Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ) commissioner Gilles Courteau will remain in office until the scheduled end of his term, he assured Friday morning, despite skepticism expressed towards him by some political figures.
• Also read: Humiliating inaugurations: Courteau must return to the parliamentary committee, believes Isabelle Charest
• Also read: QMJHL Commissioner: Quebec Solidaire wants Gilles Courteau’s immediate resignation
• Also read: Hockey Initiations Commission: Gilles Courteau admits his wrong
The circuit’s big boss gave Channel 98.5 host Paul Arcand a fifteen-minute interview to return to the case of junior hockey’s demeaning initiations. The one who confirmed his resignation on December 16 was unequivocal about his intentions by the end of the interview: he wants to remain in office until the new commissioner takes office, ideally around June 1, and then support him here until the spring of the next year.
“Absolutely not,” he replied to the idea of an early exit. I have been in the QMJHL for 47 years. I gave my life to this league. I’ve worked very humbly to make progress, I’ve looked after our 400 players a year who I consider my own children and our coaches who I consider big brothers. I am very proud of the progress we have made in the QMJHL today, in 2023, and I intend to remain in office through May 31, 2024. I can assure you that we will continue to improve our league as we put policies and programs in place.”
“I want to work for the well-being of our players, so that they can develop in a healthy and safe environment, and then ensure that the code of silence that unfortunately still exists in the dressing room is broken. And I want to leave my successor a solid and clean house. He’ll step in and be able to pitch his ideas to move our league forward, like I’ve done all these years,” he added at Paul Arcand’s mic.