CHL Leaders: QMJHL grad Gamelin enters workforce with finance leader
Frederic Gamelin always understood the importance of education.
That’s why after skating in five seasons with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, the native of Saint-Polycarpe, Que., elected to attend McGill University where he obtained his graduate degree in accounting and finance, while also continuing his hockey career with the varsity Redmen.
“As long as you’re in the QMJHL, you kind of hope to have a chance to play at a high level, but really when I was 20 years old I had to choose between going to the ECHL or to university,” Gamelin told Junior Hockey Magazine as part of its CHL Leaders segment. “For me, it just made more sense to get an education rather than leaving myself to professional hockey.”
In the classroom, Gamelin used many of the lessons he learned at the rink, with a keen ability to be self-disciplined and stay focused and on task chief among them.
“It’s mostly self-discipline because with all the distractions you have around you, it’s kind of easy to get lost a little bit and kick school aside,” Gamelin detailed. “Nowadays, teams are putting in a lot of effort for players to focus on both school and hockey, but at the same time you have to remain disciplined and do your stuff. When you’re leaving on long trips, you still have to study while performing on the ice at the same time.”
Today, Gamelin works as an associate with industry giant PwC, a Montreal-based professional services firm that is globally recognized as one of the ‘big four’ auditors. The opportunity was a perfect match for Gamelin’s background, and one he soon hopes to take to the next level upon completing his public accounting certification next fall.
“When I look back at what I have done in the past and where I am right now, I am super happy with it,” Gamelin reflected. “I am fully happy with the choice that I made.”
In all, five seasons in the QMJHL saw Gamelin skate in 315 career contests and make back-to-back runs to the President’s Cup Final, in addition to forming lifelong friendships that continue today. It also provided the platform for Gamelin to take the next step in life.
“(The CHL scholarship program) played an important role because I knew I was going to be able to go to school and have a scholarship at the same time,” Gamelin concluded. “I felt a lot more comfortable in my undergraduate because I didn’t have to worry about all of the financial aspects, so I felt more free and it allowed me to concentrate on school.”