yes fishman, of course i do. LAVAL is a suburb of montreal which is about 8 min from the city and 15 min from my house. Also, the best goalie in the NHL who plays for Florida is from Laval (Roberto Luongo) Did you also know that Vinny Lecavalier is from Montreal. Alot of great french canadian Montrealers fishy in the NHL. Mario Lemieux to name one..
LAVAL, Quebec - The game doesn't start for another two hours, but the knocks at the door of Normand and France St. Louis' modest duplex in this former farming village 30 minutes from downtown Montreal already have started.
First, their only son's godfather, Jean-Claude Raymond, stops by. He's wearing a Lightning hat with the No. 26 and the name St-Louis (French version) stitched across the back.
``Not many people have one of these,'' Raymond says proudly. ``I had it specially made.''
Next, Normand and France's daughter, Isabelle, arrives wearing a Lightning jersey autographed by her brother. Isabelle's husband, Patrice Giguere, has a white Lightning cap pulled firmly over his head. Pretty soon, the kitchen is filling up with visitors and the coffee and cookies are starting to get low.
``Are you nervous?'' Patrice asks France.
``Yes, always,'' France responds. ``I hope they win.''
Normand and France are used to the stream of guests on days the Lightning play. A quick look around the French- Canadian couple's living room tells why. In one corner, a floor stand displays several action shots of son Martin at different stages of his NHL career, one that has blossomed after a difficult beginning.
He started out as No. 46 for Calgary, playing in his first game NHL game halfway around the world in Japan. In another picture, he's wearing a No. 15 Flames jersey. The uniform and number change in the rest of the pictures. In those, he's wearing a No. 26 Tampa Bay jersey, the same kind Raymond saw many others wearing when he attended the Lightning's Game 5 win against the Islanders in the first round.
In another corner of the room, there is a framed photo of Martin St. Louis and his best friend, Eric Perrin, taken when they were teammates at the University of Vermont. They are leaning together and holding pucks over one eye while looking into the camera and smiling. Perrin recently joined St. Louis on the Lightning, just the latest chapter in the most unlikely career of Laval's current favorite son.
``What a story,'' Normand St. Louis says between answering a phone that seems to never stop ringing. ``Never give up.''
As the cool afternoon winds down, all in the crowd start to scramble for jackets. Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Lightning and Canadiens starts in less than an hour. That means it's time to head for the Bar Chez Herve, a favorite spot for those in the Ste. Dorothee neighborhood of Laval to gather and watch the games of their hometown hero.
`Neighbourhood Kid'
There was a time when Martin St. Louis was just another kid on the block playing street hockey until dark and dreaming of playing in the NHL. Michel Bouchard remembers those days well. St. Louis, this season's Art Ross Trophy winner (league's leading scorer) and leading MVP candidate, was only 4 when his family moved into a tidy little home at 7820 Duranty St., right across the street from the house Bouchard still lives in.
On Friday night, Bouchard took a smoke break on the front porch during an intermission in the Lightning's 4-0 win in Game 1 against the Canadiens. As he sat in a rocking chair smoking a cigarette, he glanced across the street and it hit him.
``It's really amazing,'' Bouchard said. ``I'm the only guy in the world who can sit on his front porch and look across the street at the house where Martin St. Louis lived when he was a kid.''
Bouchard shakes his head at the thought.
``It's very emotional,'' he said. ``I remember when he would play out in the street, and now look at him.''
Last summer, St. Louis returned to Laval for a charity fundraiser at the Bar Chez Herve. Normand was there with 600 others who came out for autographs, pictures and memories. He enjoyed watching his son interact with his fans, many of them young kids who now look up to him even though Martin was told he was too short to make it in the NHL.
``I've always told him to respect people,'' Normand said. ``You might not remember something you do for people, but they will remember it forever.''
The event raised $2,000. Though he hadn't seen Martin in quite a while, Bouchard went to see if his former neighbor would remember him.
He should have known better. St. Louis not only remembered Bouchard, he also recalled the family dog, a Husky- German shepherd mix named Tasha.
``He was small, and our dog was big,'' Bouchard said. ``I couldn't believe he remembered our dog.''
Families Have Close Relationship
When the St. Louis fan club shows up at the Bar Chez Herve, the owner, Jasmin Caron, already has reserved two long tables in front of the big- screen TV for the group of around 30. All around, a room of Canadiens fans sport the red, white and blue of hockey's most storied franchise. A few even ask for pictures with Normand when they find out he's Martin's father.
At the end of the main table, Normand and France sit across from Bob and Nicole Perrin, Eric's parents. The couples have known each other since their sons became best friends in 1985 when the Perrins relocated to Laval from Saskatchewan.
