It’s a celebration that has been long overdue.

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It’s a celebration that has been long overdue.

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The Lakeshore Canadiens will celebrate the 40-year anniversary of the club’s first Ontario junior C championship hockey team in 1985 when it was known as the Belle River Canadiens.

“We’ve got 19 of the 23 players attending,” said Mike Gilhuly, who played on the 1984-85 championship team and helped organize this event. “(Former NHLer) Tie (Domi) is coming down and we’ll have about 120 family members and friends there. Plus, it’s against Essex, so there will probably be a full house as well.”

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The Canadiens came into existence in 1978-79 and, after missing the playoffs the first three season, went on to win its first Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League title and then the all-Ontario title in 1984-85.

“I think it’s just amazing that in seven years, with basically all local kids, they won all-Ontario,” Randy Kucharski said.

Kucharski only played on the 1978-79 team before aging out, but jumped on board with Gilhuly, his brother Mark Gilhuly, and Marc Crevier, who all played on the championship team, to help organize this event.

“We just started this stuff probably five weeks ago,” Mike Gilhuly said. “We ended up getting (in contact with) everyone and thank God for social media. We’ve got 19 of the 23 players attending.

“Back then, we were only allowed four import players and those four were from Windsor. That was considered an import. The rest of the team was from Tilbury to Manning Road. Ten of the guys were from Belle River and we were all together. Every other year we went to the (provincial) finals and finally won all-Ontario in midget.”

Mike Gilhuly credits Canadiens’ head coach and former NHLer Marcel Pronovost, who passed away in 2015, with putting the championship pieces together on the ice.

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“I think we thought we were a good team and when we got Marcel Pronovost as our coach, the level of expectation and detail went up 100 per cent,” Mike Gilhuly said. “He was old school and I learned more from him in one year than all my years of minor hockey. He was a calming factor and never got upset and when he talked, everyone listened.”

There were a few events that players got got together in the years following the championship, but nothing was ever put together to celebrate the 10-year anniversary or the 25-year anniversary. However, current Canadiens’ general manager Mark Seguin jumped at the chance to honour the group when approached this season.

“We’re going to celebrate this group and I can’t believe it’s been this long,” Seguin said. “There’s been a great response and the Schmalz Cup (provincial championship trophy) will be there, because we won it last year, and they can carry it around.”

Former captain Gary Trepanier will drop the ceremonial first puck along with alternate captains Dave Cochois and Ron Provost.

“There are probably guys going to be there that I haven’t seen in 35 years,” Mike Gilhuly said. “Hopefully, get back into some friendships we had when we were 18- and 19-year-olds.

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“I remember the road trips and how really entertaining they were, but the biggest thing is everyone had each other’s back on the ice. We were always looking out for each other.”

After beating out the Midland Centennials for the 1985 title, the Canadiens, who switched location name from Belle River to Lakeshore ahead of the 2014-15 season, brought home the Schmalz Cup again in 1992, 1994, 1995, 2022 and this past season. Seguin is hoping to build the alumni association with the team to celebrate more of the club’s successes over the years.

“It’s something we’re putting guys together to do more of,” Seguin said. “Get (the alumni association) going better. It’s been OK, but to do these things, you need people and these guys have stepped up.”

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