Expensive Hockey Broadcasts

While news broke on Monday of the deal that was announced today between Rogers Communications and the National Hockey League, it's hard to imagine Sportsnet's owners spending more money on a product that didn't return profits on their investment until very recently and didn't make a significant impact on the bottom line over a ten-year period. Yet the deal announced today not only say Rogers Sportsnet commit to another twelve-year deal with the NHL, but they actually spent considerably more money to secure the national broadcast rights in Canada over that period.

Let's jump into the time machine and head back to 2013 when Rogers and the NHL signed a blockbuster 12-year, $5.2-billion deal that put the NHL on Rogers' networks. The two sides have always spoken about that deal in positive terms, but it isn't hard to see through the smokescreen that both sides were building. Rogers sold French TV rights to TVA Sports in a deal to help curb the losses that were mounting, and they sold off rights to Monday Night Hockey to Amazon in 2024. Finding games was suddenly harder than before.

Despite trying to shore up this deal to help their bottom line, Rogers Communications saw very little return on their investment. According to the Globe & Mail's Simon Houpt, "The pretax profit for its three Sportsnet services has stayed flat in that period, inching up to $88-million in 2023 from $87-million on 2013" despite earning $92.55 in subscription revenue from customers who subscribed to all three services of Sportsnet, Sportsnet One and Sportsnet 360. That figure was up from $34.10 in 2013, and yet they earned just $1 million more in pretax profit despite subscription costs nearly tripling.

Upon signing the deal today, Rogers' shares "fell 5.9 per cent on Tuesday to close at $36.17 in Toronto, reaching their lowest intraday level since 2012" as reported by Bloomberg News. Part of that drop was due to the failing Rogers Bank business, but it was also sparked by investors who "are already wary of Rogers' balance sheet and funding headwinds". TD Cowen's Vince Valentini told Bloomberg News today, "[W]e do not expect this rights renewal to be either a negative for Rogers, nor an overly material event."

None of that paints a particularly good picture of the investment that Rogers made with the NHL, so why did they renew the twelve-year deal for $11 billion ($7.7 billion USD), more than double the value of the original deal they signed with the NHL?

Rogers chief executive officer Tony Staffieri explained the new investment at the press conference today, stating,

"The value of live sports content just continues to appreciate, and it's really rooted in viewership continuing to grow. If you look at our NHL deal over the last decade, viewership grew by 50 per cent.

"And with that kind of growth, what you see is revenue growing at a very steady and healthy pace in terms of advertising revenue, subscription revenue, and in the deal we have now, sub-licensing revenue. And so as we look to the next 12 years, we were very thoughtful in how we thought about the economics."

Aside from the fact that revenue isn't growing exclusively from hockey, Mr. Staffieri's own pretax profit reporting shows that the hockey deal isn't helping Rogers find increased profits nor is there any guarantee for future profits with more and more people cutting the cord. Streaming services may generate more money for Rogers, but the Globe & Mail's Irene Galea and Simon Houpt noted that "Mr. Staffieri sidestepped a question about whether the company would pass on the added costs to consumers".

One place where Rogers can make up some of the difference is through their licensing deals as they established with TVA Sports and Amazon. The Canadian Press reported that "Staffieri said Rogers will 'look to opportunities to continue to sub-license where it makes sense'" which means that Rogers' streaming services may carry less games despite promises of fewer blackouts and games from both sides of the border including "up to 10 more games on certain teams".

The only problem is that if they sell off those rights to another streaming service or network, there's an increased chance that people will stop paying for Sportsnet's services. After all, if you have to subscribe to six different services to watch your favorite team, how does that help hockey fans? Hint: it doesn't.

Complicating the process further is that the relationship between Sportsnet and CBC ends with the current rights deal, and there's no extension between the two networks yet. Rogers Sports & Media President Colette Watson said today, "We like our partnership and we value our partnership with the CBC and over the next 18 months we'll look to see if there's a continued partnership there."

That's an odd statement - "look to see if there's a continued partnership" - when CBC is literally one of a handful of stations that is available on all cable packages from coast to coast to coast. Regardless of Sportsnet's feelings towards CBC, removing hockey from the nation's public broadcaster would be like carving the heart out of the nation's chest. Hockey Night in Canada is an institution, and Rogers should be working to keep that institution intact. After all, without Hockey Night in Canada's enduring legacy on CBC, there's no guarantee that Sportsnet owns the broadcast rights for the NHL.

In the end, aside from owning the rights for NHL games, I am baffled why Rogers Communications would sign a new deal for $11 billion that sees Rogers pay the NHL in escalating annual payments. The NHL has continued to profess that it is a valuable asset for anyone to own, but Rogers' balance sheet says otherwise as their adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) show a margin of just 3.4 per cent from media at $84 million. Rogers isn't making money off this deal, and now they doubled their commitment to maintain it? Make that make sense because it financially does not.

I'm not saying that Rogers Communications won't turn a profit on their newest NHL deal that will expire after the 2037-38 season. They can look at innovating and introducing new technology to help make the game better on television, they can have a better presence with quality content, and they can show intriguing matchups, but none of that will matter if the network is losing bags of money.

An $11-billion total bill with escalating annual payments means that the media wing of Rogers Communications will only see margins shrink annually if they can't sell enough ads or sponsored segments. And if margins go to zero or into the negative, expect Rogers to try to erase their losses by selling off more broadcasting rights.

The business of hockey should be its own specialized university degree because it's hard to make sense how hockey fans benefit with this new deal. Especially if it ends up costing fans more money.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A New Month Begins

With the calendar turning to April today, I am taking a day off. March was a busy month of hockey with everything that happened in the last few weeks, and I just need a night to unwind and not think about the game. Aside from updating some spreadsheets and cleaning up the desktop of the laptop where I do some of the graphic and video work you see here, tonight will be a night where I can purge whatever leftover thoughts I had from March and press on into April where the temperatures will rise, the game will intensify, and teams will begin preparing for a playoff run or an off-season of changes. While it may be April Fool's Day, this is not a joke: I am taking today off.

I can tell you that work has been far busier and far more challenging in the last month than anything I've seen in my career with my current employer. I'm not complaining about being busy nor do I feel overwhelmed, but it's that sort of constant stream of work where you look at the clock at 9am before checking it again only to see that it's 2pm. I like being busy at work, but that kind of constant flow of work starts to wear one down as there never seemed to be a break where one could have caught one's breath. And everyone needs that break.

On that note, it was one year ago where I proclaimed that I would likely be posting less stuff on this site. That proclamation never came close to being true as I continue to add something daily over the last year, even if it's not hockey-related in any way. I was thinking about the promise I made to have the site undergo serious renovations - something I am going to complete in the summer - but it occurred to me that I need to start adding more to one part of the blog.

I was looking at the bookcase that holds a number of the books I've reviewed here, and I have two piles of books that aren't organized on the shelves because they have yet to be read and reviewed. How did I get two piles of unread books? They were bought or given to me as gifts with the intention of cracking their spines, but my time was directed elsewhere and those books were forgotten.

Having admitted this, I am making it my goal to read two of the books I have set aside with the intention of reviewing them on here and on my GoodReads account. According to the total on that site, I have 38 hockey-related books I have yet to read, and that number is far too large for my liking. The only way to reduce is to start flipping pages and absorbing the information from those pages. That will start this weekend. If all goes well, there should be a review of the book I chose to read next week. After that, it becomes habit.

Not every weekend will see my face in a book, but I do want to whittle down that list of 38 publications to something in the single-digit values. There are some titles that are interesting to me, and I fully admit that I should have read them before embarking on this new habit-forming venture I'm undertaking. For a guy who laments those at work who either don't read directions or skip the mandatory parts of directions, I should be following my own advice.

