New Kids On The Block

For those of you who are comic book fans, you probably recognize the guy in the image to the left as Lucas Bishop or, generally, as Bishop. Bishop's timelines seem to intersect with two other Marvel franchises in the X-Men and Spider-Man, but it seems there will be another Bishop whose timeline intersects with the RSEQ institutions next fall thanks to some generous donations by some rather well-known donors. Thanks to their ongoing contributions to Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, we'll have a six-team RSEQ for the first time in recent memory! Starting in 2020-21, the Bishop's Gaiters will begin play against the likes of Concordia, Montreal, Ottawa, McGill, and Carleton as they join the RSEQ women's hockey conference!

I can hear some of you asking, "Teebz, what exactly is a 'Gaiter'?", and I'll answer that question below. Instead, let's focus on the U SPORTS women's hockey family growing by a third team after I missed this announcement way back on January 16! Bishop's, along with MacEwan and Trinity Western out in Canada West, make their conferences stronger with their additions, and it's exciting to see the sport grow at the university level!

It needs to be mentioned that without the generous donation from the Molson Family Foundation as well as support from Molson Coors moving forward, this announcement for Bishop's may not have been possible. For those that don't know, the Molsons have had a long and winding history with the university with several Molsons serving as trustees, a handful attending Bishop's University when it was still known as Bishops's College, and having the Fine Arts building named as the "Molson Fine Arts Building" in honour of the sixty years of support given to the institution after the Molson Family Foundation helped fund the construction of the building. Jane and Eric Molson also saw their names adorn the rink at Bishop's University after their contributions to the sports programs at the school.

"To this day the name of the Jane and Eric Molson Arena testifies to the Molson family's unwavering support for Bishop's. For all they have done – and continue to do – for Bishop's University, we owe them our most heartfelt thanks," Bishop's University Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Michael Goldbloom, C.M., stated in January. Their donation to the university to get women's hockey back on the map for Bishop's would need a pretty good "thank you" considering that the school doesn't even have a men's team listed on their official athletics page, so this is a huge step for the Gaiters women's team as they become the lone U SPORTS hockey representative for the school!

"We wanted to make sure we had a viable long-term plan before committing," Bishop’s University Director of Athletics and Recreation Matt McBrine said at time. "Thanks to the Molson Family Foundation, that became possible. We will continue our fundraising efforts, but we can confidently say that we embark on this adventure knowing the program has what it needs to evolve and thrive."

I like that Matt McBrine stated the obvious: it takes some real financial backing to get long-term plans off the ground with scholarship monies, equipment costs, travel costs, and other incidental costs all factoring in at the U SPORTS level of hockey. With three teams in Montreal and two in Ottawa, it's not like they have several provinces of travel like they do in Canada West, but hotel costs and bus rides do add up quickly for a team that will travel to meet their opponents. However, as Mr. McBrine stated, it seems that the long-term plan will work with this endeavour that was funded by the Molson Family Foundation, and there's now another option for girls in and around the southern Ontario and Quebec regions if they want to play U SPORTS hockey.

"I think this is great news," said Gaiters hockey Head Coach Dominic Desmarais. "We have been looking forward to hearing this was going to be the next step and now can focus on the future. I think Bishop's is a great place to attract student-athletes from all over. There is also a lot of talent in the Sherbrooke area that will now have an option to stay closer to home while competing at the U SPORTS level."

As Coach Desmarais stated, this opportunity may entice girls to stay in Canada to play as there have been a handful of good players from Quebec who have crossed the border to the NCAA's Vermont Catamounts including Kristina Shanahan, Hailey Burns, Sara Levesque, Ève-Audrey Picard, and Catamounts' leading scorer Maude Poulin-Labelle. While the NCAA will always entice players who want to play at the highest level, the opportunity to play in a smaller conference at home with the chance to win better than in the NCAA might sell a few girls to remain in La Belle Province as opposed to seeking opportunity elsewhere.

Overall, I'm psyched that the RSEQ is growing because it was always argued that it was far too easy to advance to a national championship when you only had to be better than four other teams. Granted, three of the five RSEQ teams have had strong showing at recent U SPORTS National Championships - including a gold medal for Montreal in 2015-16, a silver medal for McGill last season, and a bronze medal for Montreal last season as well - but if two of the teams in the conference are also-rans, it makes winning one series against better competition that much easier. Adding in Bishop's won't change the dynamics in the conference next season as they break into U SPORTS play, but give them a few years to get in and start the recruiting process to see the conference get stronger.

If the BU Gaiters have one thing going for them already, it's their uniform choices. While purple isn't usually a colour I'd associate with hockey - yes, I know the LA Kings were purple - the Gaiters make it look good with their collegiate look. The name of the school across the stripe feels very university-like, and the BU on the sleeve is a nice addition. The purple-and-white mesh well together when seen on the ice, and I have to say that it's a very clean look with few issues about which one can complain. The team may opt for different uniforms next season to commemorate their first season in the RSEQ, but I'd say they have a pretty sharp wardrobe already.

Speaking of wardrobe, the "Gaiters" name doesn't have anything to do with alligators like the Florida Gators despite Bishop's using a purple alligator as their mascot as seen to the right. Instead, the name "Gaiters" comes from the leg coverings worn by Anglican bishops up until mid-20th century. Basically, they were long socks that stretched from the knee to the top of the foot, often covering the top of the shoe worn by the bishop who, historically, would ride from township to township on horseback. Being that Bishop's University was founded and took direction from the Anglican church until 1947 when it went non-denominational, the athletic teams were named for the gaiters they wore just as the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox were named for their choice of hosiery. Pretty cool, right?

It's an exciting time in U SPORTS women's hockey with the growth of the game in Langley, Edmonton, and Sherbrooke. While I still secretly wish for a second team in Manitoba or one in northern Ontario to give Manitoba a natural geographic rival, elevating women's hockey at these three academic institutions makes the game better across this nation. Welcome to U SPORTS women's hockey, Bishop's Gaiters, and we're happy to have you as part of the family!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!