Rimouski Océanic
The Rimouski Océanic are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season as the Sherbrooke Castors. The Castors played in Sherbrooke from 1969 to 1982 before moving to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, in 1982 to become the Saint-Jean Castors. In 1989, the team was renamed the Saint-Jean Lynx. In 1995, the team then moved to Rimouski, Quebec, to become the Rimouski Océanic.
| Rimouski Océanic Océanic de Rimouski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Rimouski, Quebec |
| League | Quebec Major Junior Hockey League |
| Division | Telus East |
| Founded | 1995–96 |
| Home arena | Colisée Financière Sun Life |
| Colours | Royal blue, white and navy blue |
| General manager | Serge Beausoleil |
| Head coach | Serge Beausoleil |
| Championships | 2000 Memorial Cup Champions 2000, 2005, 2015 QMJHL Champions |
| Website | http://www.oceanic.qc.ca/ |
| Franchise history | |
| 1969–1982 | Sherbrooke Castors |
| 1982–1989 | Saint-Jean Castors |
| 1989–1995 | Saint-Jean Lynx |
| 1995–present | Rimouski Océanic |
History
The team won the QMJHL championship in the 1999–2000 season and went on to win the Memorial Cup that year, with a team featuring future NHL star Brad Richards.
Sidney Crosby joined the team during the 2003–04 QMJHL season. Crosby's 135 points for the club set a new record for a 16-year-old in the QMJHL and was second only to Wayne Gretzky in that particular age-group for all Canadian hockey. Other notable alumni through the years include Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Ryane Clowe and Michael Frolik.
In 2005, the Océanic set a QMJHL record after going 28 consecutive games without a loss. The team then went on to win seven games in a row in the playoffs, improving the unbeaten streak to an unofficial 35-straight. They won their second QMJHL championship in five years and subsequently represented the QMJHL in the 2005 Memorial Cup. After losing the opener against the hometown London Knights, the Océanic beat both the defending Memorial Cup champion Kelowna Rockets, who were in their third-straight Memorial Cup, and the Ottawa 67's. Rimouski then beat the 67's again in the semi-finals to set up a rematch of their opening game against the Knights. However, the Océanic were shut out in the final game 4–0.
The QMJHL announced on April 3, 2008, that the Océanic were chosen to host the 2009 Memorial Cup.[1]
In the 2014–15 season, the Océanic captured the QMJHL championship in double overtime of the seventh game against the Quebec Remparts. Because the Remparts were the hosts of 2015 Memorial Cup, they had already qualified for the Memorial Cup tournament prior to the QMJHL final, thus entering Rimouski into the Cup tournament. The Océanic finished 1–2 in the round robin portion in the tournament, advancing to the tie-breaker to play the Remparts, ultimately losing 5–2.
Logo and jerseys
The Océanic logo is an ocean liner with a set of teeth on the bow, jutting out of waves creating both a profile that suggests both a striking shark and a fleur-de-lis. The team colours are royal blue, navy blue and white, and their home arena is the Colisée Financière Sun Life.
The team's sweater has proven popular in the United States, as Reebok has issued it with Crosby's number 87 on it.
Playoff results
Season-by-season playoff results.
| Season | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | Round-robin - advanced | L, 4-0, Beauport | - | - |
| 1996-97 | L, 3-1, Chicoutimi | - | - | - |
| 1997-98 | W, 4–1, Halifax | 1st, round-robin, Quebec/Moncton | W, 4-2, Quebec | L, 4-0, Val-d'Or |
| 1998-99 | W, 4-0, Moncton | L, 4-3, Quebec | - | - |
| 1999-00 | Bye | W, 4-0, Halifax | W, 4-1, Moncton | W, 4-1, Hull |
| 2000-01 | W, 4-2, Halifax | L, 4-1, Baie-Comeau | - | - |
| 2001–02 | L, 4-3, Halifax | - | - | - |
| 2002–03 | - | - | - | - |
| 2003–04 | Bye | W, 4-0, Shawinigan | L, 4-1, Moncton | - |
| 2004–05 | Bye | W, 4-0, Lewiston | W, 4-1, Chicoutimi | W, 4-0, Halifax |
| 2005–06 | - | - | - | - |
| 2006–07 | - | - | - | - |
| 2007–08 | W, 4-1, Baie-Comeau | L, 4-0, Rouyn-Noranda | - | - |
| 2008–09 | W, 4-0, Chicoutimi | W, 4-1, Moncton | L, 4-0, Drummondville | - |
| 2009–10 | W, 4-3, Chicoutimi | L, 4-1, Drummondville | - | - |
| 2010–11 | L, 4-1, Gatineau | - | - | - |
| 2011–12 | W, 4-0, Val-d'Or | W, 4-3, Blainville-Boisbriand | W, 4-2, Halifax | L, 4-0, Saint John |
| 2012–13 | L, 4-2, Gatineau | - | - | - |
| 2013–14 | W, 4-0, Chicoutimi | L, 4-3, Blainville-Boisbriand | - | - |
| 2014–15 | W, 4-0, Victoriaville | W, 4-1, Gatineau | W, 4-0, Val-d'Or | W, 4-3, Quebec |
| 2015–16 | L, 4-2, Charlottetown | - | - | - |
| 2016–17 | L, 4-0, Saint John | - | - | - |
| 2017–18 | L, 4-3, Moncton | - | - | - |
| 2018–19 | W, 4-0, Chicoutimi | W, 4-1, Cape Breton | L, 4-0, Rouyn-Noranda | - |
| 2019–20 | QMJHL playoffs cancelled | |||
Players
Retired numbers
Sidney Crosby's # 87 was retired by the Océanic on 27 September 2019, and retired for all teams in the QMJHL.[2]
NHL alumni
Alumni of the Océanic who have played in the National Hockey League.
References
- Rimouski wins 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup bid Archived 2008-11-15 at WebCite
- The Canadian Press (28 September 2019). "Emotional Sidney Crosby honoured during jersey retirement ceremony in Rimouski". CBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