March may have been National Reading Month in Canada, but I'm kicking it up a notch or three in April. Better late than never, right?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Ripples Felt

If you're a hockey jersey collector, you know that gamework jerseys simply feel different than the replica jerseys sold for less money. On-ice jerseys have the fight strap and the reinforced stitching that allows them to stand up to the abuse the jersey could take while worn on the ice, so they feel much heavier than a similar replica jersey. I'm not here to tell you one is better than the other - that's a personal choice based on what one likes and, in most cases, what one can afford - but I am here to tell you that the outrageous prices being charged for these on-ice jerseys is likely going to increase yet again thanks to the American political situation. It seems hockey cannot escape politics.

As you'll see in the video below, all on-ice NHL jerseys are fabricated in Ste-Hyacinthe, Quebec at the SP Apparel factory there. This has been the case since 1975 as the wool comes from the US before the employees in Ste-Hyacinthe turn that into fabric. There are pieces that come from other places - logos come from China, for example - but the factory in Quebec puts together the 100-or-so pieces of the jersey, applies the logo, and adheres the NHL logo to the jersey before shipping. In short, it's made in Canada.

CBC's Douglas Gelevan went to SP Apparel in Ste-Hyacinthe, Quebec to speak with staff there about the potential upcoming tariffs that could be imposed this week by the US government. If costs are forced to go up, there's a chance that the US-based Fanatics company, who holds the licensing for all NHL jerseys, could look at moving the operation elsewhere to avoid the additional costs that could be incurred. Clearly, these tariffs could have a significant impact on NHL business on both sides of the border.

Here is Mr. Gelevan's story from CBC News tonight. Have a watch.
I'll be the first to admit that Fanatics' prices for authentic NHL jerseys is nearly criminal considering that the secondary market rarely sees jerseys rise above $300 on average. That point aside, if Fanatics is forced to look at other manufacturers within the lower 48 states, there's no guarantee that the quality, the workmanship, and the price will remain the same. After all, SP Apparel does the vast majority of the work in their factory without outsourcing to anyone else.

As Mr. Gelevan stated, the NHL has no say in where the jerseys are produced, so they'd be no help if Fanatics were to pull the production rights from SP Apparel. At the end of the day, moving the production to a US-based manufacturer likely would save Fanatics some money if tariffs are applied, but Dr. Moshe Lander, Concordia University Economics Professor, is correct: is the NHL willing to alienate Canadian fans if they allow Fanatics to move the production of jerseys south of the border? Methinks there would be conversations.

Of course, all of this may never occur if the American government simply came to its senses. I'm not here to discuss that topic, though. That's another ball of wax entirely, and I know how much people want to keep politics out of sports based on what we see on social media and comments on webpages and in forums. Just remember this example if you own hockey jerseys and want to scream about politics in sports because the sport has nothing to do with these politics.

I spend more time on this blog explaining that the NHL is a business, but rarely do I discuss how many people that business employs on both sides of the border. By having the politics of one country affect that business, the ripples are certainly felt on the other side of the border as well. My hope is that the people at SP Apparel aren't affected by Fanatics' coming decisions with respect to the tariff announcements, but I'd be naive to think they won't be.

Keep politics out of hockey, you say? For once, I agree with that sentiment when I think of the good people in Ste-Hyacinthe, Quebec. They did nothing to potentially be victims of a vengeful government, yet they may pay the ultimate price with their jobs which affects their livelihoods which affects their families. None of that is the goal of a trade war, but those are the ripples that will be felt.

If I can make a plea to anyone, I'd ask Fanatics to resist the urge to move the production of on-ice NHL jerseys to a US manufacturer in the event that tariffs are imposed. The NHL should be looking at finding ways to gain an exemption from these new tariffs if they are imposed, and my hope if that these two corporations can find a way to keep everything in place as it is today. It's better for all three corportations - SP Apparel as well - if everything remains as it is.

I often say on this blog that sports are a microcosm of society. Politics are definitely a part of society, and now we're seeing it bleed into the hockey world in a big way. Those are the ripples that will be felt if the US government imposes its will on society this week.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Just As Good In Kansas

While he was still wearing the familiar green-and-white of the Saskatchewan Huskies on his mask and pads, former Huskies men's hockey netminder Roddy Ross was in a different crease one week after winning a bronze medal in Ottawa at the U Cup National Men's Hockey Championship. AHL and ECHL teams will be looking across the university and college ranks on both sides of the border to help their quests in bringing home a championship, and the Wichita Thunder decided to shore up their goaltending situation by signing Ross to a deal yesterday. The former sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2019 made his way to Coralville, Iowa where the Thunder were playing against the Iowa Heartlanders, and he got the start today for the Thunder as they wasted no time in seeing what he could do between the pipes!

There wasn't a lot of time for comments as my internet search turned up very little to reflect both the team's and Ross's thoughts on coming together, but Wichita head coach Bruce Ramsay likely knew that Ross would be ready for the challenge today. Ramsay is a veteran head coach with seasons in the AHL and ECHL including 2020-21 when he was named as the ECHL Coach of the Year, so having a netminder at his disposal like Ross is an advantage a lot of coaches would like. He gave the nod to Ross today who wore #1 in his professional debut.

The Thunder built a 2-0 lead through 40 minutes before the Heartlanders pressed hard in the third period. Officially, Ryan Miotto is the answer to the trivia question of "who scored the first professional goal on Roddy Ross" as he potted a rebound early in the third period to cut the lead to 2-1. The second professional goal that Ross surrendered went to Ryan McGuire who scored with just under eight minutes to play on the power-play on a deflection, and we'd hear the horn end regulation time with the teams tied at 2-2.

Iowa's Luke Mobley had the only shot on net that Iowa recorded in overtime because Sean Bates scored at 2:57 to give the Wichita Thunder the 3-2 overtime victory! That goal marked the first professional win for Ross in his career, and his 42-save performance will likely stand as one of the highest for the remainder of this season. Ross stopped 16 of 18 shots in the third period alone as Iowa outshot Wichita by an 18-3 count in the frame!

Ross will get a few days to practice with his new teammates after today's victory as Wichita will visit the Tulsa Oilers on Friday before returning home on Sunday to face the Allen Americans. With Tulsa blowing out Rapid City today, the Thunder still hold a one-point lead over the Oilers heading into Friday's game, so that's a big one for both teams. Wichita needs the win as Tulsa has a game in-hand on the Thunder, so expect a battle on Friday in the Oklahoma city.

With the win today, Wichita remains in third-place in the ECHL's Mountain Division, but they sit just four points back of the Tahoe Knight Monsters after they dropped a decision today to Idaho. With five games remaining on Wichita's schedule, they could close that gap and pass the Knight Monsters as the Thunder finish the season on the road in Tahoe for a three-game set with the Knight Monsters. Those games will be played on April 9, 11, and 12, and we could see the Thunder move into second-place. Can they catch Tahoe?

They'll certainly try, but they'll be a little harder to beat with Roddy Ross backstopping them. I'm happy to see Ross get a shot with the San Jose Sharks' ECHL affiliate, and there could be more opportunities for him as the San Jose Barracuda sit one point back of the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL's Pacific Division. Ross certainly earned an opportunity at the ECHL level after the incredible season he had, and it's awesome to see him pick up his first professional win in his first professional start! Keep the winning ways going!

