I'm not sure if I was more surprised by the anger that Canadians had over the absolute beating handed to the Olympic Canadian women's hockey team by their American counterparts by the shock that some seem to express on social media about not knowing a result like we saw today was entirely in the cards. The US team has been whooping the Canadian women over the course of the calendar year, and today's exclamation point in Milan may have been a preview for a future game where gold medals are awarded. Quite honestly, the only surprise that anyone should have had was how Canada kept the US from running up the score. As Dennis Green said, "They are who we thought they were!"
I'm not here to sing the praises of the US team nor to sing the blues over Canada's uninspired, mistake-filled game, but it's hard not to notice how dominant Abbey Murphy is everything she comes over the boards. Murphy does not have an equal in this tournament when it comes to size, speed, and skill, and watching her play reminded of how Hayley Wickenheiser played when she in her early twenties. She's a force, and stopping her will be a challenge for all teams.
That being said, Canada looked overmatched in all aspects of the game. They got out-worked, out-skated, out-hustled, out-chanced, and outscored by the Americans who played the most complete sixty minutes of hockey to date at this Olympiad. What we shouldn't forget is that this has been the same story for the previous six games as well where Canada lost all six by a combined score of 30-11. The last four games against one another saw Canada lose each game by three goals or more. Cue Green's "They are who we thought they were!"
Canada selected their team by relying on experience, but that also comes at a price as the average age for the teams clocks in at 29.2 years-old. By comparison, the much faster, much hungrier Americans are sitting at 25.8 years-old. Team USA has 13 players under the age of 25 compared to the five that the Canadians brought to Milano-Cortina. On February 4, head coach Troy Ryan was having none of the talk about the age difference between the two country's rosters.
"It's a storyline that's going to unfold with the US being much younger and us being a little bit older," Ryan said. "You won't hear me at the Olympics resorting to talking about age. It's just not a factor. We have the best players we think are available to us right now."
Coach Ryan might want a mulligan on that statement after today's exhibition. The younger American players put on a dazzling show against the veteran, experienced Canadian defence, making them look like they were the inexperienced players on the ice. Hannah Bilka (24) had two goals, Abbey Murphy (23) had three helpers, Caroline Harvey (23) had a goal and two assists, and both Kirsten Simms (21) and Laila Edwards (22) had goals. If you're totalling that up, all five goals were scored by players under the age of 25.
As Dennis Green said, "They are who we thought they were!"
It is going to take a small miracle, some sort of coaching renaissance, and a complete examination of the game for the Canadians to potentially even slow down the Americans. They have steamrolled their way through four games, surrending just one goal to the Czechs in the opening game they played. I'm not sure netminder Aerin Frankel has even broken a sweat in some games, including today's game against Canada. Team USA looks like a machine right now. Hit us with the line again, Dennis: "They are who we thought they were!"
Canadian fans may rally around the fact that this was, undoubtedly, the worst game has played in these Olympics, and that superstar Marie-Philip Poulin was sidelined. There's no doubt that Canada can and has to be better, and there's still hope that Poulin will be ready for the medal round where her participation is absolutely necessary. What we shouldn't overlook, though, is that the Americans stomped Canada today on the backs of a handful of younger players, and that domination likely will continue until the medals are awarded.
It doesn't mean they aren't beatable, though. The Americans are quick to remind everyone about that game in 1980 against the Soviet Union. Canada has its own history to draw upon back in 2002 when the Americans rode an eight-game winning streak over the Canadians and a 35-game winning streak over the world before the Canadians defeated them for the gold medal. It's not unthinkable to suggest that Canada will rise to the occasion in 2026, but today's game doesn't instill a lot of confidence in that outcome happening.
No one should be surprised that the Americans slapped the Canadians around today. Dennis Green's words carry true in that anyone who ahas watched the American women's team this year knew they were deep, talented, and hungry. Even Troy Ryan knew that Canada was going to have its hands full after the Rivalry Series, calling the young US players "a special group of young college players. That class is not like many others I've seen". They are who we thought they were.
Now it comes down to Canada playing the way they believe they can play to be successful. Assuming these two squads are meet in the gold medal final, they'll need to figure themselves out over the quarterfinal and semifinal games in order to be ready for the rematch. If that happens and Canada lays another egg against the Americans, it shouldn't surprise anyone after today's severe beating because that's exactly who we thought they were: underdogs.
I know there's a push among women's hockey players to allow for more physicality in their game, and I'm not here to stifle that discussion and any resulting progress. If the women want to throw checks, they should be able to come to a reasonable agreement on how that can be done. As we saw in today's Canada-Czechia game, there are some women who are rather good at throwing bodychecks, but, just as in men's hockey, there can be injuries as we saw Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin exit the game in the first period today. Immediately, the thoughts began running in my head about to deal with Poulin's potential injury, and I think there's one clear solution.
Canada handled the Czech team fairly well once Poulin exited the game, and I know there's a push to win the group so they can have last change throughout the medal round. That's not lost on me as I weighed the options, but we know the US - Canada's opponent tomorrow - play physical as well. We know they'll likely find out that Poulin has some bumps and bruises thanks to the Czechs, and they'll look to exploit that wearing down one of the game's best players whenever they can. This isn't a secret - it happens in all sports.
If Poulin doesn't play, that will remove a big weapon from Canada's offensive arsenal that they desperately need against the high-flying Americans. The chances of beating the Americans would get lower, but that's where having faith in the team that Canada assembled can do the job even as one of their best may not be able to play.
If Poulin opts to play and puts the team ahead of her own health, that's a choice she's making to help the Canadians in their quest for another gold medal. Last change in medal-round games could be vitally important, so earning a win over the US would be important if those two were to meet in one of the medal-round games.
However, if she aggravates the injury or takes another bump that forces her to miss significant time at these Olympics, what then? Last change is important, but is it more important than Canada losing its consensus best player for multiple games or the rest of the tournament? I can't see that decision as even being on the table.
I'm not one to play the win-at-all-costs game when it comes to potentially losing my best player for an extended period of time. If the game against Team USA was for the gold medal, I could understand wanting Poulin in the game, but this is preliminary game that will ultimately see these two teams end up on opposite ends of the bracket. You can stress the importance of having home-ice advantage in the medal round, but Canada can't be caught by the Czechs who have played their four games, they can't be caught by the Swiss who have one game remaining, and Finland would need to beat Canada in regulation on the final day of the preliminary round after beating Switzerland the day before. In short, Canada's looking good.
And allow me to go on the record to say that the Americans are NOT going into thug-mode against Canada. They certainly don't want any of their players hurt in the game tomorrow, but the fact remains that every push, bump, and check that Poulin takes could make her injury worse. We know Poulin goes to high-traffic areas and loves to have the puck on her stick, so the Americans will be forced to check her when she does. I'd rather not run the risk that Poulin aggravates the injury than rolling the dice that the Americans will give her space. That's not how Team USA plays - they make Canada earn it.
