''He Shoots, He Scores'' (french: Lance et compte) is a Canadian ''

téléroman A téléroman ("telenovel" or ''annual drama series'') is a genre of French-language drama television series in Canada, similar to a soap opera or a Spanish language telenovela. In France, the ''téléroman'' genre is known as feuilleton télévi ...

'', or television drama series, revolving around a fictional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team based in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

. The series aired from 1986 to 1989 on the

Radio-Canada The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

network, and revival series on TQS in 2001 and on TVA from 2004 to 2015. The first season was filmed in both French and English, the English version appearing on

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

as ''He Shoots, He Scores''. It was the first television series to air simultaneously in English on CBC and in French on Radio-Canada. (An earlier series, ''

La famille Plouffe ''La famille Plouffe'' was a Canadian television drama, more specifically a téléroman, about a Quebec City family that first aired in the French language on Société Radio-Canada in 1953. The show was created to fill a void in francophone telev ...

'', had aired on both networks, but not simultaneously; the English version aired approximately a year behind the French series. Each episode of ''Lance et Compte'', however, aired in English as ''He Shoots, He Scores'' in the same ''week''.) The series was scripted by Réjean Tremblay and Louis Caron for the first season, and by Tremblay and Jacques Jacob after that. Following the end of the regular series, a number of television movies continued to air into the 1990s. A new generation of the series started to air in 2001 and a movie was made in 2010.

Synopsis

The series was written by Réjean Tremblay and novelist Louis Caron for the first season (later replaced by Jacques Jacob), and tells the story of the fictional

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

team Le National from Quebec City, and its players. The main protagonist is Pierre Lambert (

Carl Marotte Carl Marotte (born February 25, 1959) is a Canadian actor from Montreal, Quebec. He is a 1979 graduate of Dawson College's Professional Theatre Program and has received a Gemini Award nomination for his role in the television movie '' Net Worth ...

), the young, handsome player drafted by Le National from the

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

Dragons junior team. In the first series, Pierre Lambert is selected to play for Le National de Québec, his boyhood team, along with his best friend Denis Mercure (Jean Harvey). During that year, Pierre learns how to control himself at the pro level and how to deal with hockey and his love life. The second series is focused on the World Cup of Hockey. Pierre Lambert is selected to play for Team Canada but personal issues cause him to play poorly. Pierre has to deal with those issues in time to help Canada win the World Cup. The theme of

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

hockey players wanting to flee their country and play in North America is also included in the series. In the third installment of the series, with Le National de Québec dealing with big financial difficulties and with an injury-plagued Pierre Lambert, the future in Quebec is in doubt. Pierre Lambert and his friends will have to start winning and find a way to keep Le National in Quebec.

Cast

: Pierre Lambert *

Macha Méril Macha Méril (; born Princess Maria-Magdalena Vladimirovna Gagarina on 3 September 1940) is a French actress and writer. Biography Méril is descended by her father from the Russian princely house Gagarin and by her mother from a Ukrainian nob ...

: Maroussia Lambert *

Yvan Ponton Yvan Ponton (born 22 October 1945) is a Canadian actor, commentator and television host. Ponton has had a lengthy acting career which includes roles in a variety of major French-Canadian television shows and movies. He is most well known to Engl ...

: Jacques Mercier *

Marc Messier Marc Messier, M.S.C. (born August 16, 1947) is a Canadian actor and filmmaker. Background Born in Granby, Quebec, Messier's 45-year acting career included the participation in several well-known films and television series. After finishing his ...

: Marc Gagnon *

Michel Forget Michel Forget (born February 27, 1942 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Quebec actor. Background Forget had a long acting career in which he participated in several films and television series which were popular among French Canadians. In 1986, Michel ...

: Gilles Guilbeault * Sylvie Bourque : Linda Hébert *

Marina Orsini Marina Orsini C.M. (born January 4, 1967) is a Canadian actress. Early life Orsini was born in Ville-Émard, Montreal, Quebec, Canada to an Italian-Canadian family. Career Orsini first had a brief career in modeling in which she participated in ...

: Suzie Lambert * Jean Harvey : Denis Mercure * Marie-Chantal Labelle : Ginette Létourneau *

Denis Bouchard Denis Bouchard (born October 9, 1953) is a Canadian actor and playwright from Quebec. He is most noted for his performances in Denise Filiatrault's 1998 film '' It's Your Turn, Laura Cadieux (C't'à ton tour, Laura Cadieux)'', for which he receive ...

: Lucien Boivin * Jean Deschênes : Paul Couture * Thomas Donohue : Phil Aubry * Eric Hoziel : Mac Templeton * Jean-Sébastien Lord : Hugo Lambert *

Robert Marien Robert Marien (born May 5, 1955) is a Canadian ( Québécois) actor, singer, and songwriter who has performed in the musical Les Misérables in Montreal, Paris, New York City and London, as well as Notre Dame de Paris in both Korea and Japan. H ...

: Robert Martin * David Nerman : Steve Bradshaw *

Lise Thouin Lise Thouin (10 July 1950) is a French Canadian actress and writer.Bulletin critique du livre français - Issues 583-584 1997- Page 1062 "De retour d'un voyage en Europe, la comédienne Lise Thouin est atteinte, durant l'été 85, par un virus foud ...

: Nicole Gagnon *

August Schellenberg August Werner Schellenberg (July 25, 1936 – August 15, 2013) was a Canadian actor. He played Randolph in the first three installments of the ''Free Willy'' film series (1993–1997) as well as characters in '' Black Robe'' (1991), ''The New Wor ...

: Allan Goldman *

Timothy Webber Timothy Webber is a Canadians, Canadian television, film, and stage actor best known for his performance as Djordje in the film ''My Father's Angel'', for which he was a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor nominee at the 21s ...

