Gods and Demons 
The Story of Song Ju-Gong and the S76 Four Star Cup Winning Team


Legacy (An Introduction to QCC Goaltending Royalty)
Expectations (An Introduction to the S74 QCC Class & more)
Pressure (QCC S73-S75)
Glory (QCC S76 and Cup Final)
Perseverance (Cup Celebrations, Captaincy, and S77)
Perspective (Post S77 Finale)
 

Legacy

What does it mean to be a goalie for the Quebec City Citadelles? You feel it from the moment you first take the ice at the Videotron Center. For everything you’ve been in your career up til that point, you become humbled on the spot – no matter how good you might be. To stand in front of the same goals that no mere legends protected, but legends among legends. There is a mythos about being a goalie for this team, as if you can see living highlight reels play out on the ice like specters reliving their glory days in choppy frames. For a teenager such as Song Ju-gong, guarding the goals in Quebec felt like a sacred duty. One where with every move you make, every puck sent your way, you not only had to live up to your own expectations, but those set before you by your predecessors.
 
You can follow in those footsteps, but no matter what you do, you’ll never fill them.
 
To the left, you have Mat Smith, the first goalie to ever win a Four Star with Quebec. His career for Chicago speaks for itself, but the loyal in Quebec knew him before he exploded into a super star, back when he was first proving his incredible potential for the first time. Forever and always that first cup will hold a special place in the city, and Smith was there to help guide his team to it the start of a legacy of success for the Citadelles. Alongside winning gold medals at the time, he was helping win a Challenge Cup in Chicago, all while being nominated and awarded a plethora of honors. Every goalie that has come after strives to be as close to Smith as they can be, and for a young Korean goalie with everything to prove? Well, how does one even come close to comparing?
 
You can follow in those footsteps, but no matter what you do, you’ll never fill them.
 
To the right, you have Justin Time, the first goalie to ever win a Cedric Robinson with Quebec. You’re introduced to Time the moment your plane touches down in Quebec, and you see jerseys dating back to the 65 Season all around. At every turn you can see the legacy left by the legendary figure, as those same jerseys converge on the arena every home game – their backs still proudly carrying that name “TIME”. Along with being the first QCC goalie to win the Robinson, a series of first-team all star appearances and incredible statistics followed Justin his entire time in Quebec – and of course, well, well after. A multi-Challenge Cup winner still lighting the SHL world ablaze as one of its strongest goalies, the Quebec faithful hold him in a regard little could ever hope to emulate. How could an unproven player from Busan ever hope to match such a legend while tending these goals?
 
You can follow in those footsteps, but no matter what you do, you’ll never fill them.
 
The list doesn’t end with those two, but they loom the largest above all. As for the others? Well, most would be blessed to match their careers as well. Caleb Hayden, Net Man, Sobchak. Each of them impressive goalies who have worked their way into the folklore of Quebec netminders, each of them with incredible highs to their careers, cementing the legacy of incredible goalies for this organization. It is from the help of players like these, that being a goaltender in Quebec is such a special honor to hold.
 
For a 17-year-old player wearing their first professional jersey, it’s a hopeless situation. Ju-gong knew it from the moment he came to learn those names and their stories. You have to stand on the same ice, protecting the same goals as many legends of the game had before you. What can you do when the footsteps of those left before you are impossibly large to fill? He did the only thing he could, do his best to fill them as best he can – to try to honor that legacy with his play, to meet the lofty expectations left by those before him. You will never be Smith, you will never be Time, but you have to give every ounce you can to be as close to them as possible. That is how Ju-gong see’s it, never to try and perform like a superhuman or become one of those immortal legends himself, but simply to play in their honor, to continue their legacy in Quebec.
 

Expectations
 
Ontop of having to live in the footsteps of goaltending royalty, there is always the matter of performing in the present. It was by chance itself that Ju-gong arrived just as a new wave of players was rising up to take the SMJHL by storm. He had seen it as an undrafted free agent. The hunger in the eyes of all those young players, he knew well before Quebec had even drafted him that the team coming together in Quebec could not only be dominant, but legendary in its own right. The S74 class was going to be one for the ages, and having a dependable goalie was one of the only things they lacked to reach the next level. You weren’t playing with former legends, but you were playing with future ones, and one could ill afford to be the weak link of that group from such an important position.
 
