Missing Out On Excellent Hockey

On a night where the Boston Bruins tied the NHL record for wins in one season, the Winnipeg Jets took a major step towards securing a playoff spot, and Quinnipiac scored in overtime to defeat Minnesota for the NCAA championship, news came out of Toronto that made me smile more than any of the other stories happening tonight. I'm not here to diminish those stories nor do I want to try to steal those stories' spotlights, but I want to elevate something that deserves more discussion, especially in Canada, when it comes to players following their dreams while opting to get an education. It's time for Canadians of all walks to really invest some time in U SPORTS hockey.

Before we get into my plea tonight, let's take a look at Jett Alexander's big moment this evening with 1:10 reamining and the Leafs beating up on the hapless Canadiens by a 7-1 score.
As you may expect, I fully endorse this idea. I get that Alexander isn't proven as a professional goalie at any level in his career, but the damage that can be done in 70 seconds is minimal and Sheldon Keefe knows Alexander can stop pucks. After all, he was signed as the EBUG after Matt Murray wasn't able to backup to Ilya Samsonov tonight, so seeing him head to the crease to close out this game is awesome!

I'm a big fan of seeing EBUGs come into games whenever possible, but EBUGs who have ties to U SPORTS will be celebrated on this blog as I truly feel that U SPORTS is a league that has been overlooked for hockey talent for far too long. For every Logan Thompson, Derek Ryan, and Randy Gregg who cracked a roster spot on an NHL team, seeing stories like the one Jett Alexander, pictured above, was living tonight is proof that U SPORTS players should be given a chance more than just playing as an emergency back-up.

We've seen goalies get the majority of shots in the NHL as EBUGs simply due to that position's importance to each NHL team. All NHL home teams are required to have an EBUG present for each game, and Canadian teams normally turn to their local universities for those EBUGs. Whether it be Matt Berlin in Edmonton, Jett Alexander in Toronto, or anyone else this season, knowing that U SPORTS netminders can make stops for any team is one of the reasons why U SPORTS should have more scouts and fans watching games.

The majority of the players signed by teams usually end up below the NHL level, but that's where one would expect to land. Thompson, for example, played with the Henderson Silver Knights before getting his shot with Vegas. Zach Sawchenko was signed by the San Jose Sharks, played with the Sharks, and has been holding the fort for the Chicago Wolves this season. Riley Sawchuk, who led Canada West in scoring, is playing for Grand Rapids while Tyler Yaremko, his high-scoring linemate, is skating with the Laval Rocket. There's nothing wrong with landing in the AHL - it's where players should showcase their talents before getting a chance at the NHL level.

When a player like Talor Joseph not only wins at the AHL level, but shows he can handle the pressure at that level, he should be given more than just a two-game cup of coffee with a team. If Rylan Toth is good enough to travel with the Abbotsford Canucks and pinch-hit for the Vancouver Canucks, it's hard to understand why the AHL Canucks wouldn't simply sign him to a contract. It's tough to watch guys like Reece Harsch get signed by Abbotsford, not play, and then be forced to look elsewhere to follow his hockey dreams.

For what it's worth, Harsch is now skating in the EIHL in England with the Fife Flyers, Joseph is stopping pucks in the Federal Prospects League with the Binghamton Black Bears, and Toth isn't playing anywhere at the moment. These are guys who legitimately helped NHL and AHL teams be better by filling holes as talented players only to be discarded on a whim by those clubs. I can't understand this.

I guess what it boils down to for me is that guys like Jett Alexander, Talor Joseph, Matt Berlin, Rylan Toth, and others who provide a service to an NHL team should get more than a jersey and a story to tell their grandkids. I know the NHL is a business, though, so this won't change no matter how much it seems to be unfair. This is why I think there should be more scouts and more fans watching U SPORTS hockey - those who know how good the players are have been treated to some amazing hockey over the years.

We were witness to some amazing things in men's hockey this season - UNB winning their ninth National Championship, UQTR making an incredible run to Nationals to defend their title, the Calgary Dinos putting together a 23-game win streak, the dynamic duo of Sawchuk and Yaremko in Mount Royal, UPEI's incredible upset of Calgary at Nationals, Team Canada winning a FISU gold medal, and more - and hardly anyone spoke or wrote about these moments. Yes, there are games that feel like Arizona-vs-Anaheim in March where both teams are playing out the schedule, but the moments of exceptional outnumber the moments of ennui.

I've written close to 5800 articles on this platform and a lot of them have to do with U SPORTS hockey - mostly on the women's hockey side, but I still keep an eye on the men's game as much as I can. The main reason people tell me that they don't go and watch U SPORTS hockey is "It's not very good" which shows how ignorant we've become when it comes to one of the best leagues in Canada and, dare I say, in North America. It's a league where NHL draft picks play. It's a league that has exceptional coaching, and has sent coaches to the NHL. It's a league where guys who got passed over in their first attempt to get into the NHL are doing everything can to get noticed a second time. And they're getting an education while doing it.

We can discuss the merits of the CHL, the USHL, the NCAA, and U SPORTS as each stand on their solid footing when it comes to what those leagues provide its players, but it seems foolish for Canadian teams to ignore U SPORTS players playing in their own backyards or, occasionally, joining their teams on ATO contracts. Far too often, it's the US-based teams who find a U SPORTS player who makes immediate contributions in that organization.

