Scholarship Program Going Strong

PJHL Media

For more than 20 years, the PJHL has rewarded deserving players with scholarship support towards post-secondary education taken during and after their Junior hockey careers.

The league’s scholarship program has awarded nearly $375,000 since its inception, an initiative unparalleled across the Junior B hockey landscape.

In addition to that, for the past five years, the PJHL has offered scholarship money for referees and the leagues’ play-by-play callers enrolling in education and training for career goals beyond the PJHL.

“The PJHL has a long tradition of supporting players, officials, and broadcasters financially through the scholarship program,” said PJHL commissioner Trevor Alto. “We take great pride in this program and are continuously looking for ways to grow it.”

Every season, the PJHL allocates $2,000 to each franchise for players planning for post-secondary education. Teams divide and distribute the money as they see fit.

“As an owner and chairman of the PJHL Steering Committee, I am very proud of our scholarship program,” said Richmond Sockeyes governor Doug Paterson, whose franchise has its own successful education support plan in addition to the league’s. “I have been involved in the league for 23 years and we make sure our league budget prioritizes this every year.”

Graduates such as last season’s leading scorers Nick Amsler and Ryan Denney of the Ridge Meadows Flames have benefitted from the PJHL’s financial assistance as have current players like Alex Scouras and Yuji Akimoto of the Delta Ice Hawks, Zach Sherwin of the White Rock Whalers, and Daniel Dallapace of the Port Moody Panthers.

The season ahead will see more players supported in their academic goals, something the PJHL continues to emphasize in addition to providing outstanding on-ice development and exposure.