Canadiens renew their support of the Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence
The organization is proud to support the next generation in women's and men's hockey
Founded in 2008, the Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program will be extended for three more years. Annual investments of $60,000 will be made until 2023 for a total of $180,000. In addition to supporting the top student-athletes in the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League and the women's provincial team, starting next year, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) as well as the Ligue de hockey préparatoire scolaire (LHPS) will also be able to refer future scholarship recipients to the program. A new Leadership or Perseverance bursary will also be permanently added to the existing scholarship categories of Academic Excellence, honouring student-athletes with outstanding academic achievements, and of Support for Academic and Athletic Achievement, awarded to further encourage a better conciliation of sports and academics.
"We are pleased to continue our partnership with the Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence du Québec and to support young hockey players of secondary school age in conciliating their academic and athletic careers. While the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League remains the main elite circuit for this age category, we are now witnessing the emergence of beautiful talents that are developing and flourishing in other leagues, and it was important for us to include them in our Canadiens Bursary Program," said Geoff Molson, owner, president and CEO of the Montreal Canadiens.
"The Montreal Canadiens organization is certainly a major actor in the development of hockey among our young emerging players in Quebec, and by increasing the total amount of its contribution it plays an even bigger role as a leader in its community by inspiring and motivating young student-athletes to excel. It's a great feeling to be supported and recognized by the most famous hockey club in the world! The FAEQ and the Canadiens form a prestigious partnership dedicated to the success of our province's best hockey student-athletes," added Claude Chagnon, president of the FAEQ.
Mr. Geoff Molson took the opportunity to present 28 bursaries of $1,500 to the most promising Quebec student-athletes in hockey, aged between 15 and 18, during the 13th bursary awards ceremony of the Program, which took place at the Bell Centre prior to the game between the Canadiens and the Arizona Coyotes. Eight bursaries were awarded to laureate players from the women's provincial team looking to be selected by Canada's national team, while 21 bursaries were handed out to young hockey players from the Midget AAA level. As one of the eligibility criteria for the Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program managed by the FAEQ focuses on the scholastic perseverance of young athletes in preparing for a career after sports, the bursary recipients were not solely selected for their on-ice accomplishments, but based on their academic results as well.
The 28 student-athletes honoured on Monday will follow in the footsteps of fellow FAEQ scholarship holders with stellar achievements, including multiple Olympic medal winners in women's hockey Marie-Philip Poulin, Mélodie Daoust, Lauriane Rougeau and Ann-Renée Desbiens. In men's hockey, the 2019 Stanley Cup champion Samuel Blais of the St. Louis Blues is part of the impressive group of former distinguished recipients of the bursary program, which includes many other players who are now evolving in the National Hockey League (NHL), including Maxime Comtois (Anaheim Ducks), Anthony Duclair (Ottawa Senators), Samuel Girard (Colorado Avalanche), Michael Matheson (Florida Panthers) and Nicolas Roy (Vegas Golden Knights).
RECIPIENTS OF THE 2020 MONTREAL CANADIENS BURSARY PROGRAM
(28 scholarships of $1,500 each)
About the Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence du Québec (FAEQ)
This year, the FAEQ celebrates its 35 years of existence and success thanks to its personalized approach, its rigorous management and its influence. In 2020, it will give close to $1,500,000 in individual scholarships to approximately 525 student-athletes from across Quebec, in addition to providing them with accompaniment services in terms of academic orientation, career transition, mentoring and internships in companies. Three events open to the public and for the benefit of the FAEQ will take place in the upcoming months: the Érabl'hier de demain with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif on April 7, at the Windsor Station; the 808 Bonneville Challenge on September 18 and 19 in Mont-Tremblant; and the Bruny Surin Foundation Gala on October 2 at the Windsor. For more information, please visit
www.faeq.com
.
