Bordeaux in the final, after having corrected Grenoble, one of the ogres of French ice hockey in the semi-finals (4-1), it is not only a surprise. It is above all the most beautiful chapter in a history rich in difficulties, marked by three different clubs. The first saw the light of day in 1974, joined forces with the Girondins footballers in 1988 and played in a Championship semi-final three years later, before filing for bankruptcy the following season. His successor suffered the same fate in 1998, before the Boxers saw the light of day.
At the time, Stéphan Tartari was a player. Today, he is the general manager of the club, even if he could have gone elsewhere. “But I had adapted, I found the city very beautiful,” he remembers. I also started a small business with my wife (a video store). A choice had to be made. I didn’t regret it at all. » In 1996, at the age of 26, Tartari became a player-coach in D3. Patiently, he and others contributed to Bordeaux’s return to the elite in 2015.
A season in a hangar, without spectators
Some memories are incredible. “One year, in D2, we played in a hangar for tennis courts,” says Tartari (51). The ice rink was under construction. We played without spectators, we couldn’t leave our things in the locker room. Our opponents were hallucinating. But we were a bunch of friends. »
Bordeaux were Ligue Magnus semi-finalists in 2017 and 2018, then fell back. Except in hearts. “There has always been a place for hockey (in Bordeaux), recalls Tartari. Before, there were only the Girondins. But in recent years, it has been more difficult (the club has been playing in L 2 since 2022). In rugby, the Bordeaux-Bègles Union is making full progress. But people love hockey. It’s an American sport, a show, it screams. And the higher the level…”
In the offseason, the leaders took out their wallets. In particular, Quentin Papillon, one of the goalkeepers of the French team, arrived, the Canadian Mathieu Pompei, small (1.73 m) but physical and an excellent passer, or the Finnish Samuel Salonen, technical and precise. Bordeaux already had Kevin Spinozzi, formidable in defense and skillful with the puck (the club’s top scorer in the play-offs) and the young Enzo Carry (20 years old), the club’s top scorer in the play-offs (13 points). With coach Olivier Dimet at the helm for five years.
The matches in Bordeaux were sold out
Fourth in the regular season, the Boxers took out Marseille in the quarter-finals, after the 7th match of the series concluded in overtime (2-1). “People understood what the play-offs were,” says Tartari. In recent years, we took 4-0 against Angers and Grenoble (in the quarter-finals). »
This season, Bordeaux paid off the Grenoble giant (8 French championship titles), certainly the author of an up-and-down season. The Bordelais now set off to attack Rouen, defending champion, who finished first in the regular season. An attractive program. Matches 3 and 4 will also be played behind closed doors on Tuesday and Wednesday in Bordeaux.
In Canada, three men will be in front of their screen: entrepreneurs Jean Bédard and Jacques Tanguay and the former goalie, the legendary Patrick Roy (four times NHL champion, three times best goalie), shareholders since January and soon consultants. Bordeaux future grand cru?
2024-04-05 10:37:19
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