In saying all of that, I'd let Poulin sit tomorrow so she can aim to be 100% for the medal round. Canada needs her at her best on the biggest stage, and any further injury would throw everything into chaos. I know she's a vital part of the Canadian team no matter what game they play in, but losing the battle to win the war is a compromise all Canadian fans will be comfortable with when Captain Canada returns rested, recovered, and ready to hunt for gold!
If teams are serious about making the playoffs or securing quarterfinal byes or home-ice advantage in the quarterfinals, this was the weekend where all of that could happen. With four games remaining for most teams, there was still a tiny amount of wiggle room where positioning could be pushed to next week, but the results from this week would dictate how next plays out. In saying that, let's find out who is in, who is out, and who is playing for next week's exciting finish on this week's edition of The Rundown!
FRIDAY: The Saskatchewan Huskies arrived in Calgary holding a one-point edge in the race for the final East Division playoff spot, so they looked to keep the momentum rolling. The Calgary Dinos welcomed the Huskies to their barn as they sat four points back of Mount Royal, but hold the tie-breaker between the two teams. They also were in the hunt for points as this weekend could prove to be vital in helping Calgary win the East Division. Needless to say, this was a big weekend for both teams when it came to determining where each finishes!
Huskies goals: Jacquelyne Chief (1), Avery Gottselig (2), Peppi Virtanen (6), Kahlen Wisener (7), Kahlen Wisener (8), Paris Oleksyn (4)
Huskies assists: McKenna Bolger (8), Peppi Virtanen (5), Jayde Cadieux (10)
Huskies shootout scorers: none
Huskies netminders: Clara Juca (26/32) in 65:00 plus 2/3 shootout attempts
Dinos goals: Evelyn Lawrence (6), Brooklin Fry (2), Kyla Mitenko (2), Josie McLeod (4), Jess Martens (8), Brooklyn Anderson (8)
Dinos assists: Alex Spence (12), Sydney Mercier (6), Caitlyn Perlinger (8), Hannah Reagh (3), Sydney Mercier (7), Brooklyn Anderson (8), Kyla Mitenko (6), Alex Spence (13), Brooklyn Anderson (9)
Dinos shootout scorers: Brooklyn Anderson
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (28/34) in 65:00 plus 3/3 shootout attempts
Result: 7-6 shootout victory for Calgary over Saskatchewan.
SATURDAY: I can't imagine either coach was thrilled about giving up six goals, but the Huskies held a 5-3 lead with 13 minutes to play and a 6-5 lead with 90 seconds to play. I imagine head coach Steve Kook will be running drills about locking down leads this week, but there were still points on the line on Saturday as these two teams met again on Saturday. Would we see another "next goal wins" game?
Huskies goals: Jessica Anderson (2), Jayde Cadieux (5), Kahlen Wisener (9)
Huskies assists: Paris Oleksyn (6), Paris Oleksyn (7)
Huskies netminders: Colby Wilson (20/20)
Result: 3-0 victory for Saskatchewan over Calgary.
FRIDAY: Last year's Canada West finalists were in Vancouver to battle, but Alberta was looking to take points off the UBC Thunderbirds this weekend to help them lock down home-ice advantage as the second-place team in the West Division. UBC was looking to play a clean game with no injuries as they locked down the quarterfinal bye a long time ago, so could the Pandas take a bite out of the Thunderbirds this weekend to help their playoff cause?
Thunderbirds goals: Meadow Carmen (1), Ilona Markova (2), Mia Bierd (6)
Thunderbirds assists: Presley Zinger (7), Sophia Gaskell (2), Jacquelyn Fleming (8), Hanna Perrier (6)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (17/17)
Result: 3-0 victory for UBC over Alberta.
SATURDAY: It's hard to argue that UBC won't be the favorite in any series they play in the Canada West playoffs after they recorded their 25th win of the season on Friday. That's something to worry about a few weeks from Saturday, though, as they looked to close out another sweep this season. Alberta, though, still needed points, as they looked to get closer to securing second-place in the West Division!
Pandas goals: Jadynn Morden (7)
Pandas assists: Hayleigh Craig (8), Brayden Stewart (3)
Pandas netminders: Misty Rey (32/34)
FRIDAY: Manitoba headed west to Regina where the Bisons and Cougars were both playing for their playoff lives. Manitoba went into the weekend needing points to keep pace with Saskatchewan and to potentially leap past them. Regina's assignment was simple: win to stay in the race. This weekend series would determine whether one or both teams would remain in the playoff race in the East Division.
Bisons goals: Hanna Bailey (3), Jessie Haner (3)
Bisons assists: Julia Bilous (4), Brenna Nicol (6), Aimee Patrick (12)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (12/12)
SATURDAY: It had to be disappointing for Regina to see a good effort come out on the wrong side of the scoreboard on Friday, but that's how the puck bounces sometimes. They could cause Manitoba some serious grief with a win on Saturday, so they had to be ready to go. For Manitoba, the assignment didn't change: earn as many points as possible. A weekend sweep would be a boost for their playoff hopes!
Bisons goals: Sadie Keller (4), Julia Bilous (1), Norah Collins (9), Aimee Patrick (9), Sara Harbus (3), Sara Harbus (4)
Bisons assists: Aimee Patrick (13), Louise Fergusson (7), Sophia Heidinger (1), Aimee Patrick (14), Sophia Heidinger (2), Sophia Heidinger (3), Hanna Bailey (8)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (18/19)
FRIDAY: The Trinity Western Spartans hopped the mountains and headed north for a two-game set with the MacEwan Griffins. The Spartans needed points to try and catch the Alberta Pandas as they still had a shot at hosting a quarterfinal series for the first time in their history. MacEwan had a chance to ruin those plans and begrudgingly help their crosstown rivals. In saying that, no one likes the role of spoiler, but the Griffins had a shot to ruin playoff dreams.
Result: 4-0 victory for Trinity Western over MacEwan.
SATURDAY: Nothing changed in the storylines from Friday to Saturday. The Spartans were looking for the sweep to help their cause while the Griffins were looking to throw a monkeywrench into those plans. Perhaps more importantly for the Griffins, they were looking for more than the one goal they had scored in their past four games.
Griffins goals: Rian Santos (2), Allee Isley (3)
Griffins assists: Claire Hobbs (5), Sydney Olsen (3), Kali MacDonald (3), Kori Paterson (2)
Griffins netminder: Lindsey Johnson (31/35)
Result: 5-2 victory for Trinity Western over MacEwan.
