Olivier Hinse – The Concordian

Stingers eliminated in game three by Queen’s

Captain Olivier Hinse said his goodbyes after his final game with the team

After tying their three-game playoff series against the Queen’s Golden Gaels at one win a piece on Friday, the Concordia Stingers offence was stifled by a hot goaltender who played well all series.

In game one, the Stingers registered 50 shots on net against Golden Gaels goalie Kevin Bailie, of which only one went in. In the third and deciding game of the series, Bailie once again showcased his ability, registering a 42-save shutout, which helped propel his team to a 2-0 win.

Golden Gaels forward Darcy Greenaway scored the first goal of the game halfway through the first period. The only other goal would come with just seven seconds left in the game from Queen’s forward Dylan Anderson, who stuck the final nail in the coffin of the Stingers’ historic season with an empty netter. With this loss, the Stingers’ 2016-17 season was over and the team was set to reflect on their accomplishments in the locker room shortly thereafter.

“I told them to keep their heads up,” Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement said. “I told all the graduating players that I’m proud of them, and that they left a footprint here.”

With captain Olivier Hinse leaving after his fifth season with the Stingers, the leadership group of the Stingers is set to take a big hit next season. Élement acknowledged this and said that, although Hinse is someone who is simply irreplaceable, the process of naming a new captain is something he’s thought about over the course of the season.

“I have someone in mind who showed a lot of leadership [this season] when Hinse was gone, and he’s going to be a great leader too,” Élement said. Still, the feeling throughout the locker room—from players to equipment staff to even the media—was one of sadness. Élement said Hinse was the best. A great person, a great captain, and someone who he was proud of and who would have a lot of success in life.

Fortunately for Concordia, while one era is ending, another is just beginning.

“We’ve got some holes to fill,” said Élement. “We’ll start right away next week on the recruiting part, and we [already] signed some guys who we’re going to announce soon.”

One player who experienced a good rookie season was forward Philippe Sanche, who had mixed feelings after the game. On the one hand, reflecting on the season left a positive feeling—one of accomplishment and optimism. When reflecting on the game the team had just played, however, the feeling couldn’t have been more contrasting.

“[My first season] left me with a pretty good feeling,” Sanche said. “We had a good group, and it’s one of the reasons why I wanted to come to Concordia. [Still], it’s not fun [to lose]. We know we’re going to lose a few guys who are graduating. It’s not a good feeling, but it’s just the beginning.”

While the future is certainly bright for the Stingers men’s hockey team, the emotion surrounding the departure of Hinse lingered. Despite this, the captain was still able to reflect on the season and the moment, in a positive way.

“It’s a great feeling. I’m proud of my boys, and we had a great year,” Hinse said. “We turned things around, and the boys have a huge future here. I’m going to be part of it—in any way [that I can].

When leaving the ice for the final time, Hinse took a little longer than usual. Savouring the moment, saying goodbye to the fans and taking it all in, one final time.

“I’ll be a Stinger forever,” Hinse said.

Stingers men’s hockey captain Olivier Hinse has big goals for his final season

When the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team was eliminated from the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) playoffs last year, team captain Olivier Hinse had a big decision to make. Hinse had one year of eligibility left, but he was also graduating. Some believed he would no longer be a Stinger—this was not the case.

Hinse opted to enroll in a year-long certificate program, allowing him to play out his final year of eligibility with Concordia.

“I think school-wise, it was a great opportunity to get a graduate certificate in business administration,” Hinse said.

One of Hinse’s passions is children. Hinse did his undergrad in child studies, and hopes to use his graduate certificate in business administration to open up a centre for kids. Hinse said he knows how to help kids develop and grow, but learning the business side of things will help him in his career.

“Hockey-wise, I think we’re going to have a great group of guys this year. Knowing we have talent coming up and Concordia being my home, it’s why I came back,” Hinse said.

The Stingers finished last season with a record of 10-12-6, which placed them seventh out of nine teams in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec. Hinse believes the team’s fortune will change this year, and that the Stingers have a great chance of being a top-tier team.

“We have to go all the way,” Hinse said. “We have a great goalie, so I think our hopes are high and we’re going to go all the way.”

Hinse added that the team’s main issue in the past has been finishing on plays. He said the team used to lack consistency, but he hopes that bringing so many new players onto the team this year and introducing them to the system can change that.

This season, Hinse will be without one of his favourite linemates from last year—forward Jessyko Bernard. Last season was Bernard’s final one with the team, and now Hinse will be playing on a brand new line with newcomers Philippe Sanche and Anthony Deluca. Hinse said he is confident in the chemistry he is already building with his new linemates.

“[Bernard] was great and we had a lot of chemistry together,” Hinse said. “Every year, you lose guys and new guys come in. I know that my linemates right now, Deluca and Sanche, will do a great job of getting me the puck, and I can feed them as well, so we’ll all score.”

This season is Hinse’s third as captain of the team, something that he is extremely proud of. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Beyond this season, Hinse said he would love to keep playing hockey, and if he was ever given the opportunity to go pro, he would. For now, his main priority is hockey.

“I’m almost 26 so I’m thinking of my ‘plan B,’ but right now I’m still focusing on my ‘plan A,’” Hinse said.

Hinse’s final season will also mark his third year as captain of the team. He said his philosophy when it comes to being a captain is simple: create an atmosphere that’s inclusive.

“The key to [being captain] is making sure you create a sense of family and respect,” Hinse said. “Being captain of the Stingers is a great thing, and I’m so proud that it’s my third year.”

According to Hinse, his biggest take-away from his time with the Stingers and the CIS is that players create their own chances. When Hinse joined the team in his first year, he admitted that he was coming off of a disappointing season in the QMJHL. Looking for a fresh start, Hinse said he wanted to go all out with the team and come out of the gate strong.

Hinse added that the CIS doesn’t get as much coverage as it should, and he hopes that, moving forward, people will begin to realize how high the level of hockey is.

“I’m always going to remember that the CIS should be more known around the world. It’s the second greatest league in Canada, right after the NHL,” said Hinse.