The Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program supports the best up-and-coming hockey players. Now in its 16th edition, the initiative is managed by the Aléo Foundation, formerly named the Foundation of Athletic Excellence (FAEQ), in partnership with Hockey Québec, the Quebec U18 AAA Hockey Development League (LHM18AAAQ) and Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ).
The 27 bursary recipients, who range in age from 15 to 17 years old, were selected based on their athletic and academic achievements. To encourage student-athletes to prepare for a post-sports career, one of the main eligibility criteria is the pursuit of education. As a result, one recipient was chosen from each of the eight female U18 AAA teams of the LHEQ, while one recipient was selected from each of the 15 male LHM18AAAQ teams. Three hockey players from the RSEQ and one player from the U17 AAA league were also rewarded with a bursary.
"The Montreal Canadiens organization is proud to partner with the Aléo Foundation. Our involvement reflects the importance we place on recognizing the perseverance and achievements of the next generation of female and male hockey players. We hope that the support we provide to these athletes who excel in the elite level of our sport will enable them to fulfill their ambitions and achieve their dreams," said Geneviève Paquette, Vice President of Community Engagement for the Montreal Canadiens.
"The athletic and academic success of hockey players in Quebec is one of the main objectives of the Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program," added Martin Lavigne, President of the Aléo Foundation. "It is with great joy that we see the province's most renowned professional team recognizing the efforts of the recipients on the ice and in the classroom. The Aléo Foundation is thrilled with this wonderful partnership."
Several former Montreal Canadiens bursary recipients have gone on to achieve great things since the program's inception, including Olympic medalists Melodie Daoust, Ann-Renee Desbiens, Marie-Philip Poulin and Lauriane Rougeau. Other scholarship recipients who have played in the NHL this past season include Sammy Blais of the St. Louis Blues, Max Comtois of the Anaheim Ducks, Laurent Dauphin of the Arizona Coyotes, Elliot Desnoyers of the Philadelphia Flyers, Anthony Duclair of the Florida Panthers, William Dufour of the New York Islanders, Gabriel Fortier of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Samuel Girard of the Colorado Avalanche, Alexis Lafreniere of the New York Rangers, Devon Levi of the Buffalo Sabres, Kevin Mandolese of the Senators Ottawa, Mike Matheson of the Montreal Canadiens, Jakob Pelletier of the Calgary Flames, Sam Poulin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Nicolas Roy of the Vegas Golden Knights, Joe Veleno of the Detroit Red Wings and Jeffrey Viel of the San Jose Sharks.
New name, new image, same mission!
The Foundation for Athletic Excellence (FAEQ) has a new name and a new brand image: ALÉO - Elevating Athletes Beyond Sport. The change aims to further highlight the organization's personalized approach, where the overall development and well-being of its bursary recipients are at the heart of its activities.
About the Aléo Foundation
Created in 1985, the Foundation for Athletic Excellence (FAEQ) has awarded more than $20 million in bursaries to nearly 4,000 student-athletes from all over Quebec. In order to better reflect the organization's mission of elevating athletes beyond sport, the FAEQ changed its name and brand image in 2022, becoming the Aléo Foundation. In addition to continuing to provide bursaries and guidance services to the leaders of tomorrow, it maintains its personalized approach, where the overall development and well-being of its bursary recipients are at the heart of its activities. For more information, visit fondationaleo.ca or Aléo Foundation's social media pages on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