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
24-2-2-0
52
85
24
W8
BYE
Mount Royal
12-6-6-2
38
64
43
L3
@ SAS
Calgary
13-6-4-4
36
64
53
L1
@ MAN
Manitoba
9-9-2-6
28
63
63
W3
vs CAL
Saskatchewan
7-9-4-6
28
47
59
W1
vs MRU
Trinity Western
7-12-6-1
27
62
60
W2
vs REG
Alberta
8-9-2-7
27
51
60
L3
@ MAC
Regina
4-14-4-4
20
38
67
L2
@ TWU
MacEwan
3-19-2-2
12
25
70
L5
vs ALB
Honour Roll
Each week on The Rundown, I highlight the best performances from the weekend's games. It won't always be the top scorer or the best goalie, but I'll have a reason for who gets picked each week. The Trinity Western Spartans knew the stakes going into their games against MacEwan, and one player decided to push her team higher with her play with four points in the two wins and solid defensive play all weekend. Her effort was a big part of why they're in second-place right now as Trinity Western Spartans rookie defender Sadie Isfeld had a solid weekend in adding her name to the Honour Roll!
Isfeld had been having a quiet start to 2026 with just two points in her previous six games as the Spartans went on a bit of slide, but she picked up her game this weekend in earning the primary assist on the first Spartans goal in both games, and helped her team to victory by adding a goal later in the game. Her entire 13 points this season have come at five-on-five, and they certainly needed her this weekend as they finished the week in second-place in the West!
Isfeld doubled her goal total this weekend with her two goals, and half of her points this season have come against MacEwan as she now has seven points in six games against the Griffins. The former Delta Hockey Academy defender was known for her offence as much as her defence, and she's continued that strong play this season on the Spartans' blue line. Her four points also pushed her to the top of the rookie scoring race in Canada West, and that can't be overlooked either. That kind of performance puts Sadie Isfeld on the Honour Roll!
Olympic Updates
Things didn't start well for Scott Rivett and Team Czechia as the Czechs tangled with the highly-favoured Americans in their first game. Team USA took a 3-0 lead four minutes into the second period before Czechia finally got on the board inside the eight-minute mark, but that would be the only goal scored by the Czechs on February 5 as USA defeats Czechia 5-1 in the opening games for both teams.
The Czechs were back on the ice the very next day as they squared off against Switzerland, and it seemed like things were going to right themselves as Czechia led 3-1 with 14 minutes to play. However, cue the Swiss comeback as they scored twice in 7:07 to make it 3-3, and this game would need extra time. The overtime period solved nothing, so it was off to the skills competition where Switzerland's Ivana Rey would eventually cap off the shootout with her goal, sending Czechia to an 0-1-0-1 record in their first two games.
Czechia will play Finland today as they look for their first win of the event, so we'll keep an eye on how the Mount Royal head coach helps the Czechs down the stretch as the Czechs look to build momentum!
UBC's Vanessa Schaefer, wearing #53 for Switzerland, did not record a point against Czechia, and she finished the game with a -1 rating in 11:10 of ice time. Switzerland's second game was a 4-0 loss to Canada so Schaefer had no points there, finishing that game with a -1 rating in 9:44 of ice time. Switzerland meets Team USA on Monday, and they'll need a monster effort if they want to improve on their 0-1-1-0 record. They do have two points with that shootout win over Czechia, though, and sit in third-place in the Group A standings.
Former Calgary Dinos goaltender Gabriella Durante got the nod for Italy today as they battled Sweden. Sweden would beat Durante once in the first period, but they captialized on mistakes and their well-balanced attack to take a 4-1 lead through 40 minutes. When the finla horn sounded, Sweden captured a 6-1 win over Italy where Durante made 41 saves. Unfortunately, she drops to 0-1 in the event, but Italy is still in the mix for a medal-round appearance as they're 1-1-0-0 and tied with three teams at three points in the standings. Italy will meet Japan in a critical game tomorrow when it comes to points, so we'll see if Durante and her teammates can bounce back!
The West Playoff Picture
UBC has the bye next week, but also earned the privilege of resting as they'll have two weeks to let bumps and bruises heal while they get set for the West Division semifinal. UBC won't have to worry about traveling as they earned home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs by finishing as the best team in the Canada West standings.
The Trinity Western Spartans caught and passed the Alberta Pandas this weekend thanks to holding the tie-breaker over the Pandas. Trinity Western simply needs to match what Alberta does next week in terms of points in the standings, and they'll host a playoff series for the first time in their Canada West history. If they earn less points against Regina than Alberta earns in their series, Trinity Western will travel to Calgary as the crossover team into the East Division.
If the Alberta Pandas are to play at home in the West Division quarterfinal, the Pandas have to earn more points than Spartans. They do not hold the tie-breaker, so Alberta will be aiming for a sweep over MacEwan in their final series of the season, and hope that Regina can defeat Trinity Western in one or both games. There is no alternative - Alberta either earns more points than Trinity Western or they'll start their playoff run in Calgary against the Dinos or Cougars.
The East Playoff Picture
Nothing is settled yet in the East Division as we have two races still going. The Mount Royal Cougars have a two-point lead over the Calgary Dinos going into the final weekend, and the Cougars will need to be ahead of the Dinos by at least one point when next weekend ends if they want the quarterfinal bye. The Dinos hold the tie-breaker, so the Cougars need to aim for a sweep when they head to Saskatoon against the Huskies. If they're tied, the Cougars will host the East Division quarterfinal against the West crossover team.
Calgary will need a little help as they travel to Manitoba to battle the Bisons. The Dinos need to win at least one of the two games to potentially tie the Cougars, and it would serve them well to sweep the Bisons if they want to put all the pressure on the Cougars. The Dinos will be cheering for the Huskies to cause the Cougars some headaches, but if they cannot catch the Cougars the Dinos will host the East Division quarterfinal against the West crossover team.
As you may have seen in the standings above, the Manitoba Bisons now sit ahead of the Saskatchewan Huskies thanks to the tie-breaker, so the Bisons have to match whatever the Huskies do next weekend at minimum. The Bisons won't be content with allowing the Calgary Dinos to push them around on home ice, but the Dinos are 4-0 against the Bisons this season. The asterisk on that statistic is that these two teams last played on November 22, so we'll see which side is ready. If they can match or exceed Saskatchewan's point total next weekend, they'll go to Edmonton or Langley as the East's crossover team.
Like Alberta, the Saskatchewan Huskies have to earn more points than Bisons next weekend as the Bisons hold the tie-breaker over the Huskies. The Huskies are 1-2-1 against the Mount Royal Cougars this season, but are 0-1-1 at home against the Alberta Cats. The Huskies are going to hope the Dinos can sweep the Bisons, but the Huskies need to take care of business as well as they need to outearn the Bisons in standings points next weekend. If they can, they'll go to Edmonton or Langley as the East's crossover team. If they don't, they miss the playoffs entirely. Clearly, the stakes are high for the Huskies.
The Last Word
It's the last weekend of the season next week, and there are three legitimate playoff races that still have yet to be decided. There's a Canada West coach and player competing for Olympic medals. The Olympic Games are still going. Next weekend is shaping up to be the biggest weekend in Canada West this season, and we still have playoffs to come! How can you not be excited over all of this?
You know what I'll be watching next weekend. How about you?
I was invited to a Super Bowl party tomorrow, but I have decided that I won't be going. I know there will likely be amazing food there based on who invited me and the always-delicious dishes this person seems to have available, but I'm declining the invitation for one major reason: I can't stand the NFL. People always seem to assume that because I'm a sports fan, I must love the NFL. I'm here to inform everyone that it's not true. In fact, if given the option of watching any NFL game at any point in the season or piercing my own ears, I'll choose earrings. I have zero desire to watch the NFL and any of the storylines leading up to and within the Super Bowl itself are non-starters for me.
I was told that I should come and just enjoy the party, but that also won't be done. It would be disingenuous of me to simply show up, eat food, drink beverages, and pretend to care about who scored a touchdown or which quarterback was sacked. The only reason that I know that the Seattle Seahwaks and the New England Patriots are playing tomorrow is because ten minutes of a work meeting on Friday was devoted to two people who cheer for each side. Needless to say, my focus for that portion of the meeting was less than zero.
I'm not here to tell anyone not to watch. If you enjoy the game, please indulge! There will be a great halftime show with Grammy Award-winning artist Bad Bunny, there will likely be intrigue as the clock counts down towards the final, and I'm pretty sure one side will go home while the other will begin regrouping for next season.
Before anyone starts with "Teebz hates the NFL", I want to be clear that it's the presentation of the game that I don't enjoy. I watch and apprciate CFL football. I spent two hours watching the Kevin Costner-led film Draft Day and enjoyed it for its Hollywood-imagined look at how NFL drafts can go. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for how hard the atheletes train and play, so this isn't about me hating the NFL or having my heart ripped out by a team.
The easiest way I can say this is that I just don't care. At all.
I'm happy to follow hockey as closely as I do and make that my focus. I love the game, I love the stories within the game, I love the history, and I love the aesthetics. Fans of any sport can say the same things, though, and I understand that. I've heard baseball fans wax poetic about the game and its rich history. I know basketball fans that talk about the dynasties and the legends like they were family. But every sports fan has their one sport they favour more than the others.
For some, the NFL is that sport. Granted, the NFL's version of football is one of several variations of American football that is played across the planet, but the NFL has positioned itself through marketing and promotion as the best of the best. Its revenue streams and profits don't lie when it comes to its popularity, but the endless stream of TV commercials and sports betting advertisements and experts breaking down every play for ten minutes between snaps drives me bonkers.
In saying all that, I'll be at home on Sunday night. I plan on watching two guys who look like they should have played football in Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa in The Wrecking Crew rather than watching the NFL. That story appeals to me more than the one written by the Seahawks and Patriots so that'll be my entertainment.
If you're going to a Super Bowl party, please be responsible if you're going to enjoy adult beverages. Call an Uber, Lyft, or taxi if you're going to enjoy the food and drink, and get home safe and sound. If you like, we can swap stories tomorrow about the action that went on in the Super Bowl and the action in The Wrecking Crew!
After the Finland-Canada game was delayed on Thursday due to the outbreak of norovirus among the Finnish players, it seemed like the virus could become the story of the women's hockey event at the Milano-Cortina Olympics. Jason and I went over the medical side of the virus yesterday on The Hockey Show, but the one thing we made clear is that norovirus is highly-contagious and easily-communicable among people. As we know in hockey, one never wants to give an opponent momentum, but it seems that the norovirus is going to be a story at these Olympics as we move forward after it was announced that Switerland's women's hockey team was in isolation after one of their players was diagnosed as having the virus.
No one wants to see any games disrupted, delayed, or cancelled for obvious reasons, and Switzerland made the right call in telling its players to stay back at the Olympic village and isolate from others rather than going to and partcipating in the Olympic opening ceremonies. Switzerland defeated Czechia 4-3 in a shootout earlier today, and the Swiss player was diagnosed as having norovirus after the game so we may not be done seeing the norovirus strike again at this event based on what we know medically about the virus.
If there is a silver lining, Switzerland hasn't even considered asking the IIHF and the IOC to reschedule games at this point. If it is just one player, the goal is to prevent anyone else from being infected with the virus so that Switzerland and Canada can meet on Saturday. Finland, whose team was decimated by the virus on Thursday, indicated that they are getting healthier after 13 players were sidelined yesterday. According to reports, "[e]leven skaters and all three goaltenders took part in practice Friday", up from ten skaters.
What should worry organizers is that there may be a chance that Switzerland's participation in the game against Czechia today could have helped the transmission of the virus once again. Normally, the time when a person is most contagious is the few days after feeling better, but hockey is a contact sport where players do come into close quarters with one another. With Czechia having Saturday off after starting the tournament 0-1-1, they should be exercising overcaution in watching for symptoms among their players.
We've seen some great things in the first couple of days of the Olympic women's hockey tournament so far as Italy recorded their first win in Olympic history and France's women's hockey team skated in the Olympics for the first time. All the games have been fairly competitive as the parity on the world stage is starting to show, and we may finally get to see every team play their first 2026 Olympic hockey game tomorrow when Canada meets Switzerland and Finland takes the ice against Team USA. My fingers are crossed for that.
What shouldn't be forgotten, though, is how easily a major event like the Olympics could be derailed due to a microscopic being that wreaks havoc on the human body for a few days. We know from the COVID-19 pandemic how the Olympics caused headaches for athletes and organizers when it came to keeping players healthy for competition, and it might be wise to use those same lessons learned to keep athletes healthy in Milano-Cortina for the next two weeks.
For the Swiss team, it sucks to miss the opening ceremonies. I know how much athletes and coaches look forward to that experience, but I'm pretty sure that every one of those players, coaches, and team staff members would skip the ceremony if going to it cost them a shot at an Olympic medal. After Switzerland opened with a win over Czechia, they're one step closer to possibly bringing home hardware.
We'll see if all Swiss players are available for their game against Canada tomorrow, and we'll keep an eye on how many players are able to dress for Finalnd against the US. My hope is that no one else contracts the virus and is forced to miss games, and that both Switzerland and Finland can rally from this medical setback in their quests for medals. No one expected this kind of adversity!
It sucks to skip out on the fun stuff while being an Olympic athlete, but no one will complain if isolation results in winning a medal.
