Denis Ladouceur

[Mark]

There's an article on The Athletic (pay site) about the former Cornell forward opening up a Canadian-themed bar in Manhattan called The Canuck.

Interesting story:

After graduating from Cornell in 2002 with a degree in economics, Denis Ladouceur decided to delay getting one of those so-called real jobs for a bit. He had just wrapped up a four-year career at the Ivy League school in Ithaca, N.Y., as a scrappy forward who could score a few goals but wasn't ever going to reach the NHL. He figured he'd like to see and live in Europe for the life experience. After an opportunity in France fell through, and following one season in the ECHL, Ladouceur ended up with the London Racers of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League.

London was everything Ladouceur hoped it would be, even though "you're not making any money, and you still need a summer job."

"But it was an extremely fun experience," he says.

The only problem was the British Columbia native and his teammates, most of whom were also Canadians, missed home. In London, there weren't many options to fill that void, but they found one: a little pub in Covent Garden called Maple Leaf. They routinely hopped on the tube for the hour-long ride to gather there to watch hockey and down a few Labatt Blues.

It stuck with Ladouceur, and when he finally did hang up his skates to join the rat race in Manhattan, working in finance and investment management while also completing a master's degree in business at Columbia, the idea for a similar bar never strayed far from his mind. Even in a city as immense as New York, he figured the opportunity was there to open something truly unique.

"I had always wanted and always dreamt about a Canadian hockey bar in the city. As soon as I moved here ... Where's the Canadian hockey bar? There isn't one," he says. "It was just something I had talked about and thought this city should have, literally since I moved here. It would get pushed aside for years because obviously finance is a much safer alternative — or, it can be."

[underskill]

His tragically hip hat is perfection.

[French Rage]

The Hoser Hut?

[ugarte]

might be a fun place to watch an ECAC final should that game have teams of interest

[RatushnyFan]

I have an apartment in NYC about a block from The Canuck.  I've gone a couple of times.  Nice place, hockey all over the place.  Good poutines.  Caesar has too much BBQ sauce.  I did not know it was Ladouceur's joint, I will probably head there tonight to see if he's there!

[billhoward]

Good poutines.

You ever seen the people of rural Quebec? Some make middle-age Americans look trim by comparison.

[RatushnyFan]

Haha.  I eat them once in a blue moon, usually shared.  I went that night, had a burger with bacon jam.  Skipped les poutines and had a salad.  2 Blue Lights and a Rangers loss.

[osorojo]

This month's featured dish at The Canuck: Sour grapes. Enjoy!

[ugarte]

At The Canuck to watch the Copa final and Huey Lewis was the second song that came on. On brand.