Érable du Québec and the Montréal Force: A Winning Team!
Québec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP) and its brand, Érable du Québec, have joined forces with the Montréal Force, Québec’s first ever professional women’s hockey team. Together, they’re strapping on the equipment and going hard into the corners for the next three years, enabling elite women players to earn a living playing the sport they love.
QMSP sees the significance of this new partnership. “This relationship reflects our deepest convictions. It’s an honour for our brand. We will not only promote the team—we’re contributing financially so that these top-calibre women hockey players will be properly recognized for their worth. We are the only partner paying the players directly,” said QMSP’s Director of Promotion and Market Development Mylène Denicolaï. “We’re so proud to be involved in the launch of professional women’s hockey in Québec,” she added, noting that maple syrup and hockey are equally symbolic of Québec.
Érable du Québec, the team’s official source of energy
Érable du Québec becomes the team’s official source of energy and an integral part of its visual identity, with logos on the players’ helmets and bottles, as well as on the website and social networks. Team members will take part in an information session on the benefits of maple in a daily diet. Many athletes use this 100% natural source of carbohydrates as fuel, especially for intermittent, high-intensity efforts such as hockey.
The push for this women’s pro hockey team in Montréal was initiated by Kevin Raphael. The Force will also play home games in arenas across the province: Québec City, Rimouski, Rivière-du-Loup, St. Jérôme, and Sept-Îles. “The partnership with Érable du Québec is so important, in line with the team’s philosophy of working with local communities, both on and off the ice. And a multi-year agreement allows us to move beyond the rigid parameters of professional women’s hockey,” said Raphael, the team’s president.
The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) is the home of professional women’s hockey in North America. Founded in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, and becoming the PHF in 2021, the league allows elite hockey players to make a living at the game while growing its popularity. Seven teams—the Boston Pride, the Buffalo Beauts, the Connecticut Whale, the Metropolitan Riveters, the Minnesota Whitecaps, the Montréal Force, and the Toronto Six—compete for the Isobel Cup championship. For more information on the league, go to premierhockeyfederation.com.
About Québec Maple Syrup Producers and the Érable du Québec Brand
Québec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP) represents the interests of 13,300 women and men and more than 8,000 enterprises that produce maple syrup. Québec provides an average 72% of the world’s maple syrup supply, exporting it to more than 70 countries.
QMSP.ca – @AcericoleQc
Gallery
The Maple Economy and Statistics
Interview Requests:
Vincent Grondin
Partnership Manager for Érable du Québec
514-264-0624
[email protected]