Even when there was no ice on the playing surface, there was already a hockey game on July 2 at the Videotron Center.

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Too early before 3^e The Stanley Cup final match, near the plaza Jean Bellevue, the manager of the micro-brewery SNO at the Grand Marché created a little atmosphere for the fans already in the plaza.

In the parking lot behind the grandstand, a few dozen fans also made a tailgate with a few cans. The screeching cries of the Beauce Carnaval cruises left no doubt that winter was a long way off.

In the middle of summer, 3,500 fans waited until their last moments before taking their places indoors. Twenty-eight years later, the 2021 series has spawned a sweet frenzy.

Festive atmosphere

The Videotron Center was sweating at a game of hockey Friday night before the puck dropped 250 kilometers to the west, in the capital.

And Canadian shirts are now quite a lot in Quebec. 16 months into the pandemic, the fun is back in the stands. A group of young women even had a Glorious cover.

with the song street hockey Bob Bisonette on top of his lungs, many families were happy to experience this event in a yard, on more than one giant screen and the sound of hell.

“We all want to score a Stanley Cup goal!” sang the former Hull Olympics captain who tragically passed away in 2016.

In the benches, the tension went up a notch. “Winning requires goals! Olivier Biland fired. Upon coming with his sister Emily and father Francois, the 8-year-old was proudly wearing a Habs shirt, like the rest of the family.

“It feels really nice. We were walking outside and the atmosphere was there. It feels good after what we’ve been through. It’s a great experience and it’s not like it was in his living room,” the father added.

“Big Hockey”

Even though Quebec City has turned partially red, there are still a few blues left. Both Eric Bouchard and Claude Bernard had the Nordiques emblem close to their hearts.

“Once we knew we could come to the Videotron Center, we tried to get tickets. We don’t take red jackets! For us, it’s Tampa Bay. If we saw them pull back, we wouldn’t cry. Hockey is still pretty big. For Quebec’s economy, we still wish each other Some are seven games.

Very quickly, thousands of enthusiastic fans calmed down by scoring two goals in less than four minutes from the defending champion. Then Philip Danault bridged the gap and revived hopes that had briefly waned dangerously. Éclairs criticized the atmosphere.

If the Canadian wins 3^e or 4^e Match, Videotron Center will continue to welcome spectators.