Francis Bouillon joined former Montreal Canadiens Steve Bégin and Maxim Lapierre in a series of ball hockey games to benefit Jeunes Sportifs Hochelaga, an organization that helped him afford equipment during his youth.
Bouillon has helped the outfit repeatedly during his career - including when it was threatened with bankruptcy - according to Brenda Branswell of the Montreal Gazette.
“They paid for hockey equipment … It really wasn’t expensive to play hockey,” Bouillon said. “So I was able to benefit from all those good things.”
“It’s a way to give back.”
The organization allows beginners, pre-novice and novice-level players to borrow most types of equipment aside from skates and sticks, Branswell reports.
Bouillon needed to fight his way to the NHL level (and might need to catch a break or two if this season never happens), but it’s clear that he remembers the people who helped him get there.