Make It A Hockey Night

The cat to the left is not HBIC CEO Meg, but Meg is sleeping noisily next to me. I sit here and giggle quietly as she snores audibly enough that she's competing with the hockey game on TV, but I'm somewhat envious of her as I could use more sleep after what was a busy weekend. Between being up early to watch the U SPORTS National Championships to running around to watch PWHL hockey to just trying to get some stuff done around the house, I burned the candle at both ends this weekend so I'm taking the night off just to watch hockey and relax. And maybe nap.

By no means am I the average television viewer as I don't even have a cable subscription nor do I pay for streaming services. I happen to be somewhat tech savvy, however, so I do have ways of finding hockey on various streams that are broadcast free on the internet. One of those, as you likely know, is CBC Sports' website and YouTube channel, and I had wondered on Sunday why U SPORTS wasn't working more closely with CBC to being U SPORTS hockey to their streams every week as some sort of "Hockey Night From Canada" broadcast.

Note the preposition change there. Trademarks matter.

Creative naming aside, hear me out on this because the numbers seem to indicate that there's a market for U SPORTS hockey. According to The Sport Information Resource Centre, U SPORTS broadcasts on streaming services increased in 2023-24 by 20% over 2022-23 thanks, in large part, to CBC's coverage of U SPORTS competitions. By sport, U SPORTS women's hockey saw an unreal 81% increase in viewership that year while men's hockey saw a modest 9% boost in online viewership. In short, people were watching games.

"U SPORTS has worked with our media partners TVA Sports, CBC Sports and Radio-Canada Sports, as well as iSi Live and Live U to give our student-athletes the best exposure of any amateur sports organization in the country," John Bower, U SPORTS Director of Marketing and Communications, said in 2024 in the SIRC article. "Our focus on digital broadcasting allows fans to watch our championships on any screen anywhere in Canada or worldwide. We're meeting consumers where they are, and that's how our exposure has grown so much over the past three years."

That's fine and dandy for 2024, but it's 2026 and we had Canada West hockey broadcasts on CBC streams all winter with almost no one knowing about it. I posted it a few times, but I'm not being paid to promote anything for U SPORTS, Canada West, or CBC. In saying that, it seems like that any momentum that was built in that 2024 season has relied almost exclusively on National Championships rather than looking to expand the coverage into any conference's regular season.

Consider the following scenario for a second: OUA women's hockey has a single game played every week on Thursday when no other conference is playing hockey regularly while the RSEQ has games being played on Sunday when no other conference is playing regularly. That would leave Friday and Saturday for Canada West and the AUS to broadcast games on CBC online streams, and you'd be able to schedule things appropriately for some of the bigger "featured" games each season like the Crowchild Classic in Calgary.

Just to prove my point, I looked at November 9 through November 23 for all four conferences. Here's what the schedule could look like if regular season games from all four conferences were on CBC streams:

• Wednesday, Nov. 12: St. Thomas @ Mt. Allison - 7pm AT (AUS)
• Thursday, Nov. 13: Toronto @ Brock - 6pm ET (OUA)
• Friday, Nov. 14: Bishop's @ Montreal - 7pm ET (RSEQ)
• Friday, Nov. 14: MacEwan @ UBC - 7pm PT (CW)
• Saturday, Nov. 15: Toronto @ Waterloo - 2pm ET (OUA)
• Saturday, Nov. 15: St. Thomas @ StFX - 7pm AT (AUS)
• Sunday, Nov. 16: McGill @ Concordia - 2pm ET (RSEQ)
• Wednesday, Nov. 19: StFX @ Dalhouse - 7pm AT (AUS)
• Thursday, Nov. 20: Laurier @ Ontario Tech - 7pm ET (OUA)
• Friday, Nov. 21: UNB @ Moncton - 7pm AT (AUS)
• Friday, Nov. 21: Mount Royal @ Trinity Western - 7pm PT (CW)
• Saturday, Nov. 22: StFX @ Saint Mary's - 3pm AT (AUS)
• Saturday, Nov. 22: UBC @ Alberta - 5pm MT (CW)
• Sunday, Nov. 23: Bishop's @ Concordia - 1pm ET (RSEQ)

Imagine being able to see 21 of 35 U SPORTS women's hockey teams playing over two weeks without having to do anything other than logging onto CBC's online streams to watch games. Perhaps we'd see an uptick in the number of players drafted by the PWHL teams with this improved exposure as teams could do better scouting of players they're watching. Most importantly, it might give players a better idea of playing U SPORTS hockey rather than playing NCAA hockey.

