Olivier Hinse recently suited up for the Trois-Rivières Lions in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), returning to the professional level for the first time since coming back to Quebec after a four-year stint in Europe.
Hinse, who grew up in Sherbrooke and played for the Magog Cantonniers, jumped at the opportunity to play for Trois-Rivières when the team’s General Manager, and former National Hockey League (NHL) defenceman, Marc-André Bergeron called to offer him a contract.
“It was pretty cool, for sure, it’s nice to have an ex-NHLer call you and ask you to play for the team, especially the Lions because it’s in the Montreal Canadiens organization. So yeah, it was pretty cool to receive that call and I was excited to try it out,” said Hinse.
He was supposed to participate in two games, but an outbreak of COVID-19 cases within the locker room brought his time with the team to an abrupt end. However, Hinse managed to draw into the lineup for at least one game, notching an assist against the Maine Mariners.
Although he hasn’t laced up for a professional club since his days in Europe, Hinse told The Record that he was still used to the speed and intensity of the game. He has stayed sharp in the province’s semi-professional Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH).
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