On your skates, get set, spin!

Mélissa Gélinas

Thanks to the creation of a promotional video featuring various participants and professional athletes from the region, Duguay Sports Excellence, located at 400 Alexandre-Taché Boulevard, is proud to have raised donations that were presented to three Outaouais minor hockey associations on September 29. The recipients were the Hull Minor Hockey Association (AHMH), the Aylmer Minor Hockey Association (AHMA), and the Petite-Nation Minor Hockey Association (AHMPN).

The commercial was produced by the marketing agency AKCENT with the collaboration of the following professional players: Jean-Gabriel Pageau (New York Islanders), Francis Wathier (Hull Olympiques, Dallas Stars), Hendrix Lapierre (Washington Capitals), and Xavier Simoneau (Laval Rockets). Each of them agreed to star in the commercial in exchange for donations to a local minor hockey association. For some, this was the association where they first took to the ice.

The donations collected include a starter kit, skates, and hockey sticks. All associations will receive the same equipment, but some will receive matching vouchers to meet different needs.

"We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Jean-Gabriel, Francis, Hendrix and Xavier, who are not only elite athletes, but also remarkable human beings," said Duguay Sports Excellence co-owners Simon Talbot and Julie Boucher. "They never hesitate to give of their time and give back to their community, and that deserves our utmost admiration."

"One of our goals is to make sports more affordable in order to increase participation rates among young people," commented Talbot, co-owner of Duguay Sports Excellence. Guided by a strong community spirit, the company believes that every child deserves to develop a passion.

Duguay Sports Excellence has been an Outaouais company since 1980, specializing in the retail sale of sports equipment for athletes of all levels. It offers equipment for hockey, volleyball, football, baseball, ringette, and more.

In 2021, the company began a new chapter with the arrival of new co-owners: Simon Talbot and Julie Boucher. "On August 1, 2023, we decided to merge with a VSP (sports equipment retailer) located on Route 1366 Triole (Unit 201) in Ottawa," Talbot said. “Then, we acquired a pro shop called Gee Gee’s located at 801 King Edward Avenue in Ottawa and, most recently, a new branch located at 460 Buckingham Avenue in Buckingham.”