THE “OLDEST” TOURNAMENT IN THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS!
The National M-11 Mousquiri Tournament of Richmond proudly holds the distinction of being the oldest tournament of its kind in the Eastern Townships. Founded during the 1963–1964 season, the tournament will celebrate its 61st edition from February 2 to 15. Its origins trace back to a dedicated group of volunteers from the Richmond Sports Association, who organized the very first regional Mosquito tournament in March 1964, welcoming 13 teams.
Among the founding volunteers were Roger Martel, Paul-Émile Lefebvre, Albert Dunn and Jean Dion, as well as Oscar Thibault, Lloyd Tibbits, Charles Gendreau, Arthur St-Sauveur, Jean Beaudoin and Gérard “Ti-Noir” Martel.
The tournament was originally created to prepare regional teams for competition at the Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament. At the time, organized tournaments were rare, with the event in Quebec City standing almost alone. The founders could hardly have imagined that the Mousquiri Tournament, as it is known today, would grow into one of the longest-running hockey tournaments in Quebec.
In 1970, the tournament received official accreditation as a provincial Mosquito tournament. A major turning point came in 1975, when the Richmond Mosquito Tournament officially became the Mousquiri Tournament. It was also the first tournament in Quebec to adopt a mascot, with the goal of emphasizing the human and community spirit of a competition dedicated to young players aged 9 to 11.
This initiative was driven by two key builders of the tournament, René Thibault and Gilles Fontaine. Their years of volunteer service led to numerous meaningful achievements, alongside the many other dedicated volunteers who have served on the board of directors over the decades.
In 1986, the tournament was granted national status, allowing it to welcome teams from outside Quebec, including Ontario and the United States. Since then, the organizing committee has consistently hosted teams from beyond provincial borders, particularly from the U.S., with participants coming from Michigan, Wisconsin, New York State, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and even California.
Since its inception in 1964, a total of 4,241 games have been played at the Richmond Arena (including the current edition). More than 2,674 teams have taken part in the tournament, with a record-setting 80 teams participating in 1982. Over the years, the tournament has welcomed more than 20,000 young players, many of whom went on to successful professional hockey careers.
Notable alumni include Sylvain Lefebvre, Marc Fortier, Sean McKenna, Gilles Hamel, Yannick Perreault and Alan Haworth, as well as Vincent Damphousse, Luc Robitaille, Patrice Brisebois, Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Félix Potvin, Stéphane Robidas, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Patrice Bergeron, Marc-André Fleury, Antoine Vermette, Pascal Dupuis, Mathieu Perreault, David Perron and Sarah Vaillancourt. More recently, Anthony Beauvillier and Philippe Danault also played their first competitive games on the ice in Richmond.
In closing, the long-standing success of the Mousquiri Tournament is due in large part to the tireless dedication of its volunteers, the ongoing financial support of its sponsors, the commitment of participating teams, and the unwavering support of the Richmond community and surrounding municipalities. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed to this tradition over the years.
Presidents
Nineteen presidents have led the Mousquiri Tournament organizing committee throughout its history. The first was Jean Dion (1964–1965), followed by Richard McGee (1966 and 1971), Georges Tremblay (1967–1968 and 1969), Guy Thibault (1970), Gilles Fontaine (1972–1973 and 1975), André Lupien (1974), Richard Thibault (1976), René Thibault (1977–1978, 1981 and 1994), Richard Huckle (1979), Bertrand Ménard (1980 and 1982), Roger Huckle (1983–1985), Michèle Nadeau (1986–1989 and 1999–2000), Jean-Yves Bourgault (1990–1993), Daniel Ménard (1995–1998), Jocelyne Morel (2001 and 2023–2026), Michel Ménard (2002–2006), Claude Beaubien (2007), Marco Laprade (2008–2009), and Guillaume Cayer-Richard (2010–2020).
Research : Guy Marchand