Claude Larochelle
{{Short description|Canadian hockey journalist}}
Claude Larochelle (1931 – September 3, 2002) was a Canadian hockey journalist. During his career, Larochelle led a campaign to try and save the Quebec Nordiques franchise and is the only Quebec City journalist in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Career
Larochelle began his sports journalism career by founding the magazine Sports Revue{{cite news |title=Obituary |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51717484/larochelle-obituary/ |accessdate=May 22, 2020 |publisher=The Ottawa Citizen |date=September 4, 2002|via=Newspapers.com}} and later became a freelance writer at L'Action catholique.{{cite news |last1=Bossé |first1=Olivier |title=Claude Larochelle, le grand oublié du Centre Vidéotron |url=https://www.lesoleil.com/archives/claude-larochelle-le-grand-oublie-du-centre-videotron-8f6d2cee9e1ed8d494c0a6726c5471bd |accessdate=May 22, 2020 |publisher=Le Soleil |date=October 8, 2015|language=French}} He was eventually hired as a sports reporter for the Le Soleil where he led a campaign to try and save the Quebec Nordiques franchise.
While working at Le Soleil, Larochelle and fellow reporter Claude Bédard heard news about the formation of a new hockey league. Together, they flew to Los Angeles to meet with Gary Davidson and Dennis Murphy, and shortly thereafter returned to Montreal. On the flight back home, Bédard suggested that he and Larochelle buy the Quebec franchise but Larochelle rejected the notion.{{cite news |last1=Tremblay |first1=Réjean |title=Nordiques: le repêchage de l'AMH il y a 48 ans |url=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/04/03/un-repechage-avec-le-hockey-news |accessdate=May 22, 2020 |publisher=Le Journal de Montréal |date=April 3, 2020 |language=French}} In spite of this, they worked alongside the first investors and agreed to support Marcel Aubut until 1995.{{cite news |last1=Rousseau |first1=André |title=Claude Larochelle: le grand oublié |url=https://www.lescoulissesdusport.ca/claude-larochelle-le-grand-oublie/ |accessdate=May 22, 2020 |publisher=Les Coulisses du Sport |language=French}} Prior to the WHA General Player Draft, Larochelle, Bédard, and General Manager Marius Fortier worked together to draft a list of Quebecois players who might be willing to play for the inaugural Quebec Nordiques. When the Nordiques played their first game on October 13, 1972, Larochelle and Bédard received a congratulatory telegram from John Ferguson. He eventually wrote a French book about the Nordiques franchise, titled Les Nordiques et le circuit maudit in 1978.{{cite news|title=Inside Sports|date=June 13, 1978|newspaper=Lethbridge Herald|location=Alberta|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-jun-13-1978-1762072/}}{{free access}}
On May 21, 1989, Larochelle and Frank Orr were named the recipients of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, given by the Hockey Hall of Fame "in recognition of distinguished members of the newspaper profession whose words have brought honour to journalism and to hockey."{{cite news |title=Note |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51717950/larochelle-elmer-ferguson/ |accessdate=May 22, 2020 |publisher=Calgary Herald |date=May 21, 1989 |location=Calgary, Alberta|via=Newspapers.com}} He thus became the only Quebec City journalist to have his name engraved on the Hockey Hall of Fame. In spite of their efforts, the Nordiques franchise moved to Colorado in 1995. Nonetheless, Quebec journalist Réjean Tremblay applauded Larochelle and Bédard for their efforts to save the Nordiques franchise; "They were the basis for the arrival of the Nordiques with the AMH, then they fought for the merger with the NHL, the renovation of the Coliseum and the rescue." Larochelle heavily admonished the Nordiques move to Colorado and said, "Quebec City will become a cemetery."{{cite news|title=Permanent Icing|date=June 10, 1995|newspaper= European Stars and Stripes|location=Hesse, Darmstadt|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-jun-10-1995-1762091/}}{{free access}}
Larochelle died on September 3, 2002, at the age of 71 due to illness.{{cite web |title=Décès du journaliste Claude Larochelle |url=https://www.rds.ca/deces-du-journaliste-claude-larochelle-1.371027 |website=rds.ca |publisher=Réseau des sports |accessdate=May 22, 2020 |date=September 3, 2002}}
Selected publications
- Les Nordiques et le circuit maudit
- Les Nordiques: 10 Ans De Suspense
- Les Nordiques, dans la tradition du sport québécois par excellence
References
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Category:Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award recipients
Category:Canadian sports journalists
Category:Canadian sportswriters