{"id":8820,"date":"2026-01-20T11:26:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/?page_id=8820"},"modified":"2026-01-20T15:00:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T20:00:28","slug":"our-mascot","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Mascot"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Joyful Mascot: Mousquiri<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the defining features of the National M-11 Mousquiri Tournament in Richmond is, without a doubt, its cheerful\"\" mascot, Mousquiri. First introduced at the 1975 tournament, Mousquiri was created to bring a more human and festive spirit to the competition. This year, the beloved mascot proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Richmond tournament was the first of its kind to introduce a mascot as a symbol of the event\u2014an innovative move at the time that marked a major turning point in the tournament\u2019s history.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mousquiri was the brainchild of two key builders of the tournament, Gilles Fontaine and Ren\u00e9 Thibault, who were members of the organizing committee in 1975. Since then, many tournaments have followed Richmond\u2019s lead, but Mousquiri remains a pioneer among sports mascots and one of the most recognizable and beloved characters in Quebec.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Origins of Mousquiri<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"To create a mascot that truly reflected the spirit of the tournament, a drawing contest was held at Sacr\u00e9-C\u0153ur High School in Richmond. Among some forty submissions, a smiling wolf, drawn by Fran\u00e7ois Vidal, was selected.<\/span><\/p>\n

The mascot\u2019s name was suggested by Louise Tremblay: \u201cMousse-qui-rit\u201d (\u201cfoam that laughs\u201d), which was later adapted into the now-iconic name Mousquiri.<\/span><\/p>\n

The final step was bringing the character to life. The costume was designed and produced by the expert team from the Quebec Winter Carnival, ensuring a professional and unforgettable look.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Central Role in the Tournament Experience<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"For the past 50 years, Mousquiri has played a vital role throughout the tournament. Always ready to make young players smile, the mascot entertains crowds, comforts those who lose, and reminds adults that hockey\u2014especially at this level\u2014is meant to be fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

A true symbol of friendship and sportsmanship, the cheerful young wolf places great importance on his young friends, who return that affection year after year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Special Attention for Young Players<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond appearances on the ice and in the stands, Mousquiri goes the extra \"\"mile by reaching out to participants before the tournament, often through a Facebook message to help them get ready for their stay in Richmond.<\/span><\/p>\n

All players also receive a souvenir gift from Mousquiri. And, true to tradition, the mascot presents a birthday cake to any player celebrating their birthday during the tournament. This thoughtful gesture, greatly appreciated by both children and parents, happens an average of twenty times each year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Behind the Costume<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

At first glance, playing the role of Mousquiri may seem easy\u2014but it is anything but. The volunteers who bring the mascot to life must show remarkable energy and dedication.<\/span><\/p>\n

From interacting with children and moving on the ice, to posing for photos and signing\"\" autographs, handling a puck, dancing to upbeat music, performing spins, playfully teasing referees\u2014and always keeping a watchful eye on the Zamboni\u2014the role demands constant effort and enthusiasm.<\/span><\/p>\n

An Iconic Mascot<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Since 1975, Mousquiri\u2019s popularity has inspired a wide range of memorabilia: jerseys, drawings, pennants, pucks, hockey sticks, pins, and many other keepsakes cherished by fans young and old.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"A theme song for the Mousquiri Tournament was even composed\u2014music by Gilles Fontaine, with lyrics by Carole Goulet-Thibault and Martha Hervieux\u2014and it is played at every edition of the tournament.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though Mousquiri may seem \u201colder\u201d at 50 years of age, he possesses a rare and magical quality: he never grows old. He remains forever the same age as the young players he welcomes each year, greeting them with the same boundless energy and joyful smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfb6 Theme song \ud83c\udfb6<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Full song HERE!<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Research: Guy Marchand<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Joyful Mascot: Mousquiri One of the defining features of the National M-11 Mousquiri Tournament in Richmond is, without a doubt, its cheerful mascot, Mousquiri. First introduced at the 1975 tournament, Mousquiri was created to bring a more human and festive spirit to the competition. This year, the beloved mascot proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":573,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8820","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOur Mascot - Tournoi M11 Mousquiri<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Our Mascot - Tournoi M11 Mousquiri\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Joyful Mascot: Mousquiri One of the defining features of the National M-11 Mousquiri Tournament in Richmond is, without a doubt, its cheerful mascot, Mousquiri. First introduced at the 1975 tournament, Mousquiri was created to bring a more human and festive spirit to the competition. This year, the beloved mascot proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary. […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tournoi M11 Mousquiri\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T20:00:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2026\/01\/Photo10-e1768938784677.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1277\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"995\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/\",\"name\":\"Our Mascot - Tournoi M11 Mousquiri\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/mousquiri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2026\/01\/Photo10-e1768938784677-300x234.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-20T16:26:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-20T20:00:28+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/mousquiri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2026\/01\/Photo10-e1768938784677-300x234.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/mousquiri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2026\/01\/Photo10-e1768938784677-300x234.png\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Our Mascot\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/\",\"name\":\"Tournoi M11 Mousquiri\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Our Mascot - Tournoi M11 Mousquiri","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Our Mascot - Tournoi M11 Mousquiri","og_description":"The Joyful Mascot: Mousquiri One of the defining features of the National M-11 Mousquiri Tournament in Richmond is, without a doubt, its cheerful mascot, Mousquiri. First introduced at the 1975 tournament, Mousquiri was created to bring a more human and festive spirit to the competition. This year, the beloved mascot proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary. […]","og_url":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/","og_site_name":"Tournoi M11 Mousquiri","article_modified_time":"2026-01-20T20:00:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1277,"height":995,"url":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2026\/01\/Photo10-e1768938784677.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/","url":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/","name":"Our Mascot - Tournoi M11 Mousquiri","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/mousquiri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2026\/01\/Photo10-e1768938784677-300x234.png","datePublished":"2026-01-20T16:26:28+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-20T20:00:28+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/mousquiri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2026\/01\/Photo10-e1768938784677-300x234.png","contentUrl":"http:\/\/mousquiri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2026\/01\/Photo10-e1768938784677-300x234.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/our-mascot\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Our Mascot"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/","name":"Tournoi M11 Mousquiri","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/573"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8820"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8912,"href":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8820\/revisions\/8912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mousquiri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}