The Quebec Remparts paid homage to one of their home province’s most beloved hockey movies with special jerseys last night.
The Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League team based in the provincial capital held a special “Les Boys” night on Friday, November 1, paying tribute to the 1997 comedy film that remains one of the most successful Quebecois movies ever.
The Remparts’ jerseys for the game against the Sherbrooke Phoenix closely mirrored those worn by Les Boys, the team at the heart of the movie. The base of the jersey was yellow, with red shoulders and red, black and white stripes on the sleeves and waist. The front of the jersey featured a black puck with red streaks behind it and “Les REMPS” written overtop, taking cues from the logo used on the movie’s poster.
Right: A cropped version of the original “Les Boys” poster from 1997. (Courtesy IMDb)
The Remparts’ usual primary logo appeared on both shoulders. The names and numbers were red with yellow and black outlines. “LES REMPARTS DE QUÉBEC” was spelled out in black between the waist stripes to mimic where the name of the team’s sponsor appeared in the movie.
The jerseys were paired with black helmets, pants and gloves. The socks were yellow with the same black, red and white striping pattern found on the sleeves.
“Les Boys” was released in 1997 and directed by Louis Saïa. It follows a low-level amateur hockey team made up of a ragtag group of players, including a mechanic, a police officer, a doctor and a lawyer. In order to settle a gambling debt, the owner of the pub that sponsors the team puts up against a team assembled by a local crime boss. If Les Boys win, the debt is erased; if the mobster’s team wins, though, he gets the pub.
“Les Boys” earned $3.3 million at the box office in Quebec, which, given the small market size, was considered a big success. It earned a total of $6 million at the box office across Canada and another $4 million in the United States. It also spawned three sequels — one of which featured appearances by several French-Canadian members of the Canadian Olympic women’s hockey team — one prequel and a television show that lasted five seasons.