Congratulations to Roddy Ross, former Saskatchewan Huskies netminder, on landing with the Wichita Thunder, picking up his first professional win, and showing everyone why he was deserving of the 2025 Canada West Goaltender of the Year award!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Own Your Markets

With the PWHL visiting St. Louis today as part of the season-long takeover tour, it's time to have a serious discussion about why this entire experiment has artificially boosted the PWHL's numbers and why that's bad for business. In the short term, there aren't a lot of negatives as the extra money generated at each of these stops helps the league conduct its business. However, the longer term problems don't disappear when one looks at the concerning numbers shown at the six arenas they're contracted to occupy. It's time to take a serious look at the direction of this league when it comes to butts in seats.

It's encouraging to see that 182,188 fans showed up for the fourteen games that weren't played in the six home arenas that the PWHL normally plays in, but that total represents 31.93% of the total attendance to date that the PWHL has attracted. There will be people who complain that I've included Agganis Arena in Boston, Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, but those are technically neutral-site arenas since the Fleet, the Charge, and the Sceptres don't call those arenas "home" this season.

The catch here is that Boston has now played two games at Agganis Arena at Boston University, and they're doing better than what is being seen at the Tsongas Centre in Lowell. In those two games at the Terriers' home rink, the Fleet have played in front of 11,996 fans compared to 33,190 fans in eight games at Tsongas Center. The average for those two games is higher than what we're seeing at Tsongas Center, but the Agganis Arena is also far closer to downtown Boston than the Tsongas Center is.

That's not to say the Fleet can't be successful in Lowell, but they're a considerable distance from most of Boston. They still play to 64% of capacity of Tsongas Center and they average 4149 fans this season, but that total is 8.55% of the total attendance without the neutral-site arenas and just 5.82% of the total attendance this season. Those numbers simply don't work when looking at the Tsongas Center, but averaging 6000 fans at the Agganis Arena would. If the PWHL is going to be run like a business, location matters!

Of course, there can be no crossover between PWHL and NCAA players when it comes to playing at Agganis Arena due to the NCAA's rules, so any discussion of moving to Agganis Arena would require significant coordination. However, the numbers don't lie when it comes to the fans the Fleet attract when playing near the downtown area of Boston, and this is why they should be looking for an arena that moves them closer to all areas of the Boston metropolis.

The same problem exists just south of Boston as well as the New York Sirens are playing in front of the sparsest crowds in the circuit despite playing in the largest market. The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey is nowhere near most of New York City, and that has negatively affected the attendance seen at Sirens games. To date, the Sirens have played twelve games at home with only 33,196 fans paying to get into the arena. That's an average of 2766 fans per game, and it represents 8.55% of the total attendance without the neutral-site arenas and 5.82% of the total attendance this season.

If you're wondering, the Sirens have attracted six more fans than the Fleet have this season despite playing four more games in their home arena. My math might be a little rusty, but that's not good.

The problem with the Sirens is that they didn't work on Long Island or Connecticut in Season One, and they aren't working in Newark in Season Two. Add in the fact that the city of New York doesn't have a university team outside of Long Island, and it seems pretty clear that the New York metropolis may not be a women's hockey hotbed despite the size of the market. There will be many who will make the case that it can be, but the numbers don't lie: the Sirens have not made an impact in that market in two seasons of hockey.

Let me be clear: this isn't to say that New York won't be a hockey hotbed for the women's game, but we should be looking at hockey history when it comes to the New York market. The NHL didn't have a US market until 1925 when the Boston Bruins joined the league, and the following season saw the New York Americans join the NHL. 1926-27 saw the New York Rangers join the league as the second New-York-based team, but it took nine years for the NHL's creation to reach and remain in New York with one of their oldest teams.

The other thing to remember is that the NHL had teams in Hamilton, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and second teams in both Montreal and New York long before they reduced the number to the six teams that solidified the NHL's hold as the top professional league in North America. They have had franchises fail in cities where they currently play, and they've gone back to those cities when they've shown they have proper ownership, a viable market, and a suitable arena.

Moving a team that isn't hitting critical benchmark numbers does not mean the PWHL has failed; rather, it should about moving a team to ensure greater overall stability for the league. As it stands, moving the Fleet to a better-located arena and moving the Sirens to a better women's hockey market would undoubtedly strengthen this league.

This is why any talk of expansion by the PWHL is ludicrous at this point. There are two teams who may not hit the required 17% of total attendance to ensure each team are contributing equally to the total attendance, and I'm fairly sure that adding teams and games to the schedule will do nothing to improve those numbers. If both the Fleet and Sirens were averaging 6000 fans per game, I wouldn't even be writing this article, but the reality is that location matters when it comes to getting the attendance numbers these teams need. In Boston's care, a better arena location to play to draw fans, and, in New York's case, a better market in which they can draw fans.

No one wants to see the PWHL fail, and the league can thrive if they can find six markets where a minimum of 6000 fans show up on average for each game. Toronto and Montreal are locks as they're pulling in 23.3% and 23.5% of the total attendance in their home rinks this season. Ottawa and Minnesota are doing their parts at 18.4% and 17.7%, so they're having moderate success. Boston could find success if they played at a rink like Agganis Arena more often, and New York might just need to find a new market.

While expansion is important to grow this league nationally, they need to be successful in the markets they currently occupy first. The league can beat the drum about how they pulled in more fans this season than the AHL and the ECHL, but let's not forget that the PWHL pushed 182,188 fans through turnstiles in NHL and NCAA rinks. The Sirens only outdrew two AHL teams and three ECHL teams, and the Fleet outdrew nine AHL and ten ECHL teams. Moving the goalposts helps no one, and the PWHL would be wise to stop these meaningless comparisons to men's hockey when promoting their own brands.

The PWHL is only as strong as their weakest market just like the NHL is only as strong as its weakest market. With only six teams, the margin for error is much smaller when it comes to being profitable, so the ensuring six strong, profitable markets should be the first point of order for the PWHL. Much like the NHL did, resisting the impulses to expand will be tough, but it will ensure long-term success before the next two, four, or six teams can be established.

As a fan of women's hockey, the last thing that I want to see is another failure of a league because of money problems. I know the Mark Walter Group has a lot of money behind it, but that group isn't in business to lose money with the PWHL. The league can pat itself on the back all it wants when it comes to having 188,122 people show up in arenas the league doesn't call home, but having Boston and New York as viable PWHL markets would give those Takeover Tour numbers a lot more credibility when it comes to expansion talk.

People can lament not having enough roster spots for all the talent seen in women's hockey today, but this is the same problem that the NHL faced when it was limited to six teams. What that allowed was for the best players to establish the NHL as the top league without question, and that supremacy enabled the NHL's six teams to become successful and profitable in the markets they called home. Expansion in the PWHL will happen, but it shouldn't be an option before the PWHL finds longer-term success with its original six teams in markets that will support its product day-in and day-out.

Making history for the PWHL isn't hard when it comes to what's seen on the ice. Making history off the ice when it comes to profitability and long-term success is where they should be aiming for new heights because the PWHL faces the same problems as every other professional women's league that came before them: can they generate enough money to turn a net profit for all their teams?

With each team averaging $55,000 USD per player, 24 players will cost around $1.3 million in salaries alone. 6000 fans per game for 15 games is 90,000 fans per team total, and a $30 average ticket price means that the PWHL generates $2.7 million per team. That number would almost certainly guarantee that teams are profitable when one accounts for merchandise sales and sponsorship dollars, and it's all about growing whatever the net profit is per team after all the expenses are paid. That's why having Boston and New York playing in front of less 5000 fans in their home arenas isn't good for anyone.

