The Verdun Juniors were a junior ice hockey

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 1982 to 1984. They played 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...

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History

The Verdun Juniors were assembled by general manager Eric Taylor, and coached by Pierre Creamer

Pierre Creamer

Pierre Creamer is a former Canadian ice hockey coach. Creamer was head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1987–88 NHL season.-External links:...

. Verdun won the Presidents Trophy in the 1982-83 season as playoff champions, defeating the Trois-Rivières Draveurs

Trois-Rivières Draveurs

The Trois-Rivières Draveurs were a junior ice hockey team playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They played at the Colisée de Trois-Rivières, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The team was originally known as the Trois-Rivières Ducs and were a founding member of the QMJHL in 1969...

, Shawinigan Cataractes

Shawinigan Cataractes

The Shawinigan Cataractes are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Shawinigan, Quebec. The Cataractes have been previously known as the Shawinigan Bruins until 1973, and were called the Shawinigan Dynamos from 1973–78.The Cataractes play their...

 and the Longueuil Chevaliers

Longueuil Chevaliers

The Longueuil Chevaliers were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, playing in Longueuil, Quebec at Colisée Jean Béliveau. They were founded in 1982 and set a Canadian Hockey League record for the most successful season ever by an expansion franchise, going 37-29-4...

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The Juniors would compete in 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...

 that year versus the Lethbridge Broncos

Lethbridge Broncos

The Lethbridge Broncos were a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League from 1974 until 1986. They played at the Lethbridge Sportsplex.-Season-by-season record:...

, Portland Winter Hawks

Portland Winter Hawks

The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the...

 and the Oshawa Generals

Oshawa Generals

The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...

. Verdun would lose 7-6 to Portland, defeat Lethbridge 4-3, lose 5-1 to Oshawa, and lose 6-5 to Oshawa in the semi-final game, ending their hopes of a Memorial Cup championship.

After two very successful seasons, the team revived its old name to became the Verdun Jr. Canadiens

Verdun Jr. Canadiens

The Verdun Junior Canadiens were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1984 to 1989. They played at the Verdun Auditorium.-History:...

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Players

Pat LaFontaine

Pat LaFontaine

Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...

scored 104 goals and 130 assists for 234 points in the 1982-83 season, winning the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the top scorer, out-dueling future NHL icon Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...

. Two of the more prominent records he broke were Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur

Guy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted and popular players ever to play professional ice hockey...

's 40-game point-scoring streak and Mike Bossy

Mike Bossy

Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...

's 70 goals by a rookie.

He was awarded the Michel Brière Commemorative Trophy as the MVP of the regular season, the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs, the Michel Bergeron Trophy as the Offensive Rookie of the Year, the Mike Bossy Trophy as the best professional prospect, and the Frank J. Selke Commemorative Trophy as the Most sportsmanlike player. Also in 1982-1983 Pat LaFontaine was chosen 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...

 Player of the Year. Pat would be inducted into 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...

in 2003.

Also of note, is alumnus Claude Lemieux

Claude Lemieux

Claude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...

, who would play almost 1200 NHL games. He scored 379 goals, and won 4 Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

s in 1986 (Montreal), 1995 (New Jersey), 1996 (Colorado) & 2000 (New Jersey).

Billy Campbell was awarded the Emile Bouchard Trophy as the Defenceman of the year in the 1983-84 season. Jérôme Carrier was awarded the Frank J. Selke Commemorative Trophy as the Most sportsmanlike player in 1983-1984.

NHL alumni

Gerry Fleming Gerry Fleming Gerald Alexander Fleming is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 11 games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens. He is currently an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Barons.-External links:... Gerard Gallant Gerard Gallant Gerard "Turk" Gallant is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former NHL player.Gallant was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, sixth round, one-hundred seventh overall....

Pat LaFontaine Pat LaFontaine Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York... Claude Lemieux Claude Lemieux Claude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...

Shane MacEachern Shane MacEachern Shane MacEachern is a retired ice hockey centre. He played one game with the St. Louis Blues in the 1987–88 season.-External links:... Vincent Riendeau Vincent Riendeau Vincent Riendeau is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender. During his time in the National Hockey League, Riendeau played for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, and the Boston Bruins...

Regular Season

Season	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	Points	Pct %	Goals For	Goals Against	Standing
1982-83	70	50	19	1	101	0.721	486	303	2nd Lebel
1983-84	70	40	27	3	83	0.593	359	309	2nd Lebel

Playoffs

• 1982-83 Defeated Trois-Rivières Draveurs 4 games to 0 in quarter-finals.
  Defeated Shawinigan Cataractes 4 games to 2 in semi-finals.
  Defeated Longueuil Chevaliers 4 games to 1 in finals. QMJHL CHAMPIONS
  Lost to Oshawa Generals 6-5 in the semi-final game of the Memorial Cup.
• 1983-84 Defeated St.-Jean Castors 4 games to 0 in quarter-finals.
  Lost to Longueuil Chevaliers 4 games to 2 in semi-finals.