Greetings to all!

It’s almost September, and I can feel hockey fever getting closer! For some leagues, the regular season will start in a few weeks, while NHL training camps are almost underway.

That being said, let’s get back to the wonderful world of mascots! As I announced in my previous article, I’ll tell you about my definitive ascension in the United States.

In 1996, after the end of my season with the Vermont Expos, I went back home with no job in sight for the hockey season. I was a bit down but not discouraged. One morning, my friend Jean-Claude Tremblay phoned to tell me that he was going to New Orleans in November and he needed a mascot for 3 days. He wanted to know if I was interested, and I immediately accepted.

In September, which is a slow month for me since it’s between the baseball and hockey seasons, I was thinking a lot about my future. One day, I finally decided that if I wanted a fulfilling and captivating experience, I had to leave Québec and go to the United States to show what I could do as a mascot.

I discussed the issue at length with Jean-Claude, thought about it a lot, and ended up deciding to take my car, leave alone with a mascot costume and go work in the United States. Believe me, it was not easy! Jean-Claude gave me a mascot named Jumping Jack and gave me a lot of support in my project.

So, I planned to leave Québec one month before the contract I had in New-Orleans. I figured that if my project worked, I’d meet him over there in a month and if it didn’t work, I’d come back home and fly there with him.

October 30, 1996 is the day when I left Québec for the United States. I left with a mascot and 2 suitcases in my little Colt packed with stuff! Those who know me know that my English wasn’t all that good back then! The first step was to go through customs. It didn’t start very well because they refused to let me go through because they thought that I had too much stuff for only a month. First problem! I was so determined to succeed that I called a friend in Montréal and asked for her help. I gave her one of the suitcases and the mascot costume and went through customs with only 1 suitcase. So, 8 hours after my first try, I managed to work my way through US customs! It was an amazing feeling to manage that first step. I was extremely nervous and excited. My friend Diane helped and allowed me to go through customs and start my trek toward the unknown.

I had only one game scheduled when I left on my trek, so I stopped in Binghampton, NY, to work the game for the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League. My plan was to visit many minor-pro hockey teams to offer them my services, as I was driving toward New-Orleans during the month. I stopped in Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester and Binghampton and was meeting the management of the teams to give them information about me and offer them my services but no team would hire me or give me a contract. I was sleeping in my car, and I’m sure you know how cold it can be in November up in the northern US! Furthermore, as if I needed the bad luck, I got stuck in a snow storm in New York State.

On a Thursday afternoon, I arrived in Virginia. In Richmond, I meet the management of the Renegades of the East Coast Hockey League. They seemed very interested. They told me that they would think about it and give me an answer the next morning. It goes without saying that I was really excited to see them interested so I decided, for the first time since the beginning of the trek, to take a hotel room for the night. The next morning, at 9:45, I called the general manager and he told me that he couldn’t hire me right away but maybe they could do so later in the season. For a little while, I felt like driving back home. It was more frustrating than discouraging.

I took all my courage and reminded myself that I have lots of ambition, that I’m a fighter and that I have talent and experience that most people don’t have. I had to keep going! So, I had a look at my minor-pro hockey guide and noticed a note that a friend of mine, Serge Beaudoin (former NHL and WHA player) left: "Pierre, if you go to Roanoke in Virginia, call Pierre Paiement and tell him that you know me. It might help." From my hotel room, I called the Roanoke Express, of the East Coast Hockey League, and talked to Pierre Paiement. Ten minutes into the discussion, he still wasn’t convinced. At that point, I told him that I knew what I could do. All he had to do was to give me a chance, give me only $100 per game, and hold payment if he thought I was not doing a good job! He accepted my proposal.

During the intermission of my first game for the team, Pierre came over to my lockerroom to tell me that he wanted me for the following game. I was amazingly happy. I had managed to conquer the fans over there! To my surprise, I realized that Jean-François Tremblay (who was with me in Granby) was playing for Roanoke. So, for the past 5 years, we’ve seen each other often. It’s a small world!

After Roanoke, I drove south where I stopped in Charleston, South Carolina. I then worked in Mobile Alabama, Tallahassee, Florida and in Louisiana before heading toward New Orleans for my 3-day contract . Jean-Claude couldn’t believe how much I had managed to do so well by myself in finding gigs all over the place. After New Orleans, the Roanoke Express hired me to finish the season with them. Roanoke became my favorite city and my heart is still there. People over there are great, and they love Jumping Jack.

From that day, I’ve been living in the United States, and I never came back to work in Québec. I had to leave behind family and friends, but nothing compares to what I’ve been doingliving here for the past few years. I live in both Mississippi and Virginia.

Since my departure from Québec, I’ve appeared in over 1000 events in the USA – you can see me everywhere! My English isn’t perfect, but it has improved. I can now order things other than McDonald’s, and I’m not forced to sleep in my car anymore!

We each have our destiny in life, and I feel lucky that this was mine. In my next article, I’ll tell you more about my second hockey season in the United States and about the Salem Avalanche baseball team.

If you have suggestions or would like to contact me, don’t be shy! You can email me or visit my website at www.promascot.com

Sincerely,