You'll hear fans and see journalists trot out numbers like "record crowd in Detroit" and "more tha 18,000 fans in Vancouver", but I cannot stress that playing one game in those cities on a sepcific date that everyone circles on their calendar is far different than having fifteen games on different nights of the week throughout the winter. The University of Nebraska isn't moving their volleyball team outdoors after 92,003 fans showed up to cheer the women on against Omaha at Memorial Stadium, so basing expansion on one day's attendance is a futile effort. The PWHL should know this. And likely does.

Is interest high for the PWHL in other cities? Yes, and it was for the NHL too. But the difference here is that the NHL owned their markets in those original six cities so that there was zero risk of those teams struggling once expansion happened. Those six teams provided the NHL with a rock-solid footing as a professional sports league, and the PWHL should be doing the same with their six teams.

You have to walk before you can run. Expanding in the third season of existing is a good way to have more than just two struggling markets which will only put further strain on the league, and no one wants that. Own your markets, PWHL, and then the discussion about expansion can begin. Gambling with the livelihoods of these women is not something the league should be doing.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Clothes Make The Man?

I had no plans on being at Canada Life Centre when the week started, but the week ended with me sitting up high in the stands thanks to a friend offering tickets that couldn't be used by her (thank you, Tara!). The New Jersey Devils were in town to battle the Jets, and I have to say that I really have no care to watch the Devils play on any night. That's not to say that they don't have good players, but they're the New Jersey Devils. They're not fun with some players injured, and there's zero rivalry with the Jets. I was, however, determined to have a good time as the Jets and Devils battled!

Ok, let me drop the shiny, happy outlook and say that the Devils looked awful. I'm not certain if Sheldon Keefe wrote this game off long before arriving in Winnipeg, but the Devils looked like they wanted to be anywhere else not named Canada Life Centre. After giving up two goals in the opening two minutes to Alex Iafallo and David Gustafsson, it felt like the Devils realized there was a game being played as they did push back a little, but the Jets certainly controlled the game thanks to their solid defensive play.

While Iafallo would score again on the power-play and Mark Scheifele added a fourth goal as Connor Hellebuyck stopped all 24 shots he faced for his seventh shutout, it might be time to bring up the discussion as to what uniforms the Jets should be wearing throughout the playoffs. The Whiteout will happen again as advertised last night, but the heritage jerseys that the Jets wear occasionally really should be elevated thanks to how good they look on the ice.

One can make the case for the standard home and road uniforms, as shown to the right, to be worn in the playoffs. These are, after all, the jerseys that the Jets have worn since they've returned to Winnipeg. There's nothing overly problematic with these jerseys when it comes to the Jets' brand and identity, but it's hard to deny how good the Jets looked tonight on home ice in their heritage jerseys.

I can make the case that there's an attachment for fans of a certain age to the heritage logo, and the Jets make no secret about their ties to Jets v1.0 by honouring players like Dale Hawerchuk, Dave Babych, and others. Yes, there's a lack of playoff success from that era thanks to the incredible teams that played in the Smythe Division, but it's not like the current jerseys have seen a ton of success. Outside of the 2018 Western Conference Final appearance, the Jets really have nothing else about which they can boast in their current uniforms.

Comparatively, these two uniforms look and feel more like traditional hockey jerseys. Tonight was the last time that the Jets were scheduled to wear the navy heritage jerseys this season, and it should be noted that the Jets were 10-2-0 this season while wearing them. Tack on that they beat all of Dallas, Colorado, and Vancouver while wearing these jerseys, and they start to look better. If that's not enough, the Jets scored 45 times in these jerseys while surrendering just 22 goals and recording two shutouts. Averaging 3.75 goals-per-game and only surrendering 1.83 goals-per-game-against would be incredible playoff numbers!

There is precedent for the Jets to apply to have their heritage jerseys worn. The Carolina Hurricanes wore their black alternate jerseys the last few seasons, and the Edmonton Oilers wore their alternate jerseys in both 2017 and 2021 in the playoffs. There are other examples - Sharks, Penguins, Sabres, and Ducks all within the last decade - so the Jets should seriously consider this option, especially with their record at home in the heritage jerseys. While it would be even cooler to have the Jets in white at home, I'll take the heritage jerseys being worn as the first step in righting a jersey wrong. White at home should be the rule, but that's for another day.

Of course, it doesn't matter what the team wears if they play as well as they did tonight against New Jersey. The Jets locked down the neutral zone at times, they took care of business in their own zone, and they scored timely goals when they had opportunities. If the Jets are gearing up for the playoffs over their final ten games, the first instance of that went extremely well. They also looked good doing it in their heritage jerseys, lending more credence to the "if you look good, you play good" philosophy we hear in hockey.

If clothes do make the man or, in this case, team, the Jets should be preparing that request for permission to do in the NHL immediately.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 653

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is excited to welcome back another guest whose hockey knowledge is second-to-none! As we know, it's getting close to playoff season across a number of leagues, and that means teams are gearing up for the best time of their individual seasons! In saying that, we'll talk to a guest, barring any unforeseen changes to the schedule, who has more information than both our hosts do about the ECHL, but we'll also get a pile of updates about other hockey topics tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason are excited to welcome back a guest who will give us all the details we need to know about our favorite ECHL teams as Fiona Quinn returns! Fiona's knowledge of all things Fort Wayne Komets is unparalleled, so we're getting her back on the show tonight as the Komets settle into their playoff stretch run. We'll chat with her about the Komets' chances when it comes to a deep playoff run, get updates on how some of their key players are doing, hear about some other ECHL news, get an update on the Indiana Tech Warriors women's hockey program, chat about PWHL issues and solutions, and anything else we can fit into the hour! Fiona's one of the best with her insight and analysis, and we're always honoured and grateful that she gives us a little time so make sure you're listening to UMFM tonight for 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 welcome back Fiona Quinn as we get caught up on Komets hockey, Komets playoff chances, key players, university hockey, women's hockey, and and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: March 27, 2025: Episode 653

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Holy Paddle Save, Batman!

If you've listened to The Hockey Show over the last few months, you may have heard Jason and I waxing poetic about Sheffield Steelers goaltender Matt Greenfield. Greenfield has been a big reason why the Steelers have found success both in the EIHL and in the Champions Hockey League, but the former Calgary Dinos netminder did something on Friday that seems nearly unbelievable if I told you. We know how good he's been this season, but Greenfield may have redefined what an incredible save looks like after seeing what he did at Braehead Arena.

Sheffield has qualified for the EIHL playoffs already, but they're in a battle for the top of the standings board with the Belfast Giants and the Nottingham Panthers. Three points separate the three teams as of today, and both Sheffield and Belfast have four games remaining while Nottingham has three games left. Greenfield currently boasts the most wins in the EIHL with a 33-12-3 record, he is third with a 2.23 GAA for goalies who have played 20+ games, and he's second in save percentage at .929 for goalies with 20+ games played on the season. The Florida-born Greenfield has been a wall this season!

For as celebrated as he is in Sheffield, England this season, he may have ratcheted the legend up another few notches against the Glasgow Clan on Friday night. Check out this incredible save!
Matthew Greenfield absolutely robs Glasgow's Mitchell Heard on the doorstep with the paddle! You might be thinking that Heard hasn't done much, but he's lit the lamp 21 times for Glasgow so he knows how to find the back of the net. And yet Greenfield pulled off absolute highway larceny on Heard that paddle save! Wow!

I can't say whether or not Greenfield is going to backstop the Steelers to an EIHL championship, but it seems he'll give them a better-than-good chance to do that. As you heard the broadcaster say, Greenfield is the best goalie in the EIHL in his view, and that's certainly something to boast when people start talking about how defence wins championships. With Greenfield in the top-three in the three major statistical categories, the Steelers are primed for a playoff run!

