As part of our ongoing global mission to preserve ethics, fairness, and transparency in sports, United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS) recently joined forces with the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in Canada to educate the league’s newest class of athletes.
Ahead of the start of the 2026-27 season on 18 September, ULIS delivered a series of sports integrity workshops in Montreal, Québec and Moncton during the 3rd annual QMJHL Rookie Onboarding Days.
Represented on-site by ULIS Deputy Operations Manager Chris Yaakoubian, we contributed directly to the league’s player-support curriculum, delivering dedicated sessions to 189 incoming rookie players (average age of 17) from all 18 QMJHL franchises.
Designed to equip the young players for the modern realities of major junior hockey, three separate days of onboarding took place in three regional host cities:
- September 10 in Moncton, New Brunswick (Atlantic Region Teams)
- September 12 in Montreal, Quebec (Western Quebec Teams)
- September 13 in Quebec City, Quebec (Eastern Quebec Teams)
The sessions brought the players together in person, while their parents joined virtually to learn more about the support systems available to the athletes.
Protecting the Game: ULIS’s Role in the Curriculum
Presenting alongside QMJHL Support Programme Director Jean-Baptiste Bertrand, Yaakoubian led critical discussions on protecting athletes and competition integrity.
After a brief introduction about ULIS and our activities, Yaakoubian provided the players with essential insights into understanding sports manipulation, how crime syndicates operate, recognising red flags and risks, and the importance of refusing and reporting.
Complementing our integrity focus, the onboarding programme also featured presentations by police officer and former player Zachary Lauzon, Alexander Rougas (founder of HFTV and Loto-Québec collaborator), as well as workshops covering consent, communications, and academic balance.
Throughout all six sessions, which were delivered in French and English, the players demonstrated exceptional interest and engagement. The interactive format fostered open dialogue, giving athletes the opportunity to ask thoughtful questions about real-world scenarios they might face as their public profiles grow.
League Leadership Acknowledges ULIS’s Impact
ULIS’s involvement in the Onboarding Days with the QMJHL reflects a shared dedication to athlete protection and ethical sports management.
“We felt it was important to raise awareness among our new players about the unfortunate reality of match-fixing,” said QMJHL Commissioner Mario Cecchini. “A speaker from ULIS came to explain the different types of manipulation, how players are approached by organised crime, the risks involved in accepting such offers, and – above all – the importance of refusing and reporting any approaches made to them.
“For our league, this collaboration with ULIS helps equip our players with the knowledge needed to avoid the pitfalls that their new reality may present.”
About the QMJHL
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Boucherville, Quebec, the league currently comprises 18 teams located across Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Operating as a premier development league for players aged 16 to 20, the QMJHL combines top-tier athletic performance with mandatory educational and personal development programmes. Each season, the league prepares nearly 400 young athletes for professional hockey careers in the NHL and other elite international leagues, as well as for higher education through robust academic support initiatives.
