Chicoutimi Saguenéens

For the former Quebec Hockey League team, please see Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QHL).

The Chicoutimi Saguenéens are a hockey club of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Founded in 1973, they are one of the oldest franchise of the league. Based in Chicoutimi, Quebec, they play their home games at the Centre Georges-Vézina. The team's main rivals are the Quebec Remparts. The team's president is Guy Carbonneau.

They were named best Canadian Hockey League club of the year 2005.

History
In 1972, a group of people wanting to grant Chicoutimi it's QMJHL franchise applied to the league to get an expansion team. It's shareholders (Gilles Tremblay, Gaston Sénéchal, Jean-Marc Caron, Jean-Marc Lavoie, Roland Hébert, Denis Cantin, Jacques Gagnon, Georges Quenneville, Jules Bouchard et Dan Walker) knew it was a big challenge, but that the rewards would be substantial. Finally, along with the Hull Festivals (today the Olympiques), the Sags were set to begin playing.

The Sags played their inaugural game on September 30th 1973, losing 7-2 against the Montreal Junior in front of over 6000 people. Ironically, the first ever goal of the concession was scored by Marc Desforges, who is today one of the team's shareholders.

The team was sold a few times over the years. In the middle of the 1980s, the city of Chicoutimi was more or less in control of the franchise, but choose to get rid of it - that's how the team became the property of the Corporation de Développement économique de Chicoutimi. Two years later, the team was sold to Cegerco, Multisoda and Autocar Jasmin. On May 28th 1993, the team is once again sold, this time to Yvon Bouchard, Benoit Boulianne et Marc Tremblay. The latter came very close to have the team moved out of Saguenay.

On December 28th 1998, Tremblay traded away Ramzi Abid, Mathieu Benoit and Marc Bouchard, as well as two other players in return of some younger players in development. It meant three years of misery, during which rumours of the team being moved were common. Thankfully, a group led by Guy Carbonneau bought the team in 2000. As moving had become almost unavoidable, the former number 21 came and saved the day.

Retired numbers

 * 14 🇨🇦 Alain Côté
 * 16 🇨🇦 Normand Léveillé
 * 18 🇨🇦 Sylvain Locas
 * 20 🇨🇦 Marc Fortier
 * 21 🇨🇦 Guy Carbonneau
 * 29 🇨🇦 Félix Potvin

Former Headcoaches

 * 1973-74 Germain Munger and Yvan Gingras
 * 1974-75 to 1976-77 Yvan Gingras
 * 1977-78 Yvan Gingras, Guy Brassard and Jean-Charles Gravel
 * 1978-79 to 1979-80 Orval Tessier
 * 1980-81 to 1981-82 Michel Morin
 * 1982-83 Michel Morin and Germain Munger
 * 1983-84 Michel Parizeau
 * 1984-85 Mario Bazinet
 * 1985-86 Mario Bazinet et Pierre Sévigny
 * 1986-87 to 1989-90 Gaston Drapeau
 * 1990-91 to 1992-93 Joe Canale
 * 1993-94 to 1994-95 Gaston Drapeau
 * 1995-96 Réal Paiement and Christian LaRue
 * 1997-98 Christian LaRue
 * 1998-99 Christian LaRue and Martin Daoust
 * 1999-00 Martin Daoust
 * 2000-01 Martin Daoust and Alain Rajotte
 * 2001-02 Alain Rajotte
 * 2002-03 Alain Rajotte et René Matte
 * 2003-04 René Matte, Yannick Jean and Richard Martel
 * 2004-05 to 2012-13+ Richard Martel
 * ? to present Yannick Jean

Team Honours

 * Memorial Cup participations: 3 (1991, 1994, 1997)
 * Memorial Cup championship: 0
 * Jean-Rougeau Trophy (1st overall of the league): 1990-91
 * President's Trophy (Playoffs Winner): 1990-91, 1993-94