I've watched that clip a dozen times, and it's still baffling how Heard didn't score. Just add that highlight to the long list of highlights that Matthew Greenfield has compiled this season. The former Dinos goalie may soon have the hardware that proves he was the top goaltender in the EIHL if the Steelers can win it all!

With Logan Thompson having a whale of a season with Washington and Greenfield stonewalling the English league, it might not be bad idea for teams needing a stopper to take a flyer on U SPORTS goalies.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Long-Term Extension, Please

I had a number of thoughts as Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers struck the pose in the image after scoring the overtime game-winning goal against the Washington Capitals. The first was that he was doing the same move as Russell Crowe's character Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 drama Gladiator as he exclaimed, "Are you not entertained?" to the gladiatorial arena crowd. But as I watched the video of Ehlers scoring a couple more times, I started to see another message: "my next contract should be this big". The Jets would be wise to act on that message sooner than later because it's clear that Nikolaj Ehlers is an important factor in this team's success.

Make no mistake that the Jets have a number of players who can break open a game at any point, but Ehlers seems to find a way to elevate his game at times to new heights despite playing less minutes than some of the other snipers on the roster. Advanced stats aside, the 29 year-old Dane has already matched his point total from one year ago, sits three back of his career-high in points, and is five goals shy of his career-high in that statistic as well.

Watching this goal again and again, you see how well he reads the play, how his explosive speed is an absolute asset to this team, and how his shot is both accurate and lethal. Here's the game-winner.
For a guy who averages 23 goals and 53 points per season, you might wonder why he'd be deserving of a big pay day, but plays like the one above are why he's vitally important to this team. Nikolaj Ehlers does what only a handful of other players in the NHL can do.

In the three seasons where Ehlers has played more than 80 games, he's scored more than 60 points. In 2020-21, he skated in 47 games and posted 46 points, and, in 2022-23, Ehlers dressed for 45 games and had 38 points. He's a consistent scorer for the Jets while playing alongside Vladislav Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti who have had their struggles with consistency, so his totals are even more impressive in that regard. He's third in team scoring despite playing the least number of games of all of the top-nine forwards, so that has to count for something, right? It would in my books if I were the GM.

Some of those who feel that Ehlers isn't as important to the Jets as other players will say, "He's only scored four goals in 37 playoff games" while smirking proudly about that statistic. That number isn't wrong, but one has to ask if this team is better with or without Ehlers? Can the Jets find someone on the open market who would cost less to do what Ehlers does? The answer to that is no, and we can look at players like Jake DeBrusk, Tyler Toffoli, and Teuvo Teravainen as comparables when it comes to Ehlers' new contract.

Jake DeBrusk has scored 27 goals and 50 points as career-highs. He got $5,500,000 per year from the Vancouver Canucks.

Tyler Toffoli has 34 goals and 73 points as career-highs. He got $6,000,000 per campaign from the San Jose Sharks.

Teuvo Teravainen has 25 goals and 76 points as career-highs. He got $5,400,000 per season from the Chicago Blackhawks.

Ehlers is earning $6 million annually, but it's hard to look at any of those three players who have comparable statistics and ages and think the Jets would be better with them over Nikolaj Ehlers. They wouldn't be, and it's clearly evident based on this season.

That being said, I'm also not saying that I believe Ehlers is more valuable than Connor Hellebuyck, and it's debatable that he's more valuable than Mark Scheifele. Those two are the highest-earning Jets, but it seems pretty clear that a small bump in Ehlers' annual salary shouldn't be anything to prevent the Jets from signing another long-term extension. Nikolaj Ehlers has earned that bump.

After watching him turn on the jets down the wing and snap that puck home with authority, it's hard not to like what Nikolaj Ehlers brings to the ice every time he comes over the boards. He doesn't have to be the most physical player if he's scoring goals as often as he this season, but when he's locked in and focused on his task, the man is pure excitement when he touches the puck. Hockey is an expensive form of entertainment, but Nikolaj Ehlers gives Jets fans a legitimate reason to stand and cheer whenever he's on the ice.

Please sign Nikolaj Ehlers to an extension, Kevin Cheveldayoff. When the Great Dane is flying down the wing and denting twine, it's hard not to ask the famous question, "Are you not entertained?"

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Solid Partnership

Having a solid affiliation deal can benefit NHL teams in a big way. You can't deny the success that the Hershey Bears have had in sending players to the Washington Capitals, and that affiliation seems rock-solid in every way. Having independent franchises at the AHL and ECHL levels could cause issues for some franchises, but it seems that the Nashville Predators have been seeing a lot of benefits in their affiliations with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals and the ECHL's Atlanta Gladiators. Thanks to the news today, those affiliations will continue for the next few seasons!

This story actually starts back on March 13 when the Nashville Predators and Atlanta Gladiators announced a two-year affiliation extension between the clubs beginning next season. While some may shrug their shoulders on this one, having the Gladiators as one of their development stages should prove beneficial for the Predators. Goaltender Ethan Haider is one of those players getting experience at the ECHL after being drafted in 2019, and he looks like he could factor into future netminding plans for the Predators.

Atlanta is seeing some benefit as well as the Gladiators have "had 11 players join the club under either an American Hockey League or National Hockey League contract" since the affiliation agreement began in 2022-23. Being a solid partner in the development of Nashville's players is something in which the Gladiators take pride.

"We're extremely excited to be extending our affiliation with the Nashville Predators organization," Executive Vice President of the Atlanta Gladiators Jared Youngman said. "This decision solidifies our commitment to long-term success, and strengthens our collaboration with our NHL and AHL partners, ensuring we stay focused on excellence both on and off the ice."

With one affiliation in their pocket, the Nashville Predators secured the step between them and the Gladiators today as the Milwaukee Admirals and Nashville Predators have announced a four-year extension agreement through the 2028-29 season. This long-standing affiliation goes back to 1998, and it has been extremely fruitful for the Predators when one considers that Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Pekka Rinne, Mattias Ekholm, and Juuse Saros all spent time with the Admirals. In short, the Predators and Admirals have forged a fantastic partnership over the years that has helped both clubs.

"We are thrilled to extend this very successful partnership between our two organizations for another four seasons," said Milwaukee Admirals owner and CEO Harris Turer. "The Predators staff is committed to putting a winning team on the ice in Milwaukee while also developing players for the next level."

As stated in the linked release above, "the Admirals have accumulated 1,058 wins and a .594 points percentage" since 1998 while winning "seven division titles, two Western Conference championships and the 2004 Calder Cup". Add in that "[b]etween 2003-04 and 2012-13, the Admirals became the first team in AHL history to record 10 consecutive 40-win seasons," and you can see that the Admirals are run as one of the AHL's very best franchises while working extremely well with the Predators.

I don't normally congratulate teams for conducting business, but this one needs a pat on the back thanks to the agreement that will take the Predators and Admirals through three decades of working together. Atlanta is the new blood in this partnership, but it seems like the bridge between the ECHL, AHL, and NHL is strong when it comes to Nashville's affiliations. If you want an example of how to draft and develop, this affiliation between these three teams might be one of the better instances of that process in all of hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Rundown - Championship Sunday

It's the final day of hockey for the Canadian university league. Both the men's and women's finals will be played today, and we'll crown champions on both sides of the coin. Of course, The Rundown only focuses on U SPORTS women's hockey thanks to that level of hockey receiving almost zero coverage from anyone not inside the game, so let's dive into the final three games here on Championship Sunday as the consolation final, the bronze medal game, and gold medal game were all decided today! Who is coming home with hardware?

