It's A CanWest Wednesday!

The university school year is barely over, yet the news coming out of the Canada West Conference for hockey is certainly picking up. With most of the recruiting already done for men's and women's hockey, all of the other details are being addressed at this time and it seems a number of programs are advertising to erase those details from their lists of wants and needs. Other schools have completed work on those details and have announcements. When all of it comes together, you can be sure you'll find it here on HBIC where I have a keen interest in seeing this conference find the best people! In saying that, let's check out the stories!

Looking For Sponsors

While the image to the right is smaller thanks to the formatting on HBIC, the Alberta Golden Bears are hunting for businesses that want to "Be The Roar" next season! The Golden Bears are advertising options for businesses that want to support the Golden Bears' program next season with a $5000 Gold Sponsor option or a $3000 Green Sponsor option. Both options get you an advertisement on the rink boards and tickets to home games throughout the season, so it seems like a pretty good sponsorship option when you consider that the Golden Bears are almost assured to be in the Canada West playoffs next year and they often send players to the ECHL, AHL, and, eventually, the NHL!

There's no information on whether any of the money raised will go to the Pandas hockey program, unfortunately, but I assume that all of University of Alberta's hockey teams benefit from sale of these sponsorships. If you're interested in having your business on the boards at Clare Drake Arena, contact Stan Marple from the Golden Bears hockey program!

Help Wanted

I don't know how many opportunities like this one happen in university hockey, but I can tell you I'm confident the answer is "not often". That opportunity is to join the 2023 U SPORTS National Champion Mount Royal Cougars women's hockey program as a full-time assistant coach! While there will be changes this season, this new assistant coach will work alongside Scott Rivett who this writer knows is a fantastic person and coach, and there's a very good possibility that this will open other doors for aspiring coaches who want to pursue a long and rewarding career behind hockey benches. There are some employment requirements just as any job would have, but one lucky applicant will get to work with amazing players such as Nationals MVP Kaitlyn Ross, Norwegian national team player Emma Bergesen, young sniper Aliya Johma, and the Borbandy sisters as they try to repeat as national champions!

If you're a coach looking for a bigger challenge this season, read through the job posting linked above and see if you fit the qualifications that Mount Royal seeks. The selection and process won't be easy, but, for the one person who survives the interviews and discussions, this could be the job of a lifetime or a great opportunity for someone looking to work with a respected, championship program. If you are interested, get your information into Scott Rivett ASAP!

National Honours

There's a belief that hockey players are some of the toughest athletes on the planet thanks to their ability to play through injuries regardless of the pain or blood they shed. I've never actually seen her bleed, thankfully, but Sophie Lalor has always been one of the Saskatchewan Huskies' most lethal players with a puck on her stick. Last week, though, Sophie Lalor was recognized for her work off the ice thanks to her partnering with Canadian Blood Services as she was nominated for the inaugural Cameron Bulger Memorial Award by Hockey Gives Blood, "a non-profit society that has partnered with Canadian Blood Services in an effort to engage and educate the hockey community about the importance of blood, plasma, stem cell, organ, and tissue donation."

Founded in 2018 by former hockey players, Hockey Gives Blood seeks hockey ambassadors to engage and educate communities about the importance of blood, plasma, stem cell, organ, and tissue donation. Sophie, as an ambassador in Saskatoon, hosted the largest blood drive in Saskatoon last season while also spearheading a stem cell event!

"For us, especially as athletes," she told Ben Tompkins of HuskieFAN, "we're healthy, we're in good shape, and I felt like I didn't want the people in Saskatoon and the athletes at Huskie Athletics to kind of take that for granted. This was a way for us to give back and not take for granted the health that we have, and be able to help out those people who aren’t blessed with that same reality."

The Cameron Bulger Memorial Award, it should be noted, was named for the late Cameron Bulger who "was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer, and following a multi-year battle, sadly passed away at the age of nine" while "requiring three stem cell transplants and over 50 blood transfusions" during his three-year treatment. The award will be given to a nominee later this month.

"I'm just glad to be nominated, the two other nominees are just like amazing people, amazing hockey players, and it's just an honour to be putting my name beside theirs," Lalor said. "Just being honoured with someone like Bulger and my name being put forward, it was really special to me, I definitely take a lot of pride in it, and I'm very excited about it."

That's an outstanding nomination, Sophie, and congratulations on being a nominee for the award. Perhaps more importantly, the work you're doing in Saskatoon to help blood and stem cell donations will go a long way in helping a ton of people who need those donations, so major kudos to you, Sophie. Everyone across Canada West is proud of you!

The First 2024-25 Pup

Announced earlier this week, the Saskatchewan Huskies are getting a jump on some of their recruiting work for the 2024-25 season by announcing that Regina Rebels defender Avery Gottselig will join the team after graduating from high school! The 17 year-old defender scored one goal and added 19 assists in 29 games last season for the Rebels as they went to the Esso Cup in Prince Albert, so it looks like the already-strong blue line of the Huskies will only get better with the addition of Gottselig. Keep an eye on her in the SFMAAAHL this season as she plays her final year in AAA hockey where the Rebels will be counting on her to build on a great 2022-23 season!

Of course, depending on how the Huskies do at the 2024 National Championship that they're hosting, Gottselig could be joining a medal-winning Huskies program! Wouldn't that be something for the defender as she gets to join one of the top teams in Canada? Congratulations on joining the Huskies, Avery!

What Took So Long?

The date given for when the new head coach of the Manitoba Bisons men's hockey program would be announced was June 1, 2023, but it seems the Bisons needed twelve extra days to print and publish the press release stating that former Moose Jaw Warriors and Kootenay Ice assistant coach Gordon Burnett would be behind the bench for the foreseeable future. Burnett seemed like the logical choice when it came to his WHL ties considering how Canada West teams build their programs with WHL grads, and the 42-year-old Regina native will now be tasked with trying to build a program that hasn't won a playoff game in nearly a decade.

"I recognize the rich legacy and storied history of the University of Manitoba's hockey program and I'm excited to build upon its foundation," Burnett said in the press release. "I have a vision that encompasses fostering a culture of teamwork, resilience and continued improvement. We will strive for excellence in every aspect of our game, on and off the ice. I am dedicated to providing our student-athletes with a supportive environment that nurtures growth as athletes, scholars and individuals."

Based on the recruiting class being put together by outgoing Mike Sirant, I wouldn't expect much to change for the Bisons men's hockey program this season. Where things may change will be if Burnett can attract some WHL talent to head to the Manitoba capital for school and hockey. My hope is that the program is competing for a playoff spot within three years, but we'll see how Burnett does in building this program from its current situation.

Congratulations to Gordon Burnett, the new head coach of Manitoba Bisons men's hockey!

Stepping Away

In a rather surprising announcement today, current Edmonton Oilers prospect and former Alberta Golden Bear Noah Philp announced that he's stepping away from hockey for the foreseeable future. Philp was a solid contributor with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors this season where he scored 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in 70 games during the 2022-23 season. The 24 year-old was entering restricted free agency this summer where he was arbitration-eligible, but it seems he wants to pursue other opportunies.

Philp's statement today, in part, reads, "I'm at a time in my life where I want to focus on things outside the realm of hockey. I'm doing well and wish all the best to the players, coaches and staff in Bakersfield and in Edmonton."

I have no doubt that Philp is making the right choice for himself, and I suspect he'll be successful in whatever new endeavour he'll tackle. While it sucks to see a great Canada West alumnus hanging up the skates at the age of 24, I wish Noah Philp all the best in whatever this new chapter of his life brings.

Finishing Up In Edmonton

From one former Golden Bear stepping away to another who will remain in Edmonton potentially until he retires, it was announced yesterday by the Edmonton Oilers that they had signed Derek Ryan to a two-year contract extension worth $900,000 per season. The 36 year-old scored 13 goals and 20 points in 80 games with the Oilers last season before adding a goal and two helpers in 11 playoff games this spring. While the financials are less than what he received on his previous deal, this extension will now allow him to possibly finish his career as an Oiler, something he hopes to cap off with a Stanley Cup. If Ken Holland can get his team sorted out, that could be something that's possible with the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl still there too.

"I don’t think I've slowed down, or I'm missing a step," Ryan told Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. "I don't think I'm being passed by players. I'm in the gym every day, working hard, and I'm motivated because I want to win. It's not about the money, it's about winning, and the family being happy. Those boxes are checked in Edmonton."

Make no mistake that Derek Ryan is an Edmonton guy. Whether he's wearing the green-and-gold of the Golden Bears or the blue-and-orange of the Oilers, Derek Ryan is the kind of guy that every team wants. For once, I'll give Ken Holland credit because signing Ryan was clearly a no-brainer. And while I can't share Ryan's enthusiasm for a Stanley Cup in Edmonton, here's hoping he continues to be the consistent player he's been known to be throughout his career!

There's all your updates from Canada West - past, present, and future - when it comes to news being made at university hockey programs from the left four provinces. There will be more news as the summer goes on, but there are some great opportunities for people to join programs, sponsor programs, and to change programs in order to make Canada West the best conference for hockey in the nation!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!