There's a pile of hockey happening on Friday night, but I really am only focused on one game that happens tomorrow at 3pm CT. As I wrote just over a week ago, the Flames prep hockey program will cease to exist once their season comes to an end, and it's an unnecessary ending to a program that established itself as a destination for students and high-level hockey players. After seeing former Flames players graduating into university hockey programs across the continent, it was clear that head coach Larry Bumstead and his staff were doing things right. That all comes to an end with the final whistle tomorrow, so I hope that the rink is full to show these women that their efforts matter.
UMFM will be there tomorrow as the station has been invited down to the rink to call the final game in Flames history live on the UMFM Second Stream. We're going to give the Flames the full treatment as well as we'll run the interview we did with Flames alumna and current Ottawa Charge netminder Logan Angers prior to the pregame show. Logan's interview from The Hockey Show will air from 1:30-2:30pm CT with the Flames pregame show beginning at 2:30pm CT.
In the pregame show, we'll get you set for the game at 3pm CT between the Balmoral Hall Blazers and the Flames prep hockey program, and we'll call every second of the action between these two teams. We'll have intermission features between the periods featuring Flames players, and we'll see if we can get a few special guests to sit in with us for this final game. In order to preserve these memories, we'll record this final game for anyone who would like a copy of the audio once the final whistle sounds.
I know we've discussed this on The Hockey Show over the last couple of weeks, but I can't express the disappointment I feel in a number of institutions in how they've let these young ladies down. Whether it's the school, Hockey Manitoba, Hockey Canada, or any of the other governing bodies who oversee the team and sport, I find it hard to believe that none of them see the damage they are doing to the sport within Manitoba. And, if the rumours are true, this is simply the first of many baffling decisions women's hockey in Manitoba will see.
I won't deny that tomorrow will be emotional for a lot of people, and I can't say that I won't be emotional as well. Having gotten to know the players and coaches of the Flames program, we are always grateful and honoured to be a part of their world. Knowing that a large number of the women who wore Flames uniforms have gone on to highly-successful careers across the planet is a point of pride for us after having the honour to call a small portion of their hockey careers, so I can only imagine how proud the coaching staff is in seeing all the success their players have had.
None of that seemed to matter to those who held the program in their hands. Rather than celebrating the graduating seniors who are heading off into new chapters of their lives, the game tomorrow will have a dark cloud hanging over it as all the Flames players will get one last opportunity to skate as a team before figuring out where they play next season. At that final whistle, an era of hockey excellence will come to an end because those who were tasked in curating the game have once again failed the players.
I hope you'll tune in for this final game in Flames history, and it would be great if you went over and dropped a comment of support for these girls on the team's Instagram page. If you have a little time to kill tomorrow, come down to the Hockey For All Centre and watch these girls play a little hockey. If you're a fan of women's hockey at the international or PWHL level, all of those women got their start at the CSSHL and/or AAA level like these women are.
Or, in the Flames' cases, like these women were... since there won't be Flames hockey next season. It sucks to write that.
The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, returns to full-strength tonight as our two hosts are back in the studio and ready to talk some hockey! Of course, the 4 Nations Face-Off ended, players have returned to their respective clubs, the NHL season has resumed, and teams are hunting for playoff spots. There are still other things happening in and around hockey as we approach the trade deadline, there's a big game on Saturday that UMFM will be covering, and there's some news from Europe that may be discussed. In short, it's an episode with a lot of chatter tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
Tonight on the program, Jason will weigh in with his thoughts on the Flames prep hockey situation after missing last week's discussion, and our two hosts will discuss this weekend's final game in program history. Beyond that, the Winnipeg Jets are on an 11-game win streak after dispatching the Ottawa Senators last night, there are chances for tweaks, the Carolina Hurricanes have a star potentially back on the trading block, there's a Champions League champion, and the IIHF launches a new mentorship program that seems valuable yet redundant. Teebz and Jason will squeeze all of that and anything else that gets brought up into the hour tonight on 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 new UMFM website's online 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. It's a solid app.
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 about broken dreams, winning big, adding and subtracting, winning often, coaching role models, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
I was scanning through Twitter earlier today - no, it will never get the one-letter treatment from me - when I caught former NHL defenceman Mike Commodore asking about a specific moment in hockey history. I normally don't try to interact with NHL players because I respect that I'll never be on their level when it comes to knowledge of the game, but it seems Commodore was seeking information from the general Twitter population. His reason for needing this info might be even better.
If you didn't click the tweet above, it reads,
"Afternoon Folks...I have a question I need answered but don't have the research skills to do it myself..tried AI and it didn’t know…Cujo played 1 game in AHL..4-1 win..Grand Rapids vs Utah Grizzlies Oct 24, 2003...who scored the Grizzlies lone goal?
"Reason for asking is Cujo, Van Simpson and I trying to figure it out cause the goal scorer yelled "Suck on that Cujo!" Right after scoring."
A number of people responded to his tweet with the correct information that Jarrod Skalde scored the goal on Curtis Joseph that night, and his goal was assisted by David Oliver and Mike Sgroi at the 7:44 mark of the second period to make it a 1-1 game. But that specific moment in history is not why I'm writing this article tonight.
If you know a little about me, I like jersey cameos. Jersey cameos are when a player wears a jersey or number that one normally wouldn't associate him wearing. It's like Ryan Getzlaf wearing #51 for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks or Scott Niedermayer skating for the Utah Grizzlies - you forget these things happened because of everything they did in their careers. And that brings us to Curtis Joseph's one-game appearance for the Grand Rapids Griffins against Utah.
Thanks to the Griffins' Facebook account, here's Cujo's jersey cameo!
How glorious is that? If I had a Griffins jersey, I'd be looking to get #30 and "Joseph" on the back now. That would be a conversation piece for years to come! Not for nothing, you'd also be getting the jersey of a guy who is 1-0 in the AHL as he made 20 stops in that 4-1 uwin. That's why jersey cameos are fun - they're stories that can be told about the game and players based on a weird jersey or number!
Full credit goes to Mike Commodore for sending me down that Curtis Joseph rabbit hole, but full marks go to the Grand Rapids Griffins for having that jersey cameo posted on their Facebook account!
The goalie to the left probably isn't well-known, but the team she's playing for has also been lost in the echoes of time. That's Jennifer Price between the pipes for the BC Breakers of the old Western Women's Hockey League, and she did something that no one else in western Canada had done before. Price was a very good goaltender who was born in Victoria where women's hockey hadn't quite caught on like it had in other cities, but Price didn't let that deter her as she practiced and played as much as she could. As she got older, she got stronger, faster, and better, and that put her on a few radars including one that no one may have expected when she was fifteen. And it's pretty cool!
I will point out that Jennifer Price is not from Mars to which the title of this article alludes, but Rick Brodsky is on record saying, "If she was from Mars, it wouldn't matter. She's good. Simple as that." Check out his comments about Jennifer Price in the article below.
Jennifer Price may have been the first female goaltender ever to have been put on a WHL team's 50-player protected list on September 9, 1992 after the WHL's Victoria Cougars opted to keep her on their protected list. For those who are unaware, the protected player lists are "used by the Western Hockey League to ensure there is a method of organization and control in the League for the rights to players". Basically, it ensures that players who are selected or signed by a WHL team can remain as part of that organization in order to prevent specific teams from amassing all the talent.