A Quick Note

As stated yesterday, I was going to continue doing the Headline Sports-style recaps as you saw in the Canada West playoffs, but I highlighted the lack of effort from U SPORTS when it came to highlights this weekend. Again, I can't change anything from where I sit so, with no highlights, we're reverting back to the scoring summaries only. I know it sucks, but that's what happens when people don't do their jobs promoting the athletes on the ice.

Let's get into the game action!

Consolation Final

This game had an oddly-familiar feeling to it as the two Canada West finalists met for a fifth and deciding time this season. UBC had won the series with two victories way back in October when the season opened, and Alberta roared back by winning the Canada West banner earlier this month. This would be the fifth time these two teams played this season, and they both wanted to finish in fifth-place. We know the important players for both sides, so all that was left to decide was which team would capture fifth-place!

Pandas goals: Natalie Kieser (1)
Pandas assists: Abby Soyko (1), Taylor Anker (1)
Pandas netminders: Grace Glover (17/21) in 40:00; Mackenzie Dojahn (14/15) in 20:00

Thunderbirds goals: Jacquelyn Fleming (1), Mackenzie Kordic (1), Makenzie McCallum (2), Mackenzie Kordic (2), Grace Elliott (2)
Thunderbirds assists: Annalise Wong (3), Karine Sandilands (1), Ashton Thorpe (1), Meadow Carman (1), Jacquelyn Fleming (1), Mackenzie Kordic (4), Sierra Laplante (2)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (20/21)

Result: 5-1 victory for UBC over Alberta.

UBC will finish in fifth-place, and Alberta will finish in sixth-place. This game also determined seventh-place, and, thanks to UBC's win, the UNB Reds will finish in seventh-place while the StFX X-Women will finish in eighth-place. The non-medal placements are now set!

Bronze Medal Final

The bronse medal game featured last year's U SPORTS finalists in the Concordia Stingers and the Toronto Varsity Blues. Concordia came into the game holding a 5-1 record all-time against Toronto at Nationals, and they were looking to claim a second medal against the Varsity Blues. The last and only time that Toronto was successful against Concordia was back in 2002 when they won 2-1, so it's not like they could draw on recent history to help them. Both teams wanted to bring home their second-straight medal from Nationals, though, so this game had all the makings for great hockey!

Blues goals: Sophie Grawbarger (1), Abby Whitworth (1), Scout Southward (2)
Blues assists: Kaitlyn McKnight (1), Emma Elders (1), Aili McKeown (2), Emma Potter (1)
Blues netminder: Lyla McKinnon (9/10) in 32:47; Sarah-Lynn Gauthier (9/9) in 27:13

Stingers goals: Jessymaude Drapeau (4)
Stingers assists: Emilie Lussier (2), Emilie Lavoie (2)
Stingers netminder: Arianne Leblanc (24/26)

Result: 3-1 victory for Toronto over Concordia.

Toronto is the 2025 U SPORTS bronze medallists while Concordia is the fourth-place team. Of note, Sarah-Lynn Gauthier earned the win after replacing Lyla McKinnon in the Toronto net following an injury suffered by McKinnon. Concordia's Leonie Philbert was assessed a five-minute major and given a game misconduct for the goaltender interference that caused McKinnon's injury. McKinnon did not return.

Gold Medal Final

The gold medal game featured the two "new kids" to the Nationals scene as Waterloo was in their second appearance at this year's tournament while Bishop's was in their first-ever appearance. The Warriors had used a balanced attack, solid defence, and excellent goaltending to reach this pinnacle while the Gaiters were capitalizing on offensive opportunities, holding the fort defensively, and getting solid netminding. Waterloo would have the home crowd on their side, but the Bishop's faithful had been loud all weekend. It came down to one game for all the marbles as one of these two highly-talented squads would claim the 2025 U SPORTS National Championship!

Gaiters goals: Gabrielle Santerre (3), Gabrielle Rousseau (1), Maude Pepin (2)
Gaiters assists: Daphne Boutin (2), Angelique Page (1), Gabrielle Santerre (3), Gabrielle Santerre (4)
Gaiters netminder: Ericka Gagnon (27/27)

Warriors goals: none
Warriors assists: none
Warriors netminder: Kara Mark (26/28)

Result: 3-0 victory for Bishop's over Waterloo.

Officially, the Bishop's Gaiters are your 2025 U SPORTS National Champions while the Waterloo Warriors are the 2025 U SPORTS silver medallists. The scoring summary doesn't give you all the details, though, as Waterloo had a number of chances that were either missed or denied by Gagnon and the Gaiters' defence. This game was far closer than the score states, but it was a heckuva battle between two teams that earned the right to play for Canadian university's biggest prize by being so good all season long.

To The Victors

Congratulations to the Bishop's Gaiters as they had been building all season towards this ultimate ending. One could argue that they were robbed of this chance last season when a missed offside call allowed Montreal to eliminate the Gaiters from the RSEQ playoffs, but none of that matters now. The Gaiters stand atop the mountain and no one can take that from them! It's a huge accomplishment for a program that joined the RSEQ and U SPORTS in 2020-21, and it goes to show what can be accomplishment with support and leadership.

The Gaiters are one of the best feel-good stories in Canadian university hockey in some time, and I'm glad they've shown everyone that dreams can be achieved in a short time with the right amounts of talent, hard work, leadership, and support from all levels. For as expensive as hockey is for U SPORTS schools, this is one of those times where you can truly say it was worth the investment.

Be like Bishop's University. Support women's sports at all levels!

The All-Stars

As we always see at these tournaments, players raise their games to another level after wowing us all season with their talents. This year's tournament All-Star selections are no different as they stood out over the weekend as the games progressed. They include:

• Goaltender Ericka Gagnon - Bishop's Gaiters
• Defender Lyndsey Acheson - Waterloo Warriors
• Defender Regan Garreau - Bishop's Gaiters
• Forward Jessymaude Drapeau - Concordia Stingers
• Forward Kassidy McCarthy - Waterloo Warriors
• Forward Gabrielle Santerre - Bishop's Gaiters

One could make the case that Kara Mark in the Waterloo net was just as good as Gagnon in this tournament, but there's no denying that Gagnon won the battle between the goalies in the gold medal final. The last award was the tournament MVP, and it should surprise no one that Bishop's Gaiters forward Gabrielle Santerre was named the most valuable player at the tournament. She was dynamite all weekend!

Over At The Other Rink...

The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees men's hockey team made good on their second chance after failing to qualify for Nationals as a champion, finaist, or third-place team in the OUA by winning the whole thing! The Gee-Gees beat the seemingly-invincible UNB Reds in overtime in what was an incredible game before dispatching OUA foes TMU and Concordia to win the U Cup as the eighth-seeded team. Add in the fact that they were hosting the tournament, and this story had all the necessary elements of a storybook ending!

For those that don't know the backstory, the University of Ottawa suspended the team in 2014-15 following sexual assault allegations against the team. The head coach at that time, Réal Paiement, was fired, and it seemed like the program was headed for demise. The University of Ottawa did reinstate the program in 2015-16, but with major changes to how the program was run and who was running it.

Patrick Grandmaître was hired to lead the program out of the darkness, and I'd say he's done a masterful job with the conclusion of this season after some lean years. Solid recruiting, a commitment to principles, and hard work has Ottawa standing above all others this season! It's taken a decade, but the Ottawa Gee-Gees are back to being a highly-respect hockey program, and that's a credit to the decade of hard work this program has put into finding good, quality people who want to do better and be better in all they do.

We Should Go And Watch

Yes, you should go and watch if you have the means. The entrance costs to the tournament are fairly low, and the action is so good. While I don't have attendance for the tournament, the gold medal game at the Woolwich Memorial Centre was a solid 1482. It looked sold out on the CBC stream, and it helps that the local team was playing in the final. Either way, the crowds were pretty solid all weekend in Elmira, Ontario, so well done to the Waterloo Warriors for hosting a great tournament for teams and fans alike!