The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, has the Olympic banner up as we are three games into the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Games already! Our hosts are back in the UMFM studios tonight where they'll be talking about the big tournament over in Italy among the discussion tonight as the latest version of the games becomes the first Winter Olympiad to be co-hosted by two cities! The women's hockey event is under, there were some U SPORTS people who made an impact, and more hockey chatter tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
Obviously, the opening cermonies still have to come but, tonight on the program, Teebz and Jason will talk about the 2026 Winter Olympics and the results from the games today along with all the U SPORTS people involved in the women's hockey event. Beyond that, they also discuss Gavin McKenna's legal troubles from one dumb move, the reason for delaying the Canada-Finland game today and how that's affecting the men's team, a forgotten name signing a contract in the ECHL, the dissolution of the Washington Post's sports department, and the two stoat mascots above in Tina and Milo! There's lots to go over tonight as the biggest tournaments in men's and women's hockey get underway in Italy so be ready to roll tonight for 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 big games, first wins, costly punches, food poisoning, alternate lodging, past goalies, voices lost, mascots found, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
If you're wondering, I didn't win an eBay auction or anything. The Garret Sparks bobblehead is real, though, as the Toronto Marlies honoured the former netminder with his own bobblehead back in 2018, and there could be another version made this season after it was announced that Garret Sparks signed with the ECHL's Bloomington Bison today as the ECHL team looks to improve their playoff position as the season heads into its stretch run. Sparks had been working with the Bison this season as an EBUG in late November, so he's somewhat familiar with the team and its systems already. Having him sign a contract to back up starting netminder Dryden McKay and possibly push him higher gives Bloomington one of the best tandems in the entire ECHL.
No one is expecting Sparks to come in and turn Bloomington's goaltending on its side. As we know, he's got NHL and AHL experience, but he hasn't played meaningful hockey at any level since 2023-24 and he hasn't won a professional hockey game since 2022-23. Sparks will have some work to do if he hopes to regain the same level of puck-stopping that saw him win 31 AHL games with the Toronto Marlies in 2017-18. Yes, that happened just short of a decade ago.
Bloomington is getting good goaltending right now from Dryden McKay, so having Sparks as a second option makes sense as the Bison find themselves in third-place with a 21-16-4 record and 46 points. The catch is that the Indy Fuel also have 46 points and sit in fourth-place with a game in-hand, and both teams are six points back of the second-place Fort Wayne Komets. Of the teams currently holding a playoff spot in the Central Division, the Bison have surrendered the most goals at 119 so it seems like a potential upgrade was needed.
I'm not sure Sparks is a better option than McKay and current goaltending partner Hugo Ollas. McKay is sporting a 2.18 GAA and a .929 save percentage, but he only has a 13-10-1 record on the season. Ollas seems like he's pulling his weight, but his numbers have to be better than the current 3.18 GAA, .895 save percentage, and 4-4-1 record that he sports. Even getting his GAA down below 3.00 would make a huge difference, but McKay's numbers show that the Bison need to find more scoring as well. If Sparks can outplay Ollas over the rest of the season, though, it will help the Bison's chances.
Bloomington goes on the road this weekend with a pair of games against the fifth-place Kalamazoo Wings on Saturday and Sunday before meeting up with the Fort Wayne Komets on Monday. Winning all three games would help the Bison immensely, but I doubt we'll see Sparks dressed for those games. They play the Utah Grizzlies in Salt Lake City the following weekend, so Sparks has lots of time to get himself into game shape. Assuming things go well, he could dress for the February 20 series against the Maine Mariners at home, so we'll see if #40 is ready to stampede with the Bison by that weekend.
The 32 year-old goaltender wasn't signed today to save a season or push the Bloomington Bison over some imagined hump they face. The Bison have never qualified for the playoffs in their short one-completed-season of history, so reaching the playoffs for the first time will be a big moment in their franchise's history. Where the story goes from there will be on the players and coaches, but Sparks, like the team, needs to take this one day and game at a time.
You can make it official, though: Garret Sparks is back in the ECHL!
If you've ever had a chance to sit and chat with a professional hockey player in a less-formal setting, you know that all players have about a million stories from their careers they enjoy telling. Minor-league hockey players always seem to have more of the crazier stories thanks to there being less cameras and eyeballs on them, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add another great read to the library that is all about one man's hockey experiences. Teebz's Book Club is proud to review Tales from the Bus Leagues, written and published by Jamie McKinven. This book is one hundred stories from Jamie's life where hockey was his only concern as he played in the NCAA, the ECHL, the CHL, and in Europe over the course of his career, and the end result is a book where I couldn't turn pages fast enough when it came to reading about these stops in his career!
Jamie McKinven's biography comes from his Queen's University page where he serves as the women's hockey assistant coach! That biography reads, "Jamie is in his 9th season as an Assistant Coach with the team where he specializes in working primarily with the defense and on defensive systems and tactics on top of individual skill development & data/analytics. A Kingston, Ontario native, McKinven played NCAA Division I hockey at Clarkson University, earning the Fran Narigan Award for excellence in academics, athletics, and humanitarianism in his senior year. Following his collegiate career, he played professionally in the ECHL, Central Hockey League, and Europe. After his playing career, McKinven served as Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development for the Kingston Voyageurs Jr. A Hockey Club and as a skill development specialist with FL Sports Inc. and McKinven Hockey Development & Consulting." It should also be noted that he's written three books about hockey including Tales from the Bus Leagues!
Tales from the Bus Leagues takes you through Jamie McKinven's career, starting in junior hockey in Ottawa to his university days in Potsdam, New York to playing in hockey hotbeds such as Shreveport, Amarillo, Augusta, and more! McKinven's experiences are documented along the way as he includes lessons learned in and around the game, pranks pulled and experienced, teammates that made his career memorable, and some of the more memorable events and people that make Tales from the Bus Leagues a funny and enjoyable read!
You might be asking who McKinven played with or against that you know, and there were some notable names who skated in the leagues he did. Former NHL defender Grant Clitsome is the victim of a McKinven prank in one story, former NHL centerman Craig Conroy rewards McKinven and his teammates for their hockey skills, and former NHL forward David Desharnais was an opponent at one point. McKinven tells the story of Mike Sgroi who might be the scariest man on skates, and he talks about fighting the much larger Joel Irving, a Montreal Canadiens prospect. Through it all, McKinven ensures the humourous look at his career continues in Tales from the Bus Leagues.
