SHAWINIGAN, QUEBEC -- (Marketwire) -- 05/26/12 -- Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

BMO Financial Group and the Canadian Hockey League have named 18-year-old forward Mikhail Grigorenko from the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) the 2012 BMO Rookie of the Year. Mikhail accepted the award at a ceremony today in Shawinigan, Quebec the site of the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup.

The BMO Rookie of the Year award is presented annually to a Canadian Hockey League (CHL) player who demonstrates outstanding achievement, sportsmanship and dedication to sport.

"This is a well deserved award for a hard-working athlete," said Quebec Remparts' General Manager and Head Coach, Patrick Roy. "Mikhail Grigorenko is an impactful player with a grade A attitude. The Remparts organization is quite proud of his accomplishment," added Roy.

Grigorenko led the Remparts with 40 goals, along with 45 assists in just 59 appearances, which placed him first in scoring among QMJHL rookies. He also won the Michel Bergeron trophy as the best offensive rookie of the year.

"We're delighted to present this year's award to Mikhail. This impressive young player has tremendous potential and there will be no shortage of teams coveting him in next month's NHL draft in Pittsburgh," said Nick Mastromarco, Director, BMO Bank of Montreal, who presented the award to Mikhail. "We are proud to be a long time supporter of Canadian junior hockey and congratulate the outstanding achievements of all players and coaches."

BMO and the Canadian Hockey League

BMO is the Official Bank of the Canadian Hockey League and the Official Bank of each of the CHL's member hockey leagues: the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The sponsorship builds on BMO's partnership with the CHL of more than 10 years and affirms BMO's exclusivity as a financial services sponsor of the league in the retail banking category. It also engrains a presence with the 46 teams who currently participate in the BMO CHL Affinity MasterCard program, which enables CHL fans to support their favourite teams through branded credit cards.

About BMO Financial Group

For more than 194 years, BMO Financial Group has believed in community reinvestment and corporate and social responsibility in the communities it serves. In 2011, BMO contributed more than $66 million in donations, sponsorships and events in Canada and the United States to groups, organizations and programs that help build and sustain resilient, vital and healthy communities.

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