Fifth edition of the Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program within the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence
28 young student-athletes in hockey will receive a $1,500 scholarship
Wednesday, 25.01.2012 / 5:00 PM / News
canadiens.com

PRESS RELEASE

MONTRÉAL – The Montreal Canadiens presented their 5th annual bursary ceremony within their Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence bursary program. In 2008, the Montreal Canadiens announced a three-year investment totalling $100,000 towards the Fondation – a donation that allowed the organization to create a program to support men and women’s ice hockey. A year ago, the Canadiens announced their renewed partnership with the Foundation, with a donation of $250,000 to the organization, spread out over five years (2010 to 2015), at $50,000 per year.

Hence, the Montreal Canadiens captain Brian Gionta presented twenty-eight $1,500 scholarships to hockey players between 14 and 17 years of age. Eight of the scholarships were given to female hockey players from Quebec’s provincial squad who are seeking to join the Canadian national team, while twenty scholarships were handed out to Midget AAA League players. The awards ceremony was held at the Bell Centre prior to the game between the Canadiens and the visiting Detroit Red Wings.

This year, a new addition was made to the Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program. Seven academic excellence bursaries were awarded to student-athletes in hockey who achieved impressive academic results. The 21 other bursary recipients received a scholarship for their athletic excellence. A reminder that scholastic performance is an important eligibility criteria to better prepare students for a post-athletic career.

“It is our duty, as a professional hockey club, to support the development of hockey as well as the next generation of players,” said Canadiens owner, President and CEO Geoff Molson. “Future professional hockey players are those who play their favourite game on rinks all over our province. We feel it is up to us to encourage them and provide them with the resources needed to succeed. Congratulations to all the recipients, it’s good to see their hard work on the ice and in the classroom being rewarded.”

“The Foundation is very proud to support our young student-athletes in hockey in the early stages and it’s very important for the Foundation to encourage these hockey hopefuls to put as much effort in class as on the ice. This Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program helps promote role models of young, serious and balanced student-athletes in hockey” indicated Claude Chagnon, President of the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence.

Recipients for 2012 were selected based on their athletic excellence and for having continued their secondary or post-secondary education. The Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program is managed by the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence in partnership with Hockey Québec and the Midget AAA League. Hockey Québec General Manager Sylvain B. Lalonde and Midget AAA League President Gaston Therrien said they were very pleased with the support of the Montreal Canadiens and the work done by the Foundation to support young hockey players. “The Canadiens’ contribution to this bursary program is a commitment we truly appreciate. It reinforces our development goals for each athlete, both at the academic and athletic levels,” reiterated Lalonde and Therrien.

THE 28 RECIPIENTS OF THE 2012 MONTREAL CANADIENS BURSARY PROGRAM ($1,500 scholarship to each of the 28 recipients)

About the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence

The Foundation’s main objective is to provide financial support to performing student-athletes who also distinguish themselves in class and help them strive towards excellence as young role models in the Quebec society. Over the last five years, the Foundation has handed out over $3.4 million in scholarships to deserving student-athletes, with the objective of increasing its annual scholarship amount to $1 million within the period of 2010-2015. Visit the Foundation’s web site at www.faeq.com.