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!
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