Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship Program Continues in Rimouski

April 17, 2025 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) News Release

TORONTO, ON - The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce the continuation of the Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship Program in Rimouski, Québec, as part of the 2025 Memorial Cup. First established as part of the 2022 Memorial Cup in Saint John, N.B., the Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship Program was created to support students pursuing post-secondary education in host communities of the CHL's championship event.

During a five-year period after hosting a Memorial Cup, this program annually awards two (2) individuals from the host cities of a Memorial Cup with an academic scholarship valued at $5,000 to help them further their post-secondary studies. This scholarship program, which reflects the CHL's ongoing commitment to academic excellence, community engagement, and legacy-building, continues to grow as part of the Memorial Cup's lasting impact.

Over its current three-year run, the program has raised more than $150,000 CAD in support of post-secondary students in Saint John, N.B., Kamloops, B.C., and Saginaw, Michigan. Most recently, the CHL was proud to celebrate the 2024-25 recipients of the Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship Program from each of these cities: Jacob McLeod (Saint John), Leah Coakley (Saint John), Sourish Rajesh Kanna (Kamloops), Keegan Meyers-Martinson (Kamloops), Ella Yantz (Saginaw), and Lauren Gallagher (Saginaw).

These six recipients were selected based on academic achievement, community involvement, and their dedication to promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. Including this latest group of winners, there have now been a total of 12 recipients of the Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship Program: six (6) from Saint John, four (4) from Kamloops, and two (2) from Saginaw.

During the 2025 Memorial Cup, working alongside the tournament's host organizing committee, the CHL plans to raise funds for this scholarship program in order to be able to activate it over a five-year period in Rimouski. Interested applicants from Rimouski, Saint John, Kamloops, and Saginaw who wish to apply for the next round of Memorial Cup scholarships can do so online via the CHL's website when the application process begins next fall around the start of the 2025-26 regular season.

Serving as the CHL's championship event, the Memorial Cup is a four-team round-robin tournament played among the champions of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), along with a host team. The 105th edition of the Memorial Cup is scheduled to take place from May 22 to June 1 in Rimouski, marking the return of the Memorial Cup to the province of Québec for the first time in 10 years. As hosts, the Rimouski Océanic will be one of four teams to participate in it alongside this season's playoff champion from each of the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL.

As the countdown to the 2025 Memorial Cup in Rimouski continues, the CHL looks forward to celebrating not only the on-ice competition but also the lasting legacies that extend beyond the rink. For more information on the Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship Program, please visit chl.ca/legacy-scholarship, while more details on the 2025 Memorial Cup itself can be found by visiting chl.ca/memorialcup.

QUOTES

"With Rimouski set to welcome the hockey world this spring, the CHL is proud to be working alongside the 2025 Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee to extend this educational initiative to this community. In addition to being a world-class hockey tournament, the Memorial Cup is a celebration of community and a catalyst for long-term impact. As part of our effort to leave a lasting legacy, the CHL takes a lot of pride in investing in the future of young people from our host cities by supporting their educational goals, and we would like to congratulate the six deserving winners of our 2024-25 scholarship program." - Dan MacKenzie, CHL President

"Our vision was to ensure the Memorial Cup left a lasting legacy on our city and continued to deliver a positive impact long after the event itself took place. Our Host Organizing Committee was focused on making the Memorial Cup an experience that could be enjoyed by the entire community and on providing opportunities that supported students who champion that attitude well beyond the event. We have now awarded scholarships to six students since 2022 who have been engaged in making their community a better place to live, recognized by their peers as leaders in contributing to a healthy, active lifestyle, and committed to continuing their development through further education. Saint John was the inaugural Host Organizing Committee to award the Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship, and we are thrilled to see this develop into a tradition that gives back to each host community in a meaningful way." - Mark-Anthony Ashfield, Chair of the 2022 Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee in Saint John

"What a wonderful legacy left by the 2023 Memorial Cup. It has been our pleasure to present scholarships to 4 amazing individuals over the past 2 years from the MC Legacy Funds. As one of the recipients was a young student athlete in my neighbourhood, I was even able to witness and hear firsthand about the opportunities provided through this funding. I hope the Memorial Cup embraces this initiative for years to come." - Norm Daley, President of the Kamloops Blazers

"Education is a major priority for the CHL teams that host the Memorial Cup. An illustration of that priority is that the CHL, Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), and the Saginaw Spirit have partnered to create this fantastic Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship that will be perpetuated for the next five seasons. Each season, two SVSU students will earn $5,000 each from the Saginaw Spirit's hosting of the 2024 CHL Memorial Cup. A total of $50,000 will be granted out to 10 worthy students over the next five seasons from the Memorial Cup hosted in Saginaw. It was an honor to celebrate our first two recipients, Ellie Yantz and Lauran Gallagher." - Craig Goslin, President and Managing Partner of the Saginaw Spirit

"The CHL's contribution through the Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship Program is of great value and fits perfectly with the legacy that we wish to leave after hosting this prestigious tournament in Rimouski, in the Land of Champions. Knowing that ten young athletes, champions in their own right, will receive support totalling $50,000 over the next five years fills us with pride. Achieving your dream in sports is one thing; being able to do so while also being supported in your academic journey is even more inspiring." - Sébastien Noël, General Manager of the 2025 Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee in Rimouski

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from April 17, 2025

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