After spending nine years at the Sports Network, Félix Séguin joined TVA Sports in 2014 as lead writer for the Canadiens, the NHL playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final. One of his big challenges was that he enrolled at the Collège Champlain Saint-Lambert to learn English, which he did not master at all.

As far as he could, he listened to sports broadcasts, news reports and read The Gallery of Sherbrooke. However, his mother insisted that he learn to play a musical instrument. He chose the piano. Richard Garneau, Claude Quenneville, Pierre Houde and André Côté had a great influence on his career. A graduate of his high school in La Ruche, in Magog, became his childhood idol in the world of communications: Mario Langlois.

You changed your place of residence often during your youth.

I was born in Très-Saint-Rédempteur, but I stayed there until I was six years old, when my parents, Maurice and Michelle, decided to move to Laval-des-Rapides and take over the management of Eastman two years later.

Was it difficult when you started school?

Due to many moves from kindergarten to third grade, I attended four different schools. I felt very confused by having to move so many times in such a short period of time, which caused my grades to fall short in my early years of school.

What influence did your father have on your childhood?

My father was a hard worker and owned his own landscaping and excavation business. He demanded that I do my best in everything I did, whether it was in school, playing various sports, or at the job I do today. He did not accept half measures. Even today, at the age of 75, he enjoys driving a mechanical excavator.

Your mother did not accept the use of anglicisms.

My mother taught French and for my brother Raphaël and me, the use of anglicisms was out of the question. For example, it was “peanut butter” and not “peanut butter”, not to mention a car bumper and not a “bumper”. Today I am very grateful to her.

When you were 10 years old, you sold shrubs.

You have to remember that my father owned a landscaping business. One summer he bought several bushes and my job was to sell them. Imagine a 10-year-old boy greeting customers.

They were only 7 years old and were waiting at the locker room door for the Canadiens players.

It was the first time I saw the Canadian at work at the Montreal Forum. The game against Vancouver ended in a tie, but that night it felt like I had won the Stanley Cup. My father had found a way to sneak into the entrance of the Canadiens’ dressing room.

You always kept Mats Naslund’s autograph card.

I stand there with sparkling eyes as my father approaches me with Mats Naslund at his side. The little Viking runs his hand through my hair before signing his card, which I still have in my office.

They had several other summer jobs.

The most obvious was working with my father, but I also worked as a dishwasher at our local restaurant, as a pump operator at Crevier and in building maintenance at C-MAC, an IT company.

May 24, 1986 shaped your life.

I was 5 years old and attending a family celebration. I was sitting in front of a television and watched my idol Patrick Roy and the Canadians win the Stanley Cup against Calgary. I still have the photo of me sitting in front of the television.

You participated in the Quebec Games in Montreal.

I will never forget these Games under the presidency of Serge Savard. He gave us unforgettable moments, as if we were at the Olympic Games.

When did you dream of becoming a sports commentator?

Sometimes our parents’ choices lead us to people we respect or even career choices. My parents enjoyed listening to Richard Garneau’s voice describing a hockey game. I was 10 years old when I announced to my parents that I wanted to be a sports anchor on TV one day. I described sporting events from the comfort of my living room.

Why was Richard Garneau your mentor?

The noise of his voice, the respect he showed for all sports and his humility marked my life. I still remember my first meeting with him at the Olympic Games. As much as I wanted to know everything about him, he also wanted to know my opinion and my life path.

You made your debut on web radio.

Guy Champoux commissioned me to write the first description of a hockey game broadcast on web radio in 2001. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies faced the Shawinigan Cataractes at the Jacques Plante Arena.

Former Buffalo Sabres player who played with Shawinigan, Jason Pominville, analyzed your performance.

Not necessarily. After the game, Jason, who was watching me from the bench, asked me who I had been talking to on the phone during the game. Since the sound console wasn’t working, I had to describe the game over the phone.

Tell me about your family.

I am privileged in life because my parents and my brother are still alive. No member of my family has suffered from a serious illness. I am certainly passionate about hockey, but my three children, Rose, Henri and Éva, and my wife Lori are my motivation and reason for living. I always want to do more for them than for myself.