I get that there's a significant margin of play when it comes to elite NCAA teams and elite U SPORTS teams and I'm not here to denigrate NCAA or ACHA hockey whatsoever. It's clear, though, that there's a significant margin between the exchange rates for the Canadian and US dollars. If players had a better appreciaton for how good U SPORTS hockey is, maybe some of them stay home to play hockey in Canada.

Some will say, "Teebz, you're competing against the NHL broadcasts on some of those nights", and I'd argue that U SPORTS programs already are. Add in the fact that paywalls prevent any easy accessibility to U SPORTS broadcasts, and you've now removed any chance of competing for viewers whatsoever. At that point, why go to the trouble of broadcasting at all since you can't attract casual fans?

Look, this is all just a fantasy right now anyway as CBC would need to agree to this gradiose plan to broadcast the streams before anything could even be scheduled. Based on the SIRC's data, however, there certainly appears to be a market for U SPORTS hockey in this country, and that market could grow by leaps and bounds if people just had access to games. CBC would just need access to the local feeds produced by the schools to put up on their streams, and this "project" would cost almost nothing while changing the landscape for Canadian university hockey. Someone just needs to get the wheels turning.

That person, however, won't be me. U SPORTS nor any of its conferences know I exist nor will they acknowledge my emails to them with any response. U SPORTS can steal this idea and claim it as their own if they like since I'm posting it publicly, but it's shocking that with the growth seen in 2024 that no one looked to capitalize on that interest in the game. U SPORTS was handed a winning lottery ticket in 2024 with SIRC's data, and U SPORTS basically tore it up.

There's still time to correct this error with the number of people that I believe tuned into the broadcasts this year, but ignoring the popularity of university hockey, specifically women's hockey, is something for which U SPORTS should be crucified if they squander yet another opportunity to improve the game for everyone.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Winnipeg Takeover

It isn't often that I find myself sitting a couple stories above the ice for any game, but, yesterday, there was a big event that happened down at the rink as 15,225 people packed the Canada Life Centre for the first-ever PWHL game in the Keystone Province! Winnipeg played host to the PWHL Takeover Tour on Sunday evening with the Montreal Victoire "visiting" the Ottawa Charge, and this weekend has seen the players capture the hearts and minds of Winnipeggers who wanted to see professional women's hockey without needing a passport and an eight-drive to Minneapolis. I'll recap the events which I attended as the PWHL made itself at home in Winnipeg, and I'll try to determine whether or not Winnipeg is ready to join the PWHL circuit! Let's get into it!

On Friday evening, I had the opportunity to attend the Ottawa Charge Career Panel that took place at the University of Manitoba. The event was designed for university students who were thinking about a career in professional sports, but may not know where to start. The list of participants that the Charge made available for the panel covered a lot of positions with their team. The panel included:

• Mike Hirshfeld, Ottawa Charge General Manager
• Amanda Deluca, Head Athletic Therapist
• Kara Fulawka, Head Equipment Manager
• Olivia Giardetti, Hockey Operations & Team Services Director

The panel answered some pre-submitted questions that had been sent in, and they went over what a lot of their individual jobs entail. What they made clear was that they are never doing just one job. Everyone helps everyone else, there's always something that can be done or made better, and no one ever has the same day twice.

Following the pre-submitted questions, the panel took questions from the audience. There were a number of great questions asked about all aspects of the business, and the four panelists did a great job in answering all the questions as thoroughly as they could. They actually went over the allotted time much to the delight of the audience, so kudos to the Charge for being extremely accessible and informative!

Saturday saw the teams arrive at the Hockey For All Centre where open practices were held for fans to enjoy. I didn't stay long for these as the the teams were extremely busy following the practices in trying to get to youth hockey sessions and appearances, but both teams had uptempo practices that set the tone for Sunday night's game. Fans in attendance seemed to enjoy themselves as well!