Without even mentioning the new blood ready to take the reins, the existing squad in Quebec was already one full of players who yearned for their own chance at a cup and glory. Far from that, they already deserved one in their own right. When during your first week of practice you have to deal with the likes of Hunziker, Murphy, O’Berine, you learn right away what the best attackers in the SMJHL have to offer (a lot of turning around to collect pucks from the net). Even with Jaromir Jagrbomb helping keep those shots away, it’s a humbling experience to say the least. To think any of those players were not championship ready would be a colossal understatement, and it was up to the new players of the group to help deliver them that taste of glory.
 
Underneath the leadership of those players, the young core of teammates began to evolve game by game. The proof was in the pudding as they say, and despite playing with a group of primarily sophomore skaters, QCC finished first place in the S74 regular season, Ju-gong’s rookie year.
 
Frøya Solberg, the captain and de facto leader of the young core was at the heart of the S74 class. Like most of the group, she was driven by a desire to win a cup above all else. Aside from being an overall points machine and dynamic player, they were a leader that everyone could rally behind. When you have a captain with immense talent and an incredible drive to play for the team and unite the group, it’s something special to behold.
 
Céleste Desjardins, an elite scorer coming fresh off of an Esa Anrikkanen. They always played with a chip on their shoulder, trying to prove not just their low draft placement wrong, but that they were just as much a threat as either of the Solberg sisters on the team. An incredible microwave scorer, there were days that shots from Céleste were borderline unstoppable. Something many opposing goalies would come to learn as well.
 
Sonja Solberg, not just an elite puck handler and passer, but a workhorse of a player that did as much in helping the defense as they did in the attacking phase of the game. She had a hunger just as strong as her sister, and played with that passion every single day, whether game or practice. While not a flashy goal scorer, her contributions to the team were incredibly pivotal to all of their team success. Ontop of that, Sonja was an iconic player that could rally the whole team from their effort and determination alone.
 
Juan Tymer, another incredibly late draft prick that showed elite potential from day one. Being sharpened every day against some of the best young attacking talent in the league, Tymer not only had the chops to be an elite defense first player, but someone that could contribute assists going forward. Having a player like Tymer protecting the right side of the ice is a luxury any goalie would be thankful to have, and Ju-gong was blessed to have it for three long years.
 
Leo Roze, a defensive wizard that could play the angles and frustrate any attacker in the league. Aside from preventing dozens of goals a year from their shot blocking alone, Roze had a determination about them that always inspired the team. It's not a fluke Quebec played some of their best hockey with Roze on the ice, and with a clutch factor hidden beneath that helmet, not only Ju-gong, but the entire squad felt at ease with them as an ally.
 
Bog Damsel, a player that helped all over the ice, a real intangible that lifted the team through some of its toughest moments. Whenever the attacking core of the team became stymied by the opposition, Bog was often the one to show up and save the day for the group. Any team would be lucky to have a player who can block, score, and throw down the gloves when needed – whatever was needed to get the job done. In a team of stars they may not have been a headline grabber, but the whole squad knew how valuable their contributions were.
 
Abdi Smokes, another under the radar defender that always left their mark on the game. The stability someone like Abdi adds to the team can’t be understated, doing a lot of the dirty work along the boards and frustrating enemy attackers. Their potential showed through as they seemed to improve game to game, week to week, and made up a crucial part of the team's defensive core.
 
Fredrik Gronlund, while not from the S74 class, this towering defenseman felt like an old veteran from day one. Like Ju-gong, he had to play above his years of experience to contribute to such a stacked team, but did the job flawlessly. A massive defensive presence with a good read of the game and the size to back it up, Gronlund not only was a key defenseman for the group, but a draft class compatriot that Ju-gong could grow alongside.
 
Supah Dupah, a determined player who gave everything they had just to be on the ice. Even if it meant playing out of position, Supah would do anything he could to not just help the team, but prove himself along the way. He was the kind of player who made it to where they were from hard work alone, battling it out with those who were more gifted and naturally talented. Supah was another important pace setter for the team, who like Sonja, could inspire the group off their work rate alone.
 
