The Océanic mascot, a seal named Loucky, participates on the ice, in the pregame festivities and makes his way through the stands, interacting with fans during the game. Of course, it just wouldn’t be Québec without poutine. Photo by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey.Home for the Océanic is the Colisée Financière Sun Life, which was built in 1966 and formerly known as the Colisée de Rimouski. A variety of different poutines are for sale in the concourse concessions. It is home to the Rimouski Océanic ice hockey team, and the arena hosted the 2009 Memorial Cup. On first glance of the numbers, it seems that there is significant room for improvement. These would include skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. Perhaps with the playoffs around the corner and the Océanic poised for a decent run, the fans had made a surge and bumped their mark up.An extra mark for the brilliant job of blending the old with the new in the Colisée.Oceanic Celebrate a Victory. All are products of the Gaspé area and the Rimouski minor hockey system. The roof is a little flatter and the original capacity is a little larger than some of the smaller rinks that required modification. Coca-Cola products are the soft drink of choice.Rimouski is located right on the south shore on the St. Lawrence River.
Photo by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey.The Rimouski Océanic were originally the Sherbrooke Castors in 1969. The Rimouski Océanic are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). With such a small investment, bringing the entire family out to the game is a real possibility without having to drop a mortgage payment on the affair.For fans looking for other things to do in Rimouski, any of the traditional Québec outdoor winter activities are prevalent in the Gaspé area. In 2016, Maurice would transfer his ownership stake to his grandson Alexandre at age 23. Rimouski Océanic - QMJHL - hockey team page with roster, stats, transactions at Eliteprospects.com
The Colisée Financière Sun Life (in English, Sun Life Financial Coliseum) is a 4,285-seat (total capacity 5,062) multi-purpose arena in Rimouski, Quebec, Canada, built in 1966. The Castors played in Sherbrooke from 1969 to 1982 before moving to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, in 1982 to become the Saint-Jean Castors. The Océanic are one of the rock solid franchises in the Québec Major Junior Hockey League. A near capacity crowd was loud and proud throughout the game and noisemakers were definitely part of the equation. Photo by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey.QMJHL hockey provides a return on investment that is second to none and Rimouski is a shining example. Spots in the city that are interesting include a tour of the HMCS Onondaga or the Point-au-Père Lighthouse. St. Hubert is a Québec staple and probably a spot that needs trying when in the province. The PA system is quite good and clear and the video board is perfect for the size of the arena. Three sections around centre ice are for club seating, while the rest of the arena features comfortable, modern seats. The front exterior is sharp, with lots of glass and a huge Océanic logo. Photo by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey.Oceanic Mascot. The product on the ice is very strong. Photo by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey.Concessions at Colisée Financière Sun Life are fairly average. Inside the main atrium, the Océanic honour their tradition of producing some of the best NHL players with pictures on the doors of Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and of course, Sidney Crosby.Banners for the on ice success for Rimouski hang proudly, including three Trophée Jean-Rougeau and three Coupe du Président banners join the ultimate honour, the 2000 Memorial Cup Champions banner. Photo by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey.Colisee Financiere Sun Life Scoreboard. There is also a banner that honours the 28 game undefeated streak to begin the 2004 season.
It is just a matter of time until Sidney Crosby’s number 87 is also retired in Rimouski.An extra mark for the Océanic’s rivalry with the Québec Remparts.The game day production is about what you would expect from a QMJHL experience. There is plenty of space available and fans will not have to worry too much about lineups.