There's a quip about Manon Rheaume reaching out to Price after it was announced that she was on Victoria's protected list, and that's a pretty cool connection after Manon Rheaume became the first woman to play major junior hockey in Canada in the QMJHL. While Rheaume played, Price unfortunately did not, but it makes her achievement no less impressive as she was recongized as a talented player by Cougars owner Rick Brodsky who used one of his prospect spots for Price.
Price earned her way into the women's game by playing well. She was on the original roster for the NWHL's Vancouver Griffins in 2000-01 as one of the three netminders as the Griffins joined the NWHL as the first non-Ontario or non-Quebec team in the league. The Griffins would soon fold at the end of the 2003 season, but the Western Women's Hockey League would establish the BC Breakers in the province, and Price joined that team as their starter in 2004.
Price was also a regular for Team British Columbia at the Esso National Women's Championship during those days, and she would routinely shine against the game's best as she was tasked in stopping Hayley Wickenheiser, Danielle Goyette, Jennifer Botterill, France St-Louis, and Cheryl Pounder as the other provinces loaded up their rosters. While BC didn't medal at the Esso National Championships, Price was respected among her peers for the number of saves she made against the country's best teams.
Price was named as the top netminder at the 2004 tournament in Sherwood Park, Alberta, and that honour put her among this country's best players as she stood alongside MVP Hayley Wickenheiser, top defender Cheryl Pounder, and top forward Danielle Goyette. Her Team BC squad was also named Most Sportsmanlike of all the teams in the tournament, so Price brought home some hardware to display in 2004. She'd follow that up with another Top Goaltender honour at the 2005 tournament in Sarnia, Ontario as Price stood on her head in the bronze medal game. Making 57 of 61 saves, Team BC would lose 4-2, but Price and the BC defence held Quebec to a 2-1 score until there were less than ten minutes to play before Quebec struck!
"Getting that first award was probably the best surprise for me because I didn't expect it," Price told Mark Staffieri. "To get the second was also special, but the first one is the one that really sticks with me because of the team I shared it with. For the second one, I think it was tempered by the heartbreak of losing the bronze medal game after it had been so close. It’s the one loss that still haunts me."
Price was a regular on the ball hockey scene as well as she tended the nets for Team BC at the National Championships, and she was still playing every week in the South Coast Women's Hockey League while tending to her kids when not stopping pucks. Family life has taken center-stage for the 47 year-old Price today, but her imapct on the game is certainly not forgotten after all she's done.
She may not have had the legendary career that Manon Rheaume or Shannon Szabados did, but Jennifer Price made a little history by being the first woman protected by a WHL team. It would have been cool to see her in camp or in games for the Cougars like Ève Gascon or Charline Labonté, but Jennifer Price proved she was one of the best with her work at the Esso National Championship tournmaents.
Not bad for a goalie from Victoria. On Earth, not Mars.
As the city of Hamilton looks to fill its renovated FirstOntario Centre, it should be noted this isn't the first time that the city has pursued an AHL franchise for its arena. FirstOntario Centre is the original Copps Coliseum that opened on November 30, 1985, and it's played home to a few different hockey franchises. One of the teams that called the city home was the Hamilton Canucks who spent one inaugural season and one rocky season in Steeltown from 1992 until 1994, but the Vancouver Canucks' AHL affilate would see brighter days once its run ended in southern Ontario. What's the story on the Hamilton Canucks? Let's find out!
On April 25, 1992, Hamilton Entertainment and Convention Facilities Inc. announced that they had come to a three-year agreement with Double Hitch Enterprises Ltd. to have Vancouver's AHL affiliate play in Hamilton's Copps Coliseum. Double Hitch Enterprises Ltd. was the partnership between former NHL player Pat Hickey, Canadian Football League legend Bernie Faloney, and Dieter Beer, a founder of Immunotec. The three investors looked to "generate $1 million in their inaugural American Hockey League season" according to The Canadian Press article below. Click to enlarge for reading.
I'll be the first to admit that there was certainly a lot of promise and enthusiasm in that article, but AHL hockey in the early-1990s simply wasn't as popular as it was today. And being that southern Ontario hockey fans likely couldn't give two hoots about the Vancouver Canucks' prospects, this seems like it might be a harder sell than what Double Hitch Enterprises imagined when it comes to generating that million-dollar goal. However, let's dig into this.
It was announced in June of 1992 that the AHL had placed the Hamilton Canucks in the confusingly-named Southern Division that featured the Canucks, the Baltimore Skipjacks, the Hershey Bears, the Binghamton Rangers, the Utica Devils, and the Rochester Americans. Given that the Utica Devils made the playoffs as the fourth-place team in that division with 34 wins and 74 points, the Canucks were joining a competitive division where they had to win games to win fans. Considering that the IHL's Milwaukee Admirals - Vancouver's 1991-92 affiliate - finished with 84 points and third in the East Division, there was hope they could bring that success and more to their AHL debut in Hamilton.
In September, the Hamilton Canucks got a little star power for their lineup with a guy that a lot of southern Ontario hockey fans knew well. 33 year-old sniper Rick Vaive signed on to play with the Canucks as a player-assistant coach after having a solid career that included stops in both Toronto and Buffalo. Vaive stated that he was "excited for the opportunity" which may have given him a path back to the NHL, but we'll find out more as this story plays out. Nonetheless, the Canucks had some NHL star power to bring in fans.
Head coach Jack McIlhargey got some more NHL help at the end of September when the Hamilton Canucks signed former NHL defenceman Mario Marois to a deal as a player-assistant coach as well. The 34 year-old defender has played for St. Louis and Winnipeg the season before, but he'd be suiting up in the AHL in 1992 for the first time since 1977-78 when he skated with the New Haven Nighthawks where he had eight goals, 23 assists, and 147 PIMs in 52 games. Marois didn't have any southern Ontario hockey experience, but 955 games of NHL experience was good enough for him to find a home in Hamilton. Would these signings lead to wins?
The Hamilton Canucks began to see their goaltending picture start to become clearer after the Vancouver Canucks acquired Kay Whitmore from the Hartford Whalers on October 2, 1992.
The end result was that Kirk McLean and Kay Whitmore played the season as the tandem in Vancouver with Troy Gamble making a few spot appearances. Bob Mason was the odd netminder out as he spent most of the 1992-93 season in Hamilton as the starter for the AHL Canucks. With the crease solidified, would the AHL Canucks compete?
Things didn't go so well on the ice for the Canucks as they struggled to score goals. Their 284 goals was fourth-lowest in the AHL in 1992-93, and it was significantly lower than any of the teams in their division. Fifth-place Hershey scored 32 more goals than Hamilton despite recording two less wins, but it's points that matter as the Canucks finished with 64 points - two back of Hershey and four back of fourth-place Baltimore. Their 64 points tied with the Springfield Indians for second-lowest in the AHL. Yes, they struggled.
The Canucks stumbled out of the gates as they recorded just their fifth win on Sunday, December 6 with a 5-2 victory over the Fredericton Canadiens. Clearly, that slow start to the season put the expansion AHL franchise into a bad spot, and they needed to win games if they hoped for a shot at the playoffs. Needless to say, they won a few more games, but the 29-45-6 Canucks would miss the playoffs by four points in their inaugural season.
AHL veteran Stephane Morin led the Canucks with 31 goals and 85 points, and he was significantly ahead of second-place Neil Eisenhut with 22 goals and 62 points. 21 year-old Jiri Slegr and 19 year-old Jassen Cullimore were the only players on the roster who spent any significant time with the Canucks at any point in their careers as Slegr had 18 points in 21 games while Cullimore has 12 points in 56 games. Slegr did spend 41 games with Vancouver that season, so he may have been the best young prospect the Canucks could boast.
