Meet Gabriel Le Houillier: Balancing hockey dreams and academic success through AC Online

Posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2026

Meet Gabriel Le Houillier, a twenty-year-old Rockland Nationals hockey player in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL). Le Houillier aspires to be a professional hockey player, but he’s building business knowledge along the way, taking classes through Algonquin College’s AC Online.

Action shot of Le Houillier playing for the Rockland Nationals.

Action shot of Le Houillier playing for the Rockland Nationals.

Growing up in Lorraine, a small town just outside of Montreal, Le Houillier demonstrates how the discipline he learned in sport transfers to his academic performance. The young athlete juggles athletics and academics through the College’s flexible online delivery model. “I take two classes at a time. The online format allows me to do my schoolwork on my own time around my hockey schedule, so I usually do it in the morning, before hockey practice in the afternoons”, Le Houillier explained.

Le Houillier originally wanted to take the university route, but he found the scheduling difficult to align with his hockey responsibilities. Josée Bouchard works with the Rockland Nationals as an academic advisor. Her role with the team helps player navigate their studies. It was Bouchard who suggested the online learning model as a path for Le Houillier.

After his first year studying business through AC Online, he liked it so much that he has continued into a second year, approaching the completion of eight courses. “The class format and setup are easy to follow with easy-to-navigate instructions,” he said.

Opportunities like entrepreneurship are built from foundational business knowledge, which Le Houillier is building through his classes, including macroeconomics, business finance, financial accounting and global business environment.

“AC Online is designed for students balancing competing priorities, offering the flexibility to learn on their own schedule without compromising quality. For students like Gabriel, it means they can pursue high-performance athletics while continuing to make steady progress toward their academic and future career goals,” said Pouya Safi, Executive Director, Online and Professional Training at Algonquin College.

In addition to being an outstanding straight-A student, Le Houillier shines in his passion for the fast-paced game of hockey. He is the recipient of the 2025-26 Arthur K Neilson Scholarship and Ability Award, as well as the league’s 2025-26 Most Valuable Player, League Scoring Champion, and Outstanding Graduating Player.

Le Houillier pictured receiving one of his awards with the Rockland Nationals.

Le Houillier pictured receiving one of his awards with Pouya Safi, Executive Director, Online and Professional Training at Algonquin College (left) and Kevin Ferguson of the CCHL.

While playing with the Rockland Nationals, Le Houillier is excited to continue his education through AC Online, aiming to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business in the future.

“I want to take it as far as I can go, that’s my dream,” Le Houillier said, hoping to continue playing at progressively higher levels.

Le Houillier is an example of how one can follow their dreams and gain an education simultaneously. Wherever his career takes him, Le Houillier is carving out his future, one skate and one class at a time.

To learn more about AC Online, please visit our website.


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