Five-In-Five For All

For as much as I support U SPORTS hockey, it's hard to argue that the machine south of the border known as the NCAA isn't a system that churns out all sorts of talent. One can make a case that the University of Michigan, North Dakota, Boston College, and Boston University, and the University of Minnesota have been factories for hockey talent for years with the number of players they sent to the NHL, and a vast number of these players have been top picks in the NHL draft while playing long NHL careers. However, a change to the NCAA's eligibility setup may now change how players view NCAA offers to play college hockey.

The new eligibility rules would perceivably change how players treat college hockey opportunities. The newly-proposed rule reads,

"Permit student-athletes up to five years of eligibility beginning the regular academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever happens earlier."

I can tell you that I graduated high school when I was 17 and started university the following September at the same age. Under the new rules, this would mean that I would have started an NCAA hockey career at 18 and it would have ended at age 23 regardless red shirt seasons or any season where I was injured. The exceptions to the five-year eligibility are few and far between under the new setup.

If I had chosen to go to junior hockey and play there, I would need to decide before turning 19 whether or not I was joining an NCAA program. If I play junior hockey until I was 20, I'd lose one year of eligibility since the new rules state that eligibility starts at age 19. Clearly, this is going to force a lot of decisions for both players and programs when it comes to recruiting and planning rosters for both junior hockey and NCAA teams. Nothing can ever be easy, right?

If there is a benefit to the start of eligibility, it would allow high school graduates a chance to take that gap year between high school and university. Many universities have looked at the benefits and drawbacks of the gap year, and there's even an association that promotes using the gap year. Personal anecdotes, government sites, and even Harvard University suggest taking the gap year for a number of reasons. This might be the best part of the new eligibility rule.

Where this rule presents a major problem for NCAA programs is transfers and professional players. Aidan de la Gorgendiere would have had to make a decision on NCAA hockey in 2020 after his second season with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades after 110 WHL games and 33 points. I'm not certain that many NCAA teams would have been seeking de la Gorgendiere, and the five-year length of time for his eligibility means his 2025-26 season with the University of Nebraska-Omaha may not have happened. Clearly, that wouldn't be good.

For current students, the good news is that the new eligibility rules will not apply to them. The bad news is that students coming into university programs will see it applied to them. What this means is that even if a player shows up and is red-shirted all season long, one season of eligibility will be used. The new rules are strict about five years of eligibility in a five-year period, so it doesn't matter if a player is good enough for a roster spot because the clock is running.

The flip side is that coaches don't have to worry about burning a year of eligibility by dressing a player for one game, so younger players may get a shot if teams struggle. If there are kids who stand out in practice, they can be dressed for games at any time. Coaches are no longer planning for the future when it comes to recruiting players.

There are still a pile of questions that need to be answered when it comes to certain situations for hockey eligibility, but this new eligibility rule instituted by the NCAA will affect all sports. With exceptions only being made for pregnancies, military service, and religious missions, it seems the NCAA is set on ensuring that eligibility for any sport ends at the age of 24 for all athletes in all sports.

It will be a new landscape in American university sports when this five-in-five rule is finalized. Whether it changes the sports being played at the NCAA level is unknown at the moment, but time will answer that question as we find out how NCAA men's and women's hockey programs works under the new eligibility rules.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Half As Many Entrants

The final game of the opening round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs was concluded tonight as the Montreal Canadiens held on for a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, eliminating the Lightning as the eighth and final team gone from the first round. Of course, that means we'll have exit interviews on The Hockey Show as five more people join Ethan (Ottawa), Harv (Los Angeles), and Billy (Pittsburgh) back on the mainland after spending two weeks or less on Survivor: NHL Playoffs island! The remaining eight teams push forward!

Michaela is already on her way after Carolina took a 1-0 lead over Philadelphia, so Derek's going to need the Flyers to rally after being blanked 3-0 in the opener. Minnesota and Colorado will renew hostilities tonight as Dave and Tyler look to grab a lead in that series, Anaheim and Vegas will kick off their battle tomorrow with Colin and Matt looking for and edge, and Travis and Fiona will have to wait until May 6 before the Montreal-Buffalo series gets underway.

For those worried about these weird starts to series, Carolina and Philadelphia could be done by May 9 if Carolina were to sweep while Buffalo and Montreal will have only played two games. The NHL really needs to get this scheduling under control because there's no way any team should have played their first game of the second round when the first round hasn't ended. That's just ridiculous, but that's the NHL.

For those wondering about the challenge prizes, here's the recap:

• First shutout recorded in the playoffs. - Michaela
• First hat trick recorded in the playoffs. - Travis
• First goaltender point recorded in the playoffs.
• First team eliminated from the playoffs. - Ethan
• First to advance from the second round to the third round.
• First team to score seven goals in one game. - Colin
• First upset of the playoffs. - Derek

I'm waiting on one person to choose a prize before the final prize of the first round can be handed out, but the three challenges that remain can still be won by any of the eight teams still alive. With four of the five winners still alive, could we see someone win multiple prizes? We've seen it before, so it could very well happen!

This week's episode of The Hockey Show will see Jared (Dallas), Elliot (Edmonton), Josh (Utah), Tom (Pittsburgh), and Barry (Tampa Bay) give their thoughts on how their teams failed them in the playoffs as these five competitors will deliver their exit interviews. Those should be fun as a few of the heavyweights who were thought to have a chance will now be working on their golf games until September.

Officially, Round Two is underway. Eight teams will be reduced to four when the dust settles, and we'll have four more exit interviews. Who will still be in contention at that point on Survivor: NHL Playoffs?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

How Dumb Are They?

Hockey Canada dropped a bombshell of an announcement yesterday where they informed the world that Team Canada would not play at the 2026 Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland. This has to be one of the most idiotic things that Hockey Canada has done since their scandals, and it may force me to stop supporting Hockey Canada altogether. People will point to the World Junior Championship as the "Christmas tournament", but that tournament doesn't get interesing until New Year's Eve. That's where the Spengler Cup filled the high-level hockey gap because the Spengler Cup is always a sprint for five days at the end of December.

With Canada's contract coming to an end, host HC Davos wanted to negotiate a new deal to keep Canada in the tournament. Davos had a few demands as this contract negotiation began with the most pressing demand being that Canada must bring rosters that have been far more competitive than what has been seen since their last win in 2019. I'm not saying that Canada couldn't make that happen, but last year's roster was hardly what one would classify as a "Canadian all-star team". Last season, Canada was out of the tournament after dropping two-straight games where they scored two goals total.

Davos is always wanting the best teams in Europe there, and Canada should be made to bring its best as well. I get there are players who may not want to play in the Spengler Cup due to load management, but it's not like Canada has a shortage of players or teams it could send. Jason and I made the case on The Hockey Show that the Canadian World Junior team plays against a U SPORTS all-star team prior to jumping into the IIHF tournament, so why can't Canada send that U SPORTS team as its Spengler Cup team as "Team Canada"?

The key, however, was that this tournament was supposed to reward Canadians playing in Europe with a chance to wear the maple leaf in a major tournament. Michael Joly was the top-scoring Canadian in the Swiss league last season - did not suit up for Canada. Jonathan Ang was the top-scoring Canadian in the Swedish league - did not suit up for Canada. David Quenneville was two points back of Ang in the SHL - did not suit up. Taro Hirose, Gregor MacLeod, Nicolas Mattinen, and Alex Breton finished sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-overall in German league scoring - did not play. Are we seeing a pattern here?

Canada first played in the Spengler Cup in 1984, and it holds 16 titles to its name. It owns the second-most championships, one back of HC Davos, and Canada had been the only North American team at the tournament annually since 1990. While the Rochester Americans made two appearances, they were not annual appearances. With Hockey Canada's announcement today, that torch has been passed to the US Collegiate Selects who finished with the silver medal last year.

I'm not saying someone should be fired, but that should be an option considering this outcome. If players were turning down Hockey Canada before, removing the option to represent the country altogether won't put Hockey Canada in a good light for any player who feels that Hockey Canada has forgotten about them. And let's be honest: players in Europe are rarely celebrated by Hockey Canada.