Goaltending, however, was another story as Mason played 44 games, posting a 20-19-3 record on a 3.67 GAA and an .887 save percentage. All of Jason Fitzsimmons, Mike Fountain, and Troy Gamble played between 12 and 14 games, and not one of them had a goals-against average below 4.00. Combined, they were 8-26-3, and that's simply not good enough for any backup netminder, let alone three netminders who were 25 or younger and aiming for NHL jobs.
If there were positives, the Canucks averaged 4,773 fans per game - fourth-highest in the league - while Vaive scored 16 goals and 31 points in 38 games after recovering from a broken wrist that kept him out from the start of the season until late November. Mario Marois was slightly better as he had five goals and 32 points in 68 games, but the two veterans hardly made the significant impact that the Canucks had wanted. While both were good, they simply couldn't carry the Canucks to the playoffs in their first AHL season.
Whatever good that had been built in the first season of Canucks hockey in Hamilton quickly unravelled as the summer got underway. Bernie Faloney and Dieter Beer both left the ownership partnership, and were quickly replaced by Brad Sherman and Donald Starr on July 29, 1993. They added three more investors, but the group ran into money problems as the season neared. The biggest hurdle, they indicated, was the lease deal with Copps Coliseum, and this would prove to be a major problem moving forward.
On September 23, 1993, president and general manager Matt Newsome resigned from his position with the team. With no general manager, it's hard to imagine that the team would find its direction as the season was scheduled to get underway, but things continued to spiral downward when Pat Hickey was dismissed from the Double Hitch Enterprises group. With the team's future in serious question, news broke on November 3, 1993 that sent everything into turmoil.
On that day, the owners, operating as Double Hitch Enterprises, informed Copps Coliseum that they were no longer operating the AHL franchise and would be discussing the future of the franchise with both the Canucks and the AHL. Unwilling to operate the franchise without going into debt, the ownership group effectively stopped funding the team at that point. This was clearly an issue with the team already a month into its season, so the AHL and these owners needed to find a solution quickly.
By the third week of November, the AHL had found its solution: the Vancouver Canucks would operate the franchise for the remainder of the season, and the ownership held by Double Hitch Enterprises would be terminated. With the team's future for the remainder of the season back on stable ground, the Hamilton Canucks could focus on playing hockey rather than worrying about whether or not they'd be allowed in the arena. The Vancouver Canucks would be able to control the operations on and off the ice of their affiliate, so there appeared to be some benefit in having the NHL team run the AHL team. Would it help in the standings?
Things had improved dramatically for the Canucks in terms of on-ice play. Stephane Morin still led the team in scoring with 38 goals and 105 points, but he had a number of goal-scoring threats near him in the points race. Jay Mazur scored a team-high 40 goals to go with his 95 points, and Dan Kesa scored 37 goals and 70 points in just 53 games for the AHL Canucks. Scott Walker announced his arrival with a 272 penalty-minute season while scoring 39 points, and Mike Fountain turned his game around in the crease, going 34-28-6 with a 3.61 GAA and an .886 save percentage. While there weren't any standout rookies for the Vancouver Canucks to insert into the lineup, the youthful Hamilton Canucks were finding the right chemistry.
The 1993-94 Hamilton Canucks would rise in the standings, finishing in second-place in the AHL Southern Division with a 36-37-7 and 79 points. That would qualify them for the playoffs where they ran into the Cornwall Aces who had finished just two points back of the Canucks. Despite the success they had shown in the regular season, the playoffs were a different story as Cornwall swept the Canucks in seven days, ending a solid season of hockey in Hamilton.
Things got immediately worse after that playoff series ended as one day after the Canucks were swept, the Vancouver Canucks announced that the Hamilton Canucks would be leaving the city. Vancouver general manager Pat Quinn stated that ticket sales seemed to be the reason for the club's relocation, and there may be some truth to that as the Canucks went from the fourth-highest average attendance in 1992-93 to fourth-lowest in 1993-94. Again, the uncertainty that swirled about the franchise likely didn't help any ticket sales, but the Canucks weren't going to see if things returned to normal. The only thing left to determine was where the franchise would play next season.
That answer would come quickly as the Canucks sold the franchise to a group led by Alan Taylor and Howard Dolgon on May 6, 1994 who promptly moved the team to Syracuse, New York. The new team would be named the Syracuse Crunch, and that team has had a fantastic run as an AHL franchise since arriving in that city. It should be noted that the Crunch would remain as the AHL affiliate for the Canucks until 2000 when the Canucks began looking for a closer city to house their prospects, but that affiliation never saw much postseason success either. In the six seasons following the move, the Crunch made the playoffs three times and were eliminated in the first round in each of those appearances.
For two seasons, the city of Hamilton had AHL hockey in the early 1990s after the Vancouver Canucks expanded into Steeltown, but those two seasons were filled with ups and downs, both on and off the ice, as the costs of running a professional hockey team eventually ended the Canucks' run in Hamilton. This should be a reminder to any owners of an AHL franchise looking to relocate to Hamilton's newly-renovated arena as the population and market seems poised for a franchise, but the costs of running a team and the effort to sell the team to the market might be higher than expected.
There wasn't a lot to write home about when it came to Vancouver's presence in Hamilton, but the AHL Canucks had an interesting and tumultuous two-year history in southern Ontario!
Four teams entered the weekend as the playoffs opened in Canada West. Trinity Western was making the long trip to Winnipeg for a date with Manitoba while the Regina Cougars were heading west to meet the Mount Royal Cougars in an all-cats series. The winners of those series would move on to face UBC and Alberta, respectively, next weekend with berths in the Canada West Final and the U SPORTS National Championship on the line. Before any of that is decided, though, the field would need to be reduced to four teams. Let's find out who is moving on to the semifinals this week on The Rundown!
Friday's game would be the second time that Trinity Western would find themselves in the postseason. They held a 1-2 record in playoff games after defeating Mount Royal in Game Two of the 2023 series by a 2-1 overtime score, so the Spartans were looking to build on that record after finishing the season on a 6-3-1 stretch and coming off a sweep of the Mount Royal Cougars.
Manitoba hasn't won a playoff game since 2019 when they last went to the National Championship, but they were looking to build on a second-place finish in the East Division despite going 5-5-0 down the stretch. Having never met in the playoffs, history would be written between these teams as Kate Fawcett got the start for the Spartans while the Emily Shippam took the Bisons' crease for Game One!
The game seemed a little slow off the start as both teams looked to being playing cautiously after only meeting on one weekend this season. Perhaps both sides were looking to reacquint themselves with one another, but Manitoba built a little momentum after killing off an early penalty. There were some skirmishes as both sides weren't willing to concede an inch to one another, but it would be in the dying seconds where the scoring would open. Presleigh Giesbriecht's point shot was knocked down in front by traffic, but Chloe Reid found it and buried it with 4.1 seconds on the clock to send the Spartans to the room with the 1-0 lead despite Manitoba leading 9-6 in shots.
The second period opened with the same cautiousness, but that faded after the Spartans took an early penalty. The Bisons poured on the pressure, but could not find the twine. They'd continue pressing after the penalty, and it would pay off at the 7:37 mark when Hanna Bailey's shot was stopped, but Fawcett left a juicy rebound that Sadie Keller pounced on and put past the netminder to make it a 1-1 game! Despite another power-play later in the frame, the Bisons could not take the lead with the advantage. However, it seemed they came to life as the two teams went into the second break tied at 1-1 and with Manitoba holding a 22-16 edge in shots.
When tied going into the third period, Manitoba carried a 2-3-1 record while Trinity Western was 4-3-0. On the other hand, Manitoba was 14-4-1 when outshooting their opponent while Trinity Western was 5-10-1 in games where they were outshot. Which of those trends would hold true? Both teams looked to take the 1-0 series lead!
Both teams looked to attack where possible without giving up their defensive coverage, but a cross-checking penalty to the Bisons six minutes into the frame would prove costly. A point shot from Kelsey Ledoux found its way to Shippam who stopped the puck, but the rebound caromed to a wide-open Kyla McDonald who swept it into the open cage for the power-play goal and the 2-1 lead at 6:51!
The Bisons upped their pressure for the final thirteen minutes as they looked for equalizer and they had chances, but Kara Yackel would ice the game for the Spartans with five second remaining as the Trinity Western Spartans wins Game One by a 3-1 score over the Manitoba Bisons. Kate Fawcett made 36 stops for the win while Emily Shippam stopped 23 shots in the setback.
Trinity Western leads the series 1-0 over Manitoba.
Highlights of this game are below, and feel free to make them fullscreen because it seems like Manitoba's game staff was filming this game from the moon. Figure out how to use the zoom feature!
The home side found themselves in a predicament as they trailed in the series. After dropping a 3-1 decision on Friday, Manitoba was in win-or-done territory, and they needed to earn a win. The Trinity Western Spartans were looking to fly home earlier on Sunday with a second-straight win and second-straight weekend sweep of a second-place team, so they weren't looking to finish in second-place in this second game. Anyone want seconds on another batch of seconds? Ok, enough goofing around as Game Two between the Spartans and Bisons saw a rematch of last night's goalie matchup with Kate Fawcett back in the net for Trinity Western while Manitoba went back to Emily Shippam in this pivotal game.
There was no shortage of pucks-on-net for Manitoba in the opening period as they seemed determined to throw as many pucks as possible from all angles at the Spartans' net. The catch, however, is that Kate Fawcett was solid once more as she denied all of those shots. At the other end, Shippam was just as good in denying the Spartans on their handful of opportunities, and a penalty-less period meant a blank scorehseet was all we had after 20 minutes as the teams were tied at 0-0 despite Manitoba being up 20-7 in shots.
The second saw the defence step up as both sides continued their pushes, but also began limiting more chances. That was especially evident on the two power-plays that Trinity Western had compared to the one that Manitoba was given, but that's all the ink we'd get for 40 minutes of work. Both goalies were solid once more as no one could find twine, and two periods of hockey had us at a 0-0 game with Manitoba up 33-12 in shots. Would it be next goal wins?
The third period was played far more evenly, but Manitoba was called for an infraction early into the frame. They'd kill that off, and it seemed to give them a little jump. Trinity Western would be whistled midway through the period for delay of game, and the Bisons used this opportunity to its fullest. Norah Collins' shot off the left wing on a rush down the ice went high as Fawcett stopped it, but the rebound landed in the slot where Ashley Keller fired it home as the Bisons grabbed the 1-0 lead with the power-play goal at 10:49!
The Spartans pushed back over the next few minutes, and they'd finally be rewarded for their work when Kelsey Ledoux's point shot was tipped by a wide-open Kara Yackel in front past Shippam as her goal drew the Spartans even at 1-1 at the 16:45 mark! Both teams tried to end this game before the final horn with chances at either end, but the horn would sound on regulation time with the game still tied at 1-1, so it was off to the most-exciting time in hockey as overtime loomed with the Bisons holding a 43-20 shot margin.
With overtime in the playoffs getting the full five-on-five treatment, it would take a team effort for one of these sides to claim victory. Manitoba was 3-0-2 in extra time this season while Trinity Western was 3-1-1, so there wasn't much difference there. Being that there will be five players aside, it may not matter anyway, but Manitoba did win all three of their extra-time games without needing the shootout. Would that factor in? On to extra time!
The first twwenty minutes saw no goals and no penalties called as neither side could find the winner. As we know, Trinity Western could advance with a goal while Manitoba would force Game Three with a score, so both sides would be limiting chances while finding their own, right? That's not quite the story as the Bisons outshot the Spartans 11-3 in the frame as they looked to end it with pucks-on-net thoughts, but we'd move to double-overtime with no goals scored!
The second period of extra time saw Trinity Western and Manitoba engage in the "any shot can go in" mentality as pucks were sent towards the nets from everywhere. Breath was held for two minutes late in the period when Trinity Western was called for a slash, but they'd kill the penalty with no damage done. Despite Manitoba holding a 70-33 shot advantage over Trinity Western, this 1-1 game would need a third overtime period as the teams regrouped again!
On the third shot of triple-overtime, we'd finally see a celebration as Kylie Lesuk dug a puck out of the corner and threw it back towards the point where Camille Enns stepped into a blast at the top of the face-off circle and beat Kate Fawcett on Manitoba's 73rd shot of the game as the Bisons capture the 2-1 triple-overtime win over the Spartans! Emily Shippam stopped 32 shots in 104:12 for the six-period win while Kate Fawcett set a new Canada West record with 71 saves in this game despite the setback.
Manitoba and Trinity Western are tied 1-1 in this series.
Highlights of this game are below!
Sunday's game was simple: win or go home. Trinity Western's playoff history in Game Three games is simple as they're 0-1. Manitoba hasn't played a Game Three in the playoffs since 2018 when head coach Jordy Zacharias ended the quadruple-overtime thriller against Alberta with her goal, so there isn't a lot of recent history to recall. After the triple-overtime game on Saturday between Manitoba and Trinity Western, it will be interesting to see if either team has a lot of jump. The one thing that is certain is someone has to score more than the other to advance. In saying that, it's the third-straight game where TWU's Kate Fwcett and Manitoba's Emily Shippam stood 200-feet apart in the nets.
Of course, there was no highlight reel created by the time I was publishing this article - 11pm CT - so I can't show you the Game Three action. Instead, let's just head to the scoring summary and pretend that someone at Canada West was working on Sunday night.
Spartans goals: Kyra McDonald (1), Kyra McDonald (2)
Spartans assists: Kasye Ditner (1)
Spartans netminders: Kate Fawcett (17/20) in 45:39; Olivia Davidson (5/6) in 13:36
Result: 5-2 victory for Manitoba over Trinity Western.
Manitoba wins the series 2-1 over Trinity Western.
The Regina Cougars made their way to Calgary for a showdown with the Mount Royal Cougars to determine which Cougars team would advance. Regina was making their first playoff appearance since 2022, but were looking for their first playoff win since 2016. Needless to say, none of the players on the current roster were around when that last win was recorded, and they enter this series on an oh-fer-10 run in postseason play. A 3-7-0 stretch run didn't look good, but it could all be erased with a win on Friday.
The Mount Royal Cougars are no strangers to playoff hockey, and they can book their third-straight semifinal berth with two wins over Regina. It starts with a win on Friday, and Mount Royal is 5-0 since 2019 in opening games of the quarterfinal round. If they wanted the streak to continue, they had to be ready for Regina. Arden Kliewer was in Regina's crease while Kaitlyn Ross stood between the pipes for Mount Royal to kick off Game One in this Canada West quarterfinal!
Mount Royal was in trouble early and often in the opening frame as they were down a player just 89 seconds into the game, and that trend continued throughout the next fifteen minutes. Luckily for them, Ross was looking as sharp as she ever has in keeping the Cougars at bay over four-straight power-play opportunities. Regina had chances to score, but they could not capitalize. At the other end, Mount Royal would get out of the first period with a lead when Jerzey Watteyne dropped a pass in the high slot to captain Lyndsey Janes, and she wired it home at 18:13 to put the home side up! At the break, Mount Royal led 1-0, but Regina had a 9-5 edge in shots.
The two sides settled down and played a little hockey in the middle frame. Regina was whistled for an infraction five minutes in, but they killed it off. The resulting pressure from that power-play, though, put Mount Royal on the offensive a lot in this frame, and they'd get another when Lyvia Butz centered a pass after corralling her own rebound, and Lyndsey Janes netted her second goal at the 15:05 mark to make it 2-0 for Mount Royal! The final 4:55 wouldn't see anything else added, so Mount Royal took that 2-0 lead into the intermission while holding a 23-12 shot margin after putting 18 shots on net.
Mount Royal was an impressive 15-0-1 when leading after two periods of play while Regina was 4-10-0 when trailing after two periods. Things were also in Mount Royal's favour when one considered that Mount Royal was 15-3-2 when outshooting their opponents while Regina was 5-8-1 when being outshot. Clearly, Regina needed a big effort in the third period if they were going to win this game.
The third period was all about the Alberta-based Cougars playing their game as they limited chances, they cleared pucks quickly from danger zones, and they supported Ross with blocked shots and by breaking up passes. Regina's two power-plays in the period would have helped immensely had they capitalized, but Mount Royal got out of those situations unscathed. When the final horn sounded, the Mount Royal Cougars claimed a 2-0 victory over the Regina Cougars! Kaitlyn Ross stopped all 20 shots she faced for the shutout while Arden Kliewer made 29 stops for Regina.
Mount Royal leads the series 1-0 over Regina.
Highlights for this game can be found below.
Mount Royal was one step closer to a semifinal berth with their win on Friday while Regina's unfortunate playoff streak continued. They'd need to find a way to capitalize on power-play opportunities if they were going to push this series to a third game, and we've seen in the past how big of an impact that scoring on the power-play in Canada West playoff games can make. Natalie Williamson got the nod for Regina in this game while Mount Royal went back to Kaitlyn Ross to try and close out this series.
Both teams were looking for the early strike, but it would be Regina who finds it. Off an offensive zone face-off win by Kaylee Dyer, the puck came back to Olivia Leggett who fired the puck through traffic and beat Ross who didn't see the puck as Regina took the 1-0 lead 2:07 into this game. The teams would continue to seek chances, but we'd get a response from Mount Royal on the power-play midway through the period. Jerzey Watteyne's shot found the top corner on Williamson's stick side, and her power-play goal at 10:08 tied this game up. Both squads would prevent any further damage, and the period would close with the teams tied 1-1 and 7-7 in shots.
The second period saw an uptick in the offensive push from both sides as each looked to take a lead, but it would take nearly nine minutes for that to happen. Syndey Benko shielded a puck from a defender well before finding Summer Fomradas as the trailer, and the defender made no mistake going between the wickets on Williamson to put Mount Royal up 2-1 at 8:45. Benko was at it again minutes later as she drove the net, but was forced behind it only to step out on the near side and feed Watteyne for her second goal of the game as Mount Royal went up 3-1 at the 14:07 mark.
On their very next shift, that combination clicked again as Benko found Watteyne wide-open in the middle of the slot on a rush, and she'd convert her own rebound after being stopped as Watteyne picks up the hat trick at 16:36 to make it a 4-1 game! Three goals in the middle frame from Mount Royal opened up a big gap between the teams as they went into the second break with a 4-1 lead while holding a 19-15 shot edge, and Regina had a lot of work to do in the third period if they wanted to keep their season going.
The third period saw Mount Royal shift into defensive mode as they knew they just had to limit chances to secure the win. Regina pushed for goals as they looked for opportunities, but any scoring chances were stopped by Ross and cleared by the Mount Royal defence. The 2023 National Champions looked strong in shutting down their Saskatchewan namesakes as the Mount Royal Cougars defeated the Regina Cougars by a 4-1 score to win the series. Kaitlyn Ross made 25 saves in helping her team advance while Natalie Williamson stopped 23 shots as Regina's season comes to a close.
Mount Royal wins the series 2-0 over Regina.
Highlights of this game are below!
Obviously, there are no standings for the playoffs, so we'll head over to the updated bracket for all your necessary information.
Alberta and Mount Royal already have a schedule set as the Cougars will play in Edmonton at 7pm MT for all three games (assuming the third one is necessary). There's no love lost here as Alberta eliminated Mount Royal in 2024 in three games while Mount Royal eliminated Alberta in 2023 in three games. Prior to that, Alberta swept Mount Royal in 2020 so the all-time series is in the Pandas' favour, but they'll add another chapter next weekend. It should be noted that the last two Canada West teams that captured National Championship banners defeated Alberta in three games in the semifinal, so that's a fun little bit of info to know for this series.
UBC is aiming for a fourth-straight Canada west banner, and they'll host the Manitoba Bisons. There are 7pm PT start for Games One and Two with Game Three scheduled for 3pm PT if necessary. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was 2019 where Manitoba swept the Thunderbirds, but recent history points to UBC's dominance over the Bisons with a 15-1-0 record in the last five years during the regular season. If Manitoba wants to exorcise those demons, taking down the top-ranked team in the nation in the playoffs would be a good way to do that. The only problem is that the Thunderbirds will have a say in that, and they are 11-2-0 at home this season.
Winners from both semifinal series will play in the Canada West Final, but, perhaps more importantly, both will qualify for the U SPORTS National Championship taking place in Elmira, Ontario. The games will be played at the Dan Snyder Arena which seats 1300 fans. Depedning on traffic, Elmira's about 30 minutes north of Kitchener, so any teams or fans who chose to stay in Kitchener will need some wheels to get to games. One step closer next weekend!
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. This week's Honour Roll candidate had one of the busiest weekends in between the pipes in recent memory as she set a record despite her team's season ending. This week's honour roll candidate is Trinity Western Spartans netminder Kate Fawcett.
Fawcett has always played a big role in the success of the Spartans as their starting netminder, but this weekend saw her stand on her head as she faced more shots than both Kaitlyn Ross and Emily Shippam combined! Fawcett was spectacular in stopping 71 of 73 shots in the triple-overtime loss where she set a Canada West record for stops in a game, and I can understand if she was a bit fatigued in Game Three after that performance. It isn't often a goalie loses two of three games when stopping 95% of the shots she faces, so Kate Fawcett deserved a better fate after doing all she could this weekend.
She has one more season in Canada West hockey, and it appears that Kate Fawcett is positioning herself to be among the top stoppers next season. She was incredible in her perfomances this weekend, and she should help Trinity Western push for a better finish and another playoff spot next season. Making 124 saves over nearly 210 minutes of play is more saves than some goalies in Canada West make in two weeks, and that's how Kate Fawcett adds her name to the list!
Credit Where It's Due
I admit I've been harsh in my treatment of Canada West over the last couple of months, but they won back a little credit this weekend by not only providing all the highlight packages seen above, but they also fixed the media stats. I'm taking no credit for this since they probably would have got the message long before this past week had they been reading this blog, but the fact that I can dig into stats and history to give context to the stories above is the whole reason why I want these things on a regular basis. Makes sense, right?
If you earn the praise, you'll get it from me and Canada West certainly deserves a little this week as they made my job much easier with their efforts. If eight schools would chip in - Calgary, you keep up the good work! - there could be some very fun things I could accomplish. From where I sit, all it would take is Canada West issuing a mandate for highlights of every game. This is a good first step, though, so kudos to Canada West for coming through in a big way.
A Common Phrase, But...
I do read the recaps from the teams before settling in to write The Rundown, and one struck me from the weekend as missing the journalistic mark that the conference once set. I know there was an element to holding up standards as drawn up by The Canadian Press at one point, but I guess those fell to the wayside with athletics' departments cutting staff for cheaper solutions.
I was shocked that the Bisons had published the first Canada West game recap that I've ever read that contained expletives. I'm not faulting the author for capturing the comment that contained said choice words, but the general rule is to remove them and note the changed word. I'm thinking the author wasn't aiming to make history, but I've never seen that before in any Canada West recap.
If the Bisons are going to edit their article, they can also fix the spelling and grammatical errors seen within the article while fixing the formatting. If they don't, I guess that's how this creative communications student will be remembered because this article is now pinned to his social media account. Maybe help the kid out?
The Last Word
Congratulations to both the Mount Royal Cougars and the Manitoba Bisons as they keep their seasons going with wins this weekend. Regina and Trinity Western certainly put up a good fight in getting to the playoffs before falling, but the final four teams in Canada West are the top-four team in terms of points this season. The best teams in the conference will decide who goes to Nationals this season.
Yes, it sucks losing so I won't minimize the frustration and sadness of having a season end like both Regina and Trinity Western experienced. The only way to get past that is to take a few weeks to reflect, get set for the hard work needed over the summer, and getting to work. Both teams showed solid growth and potential this season, so next season is about taking that next step. No one likes losing the last game of any season, so use this experience to push higher next season. There's no reason why it can't happen.
For Mount Royal and Manitoba, they have one week to prepare for the top-two teams in the conference. Execution of systems will be very important, so practices should be uptempo and fast. Video will likely play a large part in preparing for the next series, so study your opponents, be ready to play on Friday, and try to grab the early series lead. Preparation is a large part of how teams win, so make it count this week! To be the best, one has to beat the best!
For UBC and Alberta, the bumps and bruises have hopefully healed, the legs should feel fresh thanks to the break, and the goal is simple: keep winning. You're going to face two battle-tested teams, but the advantages of playing at home should help. Everything is earned and nothing will be given, so enter next weekend expecting to find two teams not wanting nor willing to go home without a fight. If both teams play as well as they did during the regular season, things should turn up in their favours as the top teams in the conference.
The next series start on Friday, and they should be beauties! If you can get to either Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton or Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, you should because these are the four best teams in western Canada. Who will play for the Canada West banner and make plans for a trip to Ontario? We'll know at this time next weekend on another edition of The Rundown!
As the temperature in Winnipeg starts to rise near freezing as opposed to be deep-freeze temperatures, more and more people are getting outside again. I ventured out this evening as I was called into action for a specific duty: timekeeping. I fully understand why timekeepers are important for any game as they keep things orderly when it comes to times on a number of fronts, but I'm not one who usually jumps at an opportunity to sit in the cold for an hour while pressing buttons. However, when a friend called and was desperate for a timekeeper or his game would be cancelled, I layered up for another chilly night in an overly-cooled arena.
Again, I know the importance of timekeepers and how demanding it can be to keep things running on time, specifically if there are games being played after a later-evening game. No one wants to be at the rink until the wee hours of the morning, so keeping things moving keeps everyone happy. It didn't help that the referee for tonight's game was late getting onto the ice, but we finally got the game going a few minutes past the scheduled start time. Consider that a win!
One of the cooler things about the league for which I was keeping time is its use of 12-minute periods as opposed to the full 20-minute periods. Frankly, an extra 24 minutes of hockey tonight would have proved nothing when it came to the final score, but the 12-minute periods seemed to force teams to push the offence a little more. I didn't expect to see a defensive battle by any means, but the shorter periods meant the trailing team had to elevate their pace.
Being that I'm not a timekeeper very often, I have a question for all of you timekeepers who keep the world running. With the job tonight, I was required to fill out the scoresheet when goals were scored and penalties assessed, and that meant that my gloves were off a lot. Being that the rink was cooled to somewhere near -200C, my hands got cold quickly despite me trying to keep my mitts on as often as I could. How on earth do you keep your hands warm when working in a subarctic environment like most arenas?
I'm am completely open to suggestions here because my hands were blocks of ice by the end of the game. While I get that one can use those hand warmers that are sold, I'd be more into something that's reusable. The problem is that there are a ton of different options, and I'd want something reliable. I'm open to suggestions, so feel free to leave a comment below on what you may use or what has worked for you! Having numb hands from the cold isn't fun.
It's late here, though, so I'll let you know that the team that called me in their time of desperation lost tonight's game by an 8-5 score. It was 6-5 late in the third period, but a goal followed by an empty-netter iced the game for the home side. One handshake line and a few laughs between opponents and teammates later, and I was released from my responsibilities to seek heat so my fingers would work again. The car's heating vents were that heat source.
I have full respect for timekeepers who sit in frigid rinks for hours and keep the games moving. While the job isn't overly difficult, the cold certainly sets in quickly. I feel fairly confident in my timekeeping skills after hitting just one wrong button over the course of the game, but I gotta find a way to stay warm if I do this again!
After keeping a suitcase packed for the early part of his professional career, it seems Eric Comrie has found a home with the Winnipeg Jets... again. He's been through the city before as this is his third stint with the team, but it should be noted that a guy like Comrie is more than a backup netminder. If there was a list for genuinely good people in the NHL, Eric Comrie would make the cut in my books. The Edmonton native always has a smile on his face, and he seemingly enjoys making other people smile as well.
Comrie spoke to Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press today, and his comments on the state of the game are proof that the cost of playing hockey is entirely prohibitive for kids and parents. That's not to say that Comrie isn't benefitting from the game's financial advantages, but hearing an NHL player talk about the struggle to meet the costs associated with game as openly as he did is refreshing in a time where hockey players are being paid a premium.
Comrie's comments are below. For a guy who isn't hurting financially, this is a pretty remarkable statement. Click to enlarge the image.
It's hard to argue that Comrie is wrong about the financial burden it is for parents and kids to play hockey. While it's been some time since I needed a new stick, I used to pick up a wood twig from a local sports store for less than $50. Today, those options don't even exist as sticks, skates, and equipment are all pricey investments.
I honestly have no idea how we lost sight of the importance of simply getting kids to play. There has been a significant shift towards hockey academies and touring teams which prevents kids from simply discovering the game at their local community center. Buying all the ncessary equipment for one season only to hear your child say he or she doesn't want to continue playing is a heavy financial setback. In both cases, it's not like it once was where skates, a stick, and puck was enough for any player to join the local game at the outdoor rink or on a river or pond. Even just getting skates is an investment now!
Comrie is right in that if we want more kids playing the game, we have to lower the costs to get them through the door. I've spoken about this before, but the costs of hockey is entirely prohibitive for me to play beer league hockey. I can't imagine buying new gear every few years for a growing child, and the cost for goaltenders is even more ridiculous. I'm not saying that's why Canada is in a goalie drought right now, but it could be part of the reason.
