  Alouettes' Etienne Boulay is greeted by fans in Montreal on Monday. (QMI Agency) |
MONTREAL – The atmosphere was all party Monday night as 200 cheering Alouettes fans greeted the returning Grey Cup champions at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International airport.
Carrying the team’s trophy, Anthony Calvillo was the first to step off the plane. The quarterback was as relaxed as ever as he greeted fans, telling them that “with all the setbacks in the playoffs, this victory is very special. Maybe even more than the first in 2002.”
After his big play late in the game, Etienne Boulay was also given a hero’s welcome. “They told us there would be a lot of people and media, but experiencing it makes it even more amazing,” he said, obviously touched by the event.
This first welcome back is only the first in a long week of festivities for the Grey Cup winners.
Boulay’s teammate, Mathieu Proulx, says he plans to “enjoy every moment and make sure this week always stays engraved in (my) mind.”
The players will be invited to Montreal city hall for a ceremony on Wednesday, followed by the champions’ parade that will wind its way down Ste-Catherine St.
Alouettes team president, Larry Smith, said all Montrealers are invited to join in the celebrations. After all, he said, for him it’s “the end of an incredible season.”
