Washington Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois and the NHLPA are teaming up to do some good for youth hockey.

NHLPA Goals & Dreams and the Pierre-Luc Dubois Foundation announced Monday that they are collaborating to donate a total of $40,000 worth of equipment to rural Quebec minor hockey associations. The donations will address the lesser-served areas of Quebec where Dubois grew up playing hockey, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

“I am extremely proud to be able to help the youth in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region play hockey – this donation means a lot to our foundation,” Dubois said in a statement. “I also want to thank the people at the NHLPA for working together with our foundation on this NHLPA Goals & Dreams equipment donation. We’re all pushing in the same direction, and the future is bright for our organization. We have several long-term projects with the Foundation, and I’m excited for what’s to come. I want to thank all the volunteers who are involved – they allow young people to dream.”

The Pierre-Luc Dubois Foundation was founded in 2023 with a mission to sustainably provide reusable sports equipment to young people in Quebec. Two summers ago, the foundation raised over $80,000 through a virtual auction and a golf tournament, and the funds were then donated to minor hockey in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region.

The NHLPA’s Goals & Dreams program, founded in 1999, seeks to support grassroots hockey initiatives around the world. Since its creation, NHLPA members have donated over $26 million to causes in 40 different countries.

Here’s the full press release from the NHLPA:

NHLPA GOALS & DREAMS AND PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE EQUIPMENT DONATIONS
$40,000 in gear to support youth hockey in rural Quebec through sustainable, community-led initiative

TORONTO (August 25, 2025) – NHLPA Goals & Dreams is proud to announce that in collaboration with the Pierre-Luc Dubois Foundation a total of $40,000 worth of equipment will be donated to rural Quebec minor hockey associations.

Rooted in the regions where Pierre-Luc Dubois grew up playing hockey, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, the initiative addresses one of the sport’s biggest challenges: the high cost of equipment. This barrier disproportionately impacts families in rural communities, where resources are often limited. Distances from urban centres can also make access even more difficult.

“I am extremely proud to be able to help the youth in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region play hockey — this donation means a lot to our foundation. I also want to thank the people at the NHLPA for working together with our foundation on this NHLPA Goals & Dreams equipment donation. We’re all pushing in the same direction, and the future is bright for our organization,” said Pierre-Luc Dubois, NHLPA member and Washington Capitals centre. “We have several long-term projects with the Foundation, and I’m excited for what’s to come. I want to thank all the volunteers who are involved — they allow young people to dream.”

“Rural communities are rooted in values like hard work, resilience, and looking out for one another,” said Marty Walsh, NHLPA Executive Director. “By getting equipment into the hands of young athletes in small Quebec towns, and by implementing a cleaning system that allows it to be reused by new players each year, NHLPA Goals & Dreams and the Pierre-Luc Dubois Foundation are opening more doors for kids to experience the game and all the benefits that come with it.”

In its inaugural year in 2023, the Pierre-Luc Dubois Foundation raised over $80,000 through a virtual auction and a golf tournament held in Rimouski. The funds were donated to minor hockey in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region.

A Sustainable, Community-Driven Model

The Pierre-Luc Dubois Foundation’s model follows an environmentally and community-conscious process:

Distribution to players in need: equipment is donated and distributed directly to young players identified by local school boards, ensuring that gear reaches those most in need.
End-of-season collection & cleaning: at the season’s end, gear is returned to the Foundation, where it is thoroughly cleaned and sterilized by dedicated volunteers.
Recycling for future seasons: the sanitized equipment is stored in a small warehouse and redistributed to new players the following year, reducing waste and extending the lifespan of each donation.

This model not only helps kids get on the ice but also significantly reduces the environmental impact by avoiding the cycle of single-use equipment, reflecting the values and community shared by the regions it serves.

Empowering Rural Youth Through Hockey

More than 20 minor hockey associations between Rivière-du-Loup and Gaspé benefit from the program. Boys and girls are selected in partnership with school boards, who notify the Foundation of students in need.

About Pierre-Luc Dubois Foundation

The Pierre-Luc Dubois Foundation was established in March 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was unable to fully launch at that time. The Foundation continues the mission of Vincent Lecavalier’s foundation, which supported the sports community for nearly 20 years by sponsoring several regional sports clubs and athletes who went on to distinguish themselves at the national and international levels. Over the years, the Foundation has raised more than $1,000,000. Through sponsorships and donations, we are able to provide hundreds of pieces of hockey equipment to young players facing financial hardship. The Pierre-Luc Dubois Foundation primarily focuses its efforts on youth development, with the goal of encouraging young people to pursue their ambitions. The Foundation promotes healthy lifestyle habits, particularly through sports participation.

Its mission is centered around three key objectives:

Promote and fund the development of elite athletes;
Support – encourage the balance between athletic and academic goals for high-performance athletes, aiming for excellence in both areas;
and inspire hope and passion in youth, particularly those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, by promoting amateur sports among them.

Our three main goals are to: promote and finance the development of young athletes; promote a healthy balance between school and sports by making the equipment donations conditional to performance in school; and promote passion and success in communities in need by encouraging sports at a young age.

For more information, please visit fondationpld.com.

About NHLPA Goals & Dreams

In 1999, the National Hockey League Players’ Association launched NHLPA Goals & Dreams as a way for the players to give back to the game they love. The Players’ charitable program’s primary focus is on supporting grassroots hockey programs by providing complete sets of new equipment to deserving youth. For 25 years, NHLPA members have donated more than $26 million to grassroots hockey programs in 45 countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.nhlpagoalsanddreams.com.