The Sorel Éperviers (Black Hawks) were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981. The team was one of the founding members of the QMJHL. They mostly played at the Colisée Cardin in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, but also spent a few seasons at the Verdun Auditorium in the Montreal suburb of Verdun, Quebec. Rodrigue Lemoyne served as the team's general manager. Ray Bourque is the only former Épervier in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Éperviers originated in the Quebec Junior Hockey League, and were the league's champion, coached by Ken Hodge in 1969. At 21, Ken Hodge was believed to be the youngest junior hockey coach in history. Hodge, who would go on to earn 742 coaching victories in the WHL with the Portland Winter Hawks. Sorel were finalists in the eastern Canadian championship for the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, losing 3 games to 1 to the Montreal Junior Canadiens.
The 1973–74 QMJHL season sparked an offensive explosion, unmatched in Canadian Hockey League history. Sorel set a CHL record of 620 goals scored as a team. Three Sorel players, Pierre Larouche, Michel Deziel and Jacques Cossette, had more than 90 goals and 200 points each. Sorel goaltender Claude Legris also posted the highest goals against average of 4.50 goals per game for a Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy winner.
In 1981 the franchise moved to Granby, Quebec where they became the Granby Bisons. They won the Memorial Cup there in 1996. The franchise is today the Cape Breton Eagles.
NHL alumni
Season-by-season record Sorel Éperviers (1969–1977)Sorel Éperviers season-by-season record on www.hockeydb.com Verdun Éperviers (1977–1979)Verdun Éperviers season-by-season record on www.hockeydb.com Verdun/Sorel Éperviers (1979–1980)Verdun/Sorel Éperviers season-by-season record on www.hockeydb.com Sorel Éperviers (1980–1981)
Note :Pct = Winning percentage
Season Games WonLostTiedPointsPct Goalsfor Goalsagainst Standing 1969–70 563323 0 660.5892952204th, East 1970–71 622536 1 510.4112142496th, QMJHL 1971–72 623824 0 760.6132872244th, QMJHL 1972–73 643823 3 790.6173983623rd, QMJHL 1973–74 705811 11170.8366203011st, East 1974–75 722043 9 490.3402973884th, East 1975–76 72273411 650.4513023774th, East 1976–77 721948 5 430.2993194485th, Dilio 1977–78 723231 9 730.5073783324th, Lebel 1978–79 724124 7 890.6183673131st, Lebel 1979–80 722047 5 450.3123214264th, Lebel 1980–81 723630 6 780.5423333032nd, Lebel
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