I had no intention of talking about Auston Matthews breaking Mats Sundin's goal total while wearing a Maple Leafs jersey, but one company has me writing about the Toronto Maple Leafs today. The two men to the left have a pretty cool connection when it comes to their record-setting goals, but I won't reveal what that is just yet. Instead, I want to talk about the solid marketing being done by a company who keeps finding unique ways to market their beverages through hockey. Budweiser is an official NHL partner in Canada, and the work being done by their Budweiser Zero team to push that product is pretty impressive after making an impact last season.
You might remember that Budweiser Zero celebrated Alexander Ovechkin's 895th goal last season by sending their product to all the goalies who hadn't surrendered a goal to Ovechkin in games they played against him. It was an outstanding marketing idea as it tied in the "zero" portion of the product's name while celebrating a major hockey accolade. Honestly, we could use more marketing like that.
Well, Budweiser Zero has struck again this season thanks to Auston Matthews' new Toronto goal total, but they're celebrating the 61 players who assisted on Matthews' record-setting 421 goals in the blue-and-white with their own specially-marked cans! It should come as no surprise that Mitch Marner and William Nylander lead the way, but 59 other players have recorded at least one of the 705 assists recorded on those 421 goals! Here's the graphic for those assists!
For those wondering about that trivia, Tie Domi picked up an assist on Mats Sundin's 420th goal as a Maple Leafs player, and it was Max Domi recording an assist on Auston Matthews' 421st goal. How cool is it that both record-setting goals for the Maple Leafs were assisted by members of the Domi family? Pretty darned cool if you ask me.
61 players will receive their specially-marked cans of Budweiser Zero for being a part of Maple Leafs' history, but Budweiser Zero deserves a stick-tap for their unique marketing campaign celebrating Auston Matthews' new record. No one scores 421 goals in an NHL career on their own, so I'll raise a glass to everyone who assisted on Matthews' goals. That includes Budweiser Zero for #KingsOfAssists campaign!
Games have started again, but there are no official Canada West games until next week. A handful of teams are playing exhibition games this weekend, and I've tried to find some info on each of those games. I don't know why teams in Canada West keep this information a secret when it's a chance to sell the university game to more people, but this is the reality we live in when it comes to university hockey in Canada. Leaving that frsutration aside, we're one week from the second half of the season officially starting, so let's check out what's been happening here and elsewhere on The Rundown!
FRIDAY: The Alberta Pandas were back in action on January 2 as they welcomed the NAIT Ooks to Clare Drake Arena! NAIT plays in the ACAC where they currently sit in third-place with a 7-8-1-0 record, so the Pandas were welcoming a solid team to their barn. This would be the second time the Ooks and Pandas had tangled as Alberta won a game in September by a 6-1 score, so the Pandas were looking to make it a 2-0 record against NAIT. Would they shake off the holiday rust and send the Ooks home with a second loss?
Ooks goals: Grier Slabaida (1)
Ooks assists: no gamesheet
Ooks netminder: no gamesheet
Pandas goals: no gamesheet, but Alberta scored a lot
Pandas assists: no gamesheet
Pandas netminder: no gamesheet
Result: 7-1 victory for Alberta over NAIT.
SATURDAY: The Saskatchewan Huskies and Mount Royal Cougars travelled to Thunderchild First Nation for a neutral site game on Saturday. Thunderchild First Nation sits about 2.5 hours northwest of Saskatoon near Turtleford, Saskatchewan, and they opened a brand-new wellness and athletic centre in 2024 that is an absolute gem in their community. The Regina Cougars spent a week there earlier this season, and I'll post that video of their adventure below. Last night, however, the Cougars and Huskies put their stamp on Thunderchild Wellness Centre as both sides looked to shake the holiday rust off with a spirited game. Which side would post a victory?
Cougars goals: Sydney Benko (1)
Cougars assists: Summer Fomradas (1), Allee Gerrard (1)
Cougars netminder: no statistics shown
Result: 1-0 victory for Mount Royal over Saskatchewan.
SUNDAY: The Alberta Pandas were playing a second game in three days this weekend as they are scheduled to meet the Edmonton U18 Junior Oilers White team at Mill Woods Recreation Centre tonight at 6pm local time. At the time of writing, the game had yet to start, but the Pandas were aiming to hand the 13-3-0-0 Oilers a loss tonight. Edmonton sits in second-place in the U18 AAA AFHL standings, so tonight's game might be a beauty between these two teams!
Don't even ask about divisions. I'm not interested in that setup. It's one conference, nine teams, and we'll see who is best in the west.
