Former Cape Breton Eagles captain remembered as inspiring leader, academic trailblazer

The Cape Breton Eagles honoured late former captain Guillaume Demers Friday night during game 3 of their Que­bec Mari­times Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) first-round play­off series against the New­found­land Regi­ment.

Guillaume Demers, a product of Baie-Comeau, Que, played for the team from the 2001-02 season until his final campaign with the team in 2004-05.

Demers was named captain for his final two seasons in an Eagles uniform.

Stephen Dixon of Halifax played with Demers all four seasons and remembered him as the team’s undisputed leader in the dressing room.

“Everyone got along and he was a big part of that, just the way he treated people,” Dixon said during a recent interview with CTV Atlantic.

Demers was an offensive talent on the ice, scoring 45 goals and totaling 128 points over the course of his four seasons in Cape Breton.

However, he became just as well-known for excelling in the classroom.

Demers won the team’s award for the top student-athlete in his penultimate season, 2003-04.

In his final campaign, he won the Marcel Robert Trophy as Scholastic Player of the Year for the entire QMJHL.

“One of the best students we ever had,” said George Baillie, who was the education coordinator for the Eagles during Demers’ time with the team. “He was going to go somewhere academically, play a good level of hockey and would do really well in life.”

Former teammates and Cape Breton fans were saddened to hear that Demers had passed away suddenly at the age of 42. The official cause of his death was not released publicly.

“It was utter shock”, Baillie said. “I was really upset.”

“Very sad, he was such a nice guy,” Dixon said, adding that what set Demers apart during their years playing together was his work ethic and maturity beyond his years.

“He sticks out as definitely one of the hardest working guys,” Dixon remembered. “In the gym, he kept himself in great shape. He was into his studies, very focused on his studies.”

Eagles’ play-by-play announcer Pat McNeil was a big fan of the team during Demers’ playing days.

He points out that two other Eagles have won the league’s and the country’s academic awards since, Robert Slaney in 2008 and Jonathan Brunelle in 2012, and feels that Demers paved the way for that kind of academic success.

“The Eagles have been fortunate enough to have a number of players achieve that status after him, but he was the trailblazer in that regard,” McNeil said.

This year’s players wore Demers’ number 18 on the backs of their helmets during their series against the Regiment.

They are too young to remember him, but those who do say he will not be forgotten.

“I just remember him as a super guy, came from a great family,” Baillie said.

“Just how unfortunate it is, and thoughts with his family and loved ones,” Dixon added.

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