GAME NIGHT

Shawinigan Cenre Bionest - less than 2 hours until the game

Nothing like a mostly empty hockey arena anticipating a big event.  Whatever excitement smells like, this is it.  The sounds of final touches, cleaning and workers putting yellow towels on each seat.

The hometown fans don't know what to expect from the Shawinigan Cataractes.  They got beat out exactly one month ago in the second round of the QMJHL playoffs.  They are in as a host team and the fans seem nervous early on.  As they arrive, the disco music gets them more into the spirit.
There are still some empty seats, likely those from London or Saint John who purchases ticket packages and are enjoying the town.

Guy Lafleur, the Memorial Cup ambassador

The Memorial Cup was given a suitable dignified greeting as the crowd paid tribute to those veterans who have served Canada.

Memorial Cup arrives

The crowd's biggest pre-game applause was saved for the introduction of the ambassador of the Memorial Cup, Guy Lafleur.  The former Montreal Canadiens legend has seasons of 1, 30, 50, 103 and 130 goals for the Quebec Jr. Aces and the Remparts from 1966 to 1971.  Lafleur led the Remparts to the Memorial Cup against the Edmonton Oil Kings.  That was the year the St. Catharines Blackhawks forfeited a series against Quebec, fearing hostility and even the threat of violence from the FLQ.

Tim Roszell Memorial Cup ring. 

It was great to run into a Fanshawe College Broadcast Journalism graduate Tim Roszell. Tim is the play-by-play voice of the Saint John Seadogs.  He has called 61 playoff games over the last three years for News 88.9 (Rogers) in Saint John.  He could add a maximum six this week if the Seadogs play in a tie breaker, a semi-final and final.  It's great to see his hard work pay off.  When he arrived at Fanshawe in the fall of 2002, Tim was focused on becoming a hockey broadcaster.  He volunteered for any play-by-play job he could get in the London area.  Now he has a Memorial Cup ring from the Saint Seadogs of 2011.