Despite backlash, the Cataractes are confident they won their Memorial Cup bid based on merit.
SHAWINIGAN, Que. -- The shock waves from last week's MasterCard Memorial Cup announcement have long since subsided in the quiet and peaceful city of Shawinigan.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced one of its oldest franchises, an original team when the league formed 42 years ago, would host the 2012 tournament in favour of one of its newest teams in Saint John. Many have questioned aloud the validity of the decision while others have gone as far as saying the Saint John committee was robbed.
The Sea Dogs, the top-ranked team in the nation for 15 straight weeks, are considered to be the cream of the crop this season with a strong core of returning players next season. The on-ice product coupled with the city's infrastructure led many to believe the Saint John bid was a slam dunk.
But here, in the tranquil host city, the shock waves are gone. Perhaps more interestingly, they weren’t even felt here at all.
In the hours leading up to the decision and again after it was announced, the mud-flinging could be seen from the Maritimes to Quebec and back. Saint John backers felt the only thing Shawinigan had that it did not, was an unfair advantage in already having bid for the 2009 tournament.
If you ask Shawinigan Cataractes general manager Martin Mondou, the team's repeat bid did help, but not in the way it's being portrayed.
"I don't agree with people saying we have it just because we bid the last time," Mondou said Thursday, "because I'm telling you, (our bid was) 20 times better than last time."
The Cataractes learned from the disappointment and heartbreak in missing out on the 2009 tournament, which was awarded to Rimouski. Hindsight has a way of clearing up misconceptions and even the team's general manager was willing to admit the Cataractes weren't quite ready then to host the tournament.
"I understand (the Sea Dogs') thinking because we did think the same last time," Mondou said. "We were upset, we were shocked and it's normal because you work so hard on that process, you invested money and maybe in one year or two years, they will want to apply again. We'll give them what we did in our organization and they'll say, ‘Oh, they did that’ and they're going to see what we did. Same with what we did with Rimouski and saying, ‘Oh, we have to be better on that part, we have to be better.'"
Saint John not only had the stronger projected lineup next season, but easier access with hotels within the city. Shawinigan is home to far fewer major hotels than Saint John and the host city will lean on the bigger city nearby in Trois-Rivieres.
The relationship between the two cities is already cemented since nearly half of the Cataractes' fans are from Trois-Rivieres, Mondou said. It may not be the most ideal situation, but Mondou hardly sees it as a negative aspect for the tournament.
"Our league has 18 teams and there (are) 18 different situations, but we're all part of the same league," he said. "We're all important to each other in the process."
It's easy to forget the type of economic impact hosting this tournament can have for the host region. While the Cataractes have the history -- and the distinction of not having won a championship -- this is a market that was far from stable in an economically-depressed city.
Mondou feels the new rink and the hosting rights for this tournament is a positive affirmation for other teams within the province.
"What Shawinigan did to go and build the rink to save the team, save the franchise, to bring new people in -- it was a great message," Mondou explained.
Perhaps the biggest point of contention for Sea Dogs backers is the discrepancy in talent. The Sea Dogs are the favourite to win the league championship this season while the Cataractes could be on the verge of being eliminated as early as Friday night against the Quebec Remparts in the second round.
Mondou is convinced he was able to sell the league on his teams' ability to not only be a worthy host team on the ice, but claim that first championship. In addition to a very young lineup, Mondou boasts 11 draft picks in the first six rounds for the upcoming draft.
"(We're) as strong as Saint John," he said. "We don't have a key player like (Jonathan) Huberdeau and (Zack) Phillips. We're a different team. We have pretty good depth.
"We have the assets to go get what we need."
If there's a perception the Sea Dogs should have won the right to host the tournament, it's not felt in Quebec.
"It's based where you are," Mondou said. "Maritimers were thinking Saint John was going to get it. Quebecers were thinking Shawinigan was going to get it."
At least in this case, perception isn't always how it seems.