: Gary Bennett *

Sophie Renoir Sophie Renoir (born 1964) is a French actress. She is the great-granddaughter of the French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), and daughter of the cinematographer Claude Renoir (1913–1993), granddaughter of actors Pierre R ...

: Marie-Lou *

Daniela Akerblom Daniela Akerblom is a Canadian actress who has appeared both on television and in films. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, and studied at Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research unive ...

: Geneviève *

Todd Field William Todd Field (born February 24, 1964) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for directing three feature films: ''In the Bedroom'' (2001), '' Little Children'' (2006), and ''Tár'' (2022). He has received three Academy Award nomi ...

: Anders Johansson

Background

''Lance et Compte'' is a common

Quebec French Quebec French (french: français québécois ), also known as Québécois French, is the predominant variety of the French language spoken in Canada. It is the dominant language of the province of Quebec, used in everyday communication, in educa ...

hockey expression, equivalent to the English "He shoots, he scores" (the latter was originally one of the catchphrases of hockey commentator

Foster Hewitt Foster William Hewitt, (November 21, 1902 – April 21, 1985) was a Canadian radio broadcaster most famous for his play-by-play calls for ''Hockey Night in Canada''. He was the son of W. A. Hewitt, and the father of Bill Hewitt. Biography ...

). The team Le National is a direct copy of the real-life Nordiques, up to the logo (the Nordiques have the

lower case Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowercase (or more formally ''minuscule'') in the written representation of certain languages. The writing ...

letter "N" as symbol; the National has a

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

"N"). The Dragons are themselves a copy of the

Trois-Rivières Draveurs The Trois-Rivières Draveurs ("Raftmen") were a Canadian junior ice hockey team playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). They played home games at the Colisée de Trois-Rivières, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The team was origina ...

from the

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...

. Copies of real organizations are common in Québécois téléromans. Examples: '' La Presse'' newspaper is ''L'Express'' in the episode "Scoop" and the ''

Sûreté du Québec The (SQ; , ) is the provincial police service for the Canadian province of Quebec. No official English name exists, but the agency's name is sometimes translated to 'Quebec Provincial Police' or QPP in English-language sources. The headquarters ...

'' police force is the ''Sûreté nationale'' in "Jasmine". However in the TV movies that aired immediately following the original series, the real junior team names are used including the

and the

Shawinigan Cataractes The Shawinigan Cataractes (french: Cataractes de Shawinigan) are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. The Cataractes have been previously known as the Shawinigan Bruin ...

. The show also became known was known for its occasional somewhat risqué love scenes.

Incarnations

In addition to its English airing in Canada, the show was adapted in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

as ''Cogne et gagne'', with France French dubbing. A well known incarnation of ''Lance et Compte'' is the series of parody sketches of

Rock et Belles Oreilles Rock et Belles Oreilles (RBO) was a Canadian radio, television and stage comedy group that was very popular in the primarily French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec during the 1980s and 1990s. Its name was a pun on the name of the famous Hann ...

dubbed ''Snappe pis Bourdonne''. Several TV movies have been made in the franchise and were shown on TVA from 1991 to 1992. # ''Tous pour un'' # ''Le Crime de Lulu'' # ''Le Moment de vérité'' # ''Le Choix'' # ''Envers et contre tous'' # ''Le Retour du chat'' A new generation of the original series started to air in 2001 with a new breed of players (and presence of the original characters) and aired on TQS. Since 2004, three more series have been aired on TVA and a fourth is currently under production also to be aired on TVA. ''Lance et Compte: La Nouvelle Génération'' focuses on a new star named Danny Bouchard. Pierre Lambert is now retired and the agent of Bouchard. Le National de Québec have been playing very poorly for years now and if the team continues losing they might yet again be threatened to move out of the city. With the help of the new coaches, Le National have to find a way to win and fast. ''La Reconquête'' focuses on the love life of Danny Bouchard and Marc Gagnon. Bouchard is rapidly turned into a man he is not by his new mistress Valérie Nantel and could result in a dramatic ending. Marc Gagnon also has to find a way to deal with his emotions as he still has feelings for his ex, Suzie Lambert. ''In Lance et Compte: La Revanche'', Pierre Lambert's son, Guy, is called up by Le National de Québec in the middle of the season. In his first game, he injures and kills a player from the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

with a body check into the boards. The series primarily focuses on his trial and his love life but also on the revenge of Annie Girard, Danny Bouchard's widow, towards his mistress Valerie Nantel. The theme of steroids in sports has also been included in this installment. ''Le Grand Duel'', the show's seventh season aired on TVA in Fall 2009, it focuses on the rivalry between

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

and

it also includes Suzie Lambert's battle with

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

. The theme of

child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...

in minor hockey is also included in the series. A movie called ''Lance et Compe: Le Film'' ("Lance et Compte: The Movie") hit the theaters on November 26, 2010. It focused on the crash of the team bus between Roberval and Quebec City. At least half the team and coaches died from the crash. The 8th season titled ''Lance et Compte: La Déchirure'' is a direct follow up to the movie. The 9th and final season titled ''Lance et Compte: La Finale'', starring Jason Roy Léveillée and

Sarah Dagenais-Hakim Sarah Dagenais-Hakim is a French Canadian actress and singer, born in Montreal, Quebec, best known for her roles as Ilsa Trépanier in ''Lance et Compte'' and Nadja Fernandez in '' Victor Lessard''. Life and career After training in Jazz Voca ...

as part of a new generation, was broadcast in 2015."Le retour de Lance et compte : Go, go go !"
'' Métro, January 9, 2015.

References

External links