Companies like CCM, Warrior, and Bauer will tell you that they pour obscene amounts of money into research and development to come up with their latest new piece of equipment or stick, but a shin pad is a shin pad. As long as it doesn't shatter if I block a shot, that's the standard. If I'm an NHL player, I likely do want stronger and lighter, but my NHL days are long gone. Blocking shots are more because I couldn't get out of the way rather than purposefully being in the way. I want that shin pad to protect me more than anything else.
Do eight year-old kids really need carbon fibre shin pads? This is where these equipment manufacturers could start to work with low-cost retailers to put more equipment into the hands of families so their kids can try the game to see if they may have a Crosby or McDavid at home. While there are some programs like the NHL/NHLPA First Shift program and Canadian Tire's The Big Play program that either provide or help offset costs for equipment, the fact that programs like these haven't pushed an uptick in kids' hockey registrations means that there's still not enough being done.
I commend Eric Comrie for saying the quiet part out loud, and I really hope that he can participate more with the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy where those players are given a chance to break through some of the barriers that normally keep other kids out of hockey. However, his point where he said, "[i]t's ridiculous how expensive it is and it kind of grosses me out thinking about how hard it is for kids to play this game" hits the bulls-eye dead center.
If NHL players are speaking out about the costs of equipment, you know things are getting out of hand. I don't know if Eric Comrie's comments will prompt any changes, but my hope is that someone is listening so that we can try to get more kids playing the game.
The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, may be down a skater tonight as illness has struck the studio! In all seriousness, Jason is battling the flu and has wisely opted to stay home tonight in order to keep his contagions at bay. As such, I've got calls out to the ringers to see if we can win Thursday night! It will be another busy show this evening, though, as we jump into the world of hockey once more for discussions on all aspects of the game, so make sure you join us tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
It may just be Teebz alone in the studio tonight, but there will be chatter! In that chatter, you'll find someone talking about Charlie McAvoy's injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off and why this tournament is becoming a bad idea for NHL teams, why Americans and some Canadians can't seem to understand why booing the US national anthem has nothing to do with what's happening on the ice, the PWHL's attendance problem they refuse to talk about, a change on the local hockey landscape that's hard to comprehend, and whatever else may cross our desks today. Get yourself hunkered down beside a radio or internet connected device for all this and more tonight on 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 new UMFM website's online 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. It's a solid app.
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 a guest? An empty chair? will take a look at injuries at the tourney, booing at the tourney, butts in seats, a missing team, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
On January 13, I wrote a fairly amibiguous post in which I alluded to something bad that happened. There were certainly bright spots that could be found in the darkness that fell, but the black of space occupies so much more space than the twinkle of stars. To make this allegory whole, it was announced today that the Flames hockey program will not continue next season due to reasons that seem dumb, but the Flames hockey program has been officially snuffed out, leaving a void where there once was a bright future.
From everything that I've gathered in talking to multiple, this decision was apparently made in May 2024 during St. Mary's Academy's Board of Directors meeting. At some point, the school decided that it didn't have the "resources" to support the female prep hockey team, and they removed that line from the budget. The only problem? It seems no one told the hockey program.
School started, kids came to classes, and the prep hockey team assembled on the ice for what was to be a fun and exciting 2024-25 hockey season. The calendar flipped to October, the seasons started, and everything was going according to plan from how the team saw things. And then November hit and the news was delivered to head coach Larry Bumstead that the school would be cutting the program at the conclusion of the season, and that expenses associated with the team wouldn't be funded by the school.
I should add a small note here about how several people have informed me that the school charges the hockey players additional money on top of their annual tuition for the privilege of playing on the Flames prep team, and that most of these additional monies go toward covering the costs of the hockey team. In short, there really isn't a budgetary line for the hockey team when it's a cash-in-cash-out transaction from how I understand this. But I digress....
Being a responsible coach that looks out for the good of his players, Larry met with the team and their families to inform them of the news he received. He foresaw a situation where players will need to find new teams next season if they weren't graduating, but a number of those players wanted to know if they could somehow save the Flames. From what I was told, after some discussions and support from the parents and the players, Larry sprung into action to see about keeping the Flames together in some fashion.
It seemed everyone was onboard with this idea except St. Mary's Academy who informed Larry that the decision was final. Conversations were short. Progress was non-existent. Stonewalling was in full effect. After getting nowhere with the school, the Flames were not going to skate under the St. Mary's Academy banner again.
The month of December was a scramble, from what I was told, in terms of exploring every avenue for the girls to remain as a team. The hockey schedule continued and the Flames didn't let the outside noise into the room, but it was all hands on deck in an effort to keep the Flames together in some form.
A new deal was struck with a school to have the girls and program move an re-associate with this new institution, but the CSSHL required Hockey Canada's blessing to make it official. The issue in this scenario is that Hockey Canada's cutoff for these applications was in September, so the team had missed the deadline for applying. Rather than worrying about a deadline, though, the application was made submitted in the hopes that the team could re-associate under this new school's name and the girls could remain as a team.
This brings us to January where I found out, and I found myself optimistic, but cautious. After all, I had witnessed the University of Lethbridge kill its hockey programs with little remorse for its students, and I watch the University of North Dakota dismantle its women's hockey program despite having one of the best programs in the US. Seeing St. Mary's Academy turn its back on the team, the chances that hockey wouldn't happen for the girls next season seemed likely, but hope sprung eternal.
After another successful Female World Sport School Challenge where the team and tournament received zero funding from St. Mary's Academy, it seemed pretty clear that the team had a number of capable people behind the scenes who could ensure future success through teamwork, collaboration, and dedication. The Hockey Canada decision still loomed on the horizon, but it seemed very clear that the team was positioned to be successful if they were to re-associate thanks to a number of dedicated people.
That decision was delivered today, and it landed hard: the Hockey Canada application had been denied. As was written to parents and alumni in an email from a prominent Flames supporter,
"... there was nothing we could do to circumnavigate the HCAS deadline for applying for a new program. As [head coach Larry Bumstead] has shared previously, we learned too late that deadline was in September of 2024, months before anyone was notified that the program would be discontinued. Because that information was withheld, it blocked an avenue to move the team or apply for a new program to be instated for this coming season."
There was still a chance to appeal the decision, but that process would have reportedly extended into the summer. With players needing to find new teams for next year in order to keep playing and pursuing their dreams, it was decided that an appeal would not be made and the Flames prep hockey program would no longer exist.
Admittedly, I'm still processing this news because of how closely we worked with the Flames. Even when they weren't featured on The Hockey Show, we still followed their progress. We cheered for players who skated for U SPORTS teams, NCAA teams, ACHA teams, and for those who had made the jump to the professional ranks. We're fans of the players who have graduated to other walks life including coaching, teaching, and other professions where they're excelling. It's hard to process what the current players are going through, but I can't imagine what the alumnae feeling after helping to build the Flames into something great. Today hurts if you wore the jersey.
I can't imagine the hurt and betrayal that the parents and coaches feel after investing so much of their time, money, and effort into making the Flames prep hockey program one of this nation's best. These people worked tirelessly at games, volunteered all sorts of time and effort at the Female World Sport School Challenge, and spent their hard-earned dollars on tuition for their daughters only to have the school erase them like chalk on a blackboard while Hockey Canada opts to eliminate twenty high-level girls' hockey roster spots.
A few people asked me in January if I was going to eviscerate the school here on HBIC like I had done to other schools who had cut their hockey programs, and I still may let the rage out over this debacle. Right now, though, this one hits home because we had a friendship with the girls and the coaches while maintaining a solid working relationship with the program. I'm confused, I'm frustrated, I'm angry, and I'm sad after receiving the news today, but I'm mostly disappointed in both St. Mary's Academy and Hockey Canada. Two institutions that proclaim they're helping to elevate girls and women sure dropped the ball on that mandate in the last few months.