We've seen Hockey Canada drop the ball on a number of things, but not being able to come to an agreement on a new contract to continue their Spengler Cup involvement might be one of the dumbest things they have done. I get that they can negotiate for a 2027 reappearance, but it's not like the exipry of this contract came out of nowhere. Someone knew about it, and someone blew it.

If you read this far into this article only to think, "No one watches that tournament anyway, Teebz," this is where you simply shrug your shoulders and move on. I don't need to hear comments about "no one cares" or "World Juniors are better". The Spengler Cup is an incredible tournament that I enjoy watching, and it bothers me that Hockey Canada seems so cavalier about this decision. This didn't have to happen, yet Hockey Canada let it happen. How dumb are they?

My holiday hockey-viewing schedule just opened up a lot more without the Spengler Cup. I hope TSN still broadcasts the games because it's a great tournament, but it will be weird not cheering for Canada. I guess I'll have to throw my support behind the US Collegiate Selects until Canada gets its act together regarding the Spengler Cup.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Party Like It's 2007

It's taken a long, long time, but the Buffalo Sabres are rewarding their fans with an extended playoff run thanks to their win tonight in Game Six against the Boston Bruins, eliminating the Bruins from the playoffs. The Sabres were definitely the favoured team coming into the series, but the Bruins gave them trouble at times that Lindy Ruff and his coaching staff will need to address. What matters most tonight, though, is that the Buffalo Sabres will play in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2007!

You may be wondering who Buffalo defeated in 2007 to get to the second round, and I can tell you that, as the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference, they defeated the eighth-seeded New York Islanders in five games. The Islanders won Game Two by a 3-2 score, but the Sabres took the other four by 4-1, 3-2, 4-2. and 4-3 scores. The Sabres jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Game Five before the Islanders looked to rally in the third period. A Maxim Afinogenov goal at 6:38 of the third period proved to be the series-clinching goal.

I had joked about all the things that hadn't happened since the last time the Sabres clinched a playoff spot, but the Sabres erased 19 years of futility with their 4-1 win tonight. They will wait to see who they play after Tampa Bay won tonight to force a Game Seven against Montreal. Both teams would present another tough challenge.

Buffalo and Tampa Bay have never met in the playoffs, but Buffalo held a 3-0-1 record against the Lightning this season. Buffalo was 2-2-0 against Montreal in the regular season and is 17-18 all-time against Montreal in the playoffs with Buffalo sweeping Montreal in 1998 in their most recent meeting. In short, don't put a lot of value in playoff records. Personally, I think Buffalo would prefer Tampa Bay as the Sabres like to use their speed and skill to overwhelm slower teams, but the Lightning know how to win in the playoffs based on history.

This Sabres team, however, is also different than what has been seen over the last 19 years. Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson lead the way with seven points while Tuch has four goals. Peyton Krebs, Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, and Owen Power are right behind Tuch and Thompson, and goaltender Alex Lyon has elevated his game as well.

What should scare both Montreal and Tampa Bay is that the four of the six players listed above have scored all of their points at even-strength. Thompson has six of seven points at five-on-five and Dahlin has three points at even-strength as Buffalo's power-play efficiency is thw worst in the playoff so far. In short, the Sabres have some work to do in practice, but they're excelling at five-on-five play.

Buffalo is also finding ways to get to the net as they are third in shots per game at 31.7 per contest. They held Boston to just 25.2 shots per game, so they're getting shots, they have possession a lot of the time, and their +8 in goal differential is tied with the Minnesota Wild as the best in the playoffs so far. All signs seem to point to Buffalo holding an edge no matter whether they play Montreal or Tampa Bay.

Tonight, however, Buffalo can celebrate. Not only did they make the playoffs for the first time in eleven years, but they rewarded their faithful with a series win for the first time in 19 years. If they can make it through another round, they'll do what they haven't done since 2007 as well in appearing in the conference final.

All eyes should be on the prize, though, as Buffalo prepares for Montreal or Tampa Bay. One game at a time. Enjoy every moment.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 710

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!

PODCAST: April 30, 2026: Episode 710

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!