OTTAWA -- Four years after returning to the ice following a two-year suspension, the head coach of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees says it’s “special” to celebrate a trip to the national championship.

The Gee-Gees beat the Concordia Stingers 7-2 on Saturday night, winning the OUA East Final series 2-0.  The series victory clinched a spot in the U Sports National Championship March 12-15 in Halifax.

The University of Ottawa suspended the men’s hockey program in March 2014 after allegations of sexual assault.  In June 2018, two players were found not guilty of sexual assault in connection to the incident in Thunder Bay

Following the two year suspension, the Gee-Gees returned to the ice for the 2016-17 season under new head coach Patrick Grandmaitre.

Speaking on TSN 1200 Monday morning about this weekend’s victory, Grandmaitre said “this one was special for me. I’m a pretty emotional guy, and I had a hard time not tearing up because I was in the corner of the room and looking at my team, and all these guys that have put in all the work.”

Grandmaitre says the players who took the ice for the 2016-17 season helped the Gee-Gees rebuild the program to where it is today.

“Of the 24 rookies, I think we had 15 captains, had the “C” on the jersey, and all the other guys had an “A” on their jersey. So all the kids were leaders from their Junior A teams that had a lot of responsibilities that understood what it is to carry out the reputation of a team, a program and a city.”

Grandmaitre added “from day one that was critically important for us, because of the dark cloud that was overshadowing our program. We needed guys that were able to withstand a lot of the chirping or chants about what happened with our program.”

Eighteen of the 24 players that joined the Gee-Gees for the 2016-17 season are still with the team this season.  Grandmaitre says 17 players will leave the program at the end of the season.

“The kids that are leaving have built a brand, have built a style of hockey that now a lot of the good players are calling us wanting to come here.”

Grandmaitre says the support of the University of Ottawa administration and Gee-Gees alumni have been a key part of the Gee-Gees success on the ice.

“A good group of alumni were there from day one, and supported us financially to create scholarships to get these good players. And of course the university put some things in place for us to start from scratch,” Grandmaitre told TSN 1200.

He adds the school and the athletic department have provided “total support” to help the coaches build a national contender from day one.

The Gee-Gees will now face the Guelph Gryphons in the Queen’s Cup Final.

Grandmaitre told TSN 1200 it’s “critically important” for the Gee-Gees to write their names in history by winning the Ontario championship this weekend.

“We want our name on that trophy. I’m not shy to say that, and we really want to go there and win that trophy. This is kind of a reward for our players but at the same time the school and the alumni, everybody that has been behind us.”

This will be the first time the Gee-Gees appear in the national championship since 2004.