``If Eric and Martin weren't at one's house, they were at the other's house,'' Nicole Perrin said. ``They were like brothers.''
Long after their sons left home and became teammates at Vermont, the couples remained close friends. They wonder if it was fate. Long before Eric and Martin became youth hockey teammates, Normand and France married June 26, 1971 - same day as Bob and Nicole.
``When it was our 25th anniversaries, we couldn't go to each other's parties,'' Nicole said. ``They were the same day.''
The couples still eat dinner together every Thursday night. Sometimes they meet at Jardino's, Normand and Bob's favorite, and other times at Palmo Italian. No matter where they eat, the good food is accompanied by better stories, especially since Eric joined the Lightning late in the season.
``We never thought they would play together again,'' Bob Perrin said. ``It's like winning the lottery.''
Like Normand says, what a story.
With the bar packed and the game under way, the Lightning score less than three minutes in. The couples jump to their feet to celebrate. When Eric nearly scores his first NHL goal later in the game, Bob Perrin jumps up and holds his head in disbelief after Montreal goaltender Jose Theodore makes a toe save. Maybe next time.
For now, a 3-1 Lightning win will do. Martin records an assist for good measure. They are hoping for a repeat performance tonight when the Lightning visit the Bell Centre for Game 3.
Martin Always Worked Hard
The fact the 5-foot-7 St. Louis is here at all, on the stage he dreamed of all those days as a kid playing at Samson Arena - Normand recently got a call from a local representative about renaming the arena after Martin - or Florent Park, Couvrette Park or whatever rink he could get France to drive him to, may be a surprise to everyone else, but not to Normand.
The 52-year-old letter carrier will tell you he never expected his son to lead the league in scoring or to have an opportunity to be the NHL's MVP, but he never doubted he would play in the NHL.
``He worked so hard,'' Normand St. Louis said. ``It was his dream. He was willing to work so hard for his dream. It didn't come easy.''
By now, most know St. Louis went undrafted after a record- breaking career at Vermont. Most have heard the story of how Calgary bought out his contract and told him so long after two seasons.
``I still don't know why,'' Normand said.
The Lightning offered him a chance when Calgary said goodbye. St. Louis, 28, is now considered one of the game's most exciting players, and although he has moved far from the working-class neighborhoods he grew up in, he remains firmly grounded.
``He's a good example to all the kids who are told they can't do something,'' said James Scott, 35, a second cousin of Martin's. ``He worked and made his dream come true. And he's the same guy.
``If I was in his position, I'd probably be going out and buying a Ferrari and everything else. He hasn't done that. I think his parents should get a lot of credit for the way they raised him.''
Like Normand says, what a story. One that started in Laval.
First, their only son's godfather, Jean-Claude Raymond, stops by. He's wearing a Lightning hat with the No. 26 and the name St-Louis (French version) stitched across the back.
``Not many people have one of these,'' Raymond says proudly. ``I had it specially made.''
Next, Normand and France's daughter, Isabelle, arrives wearing a Lightning jersey autographed by her brother. Isabelle's husband, Patrice Giguere, has a white Lightning cap pulled firmly over his head. Pretty soon, the kitchen is filling up with visitors and the coffee and cookies are starting to get low.
``Are you nervous?'' Patrice asks France.
``Yes, always,'' France responds. ``I hope they win.''
Normand and France are used to the stream of guests on days the Lightning play. A quick look around the French- Canadian couple's living room tells why. In one corner, a floor stand displays several action shots of son Martin at different stages of his NHL career, one that has blossomed after a difficult beginning.
He started out as No. 46 for Calgary, playing in his first game NHL game halfway around the world in Japan. In another picture, he's wearing a No. 15 Flames jersey. The uniform and number change in the rest of the pictures. In those, he's wearing a No. 26 Tampa Bay jersey, the same kind Raymond saw many others wearing when he attended the Lightning's Game 5 win against the Islanders in the first round.
In another corner of the room, there is a framed photo of Martin St. Louis and his best friend, Eric Perrin, taken when they were teammates at the University of Vermont. They are leaning together and holding pucks over one eye while looking into the camera and smiling. Perrin recently joined St. Louis on the Lightning, just the latest chapter in the most unlikely career of Laval's current favorite son.
``What a story,'' Normand St. Louis says between answering a phone that seems to never stop ringing. ``Never give up.''
As the cool afternoon winds down, all in the crowd start to scramble for jackets. Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Lightning and Canadiens starts in less than an hour. That means it's time to head for the Bar Chez Herve, a favorite spot for those in the Ste. Dorothee neighborhood of Laval to gather and watch the games of their hometown hero.
