Martin Lavallée, Acting Commissioner, will take over the functions until that date.

After 37 years in office, Gilles Courteau resigned on March 5 after previously announcing that he would end his tenure as commissioner in 2024.

The QMJHL is at the center of allegations of sexual abuse and violent initiation activities.

In a statement shared on his Twitter account, Courteau said that these Recent events have reached such proportions that my family members have suffered.

QMJHL Membership Bureau President Richard Létourneau mentioned that Cecchini was the unanimous nominee at the end of the hiring process, which was expedited by Courteau’s departure.

He arrived with an extraordinary presentation, said Létourneau. In our job description, the key skills and qualities we were looking for were high-level knowledge of the sporting environment, ability to mobilize groups towards the same goal, and strong interpersonal skills with a keen sense of diplomacy.

Létourneau said that the preferred candidate must also demonstrate expertise beyond the world of sport and be able to express himself well orally and in writing in French and English, both formally and informally. Marketing skills were in demand and Cecchini had them too.

The Minister responsible for Sport, Leisure and Outdoors, Isabelle Charest, also welcomed the arrival of the new Commissioner on Twitter.

I welcome the arrival of Mr. Cecchini as the new commissioner of the QMJHL. I will have the opportunity to meet him soon. We will continue to work with him and his team so that young players can develop in a healthy and safe environment.wrote the minister.

Cecchini says he’s excited about the new opportunity that’s presented to him. The QMJHL’s new commissioner was president of the Alouettes but previously worked on several hockey acts.