The Sorel Éperviers (Black Hawks) were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981. The team was one of the founding members of the QMJHL. They mostly played at the Colisée Cardin in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, but also spent a few seasons at the Verdun Auditorium in the Montreal suburb of Verdun, Quebec. Rodrigue Lemoyne served as the team's general manager. Ray Bourque is the only former Épervier in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
| Sorel Éperviers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Sorel-Tracy & Verdun, Quebec |
| League | QMJHL |
| Operated | 1969 to 1981 |
| Home arena | Colisée Cardin & Verdun Auditorium |
| Franchise history | |
| 1969–77 | Sorel Éperviers |
| 1977–79 | Verdun Éperviers |
| 1979–80 | Verdun/Sorel Éperviers |
| 1980–81 | Sorel Éperviers |
| 1981–95 | Granby Bisons |
| 1995–97 | Granby Prédateurs |
| 1997–2019 | Cape Breton Screaming Eagles |
| 2019–present | Cape Breton Eagles |
The Éperviers originated in the Quebec Junior Hockey League, and were the league's champion in 1969. Sorel were finalists in the eastern Canadian championship for the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, losing 3 games to 1 to the Montreal Junior Canadiens.
The 1973–74 QMJHL season sparked an offensive explosion, unmatched in Canadian Hockey League history. Sorel set a CHL record of 620 goals scored as a team. Three Sorel players, Pierre Larouche, Michel Deziel and Jacques Cossette, had more than 90 goals and 200 points each. Sorel goaltender Claude Legris also posted the highest goals against average of 4.50 goals per game for a Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy winner.
In 1981 the franchise moved to Granby, Quebec where they became the Granby Bisons. They won the Memorial Cup there in 1996. The franchise is today the Cape Breton Eagles.
NHL alumni
- Norm Aubin
- Marco Baron
- Michel Belhumeur
- Michel Bergeron
- Serge Bernier
- Gilles Bilodeau
- Raymond Bourque
- Jacques Cossette
- Richard David
- Lucien DeBlois
- Michel Deziel
- Jean-Marc Gaulin
- Pierre Giroux
- Benoit Gosselin
- Brian Johnson
- Steve Kasper
- Alain Langlais
- Jean-Marc Lanthier
- Pierre Larouche
- Claude Legris
- Pierre Mondou
- Bob Ritchie
- Ron Smith
- Chris Valentine
Season-by-season record
- Sorel Éperviers (1969–1977)[1]
- Verdun Éperviers (1977–1979)[2]
- Verdun/Sorel Éperviers (1979–1980)[3]
- Sorel Éperviers (1980–1981)[1]
Note :Pct = Winning percentage
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Pct | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–70 | 56 | 33 | 23 | 0 | 66 | 0.589 | 295 | 220 | 4th, East |
| 1970–71 | 62 | 25 | 36 | 1 | 51 | 0.411 | 214 | 249 | 6th, QMJHL |
| 1971–72 | 62 | 38 | 24 | 0 | 76 | 0.613 | 287 | 224 | 4th, QMJHL |
| 1972–73 | 64 | 38 | 23 | 3 | 79 | 0.617 | 398 | 362 | 3rd, QMJHL |
| 1973–74 | 70 | 58 | 11 | 1 | 117 | 0.836 | 620 | 301 | 1st, East |
| 1974–75 | 72 | 20 | 43 | 9 | 49 | 0.340 | 297 | 388 | 4th, East |
| 1975–76 | 72 | 27 | 34 | 11 | 65 | 0.451 | 302 | 377 | 4th, East |
| 1976–77 | 72 | 19 | 48 | 5 | 43 | 0.299 | 319 | 448 | 5th, Dilio |
| 1977–78 | 72 | 32 | 31 | 9 | 73 | 0.507 | 378 | 332 | 4th, Lebel |
| 1978–79 | 72 | 41 | 24 | 7 | 89 | 0.618 | 367 | 313 | 1st, Lebel |
| 1979–80 | 72 | 20 | 47 | 5 | 45 | 0.312 | 321 | 426 | 4th, Lebel |
| 1980–81 | 72 | 36 | 30 | 6 | 78 | 0.542 | 333 | 303 | 2nd, Lebel |
References
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