Rimouski Océanic facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rimouski Océanic Océanic de Rimouski
City	Rimouski, Quebec
League	Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Division	Telus East
Founded	1995
Home arena	Colisée Financière Sun Life
Colours	Royal blue, white and navy blue
General manager	Danny Dupont
Head coach	Joel Perrault
Championships	2000 Memorial Cup Champions 2000, 2005, 2015 QMJHL Champions
Website https://chl.ca/lhjmq-oceanic/
Franchise history
1969–1982	Sherbrooke Castors
1982–1989	Saint-Jean Castors
1989–1995	Saint-Jean Lynx
1995–present	Rimouski Océanic

The Rimouski Océanic is a junior ice hockey team from Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. They play in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). This league is for young hockey players who are usually between 16 and 20 years old.

The team has moved around a few times! It started in 1969 as the Sherbrooke Castors. Then, in 1982, it moved to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and became the Saint-Jean Castors. In 1989, the team changed its name to the Saint-Jean Lynx. Finally, in 1995, the team moved to Rimouski and became the Rimouski Océanic.

Team History and Big Wins

The Rimouski Océanic has had many exciting moments and won important championships. They are known for developing future hockey stars.

Winning the Memorial Cup

In the 1999–2000 QMJHL season, the Océanic won the QMJHL championship. This big win meant they got to play in the 2000 Memorial Cup. The Memorial Cup is a tournament where the best junior hockey teams in Canada compete. The Océanic won the Memorial Cup that year! A famous player on that team was Brad Richards, who later became a star in the NHL.

Sidney Crosby Joins the Team

One of the most famous players to ever play for the Océanic is Sidney Crosby. He joined the team in the 2003–04 QMJHL season. Crosby was only 16 years old, but he scored an amazing 135 points for the team. This set a new record for a 16-year-old in the QMJHL. Only Wayne Gretzky had more points at that age in Canadian hockey history!

Record-Breaking Streaks

In 2005, the Océanic made history by going 28 games in a row without a loss. This was a new record for the QMJHL! They then won seven more games in the playoffs, making their unbeaten streak even longer. They won their second QMJHL championship that year. This allowed them to play in the 2005 Memorial Cup. They played well, but lost in the final game.

Hosting the Memorial Cup

The QMJHL chose the Rimouski Océanic to host the 2009 Memorial Cup. This was a big honor for the team and the city.

Another QMJHL Championship

In the 2014–15 QMJHL season, the Océanic won the QMJHL championship again. They won in an exciting game that went into double overtime against the Quebec Remparts. Because the Remparts were hosting the 2015 Memorial Cup, both teams got to play in the tournament. The Océanic played hard but did not win the Cup that year.

Team Logo and Jerseys

The Océanic's logo is very unique. It shows an ocean liner (a type of ship) with sharp teeth on its front. It looks like a shark coming out of waves! The design also includes a fleur-de-lis, which is a symbol of Quebec.

The team's colors are royal blue, navy blue, and white. Their home arena is called the Colisée Financière Sun Life. The team's jersey, especially the one with Sidney Crosby's number 87, has been very popular.

Famous Players

Many players from the Rimouski Océanic have gone on to play in the NHL, which is the top professional hockey league in North America.

Retired Numbers

The Océanic has honored one of its most famous players by retiring his jersey number. Sidney Crosby's number 87 was retired by the Océanic on September 27, 2019. This means no other Océanic player will ever wear that number. His number was also retired for all teams in the QMJHL, showing how special he is!

NHL Alumni

Here are some of the players who played for the Océanic and later played in the NHL: