The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, takes over another time slot tonight as the show begins at 5pm CT rather than our usual 5:30pm! We're going right through to 6:30, so it's 90 minutes of hockey chatter and Pledge-O-Rama chatter as we attempt to help UMFM hit the goal of $34,000 raised! it's a big show for both the station and for our hosts based on the topics they'll discuss tonight, so make sure you're ready for 90 minutes of fun tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:00pm CT!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason have three exit interviews they'll conduct as Ethan (Ottawa), Billy (Pittsburgh), and Harv (Los Angeles) will head back to the mainland from Survivor: NHL Playoffs island. Along with those interviews, our hosts will discuss the need for the NHL to figure out what a good goal is, Brady Tkachuk's problems in Ottawa, the Manitoba Moose getting set for the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Fort Wayne Komets and the Indy Fuel, the PWHL's playoff series, rule changes in the NCAA, the EIHL's Manchester Storm being homeless for a few days, and we'll go over all the information you need when it comes to donating to UMFM's Pledge-O-Rama! We'll give some stuff away, guests will drop in, we'll chat some hockey, and we'll raise some money tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:00pm 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 will talk making donations, capital improvements, better reviews, running one's mouth, playoff series, rule changes, arena changes, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
I have always felt that my blog is a place for my thoughts about hockey and random other things. I never wanted it to cost anything, I wasn't going to make anyone subscribe, and I certainly didn't feel like I had "premium content" that had to be behind a paywall. Even the extensions of this blog - the grassroots hockey coverage and the radio show - are all done without any demand for subscription fees because it wouldn't feel right asking anyone to pay for our goofy content.
I do believe deeply in the work that UMFM does as a campus and community radio station. Part of our CRTC license mandate is that we need to cover campus and community events which is why The Hockey Show is quick to volunteer when it comes to covering great community hockey events such as the Female World Sport School Challenge and the sledge hockey games we've had the honour of calling. In saying that, this will be the only time we ever ask for help.
UMFM's annual pledge drive known as Pledge-O-Rama started last Friday, and you may have heard Jason and I talking about it on The Hockey Show last week. Pledge-O-Rama is where UMFM asks its listeners for a little bit of cash in order to fund major projects, capital improvements, and infrastructure upgrades through donations to the station. All donations are tax deductible if one chooses a tax receipt or UMFM merchandise can be acquired for a donation. All donations, however, go into the major project account for UMFM's improvements. No donation is used for day-to-day operations.
Some of the improvements that UMFM listeners have helped bring to life include a new radio tower erected in downtown Winnipeg that has allowed us to expand our broadcast reach beyond Winnipeg's outer reaches, funds to purchase our mobile broadcast units that have been used a number of times by Jason and I, and upgrades to the technology in our server room that saw the quality of the UMFM online radio stream and the individual show recordings improve greatly. Needless to say, we are grateful for our amazing listeners!
So how much is UMFM seeking in this pledge drive?
It may sound like a lot, but the station is aiming to raise $34,000 before Friday at 8pm. That may sound like a lot, but the station has already raised over $22,300 over the first four days! That's an incredible total already, so thank you to everyone who has donated! If you're looking to make a donation and join the UMFM community, the online pledge form can be found here or you can give us a call at 204-474-6610 and we'll fill out the donation form for you!
What improvements are you planning with these funds?
As stated, Pledge-O-Rama funds will go into making UMFM even better, and this year's projects are pretty cool when it comes to UMFM's dedication to the University of Manitoba campus and the communities in and around Winnipeg and southern Manitoba. The funds raised during Pledge-O-Rama this year will be used for:
A UMFM news department! UMFM is creating a dedicated news department that brings local, campus, and community-focused reporting to the UMFM airwaves. With local news coverage shrinking everyday, independent stations like UMFM are uniquely positioned to fill that gap. We aim to do that.
DJ and Live Production training! UMFM is developing new training opportunities for anyone who wants to learn how to DJ or produce content — students, neighbours, friends, and anyone interested in radio or podcasting - and UMFM is expanding our live studio recording program so local and emerging artists have a professional space to record, perform, and share their work while learning the radio craft.
A new memorial archive! Over the years, UMFM has lost hosts and contributors who helped shape the station into what it is today. We want to honour them properly by building a dedicated section of our website to pay tribute to those friends we've lost. They matter to us and to our listeners!
A secured content hub for campus partners! This new website space will house content produced through a new joint project for collaborative work that reflects the connection between UMFM and the University of Manitoba.
Clearly, these projects would eat up a lot of the station's annual budget without the Pledge-O-Rama funds, so we are grateful, we are humbled, and we are appreciative of any and all support that one can give. I'll even add that if you're unable to donate any money, we're just as appreciative of people who call to tell us how much they enjoy the shows and hosts found on UMFM. That boost to the UMFM ego never hurts, and it's awesome to hear that we're doing well!
If you have the means, please donate what you can afford. A nickel makes a world of difference when it comes to these projects, and we'll thank you just the same as if you donated $1000. Again, I would never ask for any money for my own personal gain, so this will be the only time I'll ask for you to give anything other than your time when it comes to reading HBIC. I am more than grateful for anyone who stops here, and UMFM would love to earn your listenership!
As a special programming note, The Hockey Show will be on the air at 5pm CT tomorrow for 90 minutes as we wrestled away the half-hour before our show from the syndicated French music show. Jason and I will be going through the first exit interviews among the various fun we have planned, and we may even have a few show incentives you'll want win by making a donation! It could be worth your effort!
I'll have more details on The Hockey Show preview tomorrow, but UMFM's goal of $34,000 is entirely reachable thanks to listeners like you. If you've made your donation, thank you so much for supporting great radio. If you haven't or are planning to, please do so by clicking the link or calling us at 204-474-6610! Thank you for your support!
The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight to set up another big show next week while chatting about all the news that came out of the hockey world this week. It looks like we'll have some Survivor: NHL Playoffs eliminations next week unless something dramatic happens in those playoff series, so be ready for the first wave of contestants who will make their home from Survivor Island. Beyond that, our hosts have a pile of hockey news to discuss, so make sure you're ready to go tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason will likely spend a lot of time dissecting the words spoken by the man to the left at his season-ending press conference among the topics they discuss. There will be some chatter about cronyism in the KHL, some trademarked names for an AHL team, some European league winners, a quick AIHL update, a sledge hockey update, a Survivor: NHL Playoffs prizing update, a couple of quick hits about UMFM's Pledge-O-Rama that begins tomorrow, and we'll go over Kevin Cheveldayoff's words with a fine-toothed comb. It will be a busy hour of hockey chatter, so snuggle up to your radio or internet-streaming device 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 bad hirings, bad names, big winners, Australian fun, sledge developments, Survivor updates, pledge drives, lots of verbal diarrhea, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
Today might be a big day for some, but you won't find any jokes or pranks here! This time of year is where the grass starts to turn green, the leaves start budding on trees, the ice and snow recede to places no one needs to think about until October, but it's also the month where the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin. With the latter event about to settle into life on April 18, The Hockey Show is preparing for another postseason of fun where 16 listeners get a shot at claiming the title of "champion"!
We've been teasing and promoting Survivor: NHL Playoffs on The Hockey Show, so we'll re-plant the flag on the beach that says Survivor's NHL Island is open for business once again this year! As we've been talking about on the radio show over the last couple of weeks, our take on a Survivor contest is returning to the airwaves again as we look to crown a winner, award prizes to worthy competitors, and bestow fame and glory on the final entrant standing as The Hockey Show's 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs survivor!
It's pretty clear that UMFM owns no island in a tropical climate nor a boat that will get you there, and our annual show budget of $0.00 says Jason and I will never get to broadcast from an island in the south Pacific. However, if you're aware of the Survivor pools that are run, our contest is based on the same idea where you randomly pick a name of one of the contestants, and that person on Survivor is your person for the run of the show. If he or she is voted off the island, the game for you is over. In our contest, though, we put our own twist on the game so it becomes much more hockey-centric.
Jason and I are seeking sixteen people to call The Hockey Show on April 16, 2025 where each of those callers will choose a number from 1 to 16. Each of those sixteen numbers will have a corresponding NHL playoff team assigned to it randomly. Whatever number you've chosen will reveal your team for the playoffs, and that team becomes YOUR team in a similar random fashion to Survivor pools. All you have to do is be near your phone that evening between 5:30pm and 6:30pm Central Time, call us, and choose one of the numbers on the board to find out what playoff team you'll be rooting for in the playoffs!
If you need a real-world example of how this works, let's say that Jason were to call in and choose #6. We'll flip that card over to reveal that #6 has the Dallas Stars under it. Officially, Jason's team becomes the Stars until they're eliminated or they win, and card #6 is no longer available as a choice for the next callers. Jason will hopefully be cheering as a Stars fan this spring until they're done playing.
Following Jason's call, let's say that I call in next and select #13 as my number, revealing the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina would become my team until they're eliminated or they win, and card #13 is no longer available as a choice for the next callers. Wash, rinse, repeat until there are no numbers and teams remaining. Easy, right?
If you think you're up for this, you'll need to have your radio tuned to The Hockey Show on April 16 and have your phone close to you. Before you commit, though, what we haven't told you yet is that there's a twist in all of this radio fun. And this twist is where things get crazy fun for everyone involved because you participate!
Just when you think you're out, you're still in the contest until "Tribal Council". You may be wondering how a radio show does "Tribal Council", but we already know your team was eliminated so you've technically been voted off Survivor's NHL Island. However, every episode of Survivor ends with the contestant voted off doing their exit interview, and that's precisely what you will do: you'll deliver an exit interview for your team! We'll call you, set up the quick two- or three-minute chat about your team, and then you're officially done with the contest and sent off the island. Easy-peasy, right?
Some of you may worry about talking on the radio, but I assure you it's just like talking on the phone. In other words, don't think we're going to make it sound weird or anything. But knowing that this is going to happen, what might you say? You're free to talk about how you're disappointed that a specific player didn't show up in the playoffs or how you never thought there would be an upset this early or how you're just lucky that your chosen team made the playoffs. Or you can be like Jacob and talk about your team embarrassed you.
While the CBS version of Survivor promises a big cash prize and whole bunch of prizes from sponsors - both of which The Hockey Show doesn't have - we will be offering up some prizing that aligns with our lack of CBS's budget. There will be some smaller prizes handed out as "challenge prizes" much like the network reality show does, and those challenges that all teams can win in the contest are as follows:
First shutout recorded in the playoffs.
First hat trick recorded in the playoffs.
First goaltender point recorded in the playoffs.
First team eliminated from the playoffs.
First to advance from the second round to the third round.
First team to score seven goals in one game in the playoffs.
First upset of the playoffs.
The first team that accomplishes any of these challenge goals will earn their Survivor player a corresponding prize! We have various hockey books and other assorted smaller prizes to be won this year, but you'll need to earn them through the challenges above. Any prizes won through these challenges will be handed out chronologically while supplies last in the order they were completed! Teams can also earn more than one prize in this challenge part of the contest, so choose wisely when it comes to the randomly-distributed teams! Or choose your favorite number. Either strategy works in this contest!
Just like the TV show, we do offer prizes for the finalists! The grand prize winner who captures the Survivor crown will take home their choice of an NHL jersey plus a few additional prizes! The finalist will get a jersey not chosen by the winner as a runner-up prize, so you're going home with a prize as long as your team makes it through three rounds which is pretty awesome! This year's two jerseys are a 2018-21 Pittsburgh Penguins alternate jersey and a 2021-24 Washington Capitals alternate jersey, so the winner may have a difficult choice to make when it comes to which jersey he/she takes home!
As a new wrinkle to this year's contest, The Hockey Show will also be asking if you plan on supporting UMFM's Pledge-O-Rama event that runs between April 24 at 6:30pm until 8:00pm on May 1. For anyone who enters the Survivor: NHL Playoffs contest AND donates to Pledge-O-Rama, we'll put you into an additional draw for even more prizes! You help us, we'll reward you - it's that simple.
I should also be upfront and inform you that we have some requirements that need to be met before you can participate. The good news is we won't need a medical team available like CBS does for their version of Survivor, but we do have a few must-have REQUIREMENTS for anyone to participate. They include:
You must call into the show on Thursday, April 16 between 5:30pm and whenever we fill all the spots in the contest. If all 16 spots aren't filled within the hour, Jason and I will get creative to fill the empty spots. Don't complain - you had an hour to make one phone call!
You must have a phone number and an email address. If you're calling us, I'm pretty sure you have at least one of these already. If you have neither, are you even alive?
A desire to watch your chosen team's progress in the NHL Playoffs. You don't need to follow them religiously, but it's better to know something if/when your team is eliminated.
Beyond that, this is a fun contest meant for laughter with a few rewards for those who get lucky. It's not to be taken seriously in any way, and it's a nice way for us to reward our loyal listeners with some free gear. If this has enticed you to listen for the first time or come back to the show after not listening, welcome to the show and here's hoping you get into the contest! Just remember, though, that if your team gets bounced, we're calling you for that exit interview. If that scares you in any way, work through that fear... or just win!
Be ready, folks, because this contest always is fun for everyone involved. Like CBS' Survivor, only one person can be crowned as "survivor" in this contest, and we're ready to kick things off on April 16! Here's hoping you'll call in for the best radio contest in hockey!
There were all sorts of playoff implications in the games featured this weekend in Canada West as eight teams looked to strengthen their chances for playoff spots and the related benefits that come with those playoff berths. The only team who wasn't participating was the MacEwan Griffins, and they needed a few teams to help them out by beating the teams they were chasing. Some teams will only have six games remaining on their schedule after this week, so the push for points has to be now if teams are going to make a run. Let's find out who made that push for points this week on The Rundown!
FRIDAY: The Trinity Western Spartans headed out to the flat land of Manitoba to meet the Bisons in a two-game set where both teams had playoff aspirations that required points. Trinity Western was looking to maintain their hold on second-place in the West Division while Manitoba was looking to overtake Saskatchewan and grab a playoff spot in the East Division for the first time this season. Both teams came into the weekend having won their last two games, so someone was going to be on the wrong side of the ledger after Friday night.
Bisons goals: Sophia Anderson (1), Dana Goertzen (4), Louise Fergusson (1), Aimee Patrick (7)
Bisons assists: Julia Bird (4), Hanna Bailey (4), Claire Moorman (4), Kelsey Huibers (1), Dana Goertzen (6), Aimee Patrick (7), Dana Goertzen (7), Sophia Anderson (3)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (29/34) in 64:30
Result: 5-4 overtime victory for Trinity Western over Manitoba.
SATURDAY: I'm pretty sure that Manitoba wasn't pleased with surrendering a three-goal lead on home ice before salvaging a point, so it was expected that the Bisons would come into Saturday's game with a more focused defensive effort. Trinity Western was looking for the full four-point effort as they looked to carry the comeback effort forward in this game. If this is going to be one of the playoff series this season, fans should be excited for another chapter in this battle!
Bisons goals: Aimee Patrick (8), Dana Goertzen (5), Sophia Heidinger (1), Norah Collins (5)
Bisons assists: Sara Harbus (5), Claire Moorman (5), Aimee Patrick (8), Sara Harbus (6), Sara Harbus (7), Alyssa Rasmuson (7)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (23/24)
Result: 4-1 victory for Manitoba over Trinity Western.
FRIDAY: The Mount Royal Cougars went northeast to Saskatoon where the Saskatchewan Huskies were hosting their two-game set, and this would be the second time that the Cougars and Huskies had met in the last two weeks. The exhibition game they played saw the Cougars prevail by a 1-0 score as the Cougars looked to put more distance between themselves and Calgary this weekend with wins. The Huskies were looking to get back into the win column after dropping a pair of games to Manitoba as they looked to hold onto their playoff spot.
Cougars goals: Kaia Borbandy (2), Julia Duke (7), Isa MacPhee (2)
Cougars assists: Jordyn Hutt (3), Summer Fomradas (9), Kaia Borbandy (4), Kiana McNinch (8)
Cougars netminder: Scout Anderson (10/12) in 60:43
Huskies goals: Jaiyana Nurani (1), Shelby Williamson (3)
Huskies assists: Kahlen Wisener (4), Jessica Anderson (1), Kahlen Wisener (5), Paris Oleksyn (4)
Huskies netminders: Colby Wilson (28/31)
Result: 3-2 overtime victory for Mount Royal over Saskatchewan.
SATURDAY: After an emotionally-charged game on Friday that featured Saskatchewan's outstanding Play For A Cure jerseys where they raised funds to battle breast cancer, the Cougars and Huskies were back at it on Saturday with both teams still seeking points. The Cougars were needing to add more points in order to secure first-place in the East Division while the Huskies were aiming to end their three-game skid that has opened their 2026 calendar.
Cougars goals: Allee Gerrard (9), Kiana McNinch (5), Sydney Benko (9), Breanne Comte (1), Jerzey Watteyne (9)
Cougars assists: Summer Fomradas (10), Allee Gerrard (6), Breanne Comte (6), Allee Gerrard (7), Keyana Bert (4), Julia Duke (4), Ava Metzger (3)
Cougars netminder: Katherine Holan (20/21)
Huskies goals: Sara Kendall (3)
Huskies assists: Jaiyana Nurani (3)
Huskies netminders: Colby Wilson (42/47)
Result: 5-1 victory for Mount Royal over Saskatchewan.
FRIDAY: The Alberta Pandas collected their gear and went southwest to visit the Regina Cougars this weekend. The Pandas were looking for points in an effort to overtake the Trinity Western Spartans whereas the Cougars were needing points to stay in the race in the East Division. Alberta could also put a gulf of space between them and MacEwan, so both teams were playing with a purpose this weekend. Would either make a dent in their quests to secure a playoff spot?
Result: 1-0 overtime victory for Alberta over Regina.
SATURDAY: Both teams grabbed points on Friday, and they returned to the rink with the same goal omn Saturday. Regina needed a two-point effort if they were going to close the gap on the teams ahead of them while Alberta was looking to close the gap between them and the Spartans while having two games in-hand. Regina had to get more pucks to the net if they wanted those two points while Alberta was hoping not to get goalied in a second game. Who'd grab the points?
Pandas goals: Riley Smith (2), Riley Smith (3)
Pandas assists: Annie King (3), Natalie Kieser (6), Natalie Kieser (7), Hailey Carothers (3)
Pandas shootout scorers: none
Pandas netminder: Grace Glover (31/33) in 65:00 plus 1/2 in the shootout
Cougars goals: Rayna Hennie (2), Maggie Kate Fitzpatrick (1)
Cougars assists: Maggie Kate Fitzpatrick (2), Brooke Fofonoff (2)
Cougars shootout scorers: Jordyn Blais
Cougars netminder: Amy Swayze (23/25) in 65:00 plus 3/3 in the shootout
Result: 3-2 shootout victory for Regina over Alberta.
