For the 12th consecutive year, the Montreal Canadiens are teaming up with the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence (FAEQ) to reward the next generation in women’s and men’s hockey. Tonight, prior to the NHL game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Anaheim Ducks at the Bell Centre, 29 of Quebec’s most promising hockey student-athletes each received a $1,500 scholarship from the team’s general manager, Marc Bergevin.
“As a sports organization, we are very proud to have been promoting the sporting and academic success of young hockey players across the province for 12 years, and to, once again tonight, highlight the outstanding performance of our recipients both on the rink and on school benches,” said Geoff Molson, president and CEO of the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club.
Thanks to the bursary program created in 2008, the Montreal Canadiens play an active role in the development of homegrown talent. In 2015, the partnership with the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence was extended for another five years with an amount of $250,000 invested in the program until 2020.
“What more could a young hockey student hope for than to be supported by the Montreal Canadiens? The Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence is truly proud of this valuable collaboration from the Habs, which goes well beyond financial support, reminded Claude Chagnon, president of the FAEQ. Indeed, what a feeling to be encouraged by the most famous hockey club in the world! The Montreal Canadiens are a prestigious and key partner for the FAEQ, and together, we are dedicated to the success of our province’s best hockey student-athletes.” This year, the Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program, administered by the FAEQ in partnership with Hockey Québec and the Midget AAA Hockey League, will benefit 29 student-athletes between the ages of 15 and 17, who were selected for their on-ice achievements as well as their academic results. Eight were awarded to laureate players from the women’s Quebec team looking for a selection with Canada’s national team, while 21 bursaries were handed out to young hockey players from the Midget AAA level. One of the eligibility criteria for the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence scholarships focuses in the scholastic perseverance of young athletes in preparing for a career after sports.
Jérémie Bergeron
Born January 21, 2002 in Laval
Academic Excellence of $1500
- Goaltender with the Laval-Montréal Rousseau-Royal of the Midget AAA Hockey League.
- Recorded 6 wins, 9 losses and 1 SOL with a .882 save percentage in 16 games in his rookie season with Rousseau-Royal
- Playing with the Laval Patriotes midget team, he was selected 70th overall by the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the 2018 QMJHL draft
- Took part in the 2018 Gatorade Challenge with the Newfoundland entry
- Currently completing his final high school year in the sports development program at École Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry. He posted an 88% academic average in the first term
- Inspired by Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Jérémie plans on continuing his education towards a medical degree. While suiting up with the Saguenéens in 2019-20, he will also study Nature Science at the collegiate level. He hopes to work in the field of pediatric or sports medicine.
