A mother and daughter duo highlights their dedication to the Merritt Centennials. Catherine and Laura Belliveau are locals who do not shy away from their fandom for BCHL’s oldest running franchise. Callie Langlois had the chance to sit down with them and learn how much these ladies love hockey and the Cents. 

Catherine and Laura Belliveau Photo/ Catherine Belliveau

How did you become such a huge hockey fan?  

C:  I started with the Canucks (I grew up in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland) and later started attending WHL games when the Vancouver Giants started playing. 

L: I started watching hockey pretty much as soon as I was born. I went to my first game in an arena when I was two years old. 

How far away would you drive to watch a Cents game?  

C: So far, the furthest we’ve gone for a Cents game is Prince George (3 times!). We would like to eventually get out to Cranbrook and Trail, and maybe one day an Island swing. We almost drove to Saskatchewan when my favourite player got traded so there’s really no limit on how far I’d be willing to travel, it’s all just dependent on road conditions, money, and work schedule.  

Do you have fan memorabilia?  

L: I have 17 Cents pucks, 14 practice pucks, 8 from other BCHL teams, and I have a total of 51 pucks, including Vancouver Giants, some NHL teams, and a few promo pucks.

Is it ok if we call you “Super fans” if you aren’t already?

C: You can definitely call us Super Fans. We have the tattoos to prove it!

L: I would say we are probably super fans. We drove 6 hours to Prince George for a game, several times, and we both got a cents tattoo while there!