Maurice Filion died at the age of 85 years

Photo: Jacques Nadeau, The canadian Press
A native of Montreal, Maurice Filion (centre) has been hired by the Nords from their founding in 1972.

The former director general of the Quebec Nordiques, Maurice Filion, responsible for some of the acquisitions the most important in the history of the team, died Friday at the age of 85 years.

The cause of death has not been revealed.

“He was a man discreet enough, who took his work seriously “, told The canadian Press Dave Pichette, president of the Old Northern. It represents a great page of history in the Nordics. “It is he who has mounted the champion team to the Avco cup. It has made the transition to the NHL and has protected players. He then lived the arrival of Stastny and he has drafted guys like Dale Hunter and Michel Goulet. “

A native of Montreal, and Filion began his distinguished association with the city of Quebec in 1969 as coach of the Remparts, the junior hockey League the Quebec major. It is behind the team bench when the Walls are in a campaign remarkable in 1970-71 by compiling a record of 54-7-1, thanks to the brilliance of Guy Lafleur. The team will continue its journey by winning the Memorial Cup.

Filion then made the transition in the Nordic since their foundation in the world hockey Association in 1972. He was hired as the recruiter, but it inherits the functions of the head coach when the ancient legend of the Montreal canadiens Maurice Richard was forced to resign after only two meetings, unable to handle the stress.

It is finally during the summer of 1974, Filion became chief executive officer of Nordic. In 1976-77, he relies on a powerful team including Réal Cloutier, Marc Tardif and Christian Bordeleau and the Nords won the only championship in their history, lifting the Avco cup.

Filion was absent during the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Avco cup, in may.

“I spoke to him to invite him to the celebrations and he had said yes before you remind me the day before to say that he had an impediment, said Pichette, who has negotiated his first professional contract with Filion in 1980. His voice was good. He was a man who had not changed over the years. He was in good physical shape, but we saw each other less. It was a discreet man who was doing his business. “

Filion made the transition to the NHL at the same time that the Nordiques in 1979, when the WHA farm shop.

He briefly returned behind the bench at the start of the season 1980-81, before you hire Michel Bergeron. The Nordics are also reinvigorated by the arrival of Peter and Anton Stastny, thanks to the work of Gilles Léger and Marcel Aubut. Marian Stastny will join a season later.

Filion and Bergeron are the pair until 1987, and knowing their finest moments in 1982 and 1985, when they see the Northern eliminate the Canadian series.

André Savard replaces Bergeron behind the bench, a failure. The departure of Dale Hunter disappoints also the supporters and Filion finally loses its functions of director-general in the summer of 1988, when he was instead appointed vice-president, operations, hockey.

It then does the interim following the dismissal of general manager Martin Madden, in February 1990, with the delicate task of exchanging Peter Stastny and Michel Goulet. He left for good the Northern during the summer of 1990.

Filion remains involved in the world of sport québec by participating in the foundation of the football team of the University of Laval and as prefect of discipline from the QMJHL. He retired for good in 2005.

The trophy presented by the QMJHL to the director-general par excellence, bears the name of Filion since 2006.