Sorel Éperviers
Encyclopedia
The Sorel Éperviers were a junior ice hockey
team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
from 1969 to 1981. The team was one of the founding members of the QMJHL. They mostly played at the Colisée Cardin
in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
, but also spent a few seasons at the Verdun Auditorium
in the Montreal
suburb of Verdun, Quebec. The most famous Épervier alumnus would undoubtedly be Ray Bourque
, who is also the only former Épervier in the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
The Éperviers originated in the Quebec Junior Hockey League, and were the league's champion in 1969. Sorel were finalists in the eastern Canadian championship for the George Richardson Memorial Trophy
, losing 3 games to 1 to the Montreal Junior Canadiens.
The 1973–74 QMJHL season
sparked an offensive explosion, unmatched in Canadian Hockey League
history. Sorel set a CHL record of 620 goals scored as a team. Three Sorel players, Pierre Larouche
, Michel Deziel
and Jacques Cossette
, had more than 90 goals and 200 points each. Sorel goalkeeper Claude Legris also posted the highest goals against average
of 4.50 goals per game for a Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy
winner.
In 1981 the franchise moved to Granby, Quebec
where they became the Granby Bisons
. They won the Memorial Cup
there in 1996
. The franchise is today the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
.
Note :Pct = Winning percentage
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
from 1969 to 1981. The team was one of the founding members of the QMJHL. They mostly played at the Colisée Cardin
Colisée Cardin
The Colisée Cardin is an indoor arena located in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. It has a capacity of 3,037 people. It once hosted the Sorel Éperviers of the QMJHL. The arena's primary tenant today is Sorel-Tracy GCI of the LNAH....
in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
Sorel-Tracy is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada and the geographical end point of the Lake Champlain Valley at the confluence of the Richelieu River and the St. Lawrence River, on the western edge of Lac Saint-Pierre downstream and east of nearby Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006...
, but also spent a few seasons at the Verdun Auditorium
Verdun Auditorium
The Verdun Auditorium is the main arena in the Montreal borough of Verdun, Quebec, Canada. The building was constructed in 1938 and holds 4,114. The largest arena in the west end of Montreal, the complex also is home to Arena Denis Savard, a small minor-hockey rink, attached to its side...
in the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
suburb of Verdun, Quebec. The most famous Épervier alumnus would undoubtedly be Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League . Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and...
, who is also the only former Épervier in the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
The Éperviers originated in the Quebec Junior Hockey League, and were the league's champion in 1969. Sorel were finalists in the eastern Canadian championship for the George Richardson Memorial Trophy
George Richardson Memorial Trophy
The George T. Richardson Memorial Trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1972 by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to the Eastern Canadian Junior "A" Champions. The trophy is named in honour of George T. Richardson, an Allan Cup winner with Queen’s University in 1909...
, losing 3 games to 1 to the Montreal Junior Canadiens.
The 1973–74 QMJHL season
1973–74 QMJHL season
The 1973–74 QMJHL season was the fifth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. East and west divisions resumed with the addition of two new teams, the Hull Festivals and Chicoutimi Saguenéens...
sparked an offensive explosion, unmatched in Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
history. Sorel set a CHL record of 620 goals scored as a team. Three Sorel players, Pierre Larouche
Pierre Larouche
Pierre "Lucky Pierre" Larouche is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Hartford Whalers, and New York Rangers.-Hockey career:...
, Michel Deziel
Michel Deziel
Michel Deziel is a former professional ice hockey left winger. He was drafted in the third round, 47th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. He played just one game in the National Hockey League with the Sabres, appearing in a single playoff contest during the team's...
and Jacques Cossette
Jacques Cossette
Jacques Cossette is a retired Canadian ice hockey right winger. He played for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL....
, had more than 90 goals and 200 points each. Sorel goalkeeper Claude Legris also posted the highest goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
of 4.50 goals per game for a Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy
Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy
The Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the goaltender in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the best goals-against average. It is named for Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Jacques Plante.-Winners:-External links:...
winner.
In 1981 the franchise moved to Granby, Quebec
Granby, Quebec
Granby is a city in southwestern Quebec, located east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 47,637. Granby is the seat of La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality. It is the fifth most populated city in Montérégie after Longueuil, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Brossard and...
where they became the Granby Bisons
Granby Bisons
The Granby Bisons were a junior ice hockey team founded in 1981 after the team moved from Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, where they had previously been known as the Sorel Éperviers. The Bisons played at Arena Leonard Grondin in Granby, Quebec. In 1995 they were renamed the Granby Prédateurs. Today they are...