While those were some of the core building blocks, many more came and went that played key roles in making this Citadelles team a threat both early on, and near their peak. Some of those incredibly talented names like; Anna Skovgaard, Patey V2, 3WW Wingmate-Roc, Nor Ge, Scape Goat, Demir Bellona, Lukas Koncey, and Wyatt King,…
 
To have a cast of players like this both on and off the ice working towards success, there is no mystery as to why this team even in its second year, was strong enough to dominate the league game in and game out. Having any of these players on your team is a boon to all, and yet to have all of them on the same ice together is something extra special. It went without saying that there was both championship work ethic and talent riddled throughout the squad. This was a team that could hang a third banner in Quebec, and Ju-gong knew it right from the start. However, given the volatility of his role on a game, a bad series from the young Korean would be all it took to undermine any chance at success when the critical moments came. Just like the legacy he had to live up to, so too did Ju-gong have the pressure of having to deliver for his teammates. To not be the weak link, to be good enough to help them claim the Four Star they all so badly craved.
 
His ability to stay dialed in would be relied upon by every single one of those world class players, their success relying heavily on his ability to perform in the moment. No pressure, right?
 

Pressure
 
During his undrafted season in Quebec, Ju-gong chipped in a few regular season wins, and took over bench duties for Net Man in their final playoff series. Back then with such a young group, getting home ice for playoffs was already a season well done, expectations had been met. While this might have been the case, the reality of living through that series against Detroit not only left an imprint on Ju-gong and his young eyes, but the entire freshman core of Citadelles players. There were several earth-shattering lessons to be learned as they watched the players in red celebrate in front of the silenced fans in Quebec.
 
Higher seed meant nothing. Just because they had secured home ice didn’t mean the series was won.
 
There were no fairytale endings. As badly as they wanted to win for Net Man, the veteran goalie would be leaving Quebec without a cup to their name. Nothing was given, no matter how special the moment might be. 
 
Playoffs were a different beast; it was kill or be killed. Having their home fans watch on in a hauntingly quiet arena was an impossible moment to forget, no matter how badly they might want to. Their actions had consequences to themselves, but also their city. 
 
That was all during a time where the pressure wasn’t nearly as intense, which would not be the case for seasons to come. Ju-gong took over goaltending duties just in time for the group to hit their stride. The S74 season was something of a dream. 102 points, a list of team accolades, and just as many individual ones coming all around. That high only got higher as the team started off their playoff run with a commanding 4-1 win against Anchorage in the second round of playoffs. Despite being such a young group, they were favorites to win it all, and already into the cup semifinals. Age be damned, this could be their moment.
 
Then Detroit won game 1 in Quebec.
 
Then Detroit won game 2 in Quebec.
 
Then Detroit won game 3 in Detroit.
 
And just like that, all the wind in their sails died out, leaving them stranded without hope of rescue.
 
Not only was it falling short of their goal once again, but it was to the same team as last time. Just one game better than the season before. A year worth of training, of work, of growing as a team – all to lose to Detroit in 6 instead of 5. This time it at least wasn’t in front of their home fans, but having to hear the Detroit fans blow the roof off their stadium still added plenty of insult to injury. This was a fairytale, but not for them. In this story they were the giants that had been slain by the heroes in red, the vanquished titan in a story for Detroit. 
 
It was their first taste of truly failing expectations, and it hurt like hell.
 
All of that anger, frustration, the dire need to set the record straight went into preparing for the next season. With their core now hitting their 3rd season in Quebec, it was due time to start showing shades of not just being stars at this level, but of the next. The media would like to joke about how Quebec could beat Montreal in the SHL, and frankly, it didn’t feel impossible. They were packed with SHL talent from top to bottom, and in a year where many players tended to really grow their wings, QCC looked primed to dominate the J.
 
This time around the group managed 105 points. Not just hitting the 50 win mark, but even pushing it to 51. With +173 DIFF, it was one of the most dominant teams in the history of the league. However, the group knew by now that regular season success was only good for so much, and the focus of everyone wasn’t on locking in first place, but rather, locking in a Four Star cup. A 4-2 win over Nevada was a good start to things, but the playoffs began in earnest for them against Colorado – the conference finals, the roadblock they needed to overcome. Both home games went their way early to take a 2-0 series lead, the expectations were there again.
 
