While most teenagers are juggling school and sports, 13-year-old Rimouski native Olivier Leblanc is already carving out a name for himself as a young entrepreneur — with his hockey stick wax now reaching professional players.
At just 12 years old, Leblanc created his own hockey stick wax company, Boli, a product designed to be applied to the tape on a stick blade. The idea came unexpectedly one evening.
“One evening, a little before Christmas last year, I got this idea while watching videos and scrolling through social media, and that’s what inspired me to start the Boli company,” said Leblanc.
What followed was experimentation and trial-and-error.
“At the beginning, I was always making mixtures. I tried different combinations to find a good recipe, but it was never really to my liking. Then we finally found the right recipe,” he said.
Testing quickly became a group effort.
“I’d show it to my friends, then to my dad too, and then we’d all try it together, and based on their feedback—whether they said, ‘Yeah, this is the one’—I’d decide whether to keep it or tweak it some more,” Leblanc said.
What began as a home experiment has now expanded into sporting goods stores across Quebec, including Sports Experts and Sports aux Puces Mauricie.
Leblanc says early local support helped the brand gain momentum.
“I approached Sports Experts in Rimouski and Sports aux Puces. They got involved in my project because it was local and they supported local initiatives,” he said.
A major turning point came during the Memorial Cup, when his product was introduced to NHL connections through the Bolduc family.
“At the Memorial Cup, Zachary Bolduc and his father Richard—the Bolduc family—came to see us, and I presented my project, and I told Richard he could take some wax with him and bring it to the sports store in Trois-Rivières. Then once at the sports store, a friend of Michael was there, so he stopped by, and Richard made sure Michael got our number, and that’s how it all started,” Leblanc explained.
That chain of connections eventually led to professional players using his product.
Leblanc confirmed NHL Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier of the Montreal Canadiens have used the wax.
One moment that stood out for him came during a Montreal Canadiens game.
“The first time I went to see the Canadiens this year, I went to the game against the Capitals, and I went to give some wax to the Capitals’ trainer, and there’s a rookie player on the team who uses it. But I’m not sure if he’s using it right now,” he said.
Despite growing demand, Leblanc remains a full-time student and keeps school as his priority.
“I focus more on school than my company. When I have too much homework in the evening, my dad helps make the wax for me, and other times I do it myself,” he said.
Boli now offers multiple variations, including colour-based waxes and custom team editions.
Customization has become a major part of the brand.
“We can add stickers for tournaments or teams so it feels like their own product,” he added.
So far, demand has grown quickly.
“Around 7,000 units have been sold since this summer,” he said.
Leblanc is already thinking about expanding beyond wax and wants to reach more teams in Quebec.
He is also thinking about making other products like tape scissors, water bottles, and even hockey pucks.
His biggest lesson has been collaboration.
“Talk to people—like I did with my parents and they started helping me. My friends too. I had three friends who came to help me during a busy period this summer,” he said.
What began as a simple idea sparked by social media has grown into a brand already used at hockey’s highest level — with room to skate even further.
For Leblanc, the journey is only beginning.
