The roots of the League Federale des As date back to 1999 with the creation of the SATNITE HOCKEY BROTHERHOOD which has evolved over time, and for legal reasons, still exists under the name Hockey Brotherhood Association or HBA. Although today's on-ice activities are conducted through the LFA, comradeship and healthy competition persists. This remains a challenge, because with the arrival of several new faces from all over the metropolitan area, the most important aspect of our league still needs to be implanted in our recruits and many replacements as the family grows, as it more than doubled its "membership" in the last year.

It was somewhat of the worst kept  secret, but this morning the LFA announced to its pool of substitute players that there are twelve places available as full-time players in the league. At the September 1st draft, it had been decided to keep these vacant spots available so that the  phenomenal amount of new players that have joined the league over the last month could all be seen. The LFA did the same thing during its inaugural year (2013-2014 season), but then, there were only six vacancies, which again allowed the new talent to be seen. A draft of the new candidates will be held next Sunday, September 28 and between now and then, applicants need only to communicate with management, should they be interested in the full time spots.

After weeks of preparation, we finally started the new season! Even though the next few weeks will be exhibition matches, it will serve as a chance for new players to get a feel for the league and allow the selection commitee to analyze the core of our six clubs. We can officially say, it has begun! 

With the first games under our blades and the start of a new season, we saw the six new teams for the 2014-15 season of La Ligue Fédérale des As. We didn’t necessarily have the close games were were hoping for (with the exception of the 3-2 victory of the Bily Kun Czechers against the Rouge Horizon Tomahawks). The other games were a blowout, even if at least one of them was close until the third period.

Unlike the days when the return to school meant the end of our freedom and the long sunny days that flowed any way our imaginations would take us, back to hockey has however, always been a feeling of genuine enthusiasm and joy. Not only is this the chance to catch-up with your BROTHERHOOD friends that you don’t get the chance to see during the off-season, but it is back to business. 

On the eve of the draft, it is with a weary spirit of exhaustion that I put these lines together, reminding myself that you should not exceed 400 words when writing an article these days, as people now lack concentration and lose interest quickly -- a sad mutation of our species, when you think about it; don't be surprised if I don't respect this approach, as it is for your own good.

You can still smell your hands. They smell of the shaving cream you used to try to mask the odour of your hockey gloves, the smell you better half notices every time you slide into bed after a game? If it’s the case, you probably didn’t stop playing this summer, like many who play our national sport 12 months of the year. (which only bears the name symbolically, as you know, because lacrosse is the true national sport) 

It’s on the eve of a new season that I begin the next chapter in the story of the Ligue Fédérale des As. I hope those among you who are curious enough to check out these pages are having a great summer, that you are tending to your injuries and are taking advantage of the warm season.

The on-ice activities of the LFA are barely over with a series of three games to see in action our young (and not so young) recruits who want to join our league that its time to look back at the last few months. I’m sitting in front of my screen for my first Saturday without any responsibility or problems to resolve. It’s a dead calm....

Friday night was held the LFA gala, and once again thanks to the collaboration of Totem Urbain and the work of Larry, Éric Drapeau and I, we were able to present exclusive individual awards to members of the LFA who set themselves apart during the season. Not your usual gold plated plastic junk but an original piece that guys can be proud to display. It was a fun evening that allowed us to chat about the best moments of the season, about the playoffs involving the Habs (or Chicago, as Fern insisted) and to properly salute one another to start the summer break. Many of us will cross paths this summer, but many others won’t until fall arrives. As many times before, the gala ended at my place, which is incidentally the headquarters of the league, on the main in the center of the action, to finish off the night.