Nathan Denette
Back in the 1980s, when skinny leather ties and floppy hair were cool, R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe warbled/mumbled (wumbled?) that "You can't get there from here."
Which, to be honest, has been our long-held view in regards to Rouyn-Noranda, which we've had the pleasure of visiting four or five times on various electoral wagon trains.
Nothing against the place, it's just a little remote for our taste.
If we were as clever as RDS' Stephane Leroux, the unchallenged authority on all matters QMJHL, we might have looked at a map, made some calculations, and concluded that the Huskies would likely pass through the Montreal region enroute to their next game in Lewiston, Me.
Not having listened attentively to his sign-off, we assumed in our earlier posting that Leroux made the long trek northwest, but it turns out he managed to cajole Patrice Cormier into saying a few words into the camera after a team workout near Montreal (as an eagle-eyed reader pointed out, thank you sir).
You know what they say about assuming, shame on us. Guess that's it for our aura of infallibility.
Anyhow, here are a few excerpts, broadcast last night on Sports 30 with one of those nifty all-caps EXCLUSIVE tags, we pass them on without comment.
You can read into them whatever you like, dear readers - and we have every confidence you will.
"I never had the intention of hurting anyone, but I'm not going to sit here and say I didn't do anything."
"You can clearly see that it was an elbow. But it was a reflex. I was only trying to check him. I never had it in my mind to hit Mikael in the head."
He also said that he's tried to reach Mikael Tam, his victim on Sunday, several times to wish him well.
"I wanted to know how he's doing. I want him to know that I've been thinking about him a lot."
And in regard to the emotional reaction to his elbow on Tam: "You realize who your real friends are. I've gotten messages from my parents, folks from my hometown, my coach and teammates from Team Canada. The Huskies have also helped me a lot."
Tam, who as you all know, spent the night in hospital on Sunday, and has been recovering at home. By all accounts, he has made a miracle recovery. You'll be hearing from him directly (or via your favourite media filter) later on today.
He speaks in Quebec City at 4 p.m.
We'll be anxious to hear what he has to say.