The 'Q' has returned to Montreal for another round but it appears that they may have found a winning formula this time.
MONTREAL, Que. -- There's a quiet buzz a few hours before puck drop.
Vendors begin setting up their merchandise booths. Autograph seekers pace near the entrance of the rink, patiently awaiting the arrival of their favourite players. Journalists and scouts mark their media notes, preparing for the game ahead.
As the players begin filing in the rink late in the afternoon, adorning jackets and toques which make them inconspicuous to the average fan, the autograph seekers converge on the players they have been awaiting for the better part of an hour.
"You're going to have a great, long career," one fan says to one of the young, promising players as he autographs his number on the back of a jersey.
The situation is no different than any other across Canada. But for a team still playing their first season in one of the biggest Canadian markets, the buzz at the rink is an affirmation of their early success.
The decision to move the former St. John's Fog Devils franchise to Montreal last year was met with a high degree of skepticism. After all, the Québec Major Junior Hockey League has seen nothing but failure in Montreal in several attempts.
While it's too early to predict the future of the Montreal Juniors franchise, there is already a tell-tale sign that this time could be different.
The Juniors play out of the old Verdun Auditorium, which was built in the late 1930s. In a fancy city that embraces modernism, the old, bench seating at the rink lends itself very nicely to the junior hockey atmosphere. In addition, the rink's capacity - just over 4,000 - is ideal for the team while it continues building its identity in the city.
Of course, the rink isn't new to junior hockey. The Verdun Juniors and Verdun Eperviers have previously called it home, which adds a certain historical feel.
"There's a lot of history when you think of it. Pat LaFontaine played here (as a member of the Juniors in 1982-83)," offered Pascal Vincent, Montreal's head coach and general manager. "I think there are a few ghosts in the building."
One of the main reasons junior hockey hadn't previously been able to survive is a lack of atmosphere at the rink. The last team to give Montreal a try left for P.E.I. in 2003 after four seasons playing in the Maurice Richard Arena and at the 21,273-seat Bell Centre. While Calgary and Vancouver in the Western Hockey League have enjoyed success playing in huge National Hockey League arenas (in Vancouver's case, a former NHL rink), the fan base warrants their decision.
Placing a junior hockey team, with no solid fan base in the Canadian Hockey League's biggest rink - let alone one of the biggest among NHL arenas - and it makes for dull atmosphere.
"Playing at the Maurice Richard Arena or the Bell Centre, it wasn't too much atmosphere at those games," Vincent said. "If you go to a game, as a fan, and there's nothing going on and there's not much atmosphere, it doesn't give you the desire to go again. You come here and I think you want to come back."
Tuesday's game against the Chicoutimi Saguenéens wasn't short on atmosphere. In fact, the crowd was so amped up, even the Timbits players during the intermission received a raucous ovation from the crowd after goals.
Which begs the question: If Montreal, a city so passionate and crazed about the NHL's Canadiens, can love a sport so much, why can't it also support a junior team?
It won't be easy for the Juniors surviving side-by-side with the Canadiens, which is something the team is well aware of.
"I know it's a Canadiens city but we're becoming known around the city and we're drawing a great fan base," goaltender Jake Allen said. "They're getting a lot of kids coming out to see what it's like and they're coming back more and more. We're getting a great fan base so far and since the start of the year it's been awesome."
"It's only our first year," Vincent added. "We're going to create some momentum with the fans and the people supporting major junior hockey."
While Allen conceded the players aren't often recognized around the city by fans just yet, the move to a big city like Montreal is the perfect situation for players aspiring to turn pro.
"Coming here is a great experience to get to see what the big city life is like and we have to get used to it if a lot of us want to move on in hockey," he said. "It's a good thing for us."
The Juniors have averaged 3,107 fans per home game so far this season. Most important, the team has enjoyed some success this season, currently second in the Telus Western Division.
With their spot in the playoffs already guaranteed, the Juniors are hoping the crowd will step it up a notch when the playoffs get underway.
"I think it's a rink where you don't want to be playing against Montreal in the playoffs," Vincent said. "I think it could be pretty intense, to a point where it could be a little bit scary to the opponent.
"We want to have a bunch of players that are proud to wear that jersey but we also want to have fans that are proud to support our team."
Should the buzz turn into a frenzy, it could soon be the Juniors enjoying the great, long career in Montreal.