CANADA WEST WOMEN'S HOCKEY
School
Record
Points
GF
GA
Streak
Next
UBC
16-1-1-0
34
55
15
W4
@ MRU
Mount Royal
9-3-5-1
29
44
25
W1
vs UBC
Calgary
10-4-1-3
25
39
27
L2
vs REG
Alberta
7-6-0-5
19
37
42
L1
BYE
Saskatchewan
5-6-3-2
18
25
31
W2
vs MAN
Trinity Western
3-9-5-1
17
38
39
L5
vs MAC
Regina
3-8-2-3
13
22
35
L6
@ CAL
Manitoba
2-8-2-4
12
26
44
L1
@ SAS
MacEwan
2-12-2-2
10
16
44
W1
@ TWU
There are your updated standings with who plays whom listed. That UBC-Mount Royal series should be fun, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the Manitoba-Saskatchewan battle. The latter has all sorts of playoff implications for both teams depending on the results, so next weekend could be a big one for a few teams needing points!
A Regina Roadtrip
As mentioned above, the Regina Cougars spent a week at Thunderchild First Nation this past summer where they worked with the youth of the First Nation and participated in cultural learning from the Thunderchild First Nation people. Of course, they hit the ice and worked on growing as a team as well, but the video of their experience shows that this opportunity was special for both groups!
Honestly, opening these doors for First Nation youth is so big when one considers how isolated some of the First Nation communities can be. With the Regina Cougars heading out there before the season and having the Mount Royal Cougars and Saskatchewan Huskies play a game this weekend is something the kids of Thunderchild First Nation won't soon forget, and I hope the players who went there have the same appreciation for their Indigenous neighbours' teachings. Having more games in that gorgeous arena doesn't hurt either!
Azzurri In Verdun
I wrote on Friday about how the Italian women's national team has been practicing in Montreal in an effort to prepare for the upcoming Milano-Cortina Olympics, and they got some game action in against the Concordia Stingers on December 13. Concordia is first in the RSEQ so this looked like it could be a very competitive game, but it turned out that the Azzurri might be further ahead than where anyone expects them to be after they laid a thumping on Concordia!
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13: While no one is suggesting that we send the Concordia Stingers to Italy to represent Canada, the score in this game shows just how good Olympic hockey is even when playing a team that has virtually no chance of standing on the podium. Fun was had by all, however, and the Italians showed that they're close to being ready for their first game on February 5 on home soil!
Azzurri goals: 8 different players including Kristin Della Rovere, Kayla Tutino and Justine Reyes
Azzurri assists: a bunch of them, but no statistics shown
Azzurri netminder: no statistics shown
Stingers goals: none
Stingers assists: none
Stingers netminders: both Belle Mende and Jordyn Verbeen played, but no statistics shown
Result: 10-0 victory for Italy over Concordia.
Cheering For Another Country
Undoubtedly, everyone in Canada will be cheering for the Canadian women as they play in Group A at the Olympic ice hockey tournament. Canada opens their tournament on February 5 against Finland before playing Switzerland, Czechia, and the US on February 10. All five teams from Group A will make the medal round which means that Canada West fans might have a reason to cheer for another team through the group stage to help Canada's chances.
As we know, former Calgary Dinos head coach Carla MacLeod will be travelling to Italy as the head coach of Czechia, but she'll be joined by Mount Royal Cougars head coach Scott Rivett as one of her assistant coaches! Scott and Carla have worked together before with Carla serving as his assistant coach on the Mount Royal bench during the Cougars' ACAC days, and Scott most recently served as Carla's assistant coach at the Women's World Championship!
Scott will likely be on the Mount Royal bench for the Crowchild Classic weekend at the end of the January, but he'll miss Mount Royal's bye week and their final weekend on February 13 and 14 against Saskatchewan. With the medal games being played on February 19, I'd imagine that Scott would want the Cougars to have clinched first-place in the East Division to guarantee a quarterfinal bye in the Canada West playoffs, so we'll see what happens.
Just for the record, Czechia plays Team USA on February 5 to open their Olympic tournament, so we may want to cheer for the Czechs that day. Canada and Czechia play on February 9 where Carla and Scott become enemies, but here's hoping that both Carla and Scott have outstanding tournaments while leading Czechia to a medal!
The Last Word
The next few weeks of hockey is "prove it" time for a number of teams. If a handful of teams want to make the playoffs, it's time to buckle down, make plays, score goals, make saves, and earn wins. There isn't a lot of runway left if any of those teams wants to get airborne, so start picking up points next weekend in bunches.
Six weekends of hockey is all that's remaining in the Canada West regular season. Will your team make a run for a playoff spot?