. They won the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
there in 1996
1996 Memorial Cup
The 1996 Memorial Cup occurred May 11-19 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario. Participating teams were the host Peterborough Petes, who were also the champions of the Ontario Hockey League, as well as the OHL runner-up Guelph Storm, and the winners of the Quebec Major...
. The franchise is today the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are a major junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Their home rink is Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.-Franchise history :...
.
NHL alumni
|
|
|
Season-by-season record
- Sorel Éperviers (1969–1977)
- Verdun Éperviers (1977–1979)
- Verdun/Sorel Éperviers (1979–1980)
- Sorel Éperviers (1980–1981)
Note :Pct = Winning percentage
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Pct | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–70 1969–70 QMJHL season The 1969–70 QMJHL season was the first season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Eleven teams formed the new league, ten from Quebec and one from Ontario... |
56 | 33 | 23 | 0 | 66 | 0.589 | 295 | 220 | 4th, East |
| 1970–71 1970–71 QMJHL season The 1970–71 QMJHL season was the second season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Ten teams played 62 games each in the schedule. The league dissolves East and West Divisions. The Frank J... |
62 | 25 | 36 | 1 | 51 | 0.411 | 214 | 249 | 6th, QMJHL |
| 1971–72 1971–72 QMJHL season The 1971–72 QMJHL season was the third season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Ten teams played 62 games each in the schedule. The Cornwall Royals finished first place in the regular season, and won the President's Cup, defeating the Quebec Remparts in the finals... |
62 | 38 | 24 | 0 | 76 | 0.613 | 287 | 224 | 4th, QMJHL |
| 1972–73 1972–73 QMJHL season The 1972–73 QMJHL season was the fourth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The summer of 1972 saw the departure of the Saint-Jérôme Alouettes and the Verdun Maple Leafs from the league, reducing the circuit to eight teams... |
64 | 38 | 23 | 3 | 79 | 0.617 | 398 | 362 | 3rd, QMJHL |
| 1973–74 1973–74 QMJHL season The 1973–74 QMJHL season was the fifth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. East and west divisions resumed with the addition of two new teams, the Hull Festivals and Chicoutimi Saguenéens... |
70 | 58 | 11 | 1 | 117 | 0.836 | 620 | 301 | 1st, East |
| 1974–75 1974–75 QMJHL season The 1974–75 QMJHL season was the sixth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Ten teams played 72 games each in the schedule... |
72 | 20 | 43 | 9 | 49 | 0.340 | 297 | 388 | 4th, East |
| 1975–76 1975–76 QMJHL season The 1975–76 QMJHL season was the seventh season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurates the Emile Bouchard Trophy to be awarded to the "Defenceman of the Year." Ten teams played 72 games each in the schedule.... |
72 | 27 | 34 | 11 | 65 | 0.451 | 302 | 377 | 4th, East |
| 1976–77 1976–77 QMJHL season The 1976–77 QMJHL season was the eighth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The leagues renames its division in honour of Robert Lebel and Frank Dilio, two lifetime contributors to ice hockey in Quebec. The East Division becomes the "Dilio Division" and the West Division... |
72 | 19 | 48 | 5 | 43 | 0.299 | 319 | 448 | 5th, Dilio |
| 1977–78 1977–78 QMJHL season The 1977–78 QMJHL season was the ninth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurates two awards, the Robert Lebel Trophy for the team with best goals against average, and the Guy Lafleur Trophy for the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. Ten teams played... |
72 | 32 | 31 | 9 | 73 | 0.507 | 378 | 332 | 4th, Lebel |
| 1978–79 1978–79 QMJHL season The 1978–79 QMJHL season was the tenth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The QMJHL unveils a new logo for its tenth anniversary, using the letters of league's french acronym shaped as an ice skate. Ten teams played 72 games each in the schedule... |
72 | 41 | 24 | 7 | 89 | 0.618 | 367 | 313 | 1st, Lebel |
| 1979–80 1979–80 QMJHL season The 1979–80 QMJHL season was the 11th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Ten teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Castors finished first overall in the regular season, winning the Jean Rougeau Trophy. The Cornwall Royals, led by rookie Dale... |
72 | 20 | 47 | 5 | 45 | 0.312 | 321 | 426 | 4th, Lebel |
| 1980–81 1980–81 QMJHL season The 1980–81 QMJHL season was the 12th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurated three new trophies for players. The Marcel Robert Trophy is first awarded to the "Best Scholastic Player" and the Mike Bossy Trophy is first awarded to the "Best Professional... |
72 | 36 | 30 | 6 | 78 | 0.542 | 333 | 303 | 2nd, Lebel |