Logan Thompson and Jordan Papirny - two former Brandon Wheat Kings netminders - are playing in Vegas' system now because of Kelly McCrimmon's ties to the WHL team, but both Thompson and Papirny went undrafted and came to U SPORTS schools where they continued to get better. Currently, Thompson is the starting netminder for the Golden Knights while Papirny is playing with AHL Henderson and ECHL Savannah as he looks for his opportunity, but you can't tell me that they'd be where they are had they not found goaltending work with U SPORTS schools.

I've written paragraph after paragraph about U SPORTS hockey on HBIC, and I know I won't convince everyone to give U SPORTS a chance just as I can't convince everyone reading this that women's hockey deserves more of your attention. For those already watching U SPORTS hockey and/or women's hockey, you already know that those who turn their noses up to these hockey options are missing out on some incredible hockey action. But after watching nearly a full barn take in the U SPORTS men's hockey final in Charlottetown, it seems like a lot of people know how good the hockey is.

In full disclousre, I have zero ties to U SPORTS in any way. I don't work for or with ay of its member schools, and I certainly am not an agent or representative of any player(s) in U SPORTS. I just happen to know how good the hockey is after watching incredible players like Phil Maillet, Zach Sawchenko, Daniel Walker, Riley Sawchuk, Derek Ryan, Tyler Yaremko, Logan Thompson, Stu Grimson, and Mike Ridley are and were. For the record, all of those players either skated in the AHL or NHL after skating at the U SPORTS level.

Of course, it would help if all of U SPORTS, its schools, all broadcasters, and NHL teams celebrated these players a little more after their paths took them on a different route to the NHL, but the one way for that to happen is to get out to your local university and watch teams play. The media never starts a trend when it comes to sports; rather, they only follow what fans are picking up on so having more butts in seats to watch U SPORTS games while demanding more coverage will prompt the media to adjust their reporting. That, in turn, exposes more people to the game, and the snowball starts gaining size and speed as it tumbles down the mountain.

Jett Alexander's 70 seconds tonight is a monumental highlight in that man's career, and I'm not here to take anything away from it. I'd rather it be celebrated more because Jett has spent 24 games wearing the University of Toronto's colours where he's 12-8-2, has a 2.94 GAA, and a .923 save percentage. Craig Simpson stated on the Sportnet broadcast that Alexander going in for Samsonov "is great", but neither he nor Chris Cuthbert spoke about how he was the 2018-19 OJHL MVP and CJHL Goalie of the Year before joining the Varsity Blues in 2020-21 where he studies social science. They also didn't mention Alexander dressing, but not playing, for the Colorado Avalanche on December 2, 2021.

I'm not here to rip on Cuthbert and Simpson, but this is where the colour analyst should have some information on the kid skating out to the crease to finish off a game. Had Simpson done that, it lends a lot more weight to the good that the University of Toronto's hockey program is doing in not only ensuring young men receive a quality education, but that there are still hockey opportunities if players choose the U SPORTS route. Alexander can play - there was never any doubt there - but the fact that Alexander has been a Toronto EBUG for multiple seasons while playing at a high level in the OUA? Suddenly, Jett Alexander might be a name that other minor-pro teams keep on a "future prospects" list.

I've heard some describe U SPORTS hockey as the "best-kept secret in the hockey world", and I honestly think that's a condescending comment. It's not a secret as much as it's ignored as players are normally past the age of being draft-eligible and must be signed as free agents. While that provides less control for teams, the rub is that most players are coming out of U SPORTS as physically-mature men who are ready to wthstand the rigors of AHL or ECHL hockey the moment they put pen to contract. Like NCAA graduates, there are exceptional players who simply didn't catch on at the major junior level who matured at the U SPORTS level, and they're now far better suited to help teams at all levels.

Selfishly, I want to see more U SPORTS players at the AHL and NHL levels, but I also recognize that's an end, not a means to an end. I want more media coverage of U SPORTS games. I want more reporters talking stats and breaking down games and talking to players and coaches. I want more scouts in the stands taking note of the exceptional players across Canada who want to continue to chase their hockey dreams. I want more fans talking about Jett Alexander's 70 seconds for Toronto, his warm-up with the Avalanche, him being a star player with the Varsity Blues, and celebrating that the Canadian univeristy hockey system had another player signed for next season, not just signed for one game.

In the end, I'm here to celebrate Jett Alexander's appearance tonight. But I'm also here to point out that there are so many missed opportunities to really celebrate U SPORTS, its teams, and the many players who came from teams that have gone on to long hockey careers. Jett's 70 seconds will likely be the stuff of legend for the netminder, bu I'm hoping he gets to showcase his talents at the Mattamy Athletic Center next season at the U SPORTS National Men's Hockey Championship in Toronto. The kid who wowed the OJHL, CJHL, and a full house at the ACC looks like he might be ready to win the OUA and U SPORTS. Who knows what other three- or four-lettered leagues may follow after that?

Now that you know a little more about Jett Alexander, get out to watch the Varsity Blues when they play next season. And if you're not located in Toronto, head down to your local university rink to catch the action because you might get to see a Mike Ridley (Manitoba), Derek Ryan (Alberta), Phil Maillet (UNB), or Logan Thompson (Brock) before they skate under the bright lights of an NHL rink.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!