Montembeault meets Quebec heroes

MONTREAL - Frederic Roy puts out fires for a living.

A pilot for Quebec’s CL-415 aircrafts, also known as “Super Scoopers,” Roy has assisted in wildfire relief for the last three decades. Every year, from September 1 to December 1 (give or take), he and his team are deployed to California where their expertise is needed . This year, however, Roy and co. needed to stay longer as wildfires burned through 57,000 acres of land in several parts of Los Angeles for most of January.

But with the blaze contained as of January 30 and plenty of rain in the forecast, Roy planned a well-deserved night out at Crypto.com Arena for himself and his colleagues on February 5. It also helped that the Canadiens just happened to be in town to face the Los Angeles Kings.

Given the game’s outcome—a 6-3 win for the Kings—the real highlight of the night came after the final buzzer: a surprise postgame meet-and-greet with Habs goaltender Samuel Montembeault.

“I try to organize events that bring the team together, take your mind off work, and bring some smiles. I’d say this was a good one,” Roy told the Canadiens content team. “Just attending the game was special, but getting to meet some players was the cherry on top.”

The moment wasn’t only special for them—it resonated with Montembeault too, who counts himself lucky to have an occupation that only gets heated in the crease.

“They made countless sacrifices and worked tirelessly to help put out the fires,” said the 28-year-old netminder. “We’re just hockey players—they’re the real heroes. They’re the ones who do the true hard work.”

“I saw videos of the pilots collecting water and dropping it on the fires—it’s really impressive what they can do with those planes.”

Roy’s team, typically composed of four pilots and two technicians, doubled in size this year in response to the Los Angeles wildfires .

“I’m proud to do it and I think everyone feels the same way. Whether it’s in the United States or anywhere else, if we can step in to help and save buildings or other things, like people’s lives… I don’t think anyone would say they come here for the paycheck.”

The Quebecers’ impact and sacrifices were not lost on Montembeault.

“The whole world saw what was happening in Los Angeles. To see that Canada stepped in to help, and everyone come together to put out the fire, was incredible.”

Roy and his Super Scooper squad are now home. And while their time in LA is over—at least for this year—their impact will last far beyond this season.

“Nature is a force. Sometimes we wish we could do more, but we do what we can. At least we know we made a difference.”