When the Rimouski Océanic met the Gatineau Olympiques at the Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau last Saturday, it wasn't exactly for a routine regular season game.
Sure, the stakes weren't higher than their previous games, but the game itself was much more meaningful.
Both teams took to the ice to celebrate the life and career of former QMJHL goaltender Creed Jones, who at just 24 tragically passed away in August.
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All photos above credited to Dominic Charette, Gatineau Olympiques.
Jones had played the majority of his playing career with the Gatineau Olympiques (2017 to 2020) before joining the Océanic twice (2019-2021), with a stint in Saint John with the Sea Dogs in between.
He played in 93 QMJHL games spanning four seasons, tallying an .894 save percentage.
The Peterborough native might have been a fairly big goaltender at 6-foot-2, but even bigger was his personality. Trevor George, the president of the Saint John Sea Dogs, described Jones as a "passionate student of his craft" and was a "unique and colourful personality."
His personality shone through the most with his goalie mask designs, which featured the anti-hero character Venom -- a character who shared many of the quips and banter as Jones.
Jones wasn't just a player, but a scout with the Océanic, a mentor to young boys and girls through his goalie camps and a friend to his teammates, peers and family.
Rimouski would go on to win the game as they beat Gatineau with a final score of 7-4.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK9k0RXO_C4[/embed]