What kept me hooked into Tales from the Bus Leagues early on was McKinven's experience in Serbia. During his time over there, the former Yugoslavia had broken up and there were still remnants of the war that went on all around Belgrade where he was playing. Rather than focusing on the conditions in and around Belgrade, McKinven spoke of the culture and people with very high regard. He writes,
"Considering that Serbians have been living with the constant presence of war and conflict for centuries, it makes complete sense that they would be extremely proud people. Family, religion and deep-rooted cultural values are what have guided the Serbians through their darkest days. It's the foundation of their perserverance, something we, as Canadians, were lax and somewhat absentminded about. It wasn't that we didn't appreciate the importance of these values. It was more that we never had to rely on them for survival."
That's a profound statement from a guy who was there to play hockey, but his experiences there and the teammates he befriended in Belgrade were reminders that he was stranger in a foreign land. I appreciate his cultural perspective on his time in Serbia, and I'm glad he wrote about it with such clarity, honesty, and transparency.
There are a range of hilarious and entertaining stories in Tales from the Bus Leagues that include McKinven's experiences as a hockey player at The Masters, life as a university student-athlete, bus trips on two different continents, run-ins with coaches, and a pile of other stories that came from his career in the minor leagues. Some are admittedly childish in nature, but they're all part of Jamie McKinven's experience in being a minor-league professional hockey player!
Overall, Tales from the Bus Leagues is a fun read that should generate a smile during some of the stories thanks to the craziness in which McKinven and his teammates indulge. McKinven makes it clear that anyone who is a minor-league hockey player isn't playing for the money, and this is a lesson repeated in a number of the stories. What should be remembered, though, is that McKinven has had himself a lifetime of experiences doing what he loved, and it's easy to award Tales from the Bus Leagues the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval!
Tales from the Bus Leagues was released back in 2015, so you can likely find it on library shelves right now. I read the eBook version that is linked above, and it was easy to get into the book as it's funny, has short stories that last only a few pages at most, and is all about hockey. McKinven's stories occasionally contain some strong language, so it would recommended for older teens and adult hockey fans. However, Tales from the Bus Leagues is an excellent, fun read with great hockey stories, and it comes highly recommended!
I have never been to Stavely, Alberta, but the town was shaken to its core tonight upon hearing the news that three young hockey players lost their lives today following an automobile accident. The three players from the Southern Alberta Mustangs were reportedly headed to practice when their small car collided with a truck carrying gravel at an intersection just outside of town on Highway 2. This is a heartbreaking moment for the town and the team, and I can't imagine the grief that is being suffered in the town of approximately 550 people and by the families of the three players. This is a tragedy and HBIC sends its deepest condolences to the players' families, friends, and teammates.
The three players - 18 year-old players JJ Wright and Cameron Casorso from Kamloops, BC, and 17 year-old player Caden Fine of Birmingham, Alabama - were pronounced dead on the scene following the accident. RCMP are still investigating what led to the collision, but the the driver of the truck, a 40-year-old man living in Stavely, was treated for minor injuries. I can't imagine what he's going through tonight, and my hope is he can find peace at some point.
The loss of the these three young men will undoubtedly ripple through the hockey community, and there have already been incredible gestures made as the Calgary Flames held a moment of silence in honour of these young men while Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a statement in finding out about this tragedy. We can talk about scores and stats all we want, but it's times like these where the humanity of the game comes through as the hockey community bands together to support one another in a time of need.
Mike Gilroy, a former player co-ordinator with the Mustangs, worked with the three players last summer, telling The Canadian Press, "They had the spark in their eyes and the fire in their hearts every day and enjoyed being a part of a team and took the time to put in the extra work to be successful.
"It is far too soon for young, talented people like this."
Gilroy's statement is entirely right as forward JJ Wright, goaltender Cameron Casorso, and centerman Caden Fine were just starting to find their stride in the United States Premier Hockey League with the Mustangs. The USPHL prides itself as a "top junior hockey level, with more than 1,000 alumni In college hockey every season" and these players looked like they were following that path before this tragedy. It's with a heavy heart that their stories come to an end today.
The Southern Alberta Mustangs issued the following statement today:
"It is with unimaginable heartbreak that we confirm three players from the Southern Alberta Mustangs were killed in a motor vehicle accident earlier today while travelling to team practice.
"There are no words that can adequately express the depth of our grief. These young men were more than hockey players — they were teammates, sons, brothers, friends, and deeply loved members of our Mustangs family and the communities we call home.
"Our hearts are with the families, friends, billet families, teammates, coaches, and everyone who loved them. We ask that their families be given privacy and compassion as they navigate this devastating loss.
"The Southern Alberta Mustangs organization is working closely with authorities and will continue to support our players, staff, and families in every way possible during this incredibly difficult time.
"We are a family, and today our family is hurting."
Signed by team owners, I cannot even comprehend how difficult it would have been to compose that statement. Games will undoubtedly be put on hold as the Mustangs work through the grieving process, but I don't know how any team would regroup for games following a loss like this. They seem meaningless considering what has happened.
My thoughts are with the team, coaches, and families tonight in this unimaginable tragedy. I can't imagine the pain they're feeling, and I want to pass on my deepest condolences to all whose lives had been touched by these three men because they are gone far too soon.
There was a delay on this article thanks to Mother Nature interfering with the schedule set out by Canada West. Regina and Saskatchewan were forced to play the second game in their two-game set on Sunday as a winter storm swept into the rectangular province, and full credit to the two teams for not putting anyone at risk by travelling when it wasn't ideal. As such, this article was on pause when it came to being published until those teams got that final contest of the weekend in, but let's see how everything played out this week on The Rundown!
THURSDAY: You know it's Crowchild Classic season when the Calgary Dinos and Mount Royal Cougars are playing on a Thursday afternoon inside the Saddledome! The Dinos were looking to close the gap between themselves and the Cougars when it came to first-place in the East Division while the Cougars wanted to stretch the lead and lockdown a quarterfinal bye before February. With playoff positioning on the line and playing in the big rink, this was a marquee matchup!
SATURDAY: After having an extra day to lick their wounds following the loss, Mount Royal met Calgary at Father David Bauer Arena. The Cougars wanted the split to restore the gap following Thursday's setback, and the Dinos were looking for another win to put pressure on Mount Royal. The stakes remained high between these two teams with points on the line and a potential bye waiting for the winner!
Cougars goals: Gabby Lindsay (3), Julia Duke (9), Allee Gerrard (10)
Cougars assists: Kaia Borbandy (6), Kiana McNinch (10), Isa MacPhee (10), Summer Fomradas (11)
Cougars netminder: Scout Anderson (23/27) in 63:02
Dinos goals: Solana Cooper (3), Brooklyn Anderson (6), Jess Martens (7), Brooklyn Anderson (7)
Dinos assists: Bree Kennedy (5), Solana Cooper (2), Sydney Mercier (5), Emma Tait (2), Alex Spence (11), Evelyn Lawrence (7)
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (34/37) in 63:02
Result: 4-3 overtime victory for Calgary over Mount Royal.
