Community celebrates as player brings Memorial Cup home to Noelville
It was standing room only inside the Noelville Community Centre on Friday morning as Memorial Cup winner Philippe Daoust made a triumphant return home to French River.
The 20-year-old was a part of the Memorial Cup winning Saint John Sea Dogs and received a hero's welcome.
"I tell you, Phil has brought so much joy to our community," said French River Mayor Gisele Pageau.
"He's a fine example of having a dream and making it come true and with the Memorial Cup, that's part of his dream so we're excited here."
Pageau said hockey is a way of life in her community. The municipality of 2,500 is full of hockey fans. The NOJHL French River Rapids have called Noelville home for the last five years.
"Phil, I find him as a leader for young people in small northern Ontario towns that don't think they can make it, but they can make it and he's worked hard and we encourage people," she said.
"The idea should be for people to move to small towns so they can achieve great success."
Daoust was honoured with a framed jersey from his time with Moncton that will now hang in the halls of the hockey arena in hopes of inspiring others.
One person he's already inspired is his younger cousin Braden Henderson.
"I love the sport, I love watching Phil play," he told CTV News.
"I really like that (that he won the Memorial Cup). I play hockey and I want to play like Phil. He gives me encouragement."
The Noelville native and Ottawa Senators prospect started his career with the French River Rapids.
Coach and GM Paul Frustaglio saw something special in the young man and gave him a chance.
"It's a historic day for this community, the French River municipality, and to be quite honest with you northern Ontario," said Frustaglio.
GOOD PERSON ON AND OFF THE ICE
"This young man has been a determined, hardworking, great person, as well, so it's very important to be good both on and off the ice and Phil demonstrates that. He's got great values that have been instilled into him by his family."
For his part, Daoust described the experience as "surreal."
"I'm just so happy to be here and to be able to bring back home to the town where I'm from and where my grandparents are from," he said.
"It's honestly a moment I'm going to remember for the rest of my life and I just have to thank all the family, friends and fans who came here to support me."
Daoust said winning the cup was a bit of a blur, but if he had to rank them, the moment of bringing the come home is still a close second.
"It's crazy seeing kids I saw four or five years ago that are almost taller than me now, it just means so much to me," he said.
"I had a tough time in my hockey career. I hope the younger kids can look up to me and know that it doesn't matter where you're from -- small or big town."
He said he will relish the moment for a while. From here, he's off to Barrie, another community he calls home to celebrate with more loved ones.
The power forward is hopeful he'll be able to lace up his skates one day in the NHL, but Noelville will always be where he got his start.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.