And then in the blink of an eye, four straight losses, another conference final exit.
 
Ju-gong more than most has those games cemented into his memory. Game three Colorado scored 5, game four Colorado scored 6, game five Colorado scored 8, and in the final game six, Colorado scored 11. It was an avalanche that couldn’t be stopped, and never before had he felt so powerless to help his team. Nothing he did was right, if he cheated near post, they’d score far, if he cheated far, they’d score near, and if he played it straight up, the goals came both near and far - high and low. It was a storm of everything that weighed on him, the expectations, the pressure, the legacy. It took a humble player and humbled them further. You want to follow in the footsteps of the best? You want to play with the best players in the league? You want to win a cup? Just because people call you a god doesn’t make you one.
 
Who was in net when Detroit won three straight against them in S73?
 
Who was in net when Colorado scored 11 to eliminate one of the strongest SMJHL teams ever?
 
Hell, who was in net for Team World when they had a one goal lead in a gold medal game with minutes left, only to be scored on not only in regulation, but again in OT?
 
Ju-gong knew exactly who was there, but it seemed like everyone else blissfully ignored it all. Song Ju-god? Such a thing was hardly deserved, and if it was, then it was entirely overrated. What good was being a god? It was better to be Smith, it was better to be Time. Players like that could go toe to toe with these demons, something he couldn’t do. It was the difference between being good and being great, between sweet victory or bitter defeat. 
 

Glory
 
It went without saying that the S76 version of QCC dominated the regular season once again. They had done so the last two years, and now were one year better than last. That in itself carried the problem though, the years had gone dry like a well, and for the entire S74 class, the final chance for the now veteran core of players had arrived. Put up, or shut up. Win the Four Star, or leave with nothing but memories of good seasons that were never quite good enough. It was something that lingered over the team from day one, knowing that they had run out of second chances in this pursuit. There was extra tension, extra nerves, extra doubts. Despite all of that, the team still cruised to a regular season first place finish. Three straight Laurifers to show the prowess of this team – a team still lacking the final piece of validation, of vindication.
 
Just like the seasons before, the first series of the playoffs against a much lower seed presented no problem. For all of the tension that these games carried with them, superior skill did tend to win out in those cases. As such, a quick 4-0 win over Kelowna started off their final run. Likewise, this was followed by a conference semi-final beatdown of Vancouver, also ending 4-0 for the Citadelles. Now however, is where the script tended to change, there were no easy Conference finals matchups, and the obstacle this time around would be Newfoundland.
 
Game 1 was the same old poisoned apple it always was. Earning a 1-0 win with 26 saves, the cheers of Song Ju-god rang loud and clear through the stadium in Quebec. He almost wished it would stop, the job still far from done. Those fears would be realized not just by Ju-gong, but the entire squad as the team took a 2-5 loss in game two, losing in front of their home fans in yet another crucial conference final game. How could they expect to win a cup when they couldn’t even make a final? The silence in the locker room after game two was nothing less than haunting. No one said a thing about it, but the same thing was running through everyone’s mind. Here we go again.
 
Flying over the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Ju-gong looked down on the sea as they flew in and out of a turbulent rain cloud. With BTS’s “ON” blaring in his headphones, he sat alone and thought alone, simply looking out the window as that storm shook their aircraft from side to side. It was here he decided to make a change, to divert from the path he had always taken. There would be no repeating the same mistakes from the past. No same old Song Ju-gong that let in a goal, shook it off, and optimistically reset his mental in hopes of winning through consistency. Being himself only got him to this point, and no further. It was time to evolve before it was too late.
 
It was time to stop trying to become a god, and start trying to become a demon.
 
When Detroit took them out, it was without mercy, like a hand around your throat. When Colorado humiliated them in four straight, it was relentless, they were monsters with no remorse. All those fans were heartless as they cheered on their downfall, celebrating the fall of giants each and every year. There was a bit of malice, a bit of ruthlessness in all of those key games. Ju-gong decided then that this was the missing element, the thing that would elevate his game to match the moment. It simply wasn’t enough to want to win for himself, his team, his coaches, he needed to want to see his opponents lose, to get in their head, to become the nightmare in their dreams.
 