With the Flames' final CSSHL game scheduled for March 1, I'm going to focus on getting to those games between now and then to make sure the girls know that I believe in them. They may not wear the Flames jersey next season, but the Flames' spirit will still burn within them. They all have bright futures in whatever paths they choose to take, and my hope is that this mess won't sour them on being part of the game at some level because, as it always seems to happen, the adults have gone and ruined it for the kids again.
The Flames have officially been extinguished despite the efforts of a number of people, and this is one fire that will not re-ignite. Despite the effort, everyone associated with the Flames got burned.
Without doubt, the PWHL is making waves across North America as it sends its players to various neutral cities in an effort to bring the women's game to those communities. The success of its one-day-only games has been celebrated by the PWHL as they've announced that 81,441 fans have walked through the turnstiles in the five cities they've visited, and there are more of these one-off games to come. However, the PWHL seems to ignore the bigger problem with butts in seats in that there aren't many seats with butts in them in a number of the cities they call home.
There have been big crowds in four of six cities that the PWHL calls home where they've surpassed 8000 fans for a few games. Toronto and Montreal lead the way in terms of the average crowds they're seeing as both have topped 8000 fans per game this season. But when two-thirds of your league are playing below 80% capacity in the buildings they call home, there has to be some sort of realization that the PWHL isn't succeeding despite all their bluster and celebration about attendance figures. So let's dig into the numbers.
In the PWHL Weekly Notebook published today, the league announced that "[t]he first five games of the [PWHL Takeover Tour] have amassed a total attendance of 81,441 starting in Seattle (12,608), a sold-out crowd in Vancouver (19,038), a record-setting U.S. crowd in Denver (14,018), and sold-out crowds in Québec City (18,259) and Edmonton (17,518)". If we include the games played at the Canadian Tire Centre (11,065) and Scotiabank Place (19,102), the seven games have seen 110,708 fans watch PWHL hockey in those arenas and cities. Pretty good numbers, right?
The question needs to be asked what makes this PWHL Takeover Tour any different than what the PWHPA did with their Secret Dream Gap Tour. People flocked to rinks where there has been a clear lack of high-level women's hockey, paid whatever money it cost to watch the best women's players in the world play the game, and celebrate how good these women are at playing the game. The PWHPA knew these stops weren't permanent despite their efforts, and this realization has to happen for the PWHL because expansion at this point in the game is beyond irresponsible. In fact, it shouldn't even be mentioned.
The 110,708 fans who have flocked to watch the women of the PWHL in non-PWHL arenas account for 29.15% of the total attendance that the PWHL has attracted this season. They've had 269,115 people come to watch the women over 45 games in the six arenas they've identified as their home arenas, but the math says that 5980 fans per game isn't going to end up covering all the costs that the PWHL is incurring. The PWHL Takeover Tour is legitimately making up the difference for the PWHL because there are lots of empty seats.
Of the six franchises, the New York Sirens are the biggest problem for the league right now which seems illogical considering that they play in the largest market. However, the Sirens have had more than 4000 fans at a game just once this season, and they've played in less than 1800 fans three times this season. They play to just 16.76% capcity of the Purdential Center on any given night with just 2768 fans coming to watch them. Even if we close the upper deck and just use the lower bowl, the Sirens still only play to 40.45% capacity.
How is it that a team in its second year of existence has already moved arenas and states, and they still can't sell half the seats in the arena in which they play? How is it that they can play to crowds of 3200 three times, but also play to crowds of less than 1800 three times while being in the largest metropolitan center on the continent? Why is it that the PWHL is making the same mistakes as the PHF in terms of having a team fail in the New York-New Jersey region? I thought this was supposed to be different!
That's not the only place where the PWHL should be concerned. We're told that Minnesota is the "State of Hockey", yet their team plays in a cavernous arena where they fill just 33.03% of seats when the upper deck is open and 66.30 when the upper deck is closed. Minnesota hasn't played to a crowd larger than 8726 this season, has exceeded 8000 fans just twice, and has played to less than 5000 fans four times. They average 5967 fans per game - fourth-best in the league. Are they the State of Hockey? It seems more like the State of Apathy.
Again, the PWHL seems to be completely ignorant of the problems they have in the buildings and cities they call home, and they're covering those mistakes with this PWHL Takeover Tour. Boston plays to 68.11% capacity in the Tsongas Center, Minnesota plays to 66.30 capacity in the lower bowl of the Xcel Energy Center, and New York plays to 40.45% capacity in the lower bowl of the Prudential Center. Two of the three franchises - Boston and New York - average less than 4500 fans per night. That's simply not good enough.
And if you think this is just focusing on the US, we need to turn our attention to Ottawa because they're playing in front of 6551 fans on average per night. That's 66.43% of capacity at TD Place, and only their January 11 game has exceeded 6600 fans. Twice in five home games they've played to less than 6000 fans. In an arena with 9000 seats, one-third of them sit unoccupied in a city that proclaims it loves the women's game. If that's the case, prove it.
When nearly one-third of the league's total attendance come from non-PWHL arena crowds, and 48.74% of the remaining two-thirds of the total attendance are found in Toronto and Montreal, the PWHL has an attendance problem. Four cities have played host to 29 PWHL games that have seen 137,939 people attend those games.
Or, if you want to put it another way, it took four teams to 29 games to push 20,468 more people through the turnstiles than the PWHL saw in seven non-PWHL arenas in seven games. Still don't think there's an attendance problem outside of Toronto and Montreal?
For the record since people will want the receipts, Toronto averages 8141 fans per game and plays to 100% capacity based on the capacity for the Coca-Cola Coliseum. Montreal averages 8257 fans per game and plays to 82.06% capacity at the Place Bell. Montreal has had crowds larger than 10,000 fans four times this season while Toronto's smallest crowd was 7584 this season. In short, Toronto and Montreal are carrying this league when it comes to ticket sales.
I want the PWHL to succeed for the players, not for the people in the league office or the Walters who are funding the league. The players deserve to have a strong league that has solid financial standing where they can continue to grow salaries and get better benefits. That doesn't happen without better fan support, though, and it's pretty clear that having four franchises playing in front crowds occupying just two-thirds of their arenas or less isn't going to create nor sustain that solid financial standing.
Using the PWHL Takeover Tour to evaluate new cities for expansion is highly irresponsible when the two biggest markets in the PWHL - New York and Boston - can't even break 5000 fans per game and two of the "hockey-mad" cities - Ottawa and Minnesota - are playing in front of large swaths of empty seats. Publishing a sentence like "PWHL attendance through 51 games of the league's 90-game schedule is 374,027 – an average of 7,334 per game" might look appealing to sponsors, but the actual numbers are distorted completely by the PWHL Takeover Tour's numbers. That's a fact.
Like most of what happens with the PWHL, there are often a lot of half-truths and spin being mixed into stories. The attendance figures look good when you just see the numbers, but those numbers hide the fact that New York, Boston, Minnesota, and Ottawa have lots of empty seats on a nightly basis. Until that problem can be solved, the PWHL should ban all chatter about expansion because adding another team to the mix could only make this attendance problem worse.
The first step in solving a problem is realizing there is a problem. It seems the PWHL isn't willing to take that step, this stubborn pride may ultimately cost this league in the long run.
Posts
