THE LFA, THE YEAR THAT WAS.....
/THE FOUR TEAMS OF THE INAUGURAL SEaSON
The on-ice activities of the first season of the LFA are barely over with a series of three games to see in action our young (and not so young) recruits who want to join our league that its time to look back at the last few months. I’m sitting in front of my screen for my first Saturday without any responsibility or problems to resolve. It’s a dead calm....
I love hockey in all of its forms, the rich history, the passions it provokes. The self-expression, the teamwork, the camaraderie. Organizing this sport also brings some joys, but it’s also a burden that can be difficult to bear at times. That’s why I am so happy to get to this summer pause as hockey boss, if I can frame our Saturday games in such terms. It’s a job I’ve held for 15 years, going back to the HOCKEY BROTHERHOOD where many of our players come from.Before I get to the year that was, I would like to talk to you about the birth of the LFA on 12/12/12. that was the date I received confirmation from Richard Lecavalier of Collège Notre-Dame that we would get our additional ice time. Years of lobbying finally bore fruit. We would be able to create a legue unlike any other that will lead us places we can’t predict.
I’ve already mentioned the creation of the logo and LFA cup in other articles, but at the risk of repeating myself let me say it was always my dream that an optimal hockey league would have support, creativity and contributions from friends who would each participate in their own way and make the LFA possible. Innumerable details often dreamed up by me but consolidated by others are part of creating out of whole cloth a league that aspires to be a cut above.The creative aspect is certainly the part that stimulates me the most and even if we have the inaugural season in the books, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure the league thrives for the long term and lives up to the ambition of being the new face of hockey in Quebec.
PUCK DROP BEFORE THE FIRST LFA GAME (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) PATRICK BALDWIN, LAurent quesnel ,JEAN-FRANCOIS DESBOIS,PHILLIPPE-MICHEL LANG & ERIC DRAPEAU
Before a puck was dropped on this first season, we worked tirelessly to make sure everything was in place for game #1. I’ll spare you the details, but a lot of people, money, help, work, and determination were brought together to launch a project that was much more than just finding players, ice time, sweaters, pucks and a referee. It’s true, I could have made this a bit more simple. But why? We are living in an antiseptic world where mediocrity is the norm and indifference reigns. I won’t ride off on my hobbyhorse, but the human condition is very disappointing and I think it’s up to each of us to whip up our corner of the world to improve it while we’re here. But this requires vision, and a willingness to work for something else then just money, which scares a lot of people.
THE FIRST EVER OFFICIAL LFA MEETING LAST SUMMER AT THE LEAGUES HEAD QUARTERS WHERE EVERY PLAYER WAS EVALUATED
This is why the LFA stands apart from other leagues: it’s the attention to detail, the desire to offer members an ultimate hockey experience, on and off the ice. Again, I won’t go into great detail about what this means, but I would invite you to explore the pages of this site to discover the rich content that reflects the men who make up our league. And for those who have not yet had the chance to play with us and want to have a different kind of hockey experience, you’ve come to the right place.
Getting back to our origins, the summer of 2013 arrived with a good base of sponsors and players, and it was time to evaluate our players and make up our teams. Four coach/captains were named and other founding members, as I like to call them, made their voices heard to build the first four teams in the history of the grandest little hockey league in the country. (As I like to dream…)
Once assembled, the teams came together for the pre-season party and inaugural barbeque, where the team uniforms were unveiled along with the cup we would compete for throughout the year. This was just one of the aspects that make our league special: Off-ice activities ensure that once on the ice we can concentrate on playing, and limiting the quarrelsome nonsense that sometimes plagues our sport.
JFD & ERIC DRAPEAU CO-CREATORS OF THE LFA CUP DURING ITS LAUNCH AT THE THE FIRST ANNUAL PRE-SEASON BBQ
The people who understand this aspect of our league -- of camaraderie and friendly competition - are the ones who draw the most out of being part of the Ligue Fédérale des As family, under the watchful eye of the Hockey Brotherhood Association.
The big day finally arrived. September 14, 2013, and the inaugural game of the LFA. The games were hotly contested, which allowed us to foresee the parity that would be the hallmark of the league. I don’t want to name too many names in this article, because they are too numerous, but let the record show that Robinson Henry wearing the colours of the Bifteck Avengers scored the first goal in the history of the LFA.
THE FIRST EDITION OF THE LFA DURING THE INAUGURAL GAMES
It was inevitable there would be a few bugs in the first year of expansion after 15 years of our friendly game where teams were made by tossing sticks every night. Some took a while to understand the FRIENDLY nature of our competitive league, or the importance of taking part in the social aspects of our game. With time, we weeded some people out. Outside of this unpleasant aspect, parity was difficult to achieve because some players needed time to get going and others went into slumps. Balance wasn’t always easy to find. With the arrival of new players and our expansion to six teams next year and a new system to balance the teams, I believe we learned a few things in our first season that will allow us to find the right level of competition for everyone.
The dominance of one or two teams after several months of competition forced the administration to make some changes with the coach/captains at the start of December. Having kept a free roster spot for each team to add an additional player, we welcomed some new players and made some roster changes, but they didn’t have the desired effect. When some frequent and last-minute absences were added in (by people ignored the clear rules of the league) two teams went into a dive.
JFD, THE PRESIDENT OF THE THE LFA WITH RYAN FRANK FROM THE MONTREAL CANADIENS CHILDREN FOUNDATION AT THE BELL CENTER
With the arrival of 2014, came the grande finale of our league with profits going to the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. Community spirit is another aspect that sets us apart from others. We managed to raise $4,400 for the foundation in our first collective effort, which also created a nice outing for families, spouses, children and friends in a final that felt like an intergenerational party.
To close the season, the victorious Rouge Horizon Tomahawks and most of the players from the opposing team and players from the two other teams got together at our favorite spot where the food is good and inexpensive to break bread and let the beer flow.
Like all self-respecting leagues, a few weeks later we held and end-of-season gala to honor those who stood apart this season. In no particular order, here are the players who were honored to end the official activities of our league:
LARRY WINNER OF THE BEST OFF-ICE SPIRIT WITH ASTACIA FROM THE WINDSOR HYPER BAR & GRILL AND YOU KNOW WHO AT THIS YEARS END OF SEASON GALA.
Best Goaltender - Patrick Bouchard
Best Defenseman - Raymond Hughes
Best Defensive Forward - Eric Drapeau
Most Goals - Julien Staeger
Most Points - Julien Staeger
Best Sporting Spirit - Michael Wees
Substitute of the Year - Matthew Peris
Unsung Hero - Gio Pigafitta
Best off-ice Spirit - Larry
Playoffs MVP - Etienne Arsenault
Also, a special mention to Ludovic Hellias who had the most assists, both in the regular season and the playoffs. He’s a real Adam Oates!
Given all the decisions, stories and rumors about all that went on in the league, I could go on and on to recount this first season. But I think my time would be better spent this off-season to build toward the next season of the LFA. The future is unpredictable in an endeavour like this. Nothing is guaranteed. That’s why working on such a project is a full-time job (or a volunteer-full-time-job, if I check my bank account). I am counting on league merchandise and the expansion of our league and concept from here to "Saint Clin Clin dans Curve" so I can continue this project and launch a new era of adult hockey in Quebec.So this in a nut shell is the story of our first year and some of our birth onto the hockey planet. To be continued......