“깜깜한 심연 속 기꺼이 잠겨, find me and I’m gonna bleed with ya.”
Choosing to descend into the dark abyss.
 
Those games in Newfoundland were the opposite of what QCC had come to expect, and in some part of it, it was thanks to the demon in net. A 5-2 win quickly followed by a 4-2 win were exactly what the team needed – and had been lacking for some time. This was not the same group that had flown to Colorado up 2-0 the year before, and been eaten alive by the Raptors and their crowd. This was a team that desired that taste of glory on a new level, and Ju-gong was at the forefront of that movement. He had frustrated the Newfoundland attackers, embellished his saves and blocks, done everything possible to make it clear - scoring was an impossible task. Just give up. By the end of game four they saw a sight that they were all too familiar with, the looks of hopeless faces skating off the ice, confounded, desperate, defeated.
 
Reaching the final was a new achievement for the group, but no one was celebrating getting over their conference-final hump. To Ju-gong playing Maine was something bitter sweet, having to face down a team he had immense respect for, a team he very much would’ve enjoyed playing for had Quebec not fit so perfectly. With home ice once again, they had everything they dreamed of right before them, now all that was left to do was go and take it.
 
Similar to the series before – and many before that – everything was knotted 1-1 at the end of game two. Had Frøya not scored a clutch game winner in OT of the first match, the situation would have been beyond dire already. As it was to the Citadelles, things were already dire, they knew better than anyone in the league how dangerous a 1-1 series was. How dangerous it was to play away from home in these crucial games. Whether by chance or not, it was raining once again as they took the short flight from Quebec to Maine, another turbulent storm foreshadowing the battle to come. In the same lonely seat he had been in before, Ju-gong repeated his ritual.
 
He closed his eyes, and imagined his team's success. Next, he imagined the looks of despair and frustration on the faces of his opponents. The crowd stunned speechless, heads hanging low, players and fans alike living a nightmare – he had to relish it, to make it a reality, to inflict that suffering with his own hands. A demon shows no mercy, it doesn’t care how hard you worked or how much you deserve it. It kills, it takes, it haunts. With his headphones rattling the same anthem as before, he once again let his original self-fade into the background, and let these darker colors take hold.
 
He couldn’t be Smith. He couldn’t be Time. He couldn’t be the god everyone wanted him to be.
 
All he could do now was become a demon, to suck the life from every fan, player, and coach in Maine, and ensure that he haunted their dreams – not the other way around.
 
“Bring the pain
모두 내 피와 살이 되겠지
It'll become my blood and flesh

Bring the pain
No fear, 방법을 알겠으니”
now that I know the way


Game 3: Quebec City Citadelles 6 – Maine Timber 1 (34SV, 1GA, .970%)
 
Game 4: Quebec City Citadelles 5 – Maine Timber 1 (26SV, 1GA, .960%)

 
No mercy. No quarter. Take until there's nothing left. Devour every last bit of hope.
 
Back in Quebec and in front of a supporting crowd for game five, it was impossible to carry that same sinister energy. Really, it was only possible due to the stakes of the moment and the negative environment a hostile crowd could provide. For the very last hurdle, they had to go back to doing what they always did, playing electric hockey honed over years and years of failures, trials, and adversity. This time they had one extra thing aiding them in their quest for a cup, a series lead and an opponent that we’re second guessing themselves, not the other way around.

Game 5 - May 11th, 2043. 

It was one of their younger players in Anna Skovgaard that helped calm the nerves of the team early. Despite having a quiet playoff, the sophomore winger had scored twice to take a 2-1 lead out of the first period. While it certainly took off a lot of the pressure, there was still some uncertainty around the team. The first line had yet to show any of their prowess, and to win this game, everyone knew their best players had to contribute. Song himself had hardly been tested, and yet a goal had already found its way in. With double Maine’s shots, a one goal lead never felt so slender.
 
