A Schedule Appears

As you're probably well aware, there are all sorts of changes that we'll see on the Canada West hockey schedule this year. Two new teams will start their Canada West histories this season as both the Grant MacEwan University Griffins and the Trinity Western University Spartans will hit the ice at the U SPORTS level for the first time. But with two teams stepping forward, we unfortunately had one step back as the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns hockey programs were cut by the university after budget shortfalls forced them to make some tough decisions. With nine teams suiting up for action this season, there would be some tough decisions needed with an odd number of teams in what I'd assume to be a shortened season, but that's why the schedule makers at Canada West get paid the big bucks.

Today, the Canada West Conference released the schedules for all sports, but this blog is only interested in how the schedule would be built for men's and women's hockey. I should point out that this schedule "will be contingent on clearance from health authorities in all four Western provinces, member universities permitting sport competition, and the availability of venues suitable for Canada West competition" according to today's Canada West release.

According to the release, the 2020-21 regular season will see:

• 20 games played by each of the nine teams where each team will play the other eight twice with four additional games being played within regional locations.
• UBC and TWU will play an additional four games against one another based on BC region.
• Alberta and MacEwan will play two additional games against one another plus one additional game against both Calgary and Mount Royal.
• Calgary and Mount Royal will play two additional games against one another plus one additional game against both Alberta and MacEwan.
• Saskatchewan, Regina, and Manitoba will all play two additional games against one another.

Seems pretty easy, right? Manitoba will see every team twice with the Bisons seeing the Regina Cougars and Saskatchewan Huskies four times each. I don't know how the travel situations will work for the teams, but the schedule is set as far as the Canada West Conference is concerned.

Is this uneven schedule unfair to some teams? Yes, I'd say that MacEwan, in their first year of play, get a bit of the short end of the stick with four games against Alberta and three games against both Calgary and Mount Royal, but I'm guessing that Lindsay McAlpine will have her three-straight ACAC champion Griffins - who were on the verge of being four-peat champions - ready to win the four-way battle of Alberta from the moment the puck is dropped this season. Both the men's and women's teams from MacEwan will be in tough, but this should make them battle-hardened for the 2021-22 season when things hopefully get back to normal!

While the final schedules for each team have yet to be posted on any of the team sites nor the Canada West site, we're one step closer to knowing what Canada West men's and women's hockey will look like in 2020-21 with nine teams. If you aren't getting excited for another amazing season of Canada West hockey, you might want to check your pulse while getting out to see the new teams play!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!