By Joce, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
“My father passed away in November of 2011. He was so proud of this book and had helped me tremendously with writing it. It breaks my heart to pieces that he passed away before he could see the final copy of the book. The day before he passed away, he told me that he was so proud to be my father. I’ll cherish those words forever. Knowing that he’s now my guardian angel and knowing that he’s smiling down at me from Heaven helps me to get through each day a little bit easier.” — Jocelyne LeBlanc, author
PENTICTON, BC. – There are stories, and there are life-stories; you know, the ones that make you feel the need to learn more about. This one is the story of a Habs’ fan from a small town in New Brunswick. She is a lady who shared her passion with her father — he encouraged her to pursue her dream of writing a book about their mutual love, the Montreal Canadiens.
Jocelyne Leblanc and her father Emery watched every Habs’ game together, sitting on the couch side-by-side. He would tell her stories about the past players and games from the old days well before she was born. Emery’s favourite player was Doug Harvey; Jocelyne still has the newspaper cut-out of the article when the Hall of Famer passed away.
One day, she informed her father that she wanted to write a book – naturally, like a good father would do, Emery encouraged Jocelyne to pursue her dream. Together, they spent about a year researching and assembling her new book called: Montreal Canadiens – Stanley Cup Champions. Emery was a tremendous resource in writing this book, especially with seasons from the distant past. Unfortunately, Jocelyne’s father passed away in November of 2011.
She had this to say:
“He was so proud of this book and had helped me tremendously with writing it. It breaks my heart to pieces that he passed away before he could see the final copy of the book. The day before he passed away, he told me that he was so proud to be my father. I’ll cherish those words forever. And I’m equally as lucky and proud to have the most loving and wonderful father. Knowing that he’s now my guardian angel and knowing that he’s smiling down at me from Heaven helps me to get through each day a little bit easier. I love you and miss you, Dad.”
A long-time fan of Patrick Roy, Jocelyne’s favourite player on the current team is Max Pacioretty. She has completed her book dedicating it to both her parents, with obviously a very special place for Emery.
It’s the first book of its kind to chronicle and illustrate every season and the playoffs for each of the Habs’ 24 Stanley Cup victories. At the end of each chapter, there is a player profile on a significant member of the team for that season. Fans will also appreciate the special Hall of Fame section of this book where they will be able to familiarize themselves with the team’s successful history. This is a book written by a Habs fan for Habs fans everywhere. Whether you’re 8 or 88, this book can be enjoyed by all ages.
The reality of being from a small town in New Brunswick with limited publishing connections is one tough hurdle to jump and that’s where Kyle Burton comes into play. Kyle is a Social Media Coordinator who works hand-in-hand with Retro Media Inc., a small printing company in PEI who agreed to help publish the new book.
In order to get enough capital needed to properly fund the book, they are launching an Indiegogo crowd-source funding campaign to help put this book on store shelves and coffee tables across the country. For those who, like me, are unfamiliar with the concept, an Indiegogo campaign is a pledge system for funding creative projects. It’s a great tool to support efforts initiated by individuals or small companies who have great ideas but want to take their product to the next level. Crowd-source funding allows interested individuals the opportunity to pool their money towards funding a product or service that they find interesting.
Kyle adds:
“I grew up with a family who loved the Toronto Maple Leafs, but I have always been a Habs fan through thick and thin. Not only are they the most decorated team in NHL history, but it seems like almost every player has their own interesting story to follow. I was a huge Patrick Roy follower growing up and I have been a Habs fan ever since.”
How can Habs’ fans help?
People can contribute by visiting either the English or French versions of the campaign and selecting from one of the many unique perks on the right side of the page. The perks you will receive depend on how much you are willing to contribute. They range from $15 for the electronic version of the book, all the way to receiving 10 signed copies of the book and your name printed in the book for $500.
Indiegogo Campaign
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Rocket Sports Media, the parent company of All Habs Hockey Magazine, is proud to support this project through its ‘Rocket Power’ initiative. Its aim is to mobilize hockey fans to help other hockey fans. Learn more about our program or get involved by clicking this link.