27 seconds into the 2nd period, Maine scored the 2-2 right away, putting a hush over the Quebec crowd and new doubts into the minds of the players. Ju-gong did what he always did, and tried to reset his mind as best as possible, but with long looks painted on the faces of his teammates, something had to break - and fast. 7 minutes later QCC had their first line back on the ice, still yet to produce a point in the game. That was when Frøya and Sonja began to yo-yo the puck back and forth, something they had mastered to perfection. Those passes flew back and forth as they progressed down the ice, always just inches away from being parried by a stick – but never happening. Working their way forward, Sonja flicked a pass not to her sister, but to Céleste waiting at the back post for a tap in. It was 3-2, but more importantly, their key players once again had confidence, and that was much more important than a single goal.
 
The third period began 3-2, but all of the momentum favored the home side, and specifically, the three-attacking talisman’s of the team. With everything clicking how it should, the first 10 minutes we’re magic to the fans in Quebec. To take a 4-2 lead, this time Céleste and Frøya assisted Sonja, and to go up 5-2, Anna and Frøya found Céleste again for their second. The stadium was nothing short of a celebration, only 10 minutes separating the Citadelles from a cup four long years in the making. 
 
Of course, Maine had no intentions of going quietly into the night, and with their backs against the wall, they threw caution to the wind and began putting on their own clinic of attacking hockey. The 5-3 came just moments after they scored, quieting the party just a bit. Just three minutes later the 5-4 came, and the nerves from before the game began to show themselves again. Song was stuck in his cycle, one he knew all too well from critical games. Where it didn’t matter how he tried to protect his goal, everything he did was wrong. Still, he just had to hold on a bit longer, give just a bit more for his team. Not to be perfect, but just to be good enough.
 
The next goal was something out of a fairytale, and it was the same three electric attackers that orchestrated it again. This time Céleste and Sonja were rushing down the ice, keeping the puck between them as the defense scrambled back to stop them. It was a dazzling attack, something that clearly belonged in the SHL for fans in Calgary and Manhattan to enjoy. Back and forth they worked the puck, and like a million times before, Sonja hit a surprise pass to her sister who was waiting with an open window to shoot. Frøya had yet to score, and for both their captain, and a player who badly wanted to carry their team to a trophy, it was all too perfect of a moment. Winding back her stick she lined things up, and sent a casual pass to Céleste, who given their form on the day, easily slotted in a shot for the 6-4 lead.
 
While his teammates celebrated to cries of joy and La machine à scorer, Ju-gong took a sip from his water, knowing that Maine would be recklessly attacking his net soon enough. With an empty net for Maine and a minute left on the clock, now was the time to hold on, to get into his element, to close out their win and secure the cup. But demons show no mercy. Maine managed to work up an attack right away, closing in from all sides. Before he could blink, a shot went flying past his stick and into the top left corner. Nothing was easy, nothing could be more difficult.

He may as well have been trying to protect a double sized garage door.
 
Off the drop Maine won the puck again, their net still empty - ready to attack like hornets. Working down the ice they completed a pass, and then another… it was all too familiar. If they shot they would score, he could already see the ending, he was helpless, ready to be devoured. Then just like that, Leo stole the puck, and once it arrived at the stick of Froya, that empty net stood no chance. This time Ju-gong did join in on the celebrations out of sheer relief, pumping both fists and screaming into the sky. Against the thunderous cries of 18,259 Citadelles fans in all directions, it was muted by a mass of euphoria.
 
With only seconds left, the last moments of the game went by in a blur, and those celebrations carried on properly into a Four Star Cup winning party.
 

Perseverance
 
In his career so far, Ju-gong had thrown his stick into the air for one ever celebration, and it was for the game five win against Maine. Dropping to his knees just moments later, he fought back tears as his teammates swarmed around the attacking players that had won the day. He was filled with joy not so much for himself, but for the players jumping onto the ice and those celebrating on it. This team had been through so much, and finally they had delivered on all that promise. For Ju-gong himself, it was the one thing he wanted from the moment he stepped into Quebec. To be good enough. He hadn’t won the game - if anything he had come close to losing it, but it was good enough. With him in goal, his teammates had enough talent and fight to win the cup, and in the end that was all that mattered. No awards could replace this moment, no award voting could remove it from them, this was theirs. A new banner was coming up in Quebec, a trophy with their names engraved for history.
 
