An all-Quebec trio is a rarity at a time when there are 32 teams in the National Hockey League, including a Slovenian one. We'll be treated to that in Calgary on Wednesday night when the Montreal Canadiens line up with Zachary Bolduc, Joe Veleno and Joshua Roy to take on the Flames.
The demotion of Owen Beck and the recall of Roy the previous day allowed head coach Martin St-Louis to create this combination. The combination, which would not have been possible without the injuries to Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine opening Veleno's door, was overlooked in the first five games of the season.
“[Roy] “He’s a guy full of talent and with an incredible hockey IQ,” Bolduc said Wednesday. I'm excited. With Joe [Veleno]We can create something good tonight.”
This opinion is shared by TVA Sports analyst Maxim Lapierre. The former CH agitator was part of one of the rare Quebec trios in the organization's modern history.
In 2008–2009, Guy Carbonneau decided to combine Lapierre, Steve Begin and Georges Laraque.
The trio's well-worn expression, “difficult to meet,” suited them perfectly.
“Nice, tiring trio,” joked Maxime Lapierre, whom we joined hours before the Canadiens and Flames clashed. Steve and I beat, harassed, and Georges was behind us. With him, our opponents agreed to defeat.
“We scored a couple of goals. We started the sequence at a certain point. In my head it feels like 50 years have passed.”
Lapierre is also convinced that he sometimes played in a trio with Latendresse and Bégin, or even with Bégen and Mathieu Dandeneau. And maybe some performances with Alex Tanguay.
Having three Quebecers in a trio doesn't change the world, but Lapierre believes it could make a difference.
“When that happens, there seems to be a brotherhood between the three players and a little more intense support,” the former No. 40 said. “These guys know each other well off the ice. There's an extra emotion, a kind of mutual support.”
If we've seen any rare all-Quebec combinations at CH over the past decade, they've often been brief. We can remember the trio of Michael Bournival, David Desharnais and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau lasting just one spell in 2014-2015 before Michel Therrien changed it.
