OFF DAY - Kevin Raine hair.   What's a Catacractes?  2012 Memorial Cup honours two Canadiens greats.    

Knights Kevin Raine talks with broadcaster Mike Stubbs

What is with Kevin Raines' hair?  The soon to be 19 year-old London Knights defenceman from Dryden brought by the mullet look for the playoffs.  He likes it so much he has decided to keep it after the tournament.   


Many players on the Saint John Seadogs have decided the Mohawk look is better.  


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Jonathan Huberdeau talks to Tim Roszell of News 88.9

The Knights coaching staff went over video of the 6-2 loss to Shawinigan this morning.  They didn't like what they saw.  The didn't block 
enough shots, didn't play tight defensively.


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If Saint John Seadogs win tonights game, all four teams will be tied at 1-1.  If the Knights beat Edmonton and Saint John beats Shawinigan, the Knights would win the round robin and advance to Sunday's final.  That would give the team five days off.

The half hour ride from Trois Riviere to Shawinigan every day allows us to explore the beautiful countryside and history of the area.  Our shuttle driver today, Denis Jean gave us a tour of the Cataracte de Shawinigan.   There is a beautiful city park two minutes from downtown which was the beginning of hydro electric power in Quebec.   


A Cataracte is a powerful cascade of water instead of one steep drop like Niagara Falls.  A Cataracte is when water falls with great force over a series of steps.   The energy of this drop is harnessed and turned into electric power.  


The word Shawinigan is a Native Canadian term for 'portage..'  The first settlers had to portage around this area due to the elevation changes and waterfalls.  

Tournament poster art - Memorial Cup 2012

Guy Lafleur is the official ambassador to the Memorial Cup.  His hometown is the other side of Montreal (Thurso).   Guy is still remembered for bringing the province a Memorial Cup win in 1971 vs. the Edmonton Oil Kings. 

Jacques Plante - at an oldtimers game. 

The Centre Bionest, the home arena of the Cataractes, is on rue Jacques Plante, who was raised in Shawinigan Falls.  The 'Falls..'  was the original name of the town when it was first commissioned.  Did you know Jacques Plante would knit his own touques?  He continued his knitting into his NHL years.  He started playing goal because asthma prevented him from skating for long periods of time.  He was one of the first goalies to handle the puck outside the crease and it's well known he was the first to wear a mask.  Plante died of stomach cancer in a Geneva hospital at the age of 57.  Plante had moved to Switzerland to live with his second wife.  He is buried in Sierre, Switzerland just south east of Geneva.