Leo was the first to come over to shake the young Korean goalie out of his deep think, soon followed by Juan as well. They too had been simply trying to survive those aggressive Maine attacks all night, but like lucky soldiers after a battle, they had made it out alive. After getting back onto his feet and sharing a moment with his key defensemen, Ju-gong finally joined the celebrations happening all around. Like the rest of them, he went around to hug, shake, and scream with every random teammate he came across. First was Wingmate, then Supah, then Fredrik, then Anna, then it all became a hazy memory.
 
By the time the trophy celebration came about, Ju-gong never even considered the idea that he might be nominated to hoist the cup first. It was obvious who the stars of the night were, and while he had been strong in many games on their run, today hadn’t really been his day. Hell, he had been dangerously close to an .800 performance and throwing it all. Yet despite it all, Frøya was there insisting he do the honors. Rarely if ever did Ju-gong try to go against what the captain said, but in this case, he kindly pointed her to Céleste, who not only had a hat trick on the night, but had been red hot all playoffs long. However, Céleste too insisted the cup go back to him.
 
If he had all day, he would’ve continued to nominate all the other players he considered more fit for the task, but the crowd was ready to explode, and there wasn’t time to defy his captain any longer. Somewhat begrudgingly – but filled with honor – Ju-gong lifted that cup up to the roars of the crowd. Skating from one side of the ice to the other, the familiar cries came raining down “Song Ju-god, Song Ju-god, Song Ju-god” For the first time ever, he finally took a little pride in that nickname. Having helped secure a cup for Quebec City, he had finally given the fans something more than just stat lines to celebrate.
 
Passing the trophy onto Céleste to do their rounds, Ju-gong stayed to applaud every player as they lifted and kissed the cup themselves, letting the night slowly fade into history. Finally a happy memory, something to hold fondly for all their work.
 
Even though everyone was set to depart, their unity was immortalized, something to keep this group linked long, long into the future.
 
They had persevered, they had created their own legacy.
 
Ju-gong knew from that start that after the S76 season, he would be facing S77 with most of his group gone. It wasn’t something he liked to think about, all of those players he trusted and built chemistry with were now gone, just figures to watch late at night on TV and compliment in group text chats. Worse yet, he would be promoted to Montreal one day, a team that also carried none of his cup winning companions. To say it was lonely was no mere understatement, at times it was nothing short of isolation.
 
Of course, at practice and outside of it he still had a few good companions to share the time with. Anna had become a good friend, and Fredrik had always been there by his side as sturdy as ever. There was also new blood to help guide through their rookie seasons, Cristoforo, Andrea, Peter, all future stars that needed a veteran goalie to help facilitate their growth. He was committed to helping QCC and its next generation develop as best as possible – but to say it wasn’t lonely would still be a lie.
 
Being nominated as captain of the team was an honor Ju-gong could’ve only dreamed of, yet the team and coaches believed in the fourth year Korean to lead the team through his final season. It felt strange – and always did – Frøya was always the captain of this team, how could he ever fill in for her? It was the same conundrum, he simply had to do the best he could, to once again fill in footsteps too big for his own.
 
S77 was always supposed to be an under the radar year, a rebuilding year so to speak, but Ju-gong was there for every day of it. At least for the days where Montreal didn’t have him coming in to do some emergency goaltending. There was still Denny’s after shut outs, there was still the same goal music blaring and to the same fans screaming, but it just wasn’t quite the same. When Ju-gong would walk around the streets of Quebec City, there was no dropping in on Leo or Juan to pass the time, there was no Sonja or Forya to meet up with for dinners at their favorite spots. There was no Céleste, Demir, or Lukas to kill time with drinks or concerts. It was just him and a few fond friends - like he had been left behind – he had been left behind, but that’s just the way it was. Just like all those playoff losses and tough times before, it was all about perseverance.
 
