QMJHL and Aléo Foundation: an off-ice support team

Montreal, June 23, 2026 – Following a five-year project with the Molson Foundation, which consisted of offering personalized services deployed by the Aléo Foundation to league players to support them in orientation and career transition, the QMJHL has decided to continue the partnership and create a new three-year agreement directly with the foundation. Over the past few seasons, observing the major positive impact on its athletes, the QMJHL has deemed it essential to continue supporting players with the professional services offered by the Aléo Foundation. Led by Sophie Brassard, PhD, Director of Services and Scholarship Programs, the project notably offers:

• Personalized support for all QMJHL players, active or former;
• Development of an academic plan integrated with the sports career plan;
• Support for the transition to the next careers or during sports retirement;
• Meetings with parents, hockey staff, guardians, and academic advisors regarding the services offered to players;
• Access to educational and career guidance;
• Job Interview Simulations;
• Resume writing assistance;
• University admission tracking;
• Presentation during the annual new player integration sessions.

These services are available to current players, but also to all former QMJHL players, during all transition phases of their journey. They can benefit from them as soon as they arrive in the league, while they are part of the teams, toward the next steps of their path and even, in some cases, several years later, at the end of their professional career toward entering the job market. In their own words: «Player support is at the heart of our priorities. In 2024, we announced an increase in our scholarships, and this partnership with the Aléo Foundation goes in the same direction: that is, to always offer more to our student-athletes from an academic and off-ice support perspective.»

– Mario Cecchini, QMJHL Commissioner

«For the Aléo Foundation, the alliance with the QMJHL is completely natural. As specialists in transition services for athletes, our team, led by Sophie Brassard, is a logical partner to support the major transitions of these student-athletes. QMJHL players often leave the family nest very early and experience a path very different from other young people their age. Whatever their academic and athletic choices, we have solutions to propose to them, a network to open up to them, and specialized expertise to offer them.

– Patricia Demers, CEO of the Aléo Foundation.

About the QMJHL The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, founded in 1969, is one of the three member leagues of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Today, it comprises 18 teams spread across five Canadian provinces: Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Recognized as one of the best junior hockey development leagues in the world, the QMJHL has produced generations of NHL stars, including legends such as Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, and Guy Lafleur. As a member of the CHL, it remains one of the primary talent suppliers for the NHL, with CHL alumni accounting for approximately half of all players in the league. Beyond hockey, the league places great importance on education, supporting hundreds of student-athletes each year through scholarship programs and various academic development initiatives. About the Aléo Foundation Created in 1985, the Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence (FAEQ) has awarded more than The Aléo Foundation's mission is to maximize the full potential of as many exceptional student-athletes from all backgrounds as possible, in order to generate a significant and lasting impact. Created in 1985, it has awarded over 25 million dollars in bursaries to more than 5,000 student-athletes from all over Quebec. In addition to these bursaries, there is the essential component of lifelong services provided to all recipients during and after their athletic and academic careers. In order to support these support services, the Aléo Research Chair is now a vehicle for scientific results available to the entire local sports community. The fundraising campaign Impact for Generations Its goal is to raise six million dollars in three years to move closer to our great vision: that student-athletes of excellence enrich society through their current and future leadership, both through their exceptional contributions and the inspiring examples they embody. To support Impact for Generations For more information: fondationaleo.ca LinkedIn   Facebook   Instagram   YouTube   Spotify

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For your information: Annie Dubé Director of Communications and Marketing Aléo Foundation 438 884-6626