The Charge hit the road quickly after practice as they were off to the Eastman Selects U13 practice where they hit the ice with the kids, hung around to sign autographs and take pictures, and generally allowed the Selects players to meet their hockey heroes! The players were generous with their time as everyone had a good time based on comments and excitement. Of course, it didn't hurt that the head coach of the Eastman Selects U13 team is Chantal Larocque, Jocelyne's sister, so seeing the highly-talented sister tandem work together while running a practice was pretty awesome for everyone!

That set up the city of Winnipeg for the biggest women's hockey event it will host this year, and I was down at the Canada Life Centre early as I spent some time in the pressbox watching the U SPORTS Women's Hockey National Championship gold medal game. When the doors finally opened at 5pm CT, the fans clad in both Charge and Victoire gear poured in as if it were a Taylor Swift concert. Fans of all ages anxiously waited for warm-ups to begin, and the crowd roared and waved their signs as players hit the ice to prep for the game.

After the ceremonies prior to the game, the action on the ice started slowly before the teams ramped up the action. There were hits, penalties, saves, shots, and passes, but a lack of goals was the only thing preventing the roof from being blown off Canada Life Centre by the sold-out crowd. As the first period ended, the fans in Winnipeg cheered loudly for their hockey heroes, but the score remained 0-0.

The second period opened with the same intensity that we saw at the end of the first frame as both teams opened up the game a little. 5:37 into the stanza, Peyton Hemp slid a cross-crease pass to Gabbie Hughes on the backdoor, and she buried the puck past Ann-Renée Desbiens to put Ottawa up 1-0 while becoming scoring the first PWHL goal on Manitoba soil! That lead didn't last long, though, as Abby Roque won an offensive zone face-off to Nicole Gosling who one-timed it between the wickets of Gwenyth Phillips at 11:20 to even the score at 1-1! Winnipeg fans rewarded both goals with loud, boisterous cheers, so it seems they were waiting for tallies!

The third period started somewhat more conservatively as both sides seemed to be more mindful of the defensive zone, but chances were had as Montreal went to work on a power-play while Ottawa continued to push the pace with quick strikes. Winnipeg fans got a chance to exercise the pipes as the karaoke cam brought out an extended version of ABBA's Dancing Queen that extended far past the song being cut off. It seemed pretty clear that Winnipeg just needed a reason to explode with excitement! Would we get a reason?

Winnipeg responded loudly following a scrum that was preceded by a Rebecca Leslie boarding penalty as the more-than-15000 fans enjoyed the pushing and shoving between the teams. A shorthanded two-on-oh for the Charge was stopped by Desbiens, and the Winnipeg crowd roared again. Time, however, would tick down without a big moment, and we'd go to overtime with this Takeover Tour game tied at 1-1.

It would take only twelve seconds for Rebecca Leslie to wire a wrist shot on the power-play past Desbiens for the overtime winner, and the Winnipeg faithful responded with a loud ovation for the Charge! As the teams shook hands, lots of fans rushed to the glass for photo opportunities. As the two teams came to center ice for a photo, the building got loud with PWHL fans showing their appreciation by honouring their hockey heroes with cheers and applause!

When it comes down to it, Winnipeg showed up for the PWHL. As per Kyle Cushman's spreadsheet to the left, Winnipeg is just the third arena to hit 100% capacity or better, and Winnipeggers made this Takeover Tour stop the seventh-best attendance total for these neutral sites games in PWHL history. Obviously, Winnipeg hockey fans deserve some kudos for their efforts all weekend at welcoming the PWHL into the Manitoba capital, and there were people that attended the game from outside Winnipeg including both Ontario and Saskatchewan. That's just incredible, and it certainly says that there are a ton of women's hockey fans in the region.

I'm not saying Winnipeg can never be a PWHL city, but we need to understand that entertainment dollars are already stretched thin in this city when it comes to supporting professional sports, high-end entertainment, and other ventures on top of paying for the everyday bills and costs that pop up. If you had asked me five years ago when I was covering Bisons women's hockey as a broadcaster if I ever would have thought we'd see a sold-out Canada Life Centre for women's hockey that didn't include Team Canada, I likely would have said no.

So is Winnipeg a