it.

But it’s another challenge that drives him in Quebec.

“It’s a new role for me. I want to get young people to learn how to win. I also like my usage and the play structure here. We are treated like kings in Quebec, and I had no desire to leave.”

“Very interesting” offers

Simon Gagné still recognizes it: he received offers that made him think. The name of the little captain of the Remparts has been very much in demand, and we can understand it: not only is his impact immense with the Red Devils this year but, in addition, he has the experience of a championship, an asset not negligible.

“There were some very good offers, and I was scratching my head,” assures Gagné.

Without going into details, he confirms that very good draft picks and players for next season were part of the discussions.

But, in the end, no price was high enough to convince him to trade Côté.

“Trading Justin would have deviated from the plan, and we said to ourselves, as an organization, that we would not do it this year. We want to have good leaders, guys who can demonstrate to our players what it means to have a work ethic and how to behave on and off the ice. Justin is the driving force of our team.”

A mark of respect

Gagné does not hide it, moreover: part of his decision not to trade Côté, nor any other veteran of the team, for that matter, was taken with the aim of showing respect to the team’s supporters. who continue to show up by the thousands during each game at the Videotron Center (9,368 on average this season).

“Our fans deserve to see a competitive team. Justin, every time he has the puck, what happens, he’s exciting to watch,” adds the general manager, who also emphasizes that it was important for him that his coaching staff, led by Éric Veilleux, can continue to work with a competitive team.

And it’s not Veilleux who will complain about it.

“I didn’t get involved, but I’m very happy,” assures the coach.

On the ice, he is able to take care of things almost single-handedly, through his work ethic and his competitiveness. He is a very good mentor for our young players who want to succeed and be successful.”

A quiet trading period for the Remparts

Last year, Simon Gagné was very, very busy during the holiday period, trading many veterans to help rebuild the team.

Thus, players who had helped win the Memorial Cup the previous season had left, including Vsevolod Komarov, Mikaël Huchette, Quentin Miller and Kassim Gaudet.

This year it was very different. Gagné did not compromise on any veteran, even placing himself in the camp of moderate buyers.

Here is a summary of his transactions.

: Quebec receives defenseman Étienne Desjardins from the Cape Breton Eagles in exchange for a second round pick in 2026.

Gagné wanted to improve his defensive brigade and Desjardins came to stabilize it. “C’is a very good defensive defender and we needed that,” said head coach Éric Veilleux.

: Quebec sends forward Nathan Plouffe to the Cape Breton Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2025.

The attackerandnergie was providing honest service to the organization, but his role in the future was becoming less and less clear with the team.

: Quebec sends defender Francis Samuel Pétigny to the Rimouski Océanic in return for a sixth round pick in 2025.

Pétigny had been a fifth-round pick of the Remparts in 2023 but, like Plouffe, it was becoming difficult to find a place for him in the lineup in the short and medium term.