If you're wondering where the next tournaments will be held, you can start making plans for next season and beyond:

• 2026 - Elmira, Ontario with the Waterloo Warriors hosting.
• 2027 - Fredericton, New Brunswick with the UNB Reds hosting.
• 2028 - Halifax, Nova Scotia with the StFX X-Women hosting.

The bidding process hasn't opened for the 2029 tournament yet, but there are several schools and communities interested in hosting the event. I'm sure we'll hear more about this as we get closer to that year, but the next three tournaments have homes and hosts! Get down to one of those rinks if you can and cheer on the ladies who make this game so great! They appreciate the support!

The Very Last Word

Today's finals will bring the 2024-25 season to a close, and what a season it was. Congratulations to the Alberta Pandas, the Toronto Varsity Blues, the Bishop's Gaiters, and the StFX X-Women for winning their conferences! All four showed that it's not have one starts the season, but how one ends the season. To that degree, all will have a new tapestry hanging in their respective arenas next season!

35 teams started the season before that number was pared down to eight who would represent the four conferences at Nationals. From there, it was reduced to four, and then reduced against to two. On March 23, 2025, we found the one team who rose above all others this season as the Bishop's Gaiters claimed their first U SPORTS National Championship banner. It wasn't won easily as they rallied from being down in their opening game of Nationals and defeated the top-two teams in the country en route to victory, so credit where credit is due: the Gaiters earned this championship!

Most teams are near being done or are done recruiting, so there will be a new wave of talent joining the U SPORTS ranks next season. While the senior and graduating students leave their programs as icons, leaders, and stars both on and off the ice, the new generation brings with it hope and talent for each of the 35 teams when it comes to their future championship aspirations. It starts again in October.

To the players, study hard, crush your exams, work hard in the summer if you choose to, and we'll see you on the ice in the fall! For all the coaches, equipment managers, training staff, support staff, and officials, have a great summer, enjoy your well-deserved breaks, and we'll see everyone in the fall as well! You gave us five months of incredible hockey that was so much fun to watch and discuss, and I'm already looking forward to next season!

To all the fans who watched a game via a webstream, attended a rink to catch a game, cheered loudly when your team scored and won, offered encouragement during setbacks, and to anyone who stopped in here to read The Rundown, thank you for believing in these women and supporting them on their journeys that involve getting a top-notch education, making life-long friends, and playing a little stick-and-puck. As much as we cheer for them every weekend, they are student-athletes with the more important part coming first in that hyphenated word. We need to reminded of this every now and then.

It was a heckuva season, everyone. Deep breath. Exhale. Go enjoy your summer, and we'll see everyone again in October!

Until then, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Rundown - Bracket Busters

There isn't much to say or set up on today's edition of The Rundown. Eight teams started the fun on Thursday, four advanced to the medal-round semifinals, and four were trying to wrap up their seasons with wins on the consolation side. Who made it to which games? Who is pushing for medals? Were there any upsets? We can answer all these questions below as the action from Elmira, Ontario has seen three days of play completed at the 2025 U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship! Let's get caught up to see who may stand atop the mountain on this final weekend of The Rundown!

The Bracket

As a reminder, here are the brackets for the tournament:

Let's get into the games as we work through the schedule!

A Quick Note

I was going to continue doing the Headline Sports-style recaps as you saw in the Canada West playoffs, but I highlighted the lack of effort from U SPORTS when it came to highlights this weekend. I'm still not happy about this aspect of the tournament today, but I can't change anything from where I sit. With no highlights, we're reverting back to the scoring summaries only. I know it sucks, but that's what happens when people don't do their jobs promoting the athletes on the ice.

Let's get into the game action!

THURSDAY: The fifth-ranked Concordia Stingers entered the tournament as the defending champions, and they were looking to make it back-to-back championships this weekend. After losing the RSEQ final, I'm not sure any team would be more dangerous, but the fourth-seeded StFX X-Women were going to give them everything they could as the X-Women looked to win a medal for the first time since 2013. The last time these teams met at Nationals was 2018 when Concordia thumped StFX by an 8-1 score, but there's been little in the way of recent history despite Concordia being 4-1 against StFX.

X-Women goals: Mackenzie Lothian (1), Terryn Mozes (1)
X-Women assists: Kalle Hastman (1), Kameryn Lahey(1), Mackenzie Lothian (1), Anna MacCara (1)
X-Women netminder: Bianca Zak (22/27)

Stingers goals: Jessymaude Drapeau (1), Meagan Bureau-Gagnon (1), Jessymaude Drapeau (2), Jessymaude Drapeau (3), Emilie Lussier (1)
Stingers assists: Emilie Lussier (1), Zoe Thibault (1), Leonie Philbert (1), Ani Robinson (1), Leonie Philbert (2), Emilie Lavoie (1), Ani Robinson (2), Jessymaude Drapeau (1)
Stingers netminder: Jordan Verbeek (30/32)

Result: 5-2 victory for Concordia over StFX.

THURSDAY: The top-seeded Alberta Pandas entered the game looing for their first medal since 2017. The last time they were the first-seeded team was in 2019 in PEI when the tournament was cancelled upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Pandas may have felt there was some unfinished business they needed to complete. They'd meet up with the hosts in the eighth-seeded Waterloo Warriors who likely should be seeded higher after their incredible season. Waterloo finished in fourth-place in their lone appearance at Nationals last season, and they were looking to medal on home ice this season in front of their faithful fans!

Pandas goals: none
Pandas assists: none
Pandas netminder: Grace Glover (17/20)

Warriors goals: Leah Herrfort (1), Kassidy McCarthy (1), Gracey Smith (1)
Warriors assists: Lyndsy Acheson (1), Carly Orth (1), Lyndsy Acheson (2), Carly Orth (2), Leah Herrfort (1)
Warriors netminder: Kara Mark (22/22)

Result: 3-0 victory for Waterloo over Alberta.

FRIDAY: The sixth-seeded Thunderbirds rolled into Elmira wanted to avenge their loss in the Canada West final as they looked for their first medal since 2023 and second in the last four years. The top-ranked team to finish the season boasted a lot of firepower, but they were running into the great unknown as the third-seeded Gaiters were making their first appearance ever at Nationals. After the Gaiters beat the Concordia Stingers for the RSEQ championship, this game felt like it might be closer than it seemed on paper.

Gaiters goals: Maude Pepin (1), Gabrielle Santerre (1), Annika Lafreniere (1), Gabrielle Santerre (2)
Gaiters assists: Gabrielle Santerre (1), Amelie Brassard (1), Daphne Boutin (1), Gabrielle Rousseau (1), Gabrielle Santerre (2), Justine Turcotte (1), Justine Turcotte (2), Naomi Cote (1)
Gaiters netminder: Ericka Gagnon (19/22) in 67:30

Thunderbirds goals: Karine Sandilands (1), Kasundra Betinol (1), Makenzie McCallum (1)
Thunderbirds assists: Mackenzie Kordic (1), Sophia Gaskell (1), Jaylyn Morris (1), Sierra Laplante (1)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (21/25) in 67:30

Result: 4-3 overtime victory for Bishop's over UBC.

FRIDAY: The seventh-seeded UNB Reds and the second-seeded Toronto Varsity Blues are certainly familiar enough with one another. This would be the third year in a row these two teams have met at Nationals, and Toronto was riding high with a 2-0 record all-time against UNB. They were aiming to keep their perfect record against the Reds intact while UNB wanted to see Toronto singing the blues.

