15 oct 2014 – Times & Transcript Aigles Bleus hockey teAm hAs long, winning trAdition

Eddie St. Pierre LOOKING BACK

The Université de teams have given hockey fans in Metro

Moncton a lot to cheer about over the years.

The induction of the 1982 and 1995 Aigles Bleus teams into the Moncton Wall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Capitol Theatre will complete the list of the four teams into the shrine that won the Canadian university sports men’s hockey championships.

The Aigles Bleus captured the national title in 1981, 1982, 1990 and 1995. The 1981-82 team was inducted to the wall in 1987 and the 1989-90 club in 2011.Meanwhile, the 1980-81 and 1981-82 teams are also honoured members of the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame (2004).

In 1981, goals by Francois Bessette, his first with nine seconds left in the third period and second into an empty net at 19:59, gave the Jean Perron-coached Aigles Bleus a 4-2 win over the -coached Huskies at Calgary. After Bessette’s goal broke the tie, King requested a stick measurement.The stick,which would have nullified the goal had it been illegal, was determined to be legal and the Huskies were penalized. Bessette then scored his second goal.Jean Sansfacon (6:08) and Michel Bechard (14:54) gave UdeM a 2-1 first period lead. The second period was scoreless, thanks to the sharp goaltending of Benoit Fortier,who faced 40 shots.Bob Dougall of the

Huskies faced 33.

Meanwhile, the Aigles Bleus won the tournament’s opening game, scoring three goals (Michel Bechard, Charlie Bourgeois and Francois Robert), during a 10- minute overtime period to beat the Calgary Dinosaurs 5-2. Shots on goal were

32-21 for Calgary.

Backed by the six-point (three goals, three assists) performance of Bessette, the Aigles Bleus then defeated the 10-3 to gain a berth in the finals. Jean-Francois Boutin scored three goals, while Kevin Gaudet had two. Singles went to Michel Bechard and Francois Robert.Five of the goals came on the power play. Jean-Claude Charest took Benoit Fortier’s place in goal in the third period,granting the later a well-deserved rest. The Aigles Bleus dominated shots on goal (39-27).

After finishing first in the Kelly Division, the Aigles Bleus won the Atlantic Universities Athletic Association title, scored six goals in the third period and defeated University of New Brunswick Red Devils 8-5 in a sudden-death semifinal game. They then topped , 4-3 and 8-4, to win the best-of-three finals 2-0.

Team personnel 1980-81: Benoit Fortier, Jean-Claude Charest and Mario Larouche (); Francois Robert, Francois Bessette,Remi Levesque,Michel Bechard, Louis Durocher, Denis Marquis,Michel LaForest,Charlie Bourgeois, Jacques Plante, Alfred Goguen, Roch Bois,Denis Rochon,Michel Breau,Raoul Boudreau, Kevin Gaudet, Jean-Francois Boutin, Jean Sansfacon, Jon Coster, Pat Morgan, Claude Gagne. Head coach – Perron; assistant coaches – Bob Bellefleur (goaltenders), Ronnie LeBlanc (offensive) and Denis Gingras (defensive); manager – Yvon Tremblay; trainer – Claude Gagne; equipment – Jean Le-Blanc; statistician – Benoit Savoie; mascot – Camille Brine.

In 1982, Louis Durocher’s power-play goal with 33 seconds left in the third period, gave the Aigles Bleus a 3-2 win over the Saskatchewan Huskies before 8,500 fans at the Moncton Coliseum.Durocher connected on Jean- Francois Boutin’s rebound. Huskies’ Greg Chudiak had received a minor penalty at 17:37.The Huskies’ was Steve Amiss.

Trailing 2-0 entering the third, Pierre Giard broke the ice of the Perron-coached Aigles Bleus over the King-coached Huskies at 7:02 on a play with Jean (Dixie) Belliveau and Jacques Jobin. Alain Grenier tied the game at 12:40 on a pass from Kevin Gaudet. Grenier was named the tournament’s most valuable player, while goaltender Fortier and Patrick Dodier were named to the all-star team.

The Aigles Bleus won the national tournament’s opener, defeating the Brandon Bobcats 3-1. Alain Grenier, Remi Levesque and Jean-Francois Boutin scored for

UdeM. Fortier faced 47 shots and the Bobcats’Gary Clark 46.

Backed by the two-goal, two-assist performance of Alain Grenier, the Aigles Bleus qualified for the final against the Huskies, defeating the University of Toronto Blues, 8-3 before 8,000 fans at the Coliseum. Other UdeM scorers were Jean-Francois Boutin with two; Michel Laforest, Remi Levesque, Jacques Jobin and Roch Bois.

The Aigles Bleus defeated the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers 7-4 and 6-3 to win the best-of-three AUAA finals.Meanwhile,in a three-team round- robin tournament semifinal series held at the Coliseum, the Aigles Bleus topped

Mount Allison University of Sack-ville 7-4 and the Saint Mary’s Huskies 4-1.

Team personnel 1981-82: Benoit Fortier and Mario Larouche (goaltenders); Denis Rochon, Remi Levesque, Francois Bessette, Kevin Gaudet, Alain Grenier, Mike Breau, Jean (Chico) Bellliveau, Raoul Boudreau, Louis Durocher, Jean Sansfacon, Pierre Giard, Sylvain Allard, Doug McGrath, Roch Bois, Alfred Goguen, Michel LaForest, Jean-Francois Boutin, Michel Vautour, Pat Dodi-er,

Jacques Jobin, Jean (Dixie) Belliveau. Head coach – Perron; assistant coaches

– Ron LeBlanc, Denis Gingras and Bob Bellefleur; manager – Yvon Tremblay; statistician – Bob White; trainer – Claude Gagne.

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series on the four UdeM teams that have won the national university men’s hockey title. The 1990 and 1995 champion teams will covered in next Wednesday’s column.

Golf news: team of Harold Grant, Andrew Whitton, Mike Dupuis and Bernie Belliveau shot a minus nine over the par 70 Lakeside Golf Club course to win the annual Moncton Press Club’s Dan Jardine Memorial golf tournament.

Eddie St. Pierre

Eddie St. Pierre is sports editor emeritus of the Times & Transcript. His column appears every Wednesday.