The great junior hockey adverture starts April 24, 1973 as the Board of Governors of the QMJHL grants a franchise to the Festivals de Hull.

The owners, Mr. Paul Grant and Mr. Yves Bourassa name Normand Baril the teams first General Manager on May 15, 1973. Mr. Baril was also the teams first coach on an interim basis. The franchises’ first training camp opened on September 1, 1973 with no less than 213 players, including 36 goaltenders, attending. The first season saw 60 players wear the Festivals uniform.

The first game in team history was against the Castors de Sherbrooke on Septerber 28, 1973. Hull lost the game 3-1. Guy Bernard scored the franchises’ first goal.

In January 1974 Me Claude Gratton joined the organization as part-owner.

The Festivals finished that first season in last place and did not participate in the league playoffs.

In 1973 an unusual fact occurred. The Festivals could not participate in the annual Draft as Hull was at the time part of the Ottawa District Hockey Association. However since the Festivals were part of the QMJHL they could not draft players from Ontario. A legal battle then involved Hull so that they could keep 4 Ontario born players( Ric Garcia, David Boyd, Glen O’Neil and Glen Sharpley). Hull won its case.

At the end of the 75-76 season the financial situation of the team forces its owners to close up shop. Despite this, they refuse all offers to buy the team.

On April 30, 1974 the league not having received the security deposit from the Festivals it is then that the QMJHL asks the City of Hull to take over the franchise. As a result, in July 1976 the Québec National Assembly approves Private members’ Bill 229 allowing a city to run a major junior hockey team.

After acquiring the franchise the City of Hull had a name the team contest to find a new name for the team. Mayor Gilles Rocheleau jokingly says the team should be named the Olympiques. With the Summer Olympics’ fever in full stride the idea of the name was accepted.

A new adverture begins…..

In 1982, the City of Hull and the Olympiques host the prestigious Memorial Cup. The teams present were Sherbrooke, Kitchener and Portland.

The start of the 84-85 season saw Pat Burns take over as coach of the Hull Olympiques.

It is at the start of that season that a certain Charles Henry approches the City of Hull and informs them of the interest of the Great One Wayne Gretzky in purchasing the franchise. Two months later news breaks of Gretzky’s interest.

It’s official, on August 7, 1985 Number 99 Wayne Gretzky purchases the Olympiques and names Charles Henry, his right hand man, as General Manager.

It is on a Friday the 13th, the franchises 13th season, that the first season of the « Gretzkyboys » opens. A sign of luck? It must of been as at the end of the season the Presidents’ Cup is within the teams grasps.

The players don’t miss their opportunity. With an impressive record of 15 consecutive wins against no losses (5 of 9 series) a never before seen feat in the QMJHL the Olympiques win the franchises first Presidents’ Cup as well as a trip the its first Memorial Cup held in Portland, Oregon.

At the beginning of the 87-88 season Alain Vigneault succeeds Pat Burns as Olympiques coach after Burns became coach of the Canadiens de Sherbrooke in the AHL. At the end of the season the « Gretzkyboys » win the franchises second Presidents’ Cup. Their win came after coming from behind 3-1 in two consecutive playoff series, against Laval in the semi-final and against Drummondville in the finals. The Mermorial Cup tournament was held in Chicoutimi that year.

At the 1990 draft the Olympiques drafted a Bantam aged player, Philippe Boucher, in the 5th round. Their choice was not accepted by the league as he was not admissable as 15 year olds could only be drafted in the first three rounds.

Once again the Hull franchise went to court over the eligibility of a player and again they won. However, they were still not allowed to have the rights to Philippe Boucher. As well, they were fined $20,000 by the QMJHL for having broken a league rule. The rule was subsequently changed allowing for Bantam aged players to be drafted in the first five rounds.

In 1992 Wayne Gretzky sells the team to a group of investors formed by Mark Routtenberg (majority owner), Gilles Sauvé, Jean-Marc Lalonde and Alvin Stein.

In mid-July 1992 Alain Vigneault resigns as coach to accept an assitant coach position with the Ottawa Senators. He is replaced by Michel Charron.

In 94-95, the Olympiques, led by coach Robert Mongrain, upset favored Laval and win the teams 3rd Presidents’ Cup. The Memorial Cup tournament was held in Kamloops.

In 95-96 the Olympiques won 24 consecutive games before being stopped by the Halifax Mooseheads. The league recored is held by Sorel with 25 consecutive wins.

In 96-97, as hosts of the Memorial Cup, the Olympiques gain entrance to the tournament through the front door and win their 4th Presidents’ Cup with rookie coach Claude Julien at the helm.

That celebration was only the tip of the iceberg for both fans as well as players and coaches : the Hull Olympiques win their first Memorial Cup in team history.

In the 98-99 season, despite finishing 15 games below .500 the Olympiques advanced to the league final against Bathurst. It was during the 98-99 playoffs that the Olympiques and Tigres de Victoriaville set a QMJHL record with the longest game in league history. It was as 6 :31 of the fifth overtime period that Brock Boucher put an end to the game.

The following season the Olympiques lost for a second year in a row in the league finals