FRIDAY: The Manitoba Bisons hit the road with their destination set as Edmonton where the Alberta Pandas were waiting. The Pandas were looking to open up a wider gap between them and idle Trinity Western with wins over Manitoba. The Bisons were hunting for points in their attempt to catch and overtake Saskatchewan, so both teams came into this weekend's series knowing their assignments!
Pandas goals: Raegan Yewdall (4), Jadynn Morden (6), Abby Soyko (8), Natalie Kieser (6), Natalie Kieser (7)
Pandas assists: Hayleigh Craig (7), Sara Kazeil (2), Natalie Kieser (9), Alexandra Black (1), Sara Kazeil (2), Holly Magnus (12), Riley Smith (5)
Pandas netminders: Mackenzie Dojahn (19/23) in 61:56
Result: 5-4 overtime victory for Alberta over Manitoba.
SATURDAY: The stakes remained the same as the night before as both Alberta and Manitoba were seeking points. Both teams got points on Friday, but finishing off the weekend with a regulation win would be big for both sides. Manitoba, who held a one-goal lead after rallying in the third period on Friday, ended up on the wrong side of another game where they led, so will those losses come back to haunt them?
FRIDAY: There wasn't a lot of math needed for the MacEwan Griffins this weekend: win against UBC to keep their season alive. A sweep would keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Anything less would mean another offseason starting in February for MacEwan with the remainder of the schedule switching to "spoiler mode". For UBC, this weekend was about playing well and preventing injuries.
SATURDAY: With UBC's win, MacEwan was officially out of needed games to overtake anyone for a playoff spot in the West Division, so this second game of the two-game set was nothing more than two teams at different levels of Canada West hockey. That being said, the Griffins weren't about to roll over on home ice as they looked to give UBC a headache and, potentially, a loss as this series came to an end.
FRIDAY: The U Prairie Challenge was center-stage for the province of Saskatchewan as the Huskies met the Cougars in Regina. Two wins in regulation time by the Huskies would eliminate their southern counterparts from the playoffs, so Saskatchewan was looking to make things very unhappy in Regina. The Cougars were needing to beat the Huskies to close the gap between them as they needed to leap past Manitoba and Saskatchewan to make the playoffs. Sweeping the opposition was the goal for both squads in this U Prairie Challenge!
SUNDAY: As stated at the top of the article, Mother Nature's wintery grip on Saskatchewan pushed the second-half of the U Prairie Challenge to Sunday as Regina and Saskatchewan met in Saskatoon late this evening. If the Huskies win in regulation, the Cougars would not be able to overtake them in the standings, eliminating them from the playoffs. If the Cougars earn a point or more, it sets up an important battle with Manitoba next weekend to keep their playoff hopes alive. Would we see desperation hockey from Regina?
Huskies goals: Paris Oleksyn (3), Kahlen Wisener (6)
Huskies assists: Jayde Cadieux (9), Julianna Herman (1)
Huskies shootout scorers: Sara Kendall
Huskies netminders: Colby Wilson (25/27) in 65:00 plus 4/6 shootout attempts
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
22-2-2-0
48
80
23
W6
vs ALB
Mount Royal
12-6-6-2
38
64
43
L3
BYE
Calgary
13-5-3-4
34
58
44
W2
vs SAS
Alberta
8-7-2-7
27
50
55
L1
@ UBC
Saskatchewan
6-9-4-5
25
38
53
L1
@ CAL
Manitoba
7-9-2-6
24
55
62
W1
@ REG
Trinity Western
5-12-6-1
23
53
58
L3
@ MAC
Regina
4-12-4-4
20
37
59
W1
vs MAN
MacEwan
3-17-2-2
12
23
61
L3
vs TWU
Honour Roll
Each week on The Rundown, I highlight the best performances from the weekend's games. It won't always be the top scorer or the best goalie, but I'll have a reason for who gets picked each week. She normally shows up earlier on this list, but there's no doubting that Manitoba Bisons forward Norah Collins is an important scorer for Manitoba. Adding three goals and three assists against Alberta this weekend helped the Bisons earn three points, but Norah Collins' six-point effort was big and that's how she made the Honour Roll!
Collins was a phenomenal scorer at the AAA level in Manitoba, and I expected to see her put into prominent offensive opportunities with the Bisons after she committed to them. Her first two seasons with the squad saw her play 27 games combined which was wholly puzzling considering how good she had been, but she broke out with 12 goals and 16 points last season to announce her presence in Canada West.
This season saw her getting chances, but pucks weren't finding twine. That all changed when the calendar flipped to 2026 as Collins has gone off since returning from the break. She has scored five of her eight goals over the last eight games and eleven of her 15 points have been scored over the last four weeks. As we know, six of those points came against the Pandas, and the Bisons are going to need Collins to remain hot if they're going to overtake the Huskies. Scoring points on 75% of the goals scored in a weekend is one way to do that, and that's how Manitoba Bisons forward Norah Collins made the list!
Big Crowd!
The Crowchild Classic was another success for the Dinos and Cougars this season as Calgary's two U SPORTS schools saw both the men's and women's games played at the Scotiabank Saddledome. While the crowd was sparse on Thursday for the afternoon women's game, the men's game was sold out weeks ago as 13,324 people pushed through the turnstiles in downtown Calgary! That total might be more than all of Canada West's season combined! Well done, Dinos and Cougars!
Full marks go out to everyone who attended the Crowchild Classic at the Saddledome because that place was rocking on Thursday night who set a U SPORTS record for the largest crowd for any U SPORTS game! The record they smashed this season was the one they set last year at the Saddledome when 13,139 fans watched the schools' hockey squads battle! My only question is why this crowd doesn't materialize every weekend in Calgary for Canada West hockey.
The fans clearly enjoyed the games, these four teams are highly-competitive, and all four have a shot at a National Championship berth. I know they don't play in the Saddledome every week, but seeing that electricity in the building is something both athletic departments should be looking to replicate each week!
Playoff Picture
It should come as no surprise that UBC is in and they have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Mount Royal is in, but are still battling for a quarterfinal bye with the Calgary Dinos, and things could get very interesting based on next weekend's results. Calgary, for the record, is also in, but here's where the math gets involved:
All of the head-to-head stats are identical as both teams have 3-2-1 records for seven points, and both teams have scored 13 goals against one another. Throw away the head-to-head stats.
Total wins in league play would be the next tie-breaker, and that's where Calgary would move ahead if they win both games against Saskatchewan. Calgary would have 17 total wins to Mount Royal's 16 wins. At the end of the day, wins matter.
It isn't often that Mount Royal cheers for the Saskatchewan Huskies, but they'll be pulling for the team in green next weekend in order for Mount Royal to stay ahead. Four points by the Dinos would push them into first-place in the East Division with two games remaining for each team. The Dinos play the Bisons in Winnipeg on the final weekend while Mount Royal is in Saskatoon to play the Huskies.
