The future was foreseen with optimism for the organization had proved itself. The tournament was solidly set up and there was talk about enlarging the frame work. In 1970 the organizing comitee would receive from the Quebec Ice Hockey Federation, the status of Richmond Mosquito Provincial Tournament.

      From then on the tournament took a tangent and under the presidency of Guy Thibault, the tournament welcomed for the first time 20 teams from which quite a few were from the metropolitain region, of Quebec and of the Mauricie. Also two classes would be presented: A and B... The next year 32 teams would be accepted.     With such a representation of the region, the Mousquito Tournament had very well surpassed the regional limits, to rightly merit the title of being called a Provincial Tournament.  Richmond  would become by the same token one of the most popular Minor hockey Tournaments of the Province, reputated for the quality of it’s organization and of the teams in attendance.

      In the mid seventies the organisation would have to face other challenges in order to conserve the earned reputation of excellence acquired during the years: that of the prolification throughout the province of other tournaments of the same category and the smallness of the arena rooms, for the limited number ot teams in 1974 of 42 formations had been reached...

      The years 1975 would prove to be a major turning point in the tournaments’ history, indeed the tournament would give itself a mascot in the obviously purpose of valorizing the human side of this competition which annually regrouped youths aged between 9 and 11 years old. From then on the tournament would be centered on the participation of every player; foreward checking and individual honors (presentation of medals) were abolished and fraternity as mush as friendship were the thing during all the tournament.

      In 1976 the tournament became the Richmond Atom Mousquiri Provincial Hockey Tournament following the changes brought forth by the federation who had eliminated the name mosquito for atoms...

       In 1977 the participation of the 52 teams registerd in the tournament had the opportunity to manoeuvre in a newly renovated arena to the great joy of the organizers who could now work in better conditions. Taking advantage of the tournament it was decided to present a daily ice show titled «Il était une fois Mousquiri» written and produced by Gilles Fontaine with the collaboration of the figure skating club the Tourbillons.

            Then at the 1978 tournament there was a recurrence of an other show of great scope so as to emphasize
in a brilliant way the 15th anniversary of this sporting event.  Prepared and conceived anew by Mr. Fontaine the show entitled «Mélodie = Mousquiri», which starred the Tourbillions was intended to be a musicale fantasy on ice to commemorate this historic anniversary for the most oldest atom tournament to take place in the province.

            In l979 for the occasion of the tournaments’ l6 th anniversary the organizers decided to add an invitational class so as to stir up more interest among the population.  This class regrouped the formation of the hostess town of the tournament besides the represntatives of diverse regions of Quebec.

(Text by Guy Marchand, Journaliste translated by Nancy Viens)