The commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ), Gilles Courteau, confirmed Friday that he will hand over the organization’s guides in 2023-2024, while the President’s Cup will now bear his name.
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This was learned during a press conference held in the morning. The process to determine the successor to the man who worked for the QMJHL for 47 years will begin after the holidays. A nomination is expected at the end of the steps planned until the end of May.
“I am ready to pass the torch. Obviously, my whole life has been devoted to this circuit,” the 65-year-old said at a press conference.
“My pride today is as much to see former color bearers of our circuit in the National League as to see former people experiencing success outside,” he added.
Courteau will remain in charge for the first six months of the 2023-2024 fiscal year, a statement said. He will act as a mentor to his dolphin thereafter before bowing out on May 31, 2024.
Profitable expansions
The Trifluvien took the seat of president of the league in 1986, when he was 29 years old. The circuit has experienced quite a bit of upheaval since its arrival, notably welcoming into its ranks concessions from the Maritimes and remote regions of Quebec.
“On the business side, one of our greatest successes is to have been able to decentralize league activities outside of Greater Montreal. We brought a very high quality product to the Atlantic provinces and these communities adopted the QMJHL brand immediately,” explained Courteau.
“At the start, when I wanted to establish a franchise in Val-d’Or, the criticism was strong among the owners, because it was far from the big cities, he added. Today, we have franchises anchored in most regions of Quebec and in the three Atlantic provinces.”
The QMJHL has also prospered sportingly. Its teams have notably won six of the last 10 editions of the Memorial Cup. Big stars like Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon also came through the new franchises in Eastern Canada.
For Courteau, it was especially important that these young men, and even some women, benefit from their time in the league.
“Not only are they entitled to top-notch professionals for their development on the ice, while having the proper tools to succeed in the classroom, but they also have a program to help take care of their mental and physical health. We offer them all the tools they need to become good citizens,” he said.
As for the President’s Cup, it is awarded to the champion team of the QMJHL playoffs.