Awarded annually to the Canadiens player who best exemplifies leadership qualities in the community, the trophy is accompanied by a $25,000 donation made by the
Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation
to a charity of the player's choice.
Established in 2003 to commemorate the 50 years of association between Mr. Jean Béliveau and the Montreal Canadiens, this award aims to celebrate the values that characterized the great man and player that he was, one who devoted an important part of his career to supporting various organizations mainly helping the most disadvantaged children. Candidates are evaluated based on their commitment, their leadership, as well as the involvement and time invested in collective and personal initiatives that are close to their hearts.
Since joining the Montreal Canadiens in 2017, Jonathan's charitable actions have been motivated by his desire to give back to the community, not only in Montreal but across the entire province, by offering his support to many causes, including those helping children and sick people. Involved as an ambassador with the Fondation du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) since 2017, Jonathan has pledged $500,000 to the hospital over a 10-year period through a donation of $50,000 every year. He also volunteered to participate in various charitable activities to help the Fondation raise an additional $5 million, in addition to promoting the CHUM across Quebec. The 4th edition of the Jonathan Drouin Golf Tournament, which took place on August 31, also raised $810,000 to support the CHUM and its research center, thus allowing the hospital to offer the best health care for the population of Quebec.
Since the 2017-18 season, Jonathan has been sponsoring one of the two
Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation's
private suites. Thanks to the "Jo et ses champions" program, which represents a yearly donation of $160,000, more than 1,000 children in need from across the province had the chance to attend a game at the Bell Centre for the very first time, and to forget their hardships for a few hours in the process.
Jonathan Drouin succeeds Phillip Danault, who was the recipient of the award last season. Past winners of the trophy are Shea Weber, Brendan Gallagher, Max Pacioretty, P.K. Subban, Carey Price, Brian Gionta, Michael Cammalleri, Maxim Lapierre, Patrice Brisebois, Alex Kovalev, Francis Bouillon, Steve Bégin and Saku Koivu.
