Monday, August 31, 2009

The Board of Governors votes to raise education bursaries

Press Release

BAIE-COMEAU, Saturday, August 29, 2009 – The Board of Governors today voted to modify the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Scholastic Policy, significantly raising the dollars invested by franchises towards player education. Governors agreed to bump the bursaries to $5,000 per player per year up from $4,000 last season; an additional investment of approximately $100,000 per year.

"The Governors of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League are sending a clear message today," said QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau. "Our clubs’ willingness to continue investing significant dollars into our bursaries program demonstrates their commitment to educating our players. It is part of our fundamental mission to support their academic undertakings in order to develop responsible and educated citizens."

Players who arrive in the League as 19 or 20 year-olds are no longer required to have played a minimum of two years in order to benefit from the bursaries program (4.1.1). As such, a player is no longer required to have studied for a minimum of 4 semesters while playing major junior (4.1.2) to be eligible. For example, a player can now play for a single season (2 semesters) and still be eligible for 2 bursaries.

Finally, following a unanimous vote by the Board of Governors, all five members of the Executive Committee were re-elected. Jean Brousseau will begin his third mandate as President of the Board of Governors while Gervais Munger (1st Vice-President), Louis Brousseau (2nd Vice-President), Jean Marcotte (Treasurer) and Julien Gagnon (Secretary) are back for another term.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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