HockeyZonePlus –What kind of relationship do you plan to have with hockey after you retire as a player? Any interest in becoming a coach or scout?
Michel Mongeau - My link with hockey will be as a fan of the game.

HockeyZonePlus –What is the highlight of your career so far?
Michel Mongeau - Winning the Turner Cup (IHL Championship) in 1991 with Peoria.

HockeyZonePlus –What have been the most difficult moments of your career?
Michel Mongeau - The trades and the pressure that teams put on foreign players in Europe.

HockeyZonePlus –You have played for several coaches. In your opinion, what makes a good coach?
Michel Mongeau - Someone with a good judgment who communicates well with his players.

HockeyZonePlus –In ‘91-‘92, after 4 years in the IHL, you got the chance to play half a season in the NHL with the St.Louis Blues. How was that experience?
Michel Mongeau - Too short! It was a dream come true for me.

HockeyZonePlus –Can you tell us the story of the incident in the IHL, in the mid 90’s, with Chris Tamer?
Michel Mongeau - I was skating toward the goal and I stopped to fake a shot on goal. That’s when Tamer caught up me with me and cross-checked me from behind. I fell head first on the goal post and got 7 fractures to the face : upper-jaw, left cheek, nose and both eye sockets. I now have 3 metal plates in my face. The rehab was very difficult and painful. My jaw was wired for a month and my face was very sensitive. Eating with a straw is quite an adventure and a very good way to lose weight... It took 10 months before I could play again and it changed my style drastically.

HockeyZonePlus –You sued Chris Tamer. How did that go and was there any pressure to make you drop the legal procedures?
Michel Mongeau - At the first trial, we got no result because a ‘strong woman’ in the jury made it turn into a mistrial. At the second trial, the jury side with me but also decided that it was an accident. Go figure. I didn’t get any compensation and my lawyer got $60,000 in debt.

At first, there was no pressure on me to drop the case. Later on, there was. The players and coaches testified during the first trial but were not there for the second one. There was pressure on the coaches and, as for the players, we could not force them to testify and it was the summer so they were all gone.

HockeyZonePlus –Who was your idol when you were young?
Michel Mongeau - Guy Lafleur and the Montréal Canadiens. Later, it was Wayne Gretzky.

HockeyZonePlus –During your 11-year career in the IHL, you won different awards (All Star Team, best scorer of your team, etc.) and won some trophies (Turner Cup, Ironman Award, Bud Poile Trophy, Longman Trophy, Lamoureux Trophy, Gatschene Trophy, etc). Which one gave you the most pride and satisfaction?
Michel Mongeau - Without a doubt, winning the Turner Cup. The adrenalin rush and feeling during the last game was unbelievable.

HockeyZonePlus –In the last game that Mario Lemieux played in junior in Laval, Québec, he had to get 11 points to beat some league record. To the delight of the crowd, he managed to accomplish the impossible in a blowout win of his team, the Voisins. You were a member of the team, what are your memories of the event?
Michel Mongeau - He needed 3 goals to tie the record of most goals in a season that Guy Lafleur had. We all knew it and we also knew that with Mario, everything was possible. Mario scored 6 goals and got 5 assists. Unbelievable! He even managed to help our policeman, Michel Bourque, score a goal. Mario didn’t really need our help. When he was determined to play, it was impossible to stop him.

HockeyZonePlus –What’s your opinion on the need for goons in hockey?
Michel Mongeau - Goons have always been part of hockey and will always be. I am not against them as long as they act within the rules. When you have a strong guy on your team who knows his role and can play, it can help his teammates feel safer.

HockeyZonePlus –During your last two years in the IHL, you played for five different teams. How did you deal with that?
Michel Mongeau - It was difficult. I don’t like change so trades have always been difficult for me. Furthermore, during those two years, I underwent two operations (knee and 4 hernias to the stomach) and those injuries were hampering my performance. The teams were unhappy at my performance and didn’t have the patience to let me heal. It was very, very frustrating.