Page 37 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 81

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Colts Then and Now – Alain Quenneville
By Carrie Seguin
“It’s true what they say…3 times
a charm,” says Alain Quenneville
about how he came to be on the
Colts Junior A team. “My road to the
Colts’ stable was long and difficult,”
he explains.
Quenneville tried out for the
Cornwall Colts in 1994 and 1995,
but he was cut. “The Colts had
championship teams in ‘94 and ‘95
and they had so much depth. I got
cut and went to play Junior B with
the Morrisburg Lions.”
In 1995, Quenneville was the
final cut at the Hawkesbury Hawks
training camp. He was affiliated and
played 1 game with the squad. “It
was a great experience. I got to skate
with Vincent LeCalvalier before he
headed to the QMJHL. “
At his third Colts’ camp,
Quenneville’s hard work and
perseverance finally paid off and he
ended up playing with the Colts for
the next 3 years. “I have so many
great memories and I made friends
for a lifetime. Our teams in ‘96-97- game that brought me so many great
98 had so many local players in the
lineup - half of our roster was guys
from the Williamstown and Cornwall
area. It made playing at home pretty
special. The Si Miller would be
hopping!”
Quenneville has a lot of hockey
memories to think about, but it’s his
first game playing as an affiliate with
the Junior A Colts that is the most
special. “I was 16 yrs. old when I
got the call to play as a call-up with
the team. It was in front of a packed
house at the Si. They didn’t have
any extra jerseys and so I had to
wear #5, Marc Lamontagne’s’ jersey
because he was serving a suspension.
I think the jersey was XXL; it was so
big on me. Skating in front of that
sold out crowd, with so many family
and friends in attendance…it was so
much fun!”
Following his junior career,
Quenneville joined the workforce in
the restaurant business, while playing
hockey in the LHSPAA, the Quebec
Senior hockey league. “I was lucky
enough to be part of the Cornwall
Comets for 2 years (2004-2006). Our
local hockey fans loved the Quebec
Senior league. There were some
crazy moments in front of some big
crowds - it was a lot of fun.”
After his time with the Comets,
Quenneville played with the
Issue #81 August 2019 37
Akwesasne Warriors, a team in the
FHL (Federal Hockey League). “I
spent a few years with the Warriors
and won a championship. We had a
lot of talent and some great leaders
on that championship team.”
Quenneville spent much of the
first half of his lifetime playing
hockey and working in the restaurant
business. “It was time for me to do
something different,” he stated. “I
went back to school (George Brown Photos Supplied
College) and I did my apprenticeship
in millwrighting. Now I’m a
certified millwright and have 8
years under my belt, working for
Laframboise Group as a Millwright
& Mechanical Estimator.”
Quenneville also spends a lot of
time at the rink, but not as a player.
He has become well-known in the
area as a hockey coach. “Growing
up playing hockey, my brothers and
I were lucky to have our dad behind
the bench as a coach, giving back
to the game he loved. So, after my
playing days were done, I wanted
to do the same and give back to the often lose sight of that.” his family taking walks and playing
When not working or at the rink, on play structures at the park. He and
memories. From volunteering at the Quenneville, who is married and a his wife Brittany will soon be even
IP level for 3 years when my own father to three (Ava 3, Mia 11, and busier – they are expecting baby boy
kids were just learning to play, to Keenan 13), spends a lot of time with “Jax” this coming September.
coaching Junior B or in the FHL…
it’s different levels of hockey, but at PUT US ON YOUR
the end of the day, it’s about being
around the game and giving back to
it.” BUCKET LIST...
Quenneville enjoys his time
as a hockey coach. “My most
memorable coaching experience,
believe it or not, happened when
my son was playing at the Peewee
Rep level. We won the league title,
were play-off champs, and then
ended up winning the Provincial
Championship title. It was so much
fun to be a part of the experience,
to see them grow as a team. It was
great!” www.archiesgolf.com
Of course, coaching doesn’t come
without its challenges. “The biggest
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