I won't deny that I was very against the idea that both Drew Doughty and Travis Sanheim were named to the Canadian Olympic team on Wednesday, and I voiced those opinions on January 1 on The Hockey Show. I haven't changed my opinion on either player's inclusion on the roster when younger players like Owen Power, Jacob Chychrun, Noah Dobson, and Matthew Schafer are available to go and will be the future of the Canadian Olympic team long after both Doughty's and Sanheim's times have passed. Tonight, however, was a perfect example of why one of those four players should have been on the roster, and he was the guy I pushed hardest for on The Hockey Show.
Both Travis Sanheim and Matthew Schaefer scored tonight in helping their respective teams win their games, but it was more about how one player took over a sequence while the other was a footnote on his sequence. When it comes to playing the game the right way, defenders need to steady on the defensive end and contributors at the offensive end while maintaining that defensive awareness. As we'll see, one of these two players possesses those abilities.
We'll start with Travis Sanheim's play. He had already scored to help the Flyers build a 3-0 lead in the first period over the Edmonton Oilers, and we'll jump to this "highlight" from the first period.
Sanheim went from pushing the offence up the ice to fishing the puck out his net very quickly when he threw that cross-ice pass to Mattias Ekholm who plays for the Oilers, and, seconds later, the puck was in the Flyers' net thanks to Connor McDavid. I have no idea why he tried a cross-ice pass to Sean Couturier when he could have fired it around the boards, but that kind of poor decision gets players benched.
"But Teebz," someone of you are saying, "that was just one isolated play," and you're right. It doesn't encompass Sanheim's full body of work, but it's also one where I question Sanheim's decision-making because a turnover at the offensive blue line is usually certain death. All five Flyers players were in the picture when Ekholm picked off the pass, and that's where Sanheim needs to know that he has to skate that puck deeper into the zone before throwing a cross-ice prayer.
On the other hand, the player for whom I advocated that should be on Team Canada showed that he has a knack for big moments in games, but thinks at a high level with his decision-making skills.
Schaefer realizes that there are two Islanders players deep in their own zone, so he turns his attention up ice. Jonathan Drouin gives him the puck as he attacks with a head of steam, and he uses that speed to burst into the Leafs' zone, get a step on his check, get a step on the defender in front of him, and turns the corner. With two Leafs chasing him, he cuts across the crease and slides the puck under Joseph Woll for a great goal that showed all sorts of offensive ability.
Schaefer could have looked up and simply dumped the puck in with three Leafs in defensive positions, but he used his speed to gain a good zone entry. He could have stopped and thrown it around the boards where another Islanders player could have retrieved it, but he did what good offensive players do: he pulled the puck to the outside, dropped his shoulder, and cut to the net when the Leafs defender was forced to turn to defend him. That split-second decision gave him the step on the defender that he needed to put him on his hip, and then it was a one-on-one with Woll.
Again, this is an isolated play, but the fact that Schaefer looks more like a veteran than a rookie compared to Sanheim's decision-making skills is why I was advocating for his inclusion. I've watched more New York Islanders hockey this season than I'd like to admit, but it's hard not to tune in to watch Matthew Schaefer on a nightly basis. Yes, he'll be a Calder Trophy candidate at the end of the season, but he has changed how the Islanders play on a nightly basis with his talents.
I'm not Doug Armstrong nor would I want to be, but I cannot believe that Canada is better off leaving the future of the Canadian Olympic team at home while being loyal to a player who occasionally shows flashes of greatness. Travis Sanheim is a good defenceman who may still reach another level, but Matthew Schaefer is already better.
Opinions may vary, though, so have your say in the comments!
Hockey USA was busy today as they were on television with all their representatives for the two Olympic hockey teams that are heading to Milano-Cortina in Feburary. Canada's men's team was announced on Wednesday, so we already know which NHLers will be wearing the maple leaf in Italy. The women have yet to be announced, but there will be a number of familiar faces on the roster once again - Poulin, Fillier, Jenner, Clark, Fast, and Desbiens are nearly locks for the event. What may surprise you is that Canada has a third Olympic team training inside its borders, but they won't be wearing the maple leaf when the Olympic Games open on February 5. Who is this other Olympic team getting ready? CBC went investigating in Montreal!
Since the summer, I have been avoiding most news channels and news shows for the simple reason is that the world is seemingly becoming more and more ridiculous. I'm not here to comment on that because this isn't Dystopia Blog In Canada, but skipping these shows also means I miss a few good stories that I should have been watching. This is one of those stories, and credit goes to Sarah Leavitt and the CBC for producing this story about a team looking to shock the world.