FRIDAY: In what could potentially be a Canada West semifinal preview, the Calgary Dinos headed to Vancouver where the UBC Thunderbirds were waiting. UBC knew they were headed to the playoffs, so they were looking to send a message to the upstart Dinos. Calgary was looking to prove that UBC wasn't all that invincible. Calgary has had UBC's number on occasion in past seasons, so would we see another Dinos victory against the Thunderbirds?
Dinos goals: Brooklin Fry (1)
Dinos assists: Brooklyn Anderson (5), Evelyn Lawrence (6)
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (33/38)
SATURDAY: UBC took one step closer to securing home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, and they looked to take another step towards that outcome on Saturday. Calgary, however, wanted to get back into the win column as they still had hopes for first-place in the East Division. If Calgary was going to rattle the Thunderbirds' cage, they needed a win on UBC ice while UBC was looking to bury the Dinos for the sweep and a four-point weekend to send a message.
Dinos goals: April Klarenbach (4), Evelyn Lawrence (5)
Dinos assists: Kyla Mitenko (5), Jess Martens (6), Brooklyn Anderson (6), Alex Spence (10)
Dinos netminder: Maisie Cope (55/58) in 62:18
Result: 3-2 overtime victory for UBC over Calgary.
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
18-2-2-0
40
67
21
W2
vs TWU
Mount Royal
11-4-6-1
35
55
32
W3
vs REG
Calgary
12-5-1-4
30
52
40
L2
BYE
Trinity Western
5-10-6-1
23
51
50
L1
@ UBC
Alberta
8-6-0-6
22
40
44
L1
vs SAS
Manitoba
5-8-2-5
19
42
51
W1
vs MAC
Saskatchewan
5-9-3-3
19
29
47
L4
@ ALB
Regina
3-10-3-4
16
29
48
W1
@ MRU
MacEwan
2-14-2-2
10
19
51
L2
@ MAN
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. This week's player has quietly become one of the best two-way defenders in Canada West and, dare I say, all of U SPORTS. She may not appear on the scoresheet every week, but her impact on the game is hard to miss while watching her team play and win and that's how Mount Royal Cougars defender Summer Fomradas lands on The Honour Roll!
Fomradas set career highs with three goals and 15 points last season, and she has two goals and 12 points in her third season this year. Consistency has always been her best quality as a defender, even when she was playing in the AFHL, and she's brought that with her to Canada West where she's become head coach Scott Rivett's trusted defenders. Summer plays both sides of the puck equally well, often being a stopper against the oppositon's best players while also chipping in offensively when Mount Royal gets to the offensive zone.
With key losses on the blue line over the last couple of seasons, Fomradas' emergence as one of Mount Royal's best defenders has helped them remain an elite team. She won't razzle-dazzle anyone when she has the puck, but her first pass is usually good, her vision on both sides of the puck is excellent, and she reads plays well. Being a third-year player, she'll continue to lead the Cougars with her play and her hockey smarts, and she has a chance to equal or break her offensive career-high totals with six games to play this season.
Fomradas was solid all weekend in making life difficult for the Huskies' offensive players just as she's done all year to other Canada West teams, and adding a pair of assists while being so defensively-responsible this weekend wasn't missed by this writer. I'm not here to jinx her chances, but she'd be on my short list for Canada's FISU team next year! A two-assist weekend where she helped the Mount Royal Cougars to a pair of wins is how Summer Fomradas made the list!
A Justified Absence
I had noticed that there was a player missing from the action at Wayne Fleming Arena in Winnipeg on Friday night as I watched the CBC broadcast. I had heard that this player had officially moved on after a ceremony last week, but I thought there might be some way she'd want to finish the season considering how well her team has been playing. It turns out, though, that Trinity Western Spartans forward Jordyn Matthews has moved into a new chapter of her life!
Make no mistake that Jordyn Matthews was a competitor night-in and night-out. She played 122 Canada West games where she recorded 21 goals and 28 assists for 49 points, finishing her career as Trinity Western's all-time leading scorer in Canada West play. She played in all situations for the Spartans, recording six power-play goals and two shorthanded goals, and she never recorded more than 20 penalty minutes in a season. For a kid who came through the AFHL's Rocky Mountain Raiders program never having scored more than six points at the AAA level, Jordyn Matthews showed that it's not how your start, but how you finish with her solid five-year career at Trinity Western!
Jordyn's next chapter has her returning to Alberta where she'll begin a nursing job as she moves into the next chapter of her life! I'm sure there will still be time for hockey in a senior women's league and I hope she continues to play. Jordyn was a great competitor in Canada West, a cherished teammate by the Spartans, and I suspect she'll be loved by anyone she treats in Alberta in her new profession!
Congratulations on a great career, Jordyn, and here's hoping the nursing career is as rewarding, as challenging, and just as fun as your university hockey experience! HBIC wishes you all the best!
Special Threads
The Saskatchewan Huskies will always have a place on The Rundown for their big night where they raise money for various cancer initiatives to help save lives. It doesn't really matter what type of cancer that the Huskies are raising money to abolish because all cancers are brutal to those who get those diagnoses and to their families whose lives change because of those diagnoses. Major kudos go out to the Huskies for their annual Play For A Cure night!
For this year's game, the Huskies suited up in pink to honour Kerri Backman in the picture to the left. Kerri is goaltender Emma Backman's mom, and she recently defeated breast cancer in her life which is amazingly good news. What people should remember, though, is that breast cancer will affect 1-in-8 women in North America in their lifetimes, and that roughly 1-in-100 cancers detected in men are breast cancer. If you're doing the math, a team of 25 women's hockey players means that three of those women will, at some point, be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. That's a scary thought for a number of reasons, so early detection and early treatment go a long way in helping women overcome this disease. Thankfully, Kerri did.
The Huskies fell just short of $17,000 in their fundraising total last season, so they had their sights set on that $17,000 mark this season. I am pleased to report that not only did the Huskies hit that mark, but they surpassed it! In total, the Department of Oncology at the University of Saskatchewan will be receiving a donation earmarked for breast cancer research and initatives from the Saskatchewan Huskies for a total of $19,195! How awesome is that effort?!?
You don't need to answer because I'll show you how awesome it is!
HuskieFan app Senior Producer Host and Partnership Coordinator Wray Morrison reached out to Ron MacLean on Saturday with the photo and information, and MacLean got it mentioned on Sportsnet's Hockey Day In Canada yesterday! How cool is that? Great job, Wray, on getting the Saskatchewan Huskies women's program a little exposure for the amazing work they're doing to fight cancers!
May I add this is why he should run Canada West's marketing and communications departments? If I was in charge, he would be!
What About Everyone Else?
We've seen what the Huskies have been doing, and, to date, they've donated nearly $120,000 to various cancer-related research organizations and initiatives that help cancer patients. That's a huge amount of money when you consider they raise that on one night, and it got me thinking as to why this isn't a Canada West initiative.
If nine programs were able to raise $10,000 or more in their communities for cancer research, wouldn't $100,000 annually going to cancer research have a significant impact on cancer diagnoses and treatments? Prostate cancer makes up about 23% of all new male cancer diagnoses while breast cancer accounts for about 26% of new cancer diagnoses in women. Lung and bronchus cancers make up the second-most diagnoses in Canada. In total, those cancers make up nearly half of all cancer diagnoses in both men and women!
What angers me the most about Canada West is that there isn't a mention of Saskatchewan's Play For A Cure game anywhere on the Canada West website nor do they seem to care to highlight the efforts and amazing results that the Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team turn in every year on that night. I live a province away and I'm emailing the Huskies every September about the dates for their Play For A Cure game, yet Canada West completely ignores everything about it despite these young women being everything that Canada West implores its athletes to be. Baffling, isn't it?
Again, I'll let Bob and Bob ask the obvious question of Canada West.
Scheduling Note
I will admit right here and now that I will be watching zero Canada West games next weekend thanks to my involvement in the 2026 Female World Sport School Challenge hosted by Balmoral Hall School and the Balmoral Hall Blazers. UMFM has the honour of calling tournament games from the PCL Arena at Winnipeg's Hockey For All Centre, so I'll be in a rink for four-straight days watching the next stars of U SPORTS battle for the gold medal and bragging rights!
With Balmoral Hall taking over as hosts from the previous school, they've reduced the field to nine teams as they learn how to manage this tournament. All nine teams are Manitoba-based team, in fact, so that's where the bragging rights come into play. In saying that, there are a lot of already-recruited players and a pile of uncommitted players playing next weekend, so tune into the tournament on UMFM's Second Stream internet stream or watch on FloHockey.tv if you have a subscription. The hockey should be awesome, so we'll see you at the 2026 Female World Sport School Challenge next weekend!
The Last Word
Playoff spots will be on the line next week again in Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. The home-and-home series between UBC and Trinity Western will also have ramifications, but Trinity Western seems almost assured of their inclusion in the playoffs. Unless MacEwan can win seven of eight games while getting some help, the Spartans and Pandas could clinch playoff spots next weekend.
Out in the East Division, Manitoba occupies third-place and the final playoff spot due to them holding the tiebreaker over the Saskatchewan Huskies, so that battle may come down to the last weekend of the season. Of course, Regina's right behind them and could catch one or both if they falter, so that race in the East might come down to who makes the least mistakes over the final four weeks of the season. Regina plays both Saskatchewan and Manitoba in two and three weeks, respectively, so those games likely will determine whether or not Regina will play into late February.
Mathematically, no one is out, but every game's result will determine where and how each of the nine Canada West finish the season.
I hope things are going well for everyone who enjoys visiting rinks to watch Canada West women's hockey. With everyone writing exams over the next few weeks, the conference is on break and will return on January 9 and 10 for more action after the holidays. In saying that, we can take a look at a few things that need some addressing and examination since we have a few moments. Let's settle into the Stats 101 material that I've prepared along with identifying 24 players who have stood out in the first half of the season on The Rundown!
Each year, I choose two teams based on first-half performances. Each team is represented with at least one player, and there is always at least one rookie named to each squad. Six forwards, three defenders, and two netminders make up the teams so that there would be three lines of 3-on-3 hockey at this Canada West All-Star Extravaganza played by my chosen teams. This would be a fun hockey exhibition!
I want to be clear once more: these choices mean nothing outside of the teams being made up of players who I believe are having strong seasons up to this point. The players that are chosen won't necessarily be the top scorers, but they will be the players who stood out on each of the teams in this writer's view. In saying that, though, let's look at who I chose for the Canada West All-Star Extravaganza!
Grace Elliott (UBC) - leads the conference in goals and scoring.
Annalise Wong (UBC) - leads the conference in assists.
Kyra MacDonald (TWU) - leads TWU in goals, tied for scoring.
Holly Magnus (ALB) - second in assists; tied for Pandas' lead.
Abby Soyko (ALB) - tied for lead in Pandas' scoring.
Sydney Jack (MAC) - leads MacEwan in goals and scoring.
Sadie Isfeld (TWU) - top scorer for rookie defenders.**
People are going to look at this team and be outraged by some of the players who aren't on the list. Admittedly, I had a very hard time leaving Chloe Reid (TWU), Elise Hugens (UBC), and Vanessa Schaefer (UBC) off this list, but they got bumped due to numbers. Hugens might surprise the most, but Lucifora has better numbers and has played more minutes so she deserves a little of the spotlight in helping UBC to the top spot on the meaningless national rankings.
Currie got the bump as the second netminder simply because she's giving the Griffins the goaltending they need to compete. A few more goals in opposition nets, and the Griffins might be in the playoff race in West Division. The rest of the explanations are shown above, but the goal light would nearly be a strobe light behind the opposition net with the scoring on this roster while having solid netminding.
Peppi Virtanen (SAS) - leads all rookies in scoring.**
Sydney Benko (MRU) - leads MRU in goals and points.
Sydney Mercier (CAL) - leads the Dinos in goals and scoring.
Pippy Pritchard (REG) - leads Regina in assists and scoring.
Jerzey Watteyne (MRU) - second on MRU in goals and scoring.
Aimee Patrick (MAN) - leads the Bisons in scoring.
Alex Spence (CAL) - top defender scorer for Calgary.
Summer Fomradas (MRU) - leads MRU defenders in scoring.
Amelia Awad (CAL) - top sv%, 8 wins, 1.11 GAA for the Dinos.
Scout Anderson (MRU) - 1.28 GAA, .933 sv%, won nine games.
Selecting the East Division team was slightly easier, but I struggled leaving Allee Gerrard (MRU), Clara Juca (SAS), and Evelyn Lawrence (CAL) off this team when it came to roster spots. There's no doubt that this East team has less points collectively than the West team, but there's a lot of hustle and drive on this roster. Defensively, Fomradas, Spence, and Zuchotzki are among the best defenders at both ends of the ice, and I suspect they'd be invaluable on this team.
Building on the solid defence are the two goalies who have helped their teams to the top of the division as Amelia Awad and Scout Anderson have been excellent in their respective creases. Awad has played less often than she had in the early part of the season, but her and Anderson just keep turning in results when they're between the pipes. All-Star Games usually wreak havoc on goalies, but these two should do fine as this squad can score and defend their goalies!
Honour Roll
Since there were no games this week, the Honour Roll thought it had the week off. However, there are still incredible players doing incredible things as the Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team dropped by Canada Blood Services to donate some blood and plasma in order to help people and save lives in their community when it comes to this necessary fluid! I counted a dozen Huskies who made the trip to their local Canada Blood Services office to donate blood, and this kind of effort doesn't go unnoticed here on The Rundown because of how vitally important this kind of effort is.
Besides saving lives in their community, the Huskies may actually benefit from this activity more than you think. Research has shown that donating blood is linked to lower blood pressure, a lower risk for heart attacks, and a lower risk of strokes since since it lowers the viscosity of the blood by removing the total amount of hemoglobin in your body. Donating blood can save up to three lives, but the volunteering and team effort shown by the Huskies also has greater positive health outcomes including a lower risk for depression and greater happiness forged through those group outing bonds.
We know athletes can consume food like no one's business as well, but the snack that one receives to help replace the donated blood totals about 500 calories - virtually the same amount that's removed in the donation! By that count, the cookies and juice are a zero-calorie option for these athletes! How cool is that?
All jokes aside, this is an excellent effort from the Huskies, and I'm proud of the group who went down to Canada Blood Services and gave life to someone else. Hockey teams need their communities to help them be successful, so there has to be some reciprocal giving on their end. The Huskies are doing that with the blood donations, and that's how the entire Huskies team makes the Honour Roll this week!
A Telling Stat
This is your annual reminder that scoring first usually leads to good results. We've seen 78 games played between the nine Canada West teams to date, and the annual trend of scoring first continues like it always does. None finished in a 1-0 shootout final, so every game was counted with six teams playing 18 games and three playng 16 games. Due to this, no team can score first more than 18 times, but one team did hit the scoresheet first on 17 occasions - the most we've ever seen since I started tracking this. And yes, that number matters.
I'll do more breakdown below, but here's each team's first goal stats.
SCORING FIRST IN CANADA WEST
School
Record
1st
2nd
3rd
OT
Score 1st
Pts %
UBC
16-1-1-0
10
7
0
0
16-0-1-0
1.000
Mount Royal
9-3-5-1
8
4
1
0
8-1-4-0
.923
Calgary
10-4-1-3
10
1
1
0
10-0-1-1
.958
Alberta
7-6-0-5
4
2
0
0
5-0-0-1
.917
Saskatchewan
5-6-3-2
6
3
0
1
5-1-3-1
.850
Trinity Western
3-9-5-1
6
2
0
0
3-2-3-0
.750
Regina
3-8-2-3
5
1
1
0
3-0-2-2
.857
Manitoba
2-8-2-4
2
0
0
0
1-1-0-0
.500
MacEwan
2-12-2-2
2
0
0
1
0-1-2-0
.667
It's ridiculous to think that the only game in which UBC didn't score first, or at all in that one game's case, is the only one they have lost. In every other game this season, they have led and never ended up on the wrong side of the score. The only time they came close was a shootout win over Manitoba, but they won that game to take the full two points in that contest. Obviously, there isn't near enough data to determine how they play when trailing, so it might be a good idea for teams to score first and prevent UBC from playing with the lead.
The same rule may apply to the Calgary Dinos who have lost all six games where they haven't scored first, recording just two of 12 points in those games. The Dinos are scoring first by committee as well as all of Brooklyn Anderson, Sydney Mercier, April Klarenbach, and Hannah Reagh have two first goals apiece. The bigger number that everyone should notice is both UBC and Calgary have double-digit regulation wins, and they have the most first-period first goals.
Finally, it took 28 games this season for a team to rally and win a game in regulation after surrendering the first goal. MacEwan earned a 2-1 win over Trinity Western for their first win of the season on a late Sydney Jack goal, but there have been just six regulation losses in 78 games to date for the team that scores first, totaling 51-6-16-5 on the season so far. If you're doing the math, that's an .859 winning percentage and an .891 points percentage. That's incredible.
As I say every December on this blog, scoring first in Canada West matters. When it comes to this season, scoring first is almost is an unfair advantage so it would be wise to do it more often than not.
Players By The Numbers
If you're wondering which player has been the catalyst for the wins shown above, one player stands alone this season and her name shouldn't surprise you since she's been all over The Rundown.
Grace Elliott leads the way with six first-goals this season in helping her team to the best Canada West record. Behind her is teammate Jaylyn Morris who, as a defender, has four first-goals to her name as she's really shown a knack for getting pucks to the net. From there, there's a list of six players with three first-goals that includes:
Kyla McDonald (TWU)
Sydney Benko (MRU)
Tessa Stewart (REG)
Mia Bierd (UBC)
Allee Gerrard (MRU)
Peppi Virtanen (SAS)
There are also a pile of players who have two first-goals scored this season, but I'm only posting the top-three spots on the list. Wanna add your name to the list? Score the first goal of the game.
Ontario Math?
Before we even break into the standings, let's establish how points are determined in this conference. I took a look at their operations manual, and this is the statement made in Section 3.4.2: "For all regular season games, teams will be awarded 3 points for a regulation victory, 2
points for an overtime/shootout victory, and 1 point for an overtime/shootout loss." Hold onto this information because the OUA website might be inventing its own math.
There are three teams who are having big seasons in the OUA at first glance, so we need to take a deeper look. The Queen's Golden Gaels are out in front with an impressive 13-2 record, but things get a little more complex when one considers that they might be 5-2-8-0 this season (W-L-ETW-ETL)? Toronto is 8-7, but how do they have an 8-1-0-6 record, and the Ottawa Gee-Gees are 8-6, but actually hold a 7-2-1-4 record? The math just isn't mathing in the details here.
Adding to the madness is that Queen's, who leads the division, should have 31 points as per OUA Rule 3.4.2, but the standings show Queen's with 33 points as shown below. It's like the OTW don't even count!
The West Division sees Guelph out in front with an 11-4 record that actually shows the Gryphons as having three overtime losses and three shootout losses. Not surprisingly, this causes all sorts of math problems with an 11-4 team because how do they have more extra-time losses than actual losses on their record? Hint: they don't.
With my explanation above fitting the narrative, let's rewrite the records properly as Queen's is officially 7-2-6-0, Toronto is 8-4-0-3, and Ottawa is 7-4-1-2. In the West, Guelph is 9-1-2-3, Laurier is 9-2-2-1, and Waterloo is 6-6-3-1. Now we're comparing apples to apples.
Honestly, this is easily the most confusing standings board I've ever read for any sport anywhere. What the heck is going on in Ontario?
La Belle Province
Quebec's RSEQ is much more straight-forward in its standings. You don't need an advanced math degree or training in cryptography to understand the records accumulated by each team. Concordia holds an 8-1-4-0 record with their only loss coming on November 2 to the Bishop's Gaiters who, coincidentally, are the defending National Champion and second-place in the RSEQ with an 5-2-3-3 record. Montreal sits in third-place with a 3-6-2-2 record, and McGill finds itself in fourth-place out of four teams with an 0-7-1-5 record.
There may be a dogfight when it comes to who will grab the top seed in the AUS Playoffs as both StFX and UNB sit with identical 12-4-0-0 records. Those two teams are 1-1 against each other right now, but the X-Women have outscored the Reds 6-3 in those two games. As it stands, StFX holds the tie-breaker, but they'll meet on January 17 and February 6 in games that may determine who wins the conference.
Not to be forgotten are the 10-5-2 UPEI Panthers, the 7-3-6 Dalhousie Tigers, and the 9-6-1 St. Thomas Tommies, but those teams will need a big push in the second half of the season if they are going to dethrone one or both for one of the top-two seeds in the AUS. And this might be a bigger concern for all due to the next bit of news.
The Dumbest Alignment
In reading the U SPORTS Operations Manual for the 2026 National Championship, I came across a rather interesting tidbit of news of which I'm not sure many know. Allow me to inform everyone that the participating teams for the 2026 Championship will be as follows:
AUS Champion
OUA Champion
RSEQ Champion
CW Champion
Host (Waterloo)
OUA Finalist
RSEQ Finalist
CW Finalist
Does it seem like someone is missing? If you're asking where the AUS Finalist is, I had the same question. Apparently, this format now follows the men's format when played in Ontario which, if you're asking me, is the dumbest idea that U SPORTS has had in some time considering there are four conferences, two finalists in each conference, and a host team. The men don't have an RSEQ conference, allowing for three Ontario teams to go to Nationals every year because that extra spot is balanced out by the host team.
With Waterloo hosting, U SPORTS seemingly changed the format to allow the OUA champion and finalist into the tournament by eliminating an entire berth for the AUS finalist. How is that fair for the AUS when compared to a four-team conference like the RSEQ? Why does the AUS get one less berth than Canada West despite having one less team? Who would even agree to this tournament format?
If U SPORTS is trying to kill university women's hockey programs, this is a good way to do it. Every player wants a shot at playing for the championship, but giving preferential treatment to the Ontario teams makes it a lot harder to call this event a "national championship".
The Last Word
It's December 14. We're ten days from Christmas Eve and Hannukah starts tonight, but exams will continue through to the end of next week for most student-athletes. My hope is that everything goes well, the studying pays off, and exams are a cinch for those writing them. For everyone else, be merry, be kind, look out for one another, and enjoy the festive season. The World Junior Championship and the Spengler Cup start soon, and then it's back to competing for the Canada West banner! It's truly the most wonderful time of the year!
If there's one thing you should know while reading this blog, it's that I, Teebz, am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV. I'm not even qualified to give anyone tap water when they're thirsty, but I do know that the medical professionals across North America save a lot of lives each and every day with their talents and knowledge. What might get lost in the shuffle is that there are a lot of good organizations raising funds for research and assistance for a number of maladies and diseases that affect people, and it's always nice to see the hockey world lend its support when it comes to giving these groups a bigger stage. The ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets did that tonight, and they'll give five more nights to a great organization doing amazing things while wearing the most orange jerseys I have ever seen!
The Komets have opted to play six games as the Neon Orange Komets in an effort to help raise awareness and funds for the National Kidney Foundation of Indiana as they look to "Shine A Light On Kidney Disease"! The bright orange jerseys will be worn on six nights this season by the Komets, and these game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off during the March 27th game to help raise money for the NKFI and kidney patients across Indiana! How awesome is that?
Kudos go out to the Komets for raising awareness about kidney disease as some 35.5 million American adults are estimated to have kidney disease, and 2.4% of Americans over the age of 18 will be diagnosed with kidney disease. Worldwide, an estimated 1.5 million people died from kidney disease in 2023, and 1473 of those people were from Indiana. It's the eighth-leading cause of death in the United States, and around 90% of people usually don't know they have it while 40% severe kidney disease don’t know they have it. Clearly, it needs some attention.
I will say that these jerseys are very bright based on the photo of Komets forward Austin Magera, but they do pop against the white boards and ice. I could use a white stripe on the jersey to break up all that bright orange, but this jersey accomplishes its goal of being the most orange jersey ever on Neon Orange Night. It's all for a good cause to raise some important funds, though, so there's no ripping on Fort Wayne's jerseys in this article. They're bright, they're bold, they're fun, and they are awesome!
As mentioned, the Komets will wear these jerseys five more times after tonight's games as they look to raise awareness and money for the National Kidney Foundation of Indiana. Those nights include:
November 22 vs Kalamazoo Wings
December 13 vs Kalamazoo Wings
December 27 vs Toledo Walleye
Janaury 16 vs Bloomington Bison
February 7 vs Toledo Walleye
March 27 vs Bloomington Bison
I'm a little disappointed that only three ECHL teams will get to witness the orange jerseys worn by the Komets in these games, but there may be a reason for this. Both Toledo and Kalamazoo are less than two hours from Fort Wayne, so there's a chance that some of their fans may follow their teams to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum for those games as the Komets have solid rivalries with those two teams. Bloomington, like Fort Wayne, is in Indiana, so there might be hope to draw a few of their fans for an in-state battle while raising funds that helps people in both Indiana cities.
If the Komets do what they did in the game against Kalamazoo tonight, a lot of local fans will head home happy. Magera and Blake Murray scored in the second period before Hunter Strand made it 2-1 early in the third period. That would be as close as the Wings got, however, as Dru Krebs scored just before the midway point of the period, and Connor Ungar stopped 31 shots to secure the 3-1 victory! I guess you could say that the Wings got orange-crushed in this game!
Terrible jokes aside, it's hard not to have your eyes drawn towards that bright orange colour that Connor Ungar wore tonight. I'm not saying that the Komets won the psychological battle with these neon orange jerseys, but I'm also NOT not saying that either. What I am saying loud and clear is that the Komets deserve some kudos for bringing awareness and raising funds for an important organization in Indiana.
You have five more times to see the most orange jerseys of all-time this season before fans will get a chance to take them home on March 27, 2026. My hope is that each of the game-worn jerseys sell for $1000 or more so the Komets can present a cheque to the National Kidney Foundation of Indiana for $25,000 to help fight kidney disease.
However, knowing that 12 people die every day while on a waiting list for a kidney transplant should be more than enough reason to cheer on the Komets when they take the ice in bright orange this season.
The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back on the UMFM frequency tonight with a lot of stuff to go over from the hockey world. It's pretty remarkable that there's always something going on in hockey around the globe that is significantly news-worthy, but that's how the sport goes. Whether it be Canada, the US, overseas, the NHL, the AHL, or anywhere else, there are stories - both good and not-so-good - that should be brought forth for greater discussion. We have a pile of those stories tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason will take a look at a new jersey that was unveiled this week by the Colorado Avalanche while asking a question that might make people uncomfortable. Beyond that, they'll examine the new jerseys for both PWHL Vancouver and Seattle, the Vancouver Canucks do something awesome, a Canadian Olympic hopeful was suspended in the NCAA, there was a big moment in Greensboro, our favorite ECHL team is on a roll, the Saskatchewan Huskies were adding notes to history books, we have a Hall-of-Fame guest joining us next week, and a Hall-of-Fame player finally got onto the ice this past week. In short, it was a busy week in the hockey world, so we'll break down all those stories and teasers 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. It's a solid app.
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 new jerseys, bad ideas, great efforts, unexpected fighting, big goals, good starts, busy goalies, big guests, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
It's been a long time since the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins wore the logo to the left, but the IHL logo they wore always appealed to me. The new logo they wear now in the AHL is fiercer and more aggressive, but there was something regal about the IHL logo. I say this because the Griffins are going to wear a handful of different logos this season thanks to the specialty jersey schedule. We made mention of this last night on The Hockey Show, but I feel there needs to be a more complete look at the six jerseys the Griffins will wear this season. Let's dig into those jerseys to determine good, bad, and apathetic grades.
November 14: Military Appreciation
There's nothing overly exciting about these jerseys, but a few people on social mentioned that the "USA" logo redesigned to feature the "GRG" looks a little like the word "gag". I can't say I'm a fan of these based on celebrating the military complex, but they work as a red-white-and-blue jersey to honour the men and women of the military.
Opponent: Toronto Marlies Grade: Meh
December 13: Red Kettle Game
For a "red kettle" game in support of the Salvation Army while collecting funds to support those in need in Kent County, I expected the jersey to be a tad more red. The overwhelming amount of black feels like an easy out for jersey design, so this one loses points there. Why couldn't they go red and green in terms of the holiday colours?
Opponent: Rockford IceHogs Grade: Bad Design, but Good Cause
December 21: Hat Tricks And Hoops Night
This might be one of the best crossover jerseys I've seen, and I'm not a fan of sports crossovers at all. I think I like this because it's fairly simple, but it captures the 1995-2001 Detroit Pistons' logo and colours so well. Having a little fun with jerseys is something I can endorse! Full marks to the Griffins for making this jersey awesome!
Opponent: Cleveland Monsters Grade: Good (and Fun)
January 17: Old Time Hockey
Being that the Griffins were established in Grand Rapids, Michigan back in 1996, there really isn't a lot of "old time hockey" from which they can draw. That being said, this fauxback is pretty solid with its cream-coloured accents and the faux retro logo. I would love to see the IHL jerseys make a return, but I can live with these jerseys.
Opponent: Milwaukee Admirals Grade: Good
February 15: City Connect
While I don't understand why the Griffins are adopting an NBA theme, it's even more confusing when you find out February 15 is already "Sensory & Support Night" that has a wall flag giveaway planned. These City Connect jerseys aren't even advertised on the schedule, so I'm wondering why the Griffins are putting all of this together that day. In any case, there's not much to be excited about here.
Opponent: Texas Stars Grade: Meh
March 13: Purple Community Game
This is one of those jerseys that needs some explanation. The Purple Community is a group dedicated to connecting individuals who are passionate about fighting cancer and other neurodegenerative diseases. The purple game is all about cancer awareness and raising funds to to benefit the Van Andel Institute which does all sorts of biomedical research. That's obviously a very good thing, and the Griffins go a few steps further as fans can enjoy purple concessions and graphics all night as well. The jersey's not that impressive in its overall aesthetic, but the cause is definitely worth the effort.
Opponent: Milwaukee Admirals Grade: Meh, but Good Cause
In the end, the Griffins will wear two good jerseys, three meh jerseys, and one bad jersey by my standards. Again, I think the jerseys that support good causes need to be emphasized because they'll be auctioned off to help those causes, but a few of these jerseys feel like they were unnecessary. In any case, all of these jerseys will be auctioned off in post-game auctions by the Griffins, so I'm hopeful that the Salvation Army and the Van Andel Institute come away with a pile of money! If they have an online auction, I may take a run at one of those Pistons or faux retro jerseys for myself!
What are your thoughts on these six jerseys - good, bad, or meh? Let me know in the comments and we can discuss each of them!
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