In a repeat of his undrafted season, having home ice for the playoffs was seen as a success for the group. And even after winning a first round series to build a bit of excitement around the team, it all came crashing down with a 0-4 sweep in the second round. Perhaps just like his undrafted year, the core of this team could grow from this, learn the same lessons he and his teammates had, and one day bring another title to Quebec. It was a long road and a lofty dream, but one he knew was possible. The seed was planted, all he could do now was watch from afar to see if it would grow and blossom.
 
By no means was he the most standout captain in the proud history of this team, Ju-gong simply did his part. Helping the team persevere during a down time, to help grow the young sprouts that one day might become Quebec legends themselves. It was no final chapter covered in glory, but he would gladly do it again, anything to give back to the team that gave so much to him.
 

Perspective
 
Visiting the Videotron Center one last time in Quebec, Ju-gong walked onto the ice where he gave four years of his life dedicated to a team, a cause, and a city. Hanging up from the ceiling was the proudest accomplishment of his life so far “S76 Four Star Cup Champions”. The banner that he and his teammates struggled so hard to hoist up, their gift to the team and city. It was still surreal to think he would never take this ice again, no more history to be written with his name, no more legends to live up to.
 
He was no Mat Smith, but just like Smith, he had won a Four Star Cup with the team.
 
He was no Justin Time, but just like Time, he had won a Robinson with the team.
 
He was no god, but unlike either of those players, he had won both of those trophies during his time in Quebec. The first ever to do so, one in his left hand, one in his right – the hands of the most winning goalie in QCC playoff history.
 
Even if he had three of each, he knew he would never feel himself equal to such names – true goaltending royalty. Even now, he strived to be like those two, still feeling woefully short of matching their legendary status. The amount of success needed at the next level to continue following their footsteps was just as daunting as the ones now behind him.
 
Looking out over that dimly lit ice, Ju-gong turned a new chapter in his book, a new chapter in his life.
 
As the years rolled by, perhaps his own name would grow in status like those before him. Perhaps 10 years down the road, a new goalie would come to Quebec, and in their mind, they’d be humbled by his own name - feel that same weight of pressure. That in that ocean of “SMITH” and “TIME” decorated across the backs of retro QCC jersey’s, that a few with the name “SONG” might mix among those ranks.  
 
It put everything into a new perspective, perhaps one that could only be seen by looking back. This chapter may be over, but a new one loomed on the horizon. Whether he would be a god, a demon, or something in between was a story yet to be told. There was still work to be done.
 
Over that empty ice, Ju-gong saw moving frames of his teammates playing. They were no longer here, and never would be, but in a way – they always would.
 
Closing his eyes, he turned away from the ice, his home, his history, and left with tears starting to form.
 
He left the Videotron Center as a Quebec player for the last time.
 
He left to go walk in the footsteps of the legends he still followed.
 
He left to write his next chapter, filled with new gods and demons ready in wait.
 
But most importantly. He left to go share the ice with his Quebec teammates once more – on new ice, in new colors, but still the same friends as ever before.
 
It was time. 

<3

Céleste Desjardins || LW || Quebec City Citadelles || Manhattan Rage
Name: Céleste Desjardins
Birthplace: Lewiston, ME
Height: 5'8"
Weight:173 lbs
Number: 13
S73 SMJHL Draft: 4th Round, 47th OA - Quebec City Citadelles
S74 SHL Draft: 1st Round, 2nd OA - Manhattan Rage
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Citadelles Alt. Capt S73-S76
S73: Esa Anrikkanen, Rookie All-Star Team

S75: WJC Bronze Medal

S76: Four Star Cup, Ronan O'Keefe Trophy, WJC Bronze Medal

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SMJHL Regular Season Stats:

264 GP | 140 G | 187 A | 327 P | +128 | 956 S | 132 PIM | 573 H | 19 GWG

SMJHL Postseason Stats:

46 GP | 28 G | 29 A | 57 P | +29 | 172 S | 20 PIM | 114 H | 3 GWG

Int'l Stats: Round Robin

WJC: 48 GP | 26 G | 23 A | 49 P | +6 | 165 S | 20 PIM | 96 H | 3 GWG

Int'l Stats: Bracket

WJC: 8 GP | 5 G | 1 A | 6 P | -4 | 30 S | 0 PIM | 17 H | 0 GWG