Val-d'Or Foreurs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Val-d'Or Foreurs Foreurs de Val-d'Or
City	Val-d'Or, Quebec
League	Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Division	West
Founded	1993
Home arena	Centre Agnico Eagle
Colours	Green, gold, white and black
General manager	Maxime Desruisseaux
Head coach	Maxime Desruisseaux
Website	www.foreurs.qc.ca
Championships
Playoff championships	1998, 2001, 2014 QMJHL Champions

The Val-d'Or Foreurs are a Canadian junior ice hockey team. They are based in Val-d'Or, a city in Quebec, Canada. The team plays in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). This league is one of the top junior hockey leagues in Canada.

The name "Val-d'Or Foreurs" means "Valley of Gold Drillers" in French. This name comes from the important mining industry in the Val-d'Or area. Mining involves a lot of drilling, which is a big part of the local economy. The Foreurs play their home games at the Centre Agnico Eagle.

Team History: The Val-d'Or Foreurs Begin

The Val-d'Or Foreurs joined the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League in the 1993-94 season. Before this, people in Val-d'Or had wanted a junior hockey team for many years. The team's first coach was Pierre Aubry. He was a famous player for the Quebec Nordiques and Trois-Rivières Draveurs.

Championship Wins: President's Cup and Memorial Cup

The Foreurs have won the President's Cup three times. This is the championship trophy for the QMJHL. They won in 1998, 2001, and 2014. Winning the President's Cup means they got to play for the Memorial Cup. The Memorial Cup is a big tournament for the best junior hockey teams in Canada.

• In 1998, the Foreurs played in the Memorial Cup. They did not make it past the first round.
• In 2001, they reached the championship game of the Memorial Cup. However, they lost in overtime to the Red Deer Rebels.
• In 2014, the Foreurs made it to the semi-finals of the Memorial Cup. They lost a very long game in triple overtime to the Edmonton Oil Kings. This was the longest game in Memorial Cup history.

Local Rivalry: Foreurs vs. Huskies

In 1996, another team called the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies started playing. This created a natural rivalry for the Foreurs. Rouyn-Noranda is only about 100 kilometers away from Val-d'Or. Games between these two teams are very exciting. They often bring in much larger crowds than other games.

Famous Players: NHL Alumni

Many players who once played for the Val-d'Or Foreurs have gone on to play in the NHL. Here are some of them: