2024-02-04 11:33:08
MAGAZINE. We could nickname them the three musketeers as they embody the face of the Voltigeurs. In office for 20 years now, Éric Verrier, Louis Brousseau and Stéphan Leblanc have never counted their hours to allow the organization to develop and shine across the country.
When this trio arrived to the Voltigeurs’ rescue, during the 2003-2004 season, the franchise was, so to speak, in agony. Like so many cities before them, from Trois-Rivières to Saint-Hyacinthe via Granby, Drummondville was preparing to throw in the towel with its junior hockey team. As a businessman from outside the region prepared to buy the club, the prospect of a move became very real for the team having seen an array of players grow since 1982.
Long-time supporters of the Rouges, Éric Verrier, Louis Brousseau and Stéphan Leblanc never hesitated when Christian Tourigny launched an appeal to businessmen in the region to save the organization. The trio was part of the famous “group of 13” which would eventually form the new board of directors of the Drummondville club.
“At that time, we were told that if nothing was done, the Voltigeurs would be sold and leave,” recalls Éric Verrier. There were only 600 or 700 spectators in the stands. The team had failed to renew its customers. She was losing money every year. Some administrators even had to advance funds. The League was in the file.
An accountant by training, Éric Verrier then immersed himself in the organization’s financial statements to try to find solutions.
“One thing led to another and we were asked to finish the 2003-2004 season. The first activity we organized was a happening for Sidney Crosby’s visit to the Marcel-Dionne center. We called our network, then we filled the cabin! From there, we said to ourselves that there was something to be done with junior hockey in Drummondville,” relates Éric Verrier.
Eric Verrier. (Archive photo, Ghyslain Bergeron)
At the end of the season, Éric Verrier’s group and the club’s potential buyer were summoned by the Voltigeurs’ managers to present their business plan. Supported by the City of Drummondville and sponsor Roger Dubois, the administrators will make a crucial decision for the future of the concession.
“Mayor Francine Ruest-Jutras asked us what we were going to do that was different from all the recovery committees that had followed one another over time. My answer was: strength in numbers! There are 13 of us and as we all come from different backgrounds, we have a network of contacts that are completely different from each other. We’re going to cast a wider net, then we’re going to manage it like a business. Because to manage a hockey team, passion is not enough. No matter how much you want, if you don’t have money, it won’t work.”
For Éric Verrier and Louis Brousseau, the Voltigeurs also represent a family affair. Before becoming president and governor of the organization, the two men saw their father, René Verrier and Normand Brousseau, occupy the same positions during the 1980s.
“The Voltigeurs are in our genes,” says Louis Brousseau. Throughout our youth, we experienced the Voltigeurs vicariously through our fathers. I found it sad that the vibes were so negative around the team. We were also a little naive! We never doubted that it wouldn’t work.”
A new model
Visionaries, the new leaders of the Voltigeurs immediately set to work. Their first objective: to create new sources of income for the team, whether by building lodges or organizing new fundraising activities.
“We had to be creative,” says Éric Verrier. Above all, we had to avoid repeating what had been done before. We had reached the fifth relaunch committee since the birth of the team! People arrived with lots of passion, but after a while, they ran out of steam. We had to create a model, a bit like the Chamber of Commerce, where a director takes care of the internal poutine while the administrators manage the chamber. But to get there, it first took money.”
Louis Brousseau, Éric Verrier and Stéphan Leblanc. (Photo: Ghyslain Bergeron)
The entry on the scene of Sylvie Fortier as director of operations constitutes a first step in this direction. Arriving from Baie-Comeau, the experienced woman brings stability within the organization. “By obtaining better financial results, it allowed us to expand the permanent team. Rather than taking care of renewing season tickets or sponsorships ourselves, as was the case in the beginning, they are now the ones taking care of the day-to-day operations. During this time, it is from this that great ideas emanate, those which will create influence for the organization and the city.
After years of instability, the non-profit organization is now hosting major events such as Canada-Russia matches, the world under-17 challenge, the annual QMJHL meetings and even a winter classic.
Within the hockey department, the appointment of Dominic Ricard as general manager also allows the organization to move up a gear. Among the staff responsible for player well-being and development, the majority of positions are moving from part-time to full-time.
Besides passion and vision, Louis Brousseau does not hesitate to identify a third ingredient to explain the success of his group: a hint of luck! “As soon as we arrived, we were able to count on stars like Guillaume Latendresse and Derick Brassard. Young people began to identify with them, then to dream of playing for the Voltigeurs. The expansions have also helped us greatly.”
Representing the Voltigeurs at the QMJHL members’ assembly, Louis Brousseau also refuses to define the organization as a small market. “We never accepted this idea. We have always aligned ourselves with big markets like Quebec. We did not necessarily make decisions in the interest of the Voltigeurs, but rather in that of the League, then we managed to follow that direction.”
Passing the torch
Two decades and one championship later, the Voltigeurs are not only still alive, but the organization is seen as an administrative model in many respects throughout the QMJHL. “Today, the Voltigeurs are recognized in their community and across the League. People are proud to associate themselves with the Voltigeurs,” observes Éric Verrier.
Louis Brousseau. (Archive photo, Ghyslain Bergeron)
“We have given ourselves the means to achieve our ambitions,” adds Louis Brousseau. We established a structure in the organization to make it sustainable. We managed to anchor the team in its community. Our greatest pride will be when the building is renovated. This will mean that we will have succeeded in getting the City on board with us in this project, since it makes sense for the community.”
In a few years, the trio wants to pass the torch to a new generation of administrators. “We won’t be forever! This is why we prepare a good succession plan. We want to leave the Voltigeurs in good hands,” explains Stéphan Leblanc.
“For the good of the organization, it will take new blood,” adds Éric Verrier. What will be different this time is that there will be no breakout like in the past. We will be there to mentor those who will succeed us.”
At a time when the lack of volunteers is being felt in all spheres of society, the three amigos hope that their story will make others want to get involved in a cause that is close to their hearts. “The appreciation and satisfaction we get from it is priceless,” summarizes Éric Verrier in conclusion.
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