Blues goals: Scout Southward (1), Madison Tiro (1)
Blues assists: Christina Alexiou (1), Madison Tiro (1), Scout Southward (1), Christina Alexiou (2)
Blues netminder: Lyla McKinnon (13/13)

Reds goals: none
Reds assists: none
Reds netminder: Cassie McCallum (37/39)

Result: 2-0 victory for Toronto over UNB.

Semifinal Saturday

The last time that Alberta and StFX met was in 2010 when Alberta won 2-0. In their histories at Nationals, Alberta holds a 3-0 all-time record against the X-Women, so the Pandas were looking to keep that perfection going with Saturday's game. The X-Women were looking to play on Sunday with a win, something they hadn't done since 2023. Which of these teams would see their tournament end?

Pandas goals: Jadynn Morden (1), Hayleigh Craig (1), Izzy Lajoie (1)
Pandas assists: Payton Laumbach (1), Abbey Bourdeaud'hui (1), Sara Kazeil (1), Natalie Kieser (1)
Pandas netminder: Misty Rey (36/36)

X-Women goals: none
X-Women assists: none
X-Women netminder: Brooklyn Oakes (19/22)

Result: 3-0 overtime victory for Alberta over StFX.

In another game that feels all too familiar, UNB and UNB met for the second year in a row. UBC defeated UNB by a 4-0 score last year, so the Thunderbirds were looking to extend that winning feeling while the Reds were looking to avenge that loss. The winner will move on to tomorrow's consolation final while the loser will see their tournament come to a close earlier than they may have wanted.

Thunderbirds goals: Kailee Peppler (1), Kasundra Betinol (2), Karine Sandilands (2), Grace Elliott (1), Chanreet Bassi (1)
Thunderbirds assists: Mya Healey (1), Hanna Perrier (1), Annalise Wong (1), Grace Elliott (1), Kennesha Miswaggon (1), Mackenzie Kordic (2), Sophia Gaskell (2), Mackenzie Kordic (3), Jaylyn Morris (2), Annalise Wong (2)
Thunderbirds netminder: Mya Lucifora (18/19)

Reds goals: Melanie Drost (1)
Reds assists: Rylee Strohm (1)
Reds netminder: Cassie McCallum (37/42)

Result: 5-1 victory for UBC over UNB.

Another rematch from one year ago saw the Waterloo Warriors and Concordia Stingers renew acquaintances. Concordia prevailed 3-1 over Waterloo last season en route to winning the Golden Path Trophy, and they were aiming for the same results this season. Waterloo was looking to upset the heavily-favoured Stingers this season in order to send them to the bronze medal game. Which of these teams would be playing for the gold medal on Saturday?

Stingers goals: Alexandra-Anne Boyer (1)
Stingers assists: Zoe Thibault (1), Jessymaude Drapeau (2)
Stingers netminder: Jordan Verbeek (27/30)

Warriors goals: Gracey Smith (2), Brodi Levitt (1), Kassidy McCarthy (2), Brodi Levitt (2), Madison Pritchard (1)
Warriors assists: Carly Orth (3), Kassidy McCarthy (1), Kassidy McCarthy (2), Lyndsy Acheson (3), Madison Pritchard (1), Brodi Levitt (1), Brodi Leavitt (2)
Warriors netminder: Kara Mark (26/27)

Result: 5-1 victory for Waterloo over Concordia.

It would be the first time that the Gaiters and Varsity Blues met, and both teams were looking for a second victory. Toronto finished as the silver medallist last season, so they were hoping to improve upon that standing by defeating Bishop's and moving to the gold medal final again. Bishop's wanted to keep that first-appearance magic going with a win over Toronto to try and keep the Golden Path Trophy in the RSEQ for another season. Who would advance to the final?

Blues goals: Ashley Delahey (1)
Blues assists: Taylor Delahey (1), Aili McKeown (1)
Blues netminder: Lyla McKinnon (34/36)

Gaiters goals: Majorie Bolduc (1), Noemie Fontaine (1)
Gaiters assists: Noemie Fontaine (1), Justine Turcotte (3), Majorie Bolduc (1), Justine Turcotte (4)
Gaiters netminder: Ericka Gagnon (25/26)

Result: 2-1 victory for Bishop's over Toronto.

Who's Left?

Alberta and UBC will have one last battle this season when they meet in the Consolation Final at 10am ET on Sunday. I don't think I need to preview this series very much, but Alberta will look to make it three wins in a row over UBC while the Thunderbirds are aiming for their second-straight fifth-place finish with a win over a Canada West team. This game should be a battle between two squads that have zero love for one another. This may set the tone for next season.

The Bronze Medal Final will see a rematch from last year's gold medal game as the Concordia Stingers and Toronto Varsity Blues meet for hardware again. This will be the seventh time these teams have met at Nationals, and Concordia holds a 5-1 record in the previous six meetings. Toronto's lone win came in 2002, and this game will mark just the second time since that Toronto win that these two teams have played. Concordia has won all three meetings with hardware on the line, and the only time they met for bronze previously was in 2000 when Concordia won 6-0. Will history change at 2pm ET?

The two newest teams to attend the National Championship will play for U SPORTS Women's Hockey's biggest prize tomorrow at 6pm ET when the Waterloo Warriors and the Bishop's Gaiters meet for the first time. Bishop's is 1-0 vs the OUA; Waterloo is 1-2 against the RSEQ. Waterloo enters the game with 8GF and 1 GA; Bishop's has 6GF and 4GA. The last time an eighth-seeded team won was in 2023 when Mount Royal pulled off the feat, and the last time a host team won was in 2003 when the Alberta Pandas won. Guelph won in 2019 as the last third-seeded team to capture the Golden Path Trophy, so Bishop's doesn't have to go back too far to find some success.

Tomorrow's Gold Medal Final between Waterloo and Bishop's should be a beauty! Make sure you're tuned on the CBC Sports streaming site or on TVA Sports for the French broadcast!

The Last Word

Both StFX and UNB started their offseasons today, and it's always tough to see the AUS teams head home early. This marks the third-straight season that the UNB Reds have gone 0-2 at Nationals, and it's the second-straight time that StFX has gone 0-2 at the tournament. I don't know why the AUS teams struggle against the rest of the nation, but they need to figure out how to get more than just two games each from their two best teams. It's starting to look bad.

It might be shocking to see the two Canada West teams out of the medal finals, but we knew Alberta didn't score enough and UBC didn't defend well enough coming into this tournament. Both teams delivered on those shortcomings in their opening games, and that's how they arrived to determine who will be fifth- and sixth-place. UBC has finished as the fifth-place team on three occasions in 2024, 2022, and 2014, respectively. Alberta has finished in fifth-place in all of 1998, 2011, and 2012. Only one can be fifth-place this year.

As stated above, Concordia and Toronto will meet for the second-straight year with hardware on the line, and for the second time ever for the bronze medal after Concordia defeated Toronto in 2000 by that 6-0 score. Concordia also won a bronze medal in 2018 over Saskatchewan while Toronto won bronze medals in 1999 over Wilfred Laurier and in 2002 ove Regina. Both squads can add a third bronze medal finish to their school's histories tomorrow.

Obviously for both Waterloo and Bishop's, they'll add the first U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship medals to their school's histories, and one will add the first banner as National Champions to its legacy. Their game will end the 2024-25 U SPORTS Women's Hockey season. There's one day remaining in the season, and three games featuring six teams left on the schedule. Only three teams will finish the season on a winning note, so here's hoping all six teams leave everything on the ice, and we get some incredible hockey on Championship Sunday in Elmira to finish the campaign!

Until tomorrow, keep your sticks on the ice!