Eastern Townships in the red zone: the worst scenario for the Phoenix
A long pause could once again await the Phoenix.
Share November 9, 2020 5:11 p.m. Updated at 6:42 p.m. Share Eastern Townships in the red zone: the worst scenario for the Phoenix
Jérôme Gaudreau La Tribune SHERBROOKE – Le Phœnix cannot boast of having started the 2020-2021 season on a high level. With a record of no victory in five outings, it's hard to imagine a worse scenario. And yet there is one.
Estrie will go into the red zone on Thursday and the Phœnix could become the only team to find itself on a forced break since the Sherbrooke team can no longer integrate the bubble of the Videotron Center, which will host from November 17 to 27 the seven organizations already in Red zone.
Meanwhile, the other four Quebec teams from the orange or yellow zones could still compete. It should also be remembered that the action has unfolded as planned in the Maritimes since the launch of the campaign.
“After a long break of one month, our team needs to play games,” recalls coach and general manager Stéphane Julien. We saw it when we returned to play in Abitibi last week. We have to find our rhythm and our energy and for that, we have to play. “
According to the QMJHL, for the past week, a quarantine has been respected by the seven teams who will meet in Quebec in seven days.
“Seeing the Eastern Townships currently becoming a red zone is the worst scenario for us. The other 17 teams will play, except us. We just lost our three games in Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda and we wanted to regain our hoped for level of play by starting to play with a more regular schedule. While everyone stays in shape, we will be on a forced break. “
Before the government's announcement at the end of the afternoon, the Sherbrooke organization expected to receive a visit from one of the four other Quebec teams not in the red zone on Friday evening: Rimouski, Baie-Comeau, Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda.
“This is the only ice availability we had this weekend at the Palais des sports. We hoped to receive a visit from a team like the Foreurs, ”says Stéphane Julien.
Another possibility presented itself to the Phoenix: to face a team like the Oceanic on the road Wednesday night.
If Friday's clash is automatically postponed given the red tier assigned to Estrie, Wednesday's game could still take place abroad.
“We are awaiting developments concerning the tests carried out at the Océanic and concerning the evolution of the red zones in order to finalize the upcoming calendar”, indicated the QMJHL in response to a question formulated by The gallery.
