Bonjour, tout le monde.
Good day, everyone.
Thank you, Rod and Daniel.
Senator Demers, representing our Speaker, Speaker Kinsella, Speaker Scheer, President of Hockey Canada Bob Nicholson, Chairman of Hockey Canada Mike Bruni, Order of Hockey inductee Cassie Campbell-Pascal, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I just want to take a moment before I begin.
I would just like to congratulate our national women’s hockey team and wish it the best of luck.
To congratulate and extend my best wishes to our national women’s hockey team.
All of us, all Canadians from coast to coast to coast are very proud of our women’s hockey program.
As you move into the semi-finals this evening, and hopefully into the finals tomorrow, know that the entire country is cheering you on.
Let’s give our best to our national hockey team.
I’d also like to offer my sincere thanks to Bob, to Mike, and everybody at Hockey Canada and the Hockey Canada Foundation for all of your good work in organizing today’s event.
We’re delighted you’re able to hold it here in our national Parliament Buildings in the national capital.
This important initiative provides Canadians with yet another opportunity to recognize and celebrate leaders in our sport, true heroes both on and off the ice.
Friends, hockey is greatly loved by Canadians.
It is, after all, officially our national winter game.
Less than a year ago, as was mentioned, it was my great pleasure to say a few words about the first five members of the Order of hockey in Canada. And today I’m delighted to have the opportunity to speak briefly about the next class of distinguished honourees.
These three men are not only ambassadors for our sport, they are ambassadors for Canada and for Canadian values.
Our first honourees spent a quarter of a century playing in the NHL.
He is second all-time in points.
He won six Stanley Cups.
And to this day, he remains the only person in history to captain two different teams to a Stanley Cup championship.
On peut affirmer avec certitude, avec une grande certitude, que personne n’a pratiqué ce sport tout à fait comme Marc Messier.
He is considered not just one of the greatest hockey players, but one of the greatest hockey leaders this country has ever produced.
Congratulations to Marc Messier.
Our next honouree has travelled the world over to capture medals and glory for Canada.
While serving as the head coach of our national junior team, he led Canada to our first ever World Junior goal, establishing the tradition of excellence in our junior hockey program that all Canadians take such pride in today.
He has coached at world championships, at the Olympics and in the NHL.
In fact, some of the most talented hockey players of our time have benefited from his insight, experience and instruction.
He is a Member of the Order of Canada, and now he is a member of the Order of Hockey in Canada.
Congratulations to Dave King.
If you want proof of our final honouree’s lasting legacy, consider this.
Although he hasn’t played competitive hockey in more than 30 years, he remains one of the best recognized and most admired hockey players of all time by all generations.
He scored for Canada when it mattered most, not once, not twice, but three times; however, it was his third game-winning goal in game eight – everyone alive then knows what I’m talking about – 34 seconds left, rallying the entire country in a unity it has rarely experienced before or since.
Ladies and gentlemen, our third honouree, le légende, the legendary Paul Henderson.
Let me also point out that Paul was recently appointed to the Order of Canada, and I know that I speak on behalf of all Canadians when I say that your appointment, Paul, was long overdue, and is very well deserved.
Congratulations.
Friends, the great Canadian writer Roch Carrier perhaps put it best in his beloved children’s story “The Hockey Sweater” when he wrote: “Real battles are won on the rink. Real strength appears on the rink. Real leaders show themselves on the rink.”
Et je cite, « Les vrais combats se gagnent sur la patinoire. La vraie force apparaît sur la patinoire. Les vrais chefs se manifestent sur la patinoire. »
Canadians understand what he meant. On rinks in Canada and around the world, our three honourees demonstrated real perseverance, real courage, and real leadership.
They demonstrated the very best of what it means to be Canadian, the best of which younger generations can aspire on and off the ice.
We honour them today because they have influenced our national winter game and our country for the better.
And in their own unique way, they have made each of us even more proud to be Canadian.
Félicitations à chacun d’entre vous, et merci à tous et à toutes de vous être joints à nous.
Congratulations once again to each and every one of you, and thank you, everybody, for joining us here today.