This story ran on December 15's episode of CBC's The National, so I'm late in posting it. However, it seems the hosts have decided to take up residence in Canada to help them get ready for the Olympic Games! Here's Sarah's story on how the Italians have invaded Canada!
You may recognize a few names in that segment as former Canadian defender Laura Fortino earned her dual citizenship, and she'll play for the Italians in Milano-Cortina. GM Danièle Sauvageau, who is not Italian, is responsible for the talent on the ice. They won't be alone, though, as there are a handful of other high-end players who will don the Italian colours as they look to upset the world on home soil.
Former CWHL players Jacquie Pierri, Kayla Tutino and Kristin Della Rovere, current MoDo forward Justine Reyes, former NCAA defender Kristen Guerriero, former NCAA forward Amie Varano, and reigning SDHL Defender of the Year Nadia Mattivi will all play for Italy, and it's very likely the goaltending tandem will be entirely U SPORTS talent as Guelph's Martina Fedel and Calgary's Gabriela Durante will play big minutes. Italy won't be a pushover with this kind of talent.
I'm not suggesting that they'll medal, but the Turin Olympics were a disaster for the Italian women as they found themselves in a pool with Canada, Sweden, and Russia. Canada laid a 16-0 score on them, Sweden dropped an 11-0 result on Italy, and Russia completed the three-game hammering with a 5-1 win. Sabina Florian scored the only goal at the 8:02 mark of the game against Russia to put Italy up 1-0, but that lead would evaporate 3:15 later. In total, Italy was outscored 32-1 in those three games and outshot 158-22, but the excitement of being part of the women's hockey event never died on that team.
That lone goal scored on Tuesday, February 14, 2006, set off a two-minute Italian holiday as the crowd - some with no shirts and a lot of bodypaint - rose to their feet and sang "Volare" while dancing in the aisles. Florian's goal was the first Italian women's hockey goal in Olympic history, and the diminutive #8 would return to her job selling hockey equipment in Bolzano, Italy a week later.
"Against Canada, the people sing the national anthem of Italy and I cry on the bench," Florian told Bill Briggs of The Denver Post, "because it is so nice."
In 2021, 31 year-old defender Valentina Bettarini - who assisted on the power-play goal by Florian - told the IIHF's Martin Merk, "It was a blast from Day 1 until the end. Even now, it doesn’t feel like it was 15 years ago, it feels like it was yesterday. One of the best memories that gives me goosebumps is when almost 9,000 people came to watch our game against Canada and even though we were losing 16-0 they stood up and sang the Italian national anthem during the last minutes of the game. We lost to the best players in the world."
This is the evolution of the game that speaks loudly about how the players and coaches are getting better in nations that are building towards the future. Twenty years will have passed between Italy's first appearance in women's hockey and their second appearance, but the talent level is exponentially better. Italy now has a professional women's league. Players with Italian heritage are choosing to help build this program rather than playing for another country. Their top players are being trained in top leagues across the world.
Again, I'm not betting on seeing Italy on the podium in Milano-Cortina, but Italy being in Group B with Germany, Japan, France, and Sweden could prove interesting if they can pick up an early win against France on February 5. Maybe they surprise one of Germany or Japan. If they win tewo games, there's a good chance they'll advance to the medal round where anything can happen. After all, it was Belarus that shocked the world when they beat Sweden in men's hockey in 2002. No one has ever forgotten that Olympic moment.
Might we see something like that for Team Italy in Milano-Cortina? It could be possible with a solid assist to the teams in Montreal.
The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, returns to open 2026 with some intense hockey discussion tonight! While the World Junior Championship continues, our two hosts don't make one mention of it tonight as they opt to focus on other stories that make for lively discussion. You may be thinking, "What else could they be discussing?" which is why you should be tuning in to hear the show. We have lots to go over from the hockey world, so kick back, settle in, and let us stir up the debate tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
Tonight, on Day One of 2026, Teebz and Jason debate the Canadian Olympic Team selections along with players who were left off the team in what surely will be a heated discussion based on Hockey Canada's choices. They also chat about Canada's disappointing finish at the Spengler Cup and why this seems to be happening more frequently, the success of the US Collegiate Selects team at the Spengler Cup, the madness surrounding the Allen Americans in two different stories, and how the ECHL is back to work with games played last night. Of course, we're happy to have listeners tuning in as we wish everyone a Happy New Year, but we'll tackle all those topics above tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!
If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store.
If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat about players selected, players snubbed, future teams, bad teams, Spengler results, inexplicable signings, cries for help, labour harmony, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
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