Sylvain Lefebvre's unlikely campaign to rename the Laval West Arena after journeyman NHL forward Harland Monahan, who moved away from the Montreal area over 40 years ago, never to return, has succeeded.
After years of raising interest in the cause through social media, lobbying and presenting a petition with an impressive 900 signatures, Laval city council greenlighted the name switch in September.
A ceremony is expected in February or March.
Monahan's parents still live in the area but Hartland has been living in the States since 1971 when he started with Baltimore of the AHL.
He starred with the Laval Saints in 1968-1969 before spending two years with the Junior Canadiens who played at the Forum.
Monahan, known for his unhelmeted curly mane, was a fourth round choice by the California Golden Seals, 43rd overall in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft, back in a time when pretty much only junior players from Canada were drafted.
He scored 61 goals in 334 games in his seven year career with a half dozen teams.
After hockey he settled about a half an hour north of Atlanta and worked as a manager at UPS after retirement.
He is now also retired from UPS at age 53 and works with an online charity donation site.
The woman on his home answering machine (presumably his wife, the daughter of Bernard Boom Boom Geoffrion) says on the outgoing message "have a blessed day."
His son Shane had to quit hockey as a kid after the only rink in town closed. Shane excelled at baseball and played briefly on the Seattle Mariners.
Lefebvre writes that his campaign was inspired by the fact that Monahan was the only resident of the western Laval area to make the NHL.
Monahan has repeatedly expressed appreciation for the effort.
Former NHL superstar sniper Mike "Don't Call me Michel" Bossy has an arena named after him further north in Laval. But some average players have arenas named after them, notably in the form of the Francis Bouillon arena, which was rechristened after long carrying the name of Raymond Prefontaine.
After years of raising interest in the cause through social media, lobbying and presenting a petition with an impressive 900 signatures, Laval city council greenlighted the name switch in September.
A ceremony is expected in February or March.
He starred with the Laval Saints in 1968-1969 before spending two years with the Junior Canadiens who played at the Forum.
Monahan, known for his unhelmeted curly mane, was a fourth round choice by the California Golden Seals, 43rd overall in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft, back in a time when pretty much only junior players from Canada were drafted.
He scored 61 goals in 334 games in his seven year career with a half dozen teams.
After hockey he settled about a half an hour north of Atlanta and worked as a manager at UPS after retirement.
He is now also retired from UPS at age 53 and works with an online charity donation site.
The woman on his home answering machine (presumably his wife, the daughter of Bernard Boom Boom Geoffrion) says on the outgoing message "have a blessed day."
His son Shane had to quit hockey as a kid after the only rink in town closed. Shane excelled at baseball and played briefly on the Seattle Mariners.
Lefebvre writes that his campaign was inspired by the fact that Monahan was the only resident of the western Laval area to make the NHL.
Monahan has repeatedly expressed appreciation for the effort.
Former NHL superstar sniper Mike "Don't Call me Michel" Bossy has an arena named after him further north in Laval. But some average players have arenas named after them, notably in the form of the Francis Bouillon arena, which was rechristened after long carrying the name of Raymond Prefontaine.
When do they name one "Urban Legend" for the work he has done to inform all about various locations and history of our community?? :)
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Thank You.
Hartland's FatherinLaw Was Bernard Boom Boom Gefrerion....
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