Alberta and Trinity Western are both in thanks to UBC defeating MacEwan this weekend, but where they finish is still up in the air. Alberta has a four-point lead on Trinity Western, but Trinity Western holds the tie-breaker over Alberta. With Trinity Western playing MacEwan next week and Alberta meeting up with UBC, there's a chance that this race comes down to the last weekend of the season as well. In that case, Alberta and MacEwan have a home-and-home series whereas Trinity Western hosts Regina. Home-ice advantage for the quarterfinal series is still up for grabs in the West Division.
Saskatchewan holds a one-point lead over Manitoba for the final playoff spot in the East Division, and the Huskies may be in tough with back-to-back weekends against Calgary and Mount Royal. If they want to play at Nationals, however, they'll likely need to beat at least one of those teams in the playoffs so maybe this is what they want. In any case, Manitoba needs to sweep Regina in the Queen City and handle the Dinos at home. Nothing is guaranteed as of yet, so the final playoff spot looks like it will be a race to the finish!
Speaking of which, the Regina Cougars, thanks to their shootout win over the Huskies tonight, kept their hopes for a postseason berth alive for another week. Regina has to sweep the Bisons next week at home while getting some help from the Calgary Dinos in order to jump right back into the race, so the Cougars have to win if they want a shot. If they split with Manitoba, the playoff dream is over.
Unfortunately for the MacEwan Griffins, they'll be playing spoiler for the final two weekends of the season. They were officially eliminated with their loss on Friday to the UBC Thunderbirds, so they'll do their best to ruin playoff hopes for both Trinity Western and Alberta who they meet over the final two weekends of the campaign.
The Last Word
We're now into February on the calendar with five playoff spots still to be determined. I don't know if anyone could have predicted that we'd have playoff races right into the final weekend this year based on how some of these teams started the season, but this is where we find ourselves. If you're not excited for Canada West hockey over the next two weeks, you may want to check your pulse just to be sure.
Obviously, things may be a little different for the Mount Cougars as they go into the bye week by sending their coach to Italy, but I want to wish Scott Rivett all the best as he gets ready for Czechia's opening game in four days against Team USA! Czechia is looking for a medal at these Olympic Games, and the only question might be what colour that medal is when the dust settles! Good luck, Scott!
UBC will be down a solid player as well as Vanessa Schaefer will suit up with the Swiss team in Milano-Cortina! The last time we saw a player go to the Olympics, win a medal, and return to help her team win Canada West and the U SPORTS National Championship was 2018 when Venla Hovi captured a brozen medal in Pyeongchang only for her to return, help Manitoba dispatch Alberta and Saskatchewan, and then play a significant role in helping Manitoba secure the National Championship in London, Ontario! Is this Vanessa's time to shine?
Schaefer has a chance to do the same as she'll compete with Switzerland, rush back as fast as she can to suit up with UBC, and see if she can help the Thunderbirds win Canada West before heading out to Elmira, Ontario for the U SPORTS National Championship. I'm not saying there are similarities here, but there seems to be a number of opportunities for Schaefer to replicate what Hovi did! Could we see her bring home a medal only to help UBC capture a banner and bring home another important medal? We'll know soon enough!
The storylines are full of drama as we enter the last weeks of the season. How can anyone not get excited for what lies ahead?
I'll be fully honest in saying that I don't follow the CHL or its respective leagues likely as much as I did when the Winnipeg Ice were still a team. The Ice gave a reason to check in on the WHL and the other leagues under the CHL's umbrella, but I admittedly have not being doing that since they relocated to Wenatchee. Having spent the day in Brandon, it got me thinking that I should do more, and then social media got into the act tonight as several accounts posted the same clip from the OHL that will likely give one player a league-imposed break from hockey. The player pictured above is that player, and his name is Adam Levac who is a second-year centerman for the OHL's Peterborough Petes.
Levac is having himself a solid season this year. He skated in 57 games last year as 16 year-old where he had six goals and ten points, and he's shown solid improvement this season with 14 goals and 36 points in 48 games. Being a solid scorer at the OHL level is always encouraging to see because younger players can be overwhelmed by the league and its older players who often get the scoring chances.
In saying that, there is one thing that Levac doesn't do at this point in his career, and that's being an enforcer for the Petes. Levac has just one career fight in the OHL so far, but has been known to a throw a big hit every now and then as he has a physical side. Tonight, though, he used a move during a skirmish that will force him to miss games.
Let's go to the video from tonight's contest between the Petes and the Ottawa 67's where a melee broke out on the ice where Levac was paired up with Ottawa defender Kaleb Dietsch for some dancing.
I'm not sure what was going through Levac's mind when he swept the leg out from under Dietsch, but that move earned him a five-minute major penalty and a match penalty. I can understand Levac likely wasn't appreciating Dietsch's jabs despite him wearing his gloves, but that's what can happen when a player stands three inches shorter in a fight. What Levac did was completely uncalled for and rightfully deserves supplemental discipline, so he should expect a call from the OHL as early as tomorrow before the Petes arrive in Kingston.
I believe it should be a heavy suspension based on Levac's actions. As we know, the slew-foot alone will like get him a game or two, so that's a given. However, the fact that Levac landed on top of Dietsch and then started throwing punches will likely get him the longer suspension that he deserves. Had Dietsch been injured by the slew-foot move, this could have been much worse. Thankfully, it wasn't, but Levac doesn't get rewarded because Dietsch avoided injury.
Secondly, Dietsch has six total fights in his career. The jabs he threw with a gloved hand are done to keep Levac at a distance rather than trying to hurt him. I'm not saying that Diestch wasn't prepared to drop the gloves, but the fact that he still had his gloves on as Levac engaged him suggests he wasn't looking for a fight. In using his longer reach, he kept Levac where he could avoid damage, and that's when Levac pulled out the slew-foot to put Dietsch on his back.
Based on all of this evidence, this has to be a ten-game suspension. The slew-foot alone has to be worth two or three games just for safety reasons, but Levac landing on top of him and throwing punches will add another six-to-eight games for me. I'm not saying that Levac and Dietsch weren't going to fight had this played out normally, but the fact that Levac decided to commit two egregious acts - slew-footing an opponent and punching a player whil he's down - means that a message must be sent so this doesn't happen again.
No one is saying that Adam Levac is a bad player. He simply made bad decisions that could have resulted in terrible things happening to another player. I'm glad that Kaleb Dietsch is alright and will likely play against Sudbury on Sunday, but Levac should probably be prepared to watch a lot of game film over the next two weeks because he won't soon be on the ice for the Peterborough Petes.
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