`Neighbourhood Kid'
There was a time when Martin St. Louis was just another kid on the block playing street hockey until dark and dreaming of playing in the NHL. Michel Bouchard remembers those days well. St. Louis, this season's Art Ross Trophy winner (league's leading scorer) and leading MVP candidate, was only 4 when his family moved into a tidy little home at 7820 Duranty St., right across the street from the house Bouchard still lives in.
On Friday night, Bouchard took a smoke break on the front porch during an intermission in the Lightning's 4-0 win in Game 1 against the Canadiens. As he sat in a rocking chair smoking a cigarette, he glanced across the street and it hit him.
``It's really amazing,'' Bouchard said. ``I'm the only guy in the world who can sit on his front porch and look across the street at the house where Martin St. Louis lived when he was a kid.''
Bouchard shakes his head at the thought.
``It's very emotional,'' he said. ``I remember when he would play out in the street, and now look at him.''
Last summer, St. Louis returned to Laval for a charity fundraiser at the Bar Chez Herve. Normand was there with 600 others who came out for autographs, pictures and memories. He enjoyed watching his son interact with his fans, many of them young kids who now look up to him even though Martin was told he was too short to make it in the NHL.
``I've always told him to respect people,'' Normand said. ``You might not remember something you do for people, but they will remember it forever.''
The event raised $2,000. Though he hadn't seen Martin in quite a while, Bouchard went to see if his former neighbor would remember him.
He should have known better. St. Louis not only remembered Bouchard, he also recalled the family dog, a Husky- German shepherd mix named Tasha.
``He was small, and our dog was big,'' Bouchard said. ``I couldn't believe he remembered our dog.''
Families Have Close Relationship
When the St. Louis fan club shows up at the Bar Chez Herve, the owner, Jasmin Caron, already has reserved two long tables in front of the big- screen TV for the group of around 30. All around, a room of Canadiens fans sport the red, white and blue of hockey's most storied franchise. A few even ask for pictures with Normand when they find out he's Martin's father.
At the end of the main table, Normand and France sit across from Bob and Nicole Perrin, Eric's parents. The couples have known each other since their sons became best friends in 1985 when the Perrins relocated to Laval from Saskatchewan.
``If Eric and Martin weren't at one's house, they were at the other's house,'' Nicole Perrin said. ``They were like brothers.''
Long after their sons left home and became teammates at Vermont, the couples remained close friends. They wonder if it was fate. Long before Eric and Martin became youth hockey teammates, Normand and France married June 26, 1971 - same day as Bob and Nicole.
``When it was our 25th anniversaries, we couldn't go to each other's parties,'' Nicole said. ``They were the same day.''
The couples still eat dinner together every Thursday night. Sometimes they meet at Jardino's, Normand and Bob's favorite, and other times at Palmo Italian. No matter where they eat, the good food is accompanied by better stories, especially since Eric joined the Lightning late in the season.
``We never thought they would play together again,'' Bob Perrin said. ``It's like winning the lottery.''
Like Normand says, what a story.
With the bar packed and the game under way, the Lightning score less than three minutes in. The couples jump to their feet to celebrate. When Eric nearly scores his first NHL goal later in the game, Bob Perrin jumps up and holds his head in disbelief after Montreal goaltender Jose Theodore makes a toe save. Maybe next time.
For now, a 3-1 Lightning win will do. Martin records an assist for good measure. They are hoping for a repeat performance tonight when the Lightning visit the Bell Centre for Game 3.
Martin Always Worked Hard
The fact the 5-foot-7 St. Louis is here at all, on the stage he dreamed of all those days as a kid playing at Samson Arena - Normand recently got a call from a local representative about renaming the arena after Martin - or Florent Park, Couvrette Park or whatever rink he could get France to drive him to, may be a surprise to everyone else, but not to Normand.
The 52-year-old letter carrier will tell you he never expected his son to lead the league in scoring or to have an opportunity to be the NHL's MVP, but he never doubted he would play in the NHL.
``He worked so hard,'' Normand St. Louis said. ``It was his dream. He was willing to work so hard for his dream. It didn't come easy.''
By now, most know St. Louis went undrafted after a record- breaking career at Vermont. Most have heard the story of how Calgary bought out his contract and told him so long after two seasons.
``I still don't know why,'' Normand said.
The Lightning offered him a chance when Calgary said goodbye. St. Louis, 28, is now considered one of the game's most exciting players, and although he has moved far from the working-class neighborhoods he grew up in, he remains firmly grounded.
``He's a good example to all the kids who are told they can't do something,'' said James Scott, 35, a second cousin of Martin's. ``He worked and made his dream come true. And he's the same guy.
``If I was in his position, I'd probably be going out and buying a Ferrari and everything else. He hasn't done that. I think his parents should get a lot of credit for the way they raised him.''
Like Normand says, what a story. One that started in Laval.
