The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League launches its 41st season

MONTREAL, Wednesday, September 9, 2009 ? The Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Gilles Courteau, today officially launched the circuit?s 41st season at a press conference held at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in downtown Montreal.rr”The QMJHL?s fortieth season represented a turning point in the very culture of hockey,” said the Commissioner. “Important adjustments were made in order to eliminate gratuitous violence and with the help of our owners, governors, general managers, coaches and players we were able to reach our goals. Unacceptable incidents were punished swiftly and severely. The result: A very significant decline in gratuitous violence and a sizeable drop in fights per game. Furthermore, we created a Players Help Program; a pilot project destined to educate players on the consequences of their actions and life choices. Natacha Llorens, recently hired full-time to pilot this project will also fulfill the role of League Education Advisor. I am convinced that Miss Llorens will be an important asset to the QMJHL, its teams and its players.”rr”I am pleased to reiterate that our Board of Governors has approved significant changes to our Education Policy. Players having completed the required number of courses are now eligible to benefit from education bursaries which can now reach up to $5,000 per year or a maximum of $20,000 over a four-year term.”r rJean Brousseau, the President of the Board of Governors, added: “The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and its franchises have demonstrated that they are committed to changing the culture of hockey and the results are certainly encouraging. I am convinced that our goal to eliminate all forms of gratuitous violence in hockey is attainable. This principal is an integral part of our business plan and vision, which is to continually offer our players the best possible environment in which to practice the sport that they love.”rr2009 QMJHL PRESS CONFERENCE – ARCHIVErrThe QMJHL innovates with Reebok/CCM, the fight against breast cancer and TELUS!rrThe QMJHL and Reebok/CCM took the opportunity to launch the new Reebok Edge line of jerseys with the help of the “De Mortagne Ducs” Hockey Club which play in the Midget Espoir League. Led by head coach Sébastien Cloutier and assistant Benoit Rajotte, 18 Midget players modeled the new Reebok Edge jerseys for the assembled dignitaries, sponsors, partners and members of the media.rrReebok Hockey?s product development process focuses on providing today?s players with the technology of tomorrow. By upgrading to the Reebok EDGE Uniform System, the CHL joins both the National Hockey League and American Hockey League in the evolution of the game. The NHL and Reebok first launched the system at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game, before going league-wide for the start of the 2007-08 season.rr”Reebok Hockey proudly welcomes the CHL as part of our EDGE team. Every player in the league will now benefit from the same advantages as the pros with our lightweight, moisture-wicking materials and innovative design,” said Glen Thornborough, VP Global Sports Marketing Reebok-CCM. “These young players are the future of the sport and now have the best products available to them. We?re excited to provide them with the tools needed to advance to the next level.”rReebok Hockey has been the exclusive jersey provider for the CHL since the 2003-04 season, and in addition to jerseys, the CHL currently uses The Hockey Company products exclusively in the following categories: helmets, gloves, pants, hockey socks, performance underwear, and all under-protective equipment.rrFans can view all 120 brand new Reebok EDGE jersey designs by visiting www.chl.ca and they are all available for purchase online at www.chlshop.ca or by visiting your favorite team?s website. CHL club retailers and www.chlshop.ca will have a one-week exclusive sales opportunity before the new EDGE jerseys will appear in local sports retailers across Canada.r rThe new Reebok EDGE Uniform System will debut on ice when the Canadian Hockey League season opens this Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009, as the defending QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs host the Val-d?Or Foreurs. The puck drops on the OHL and WHL seasons the following Thursday, Sept. 17. For complete game schedules visit www.chl.ca.rrThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League also took the opportunity to announce a new initiative to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer. During the month of October, each of the 18 QMJHL teams will select a home game in which their players will wear a beautifully designed pink jersey. rrOver 400 game-worn jerseys will then be sold or raffled off with the proceeds going either directly to the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (Atlantic division) or to a local branch. The final tally will be announced in early November. rrThe QMJHL and TELUS will once again broadcast the 612 regular season games and playoffs on the Internet. As the QMJHL?s major partner for the past eight years, TELUS has invested 3.7 million dollars in the League, mostly in the production, infrastructure and resources required to webcast the matches since 2007. Moving forward, the QMJHL and TELUS will share the costs while reinvesting the revenues generated by the introduction of a new fee in the creation of additional content.rr”In order to continue innovating and offering a quality product to our fans, we are introducing new fees for the QMJHL webcasts this year. The new rates will enable the QMJHL and TELUS to meet the growing needs of our players and teams, to cover the costs of producing the webcasts and to develop new products and services for our fans, such as high definition broadcasting,” said Mr. Courteau. r rThe opening games, which will be played on September 10 and 11, available on qmjhl.mytelus.com will be free. Starting on September 12, hockey fans will be able to watch QMJHL games for as little as $3.95* per game or to subscribe to the entire season including the playoffs for $199.95.rrTELUS High Speed Internet subscribers will be able to watch the games for free at all times and, for the first time, some matches will be exclusively available to them in high definition. With a downloading platform of 1.5 Mbps, clearer images, six cameras and two studio analysts who will also conduct player interviews, the high definition webcast will offer a unique viewing experience to TELUS subscribers who are fans of major junior hockey. The first game in high definition will pit the Océanic against the Remparts at the Rimouski Colisée on September 11 at 7:30 pm. To learn more about webcasting products, visit qmjhl.mytelus.com.rrEventsrrThe League?s 41st season promises to be an exceptional one for our fans, sponsors and to our esteemed partners in the media with the offering of a fast-paced, intense and exciting product. Apart from our 612 regular season games, enthusiasm runs high for the Subway Super Series. The first game of the series, which pits a Russian delegation of All-Stars against the best players in the QMJHL, will be held in Drummondville on Monday, November 16 while game two heads to Shawinigan on Wednesday, November 18. rrAlso, the QMJHL will enshrine four of its greatest ambassadors on March 31st while honoring its best players with the presentation of the 2010 Hall of Fame and Golden Puck Awards Gala.rrFinally, the President Cup-winning team will fly to Brandon, Manitoba, for the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup Tournament.rrIn closing, the Commissioner addressed the importance of the League?s corporate partners in the continued success of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. “Without the help of our esteemed corporate sponsors, the QMJHL could not offer its fans the kind of quality on-ice product that we have today. Moreover, players could not benefit from such a quality environment in which to play. On behalf of our teams and our players, I would like to personally thank Reebok/CCM, Comfort Inn Hotels and Suites, All Weather Windows, Home Hardware, Old Dutch Foods, Right Guard, Gatorade and Via Rail for their outstanding support. Finally, I would like to thank our major sponsor, TELUS, whose contribution has been second to none.”rrAbout the Quebec Major Junior Hockey LeaguerrThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League?s mission is to develop players for professional hockey while supporting them throughout their academic endeavours in order to mold them into responsible and educated citizens. It must offer high entertainment value within a profitable framework in order to ensure the continued success of its activities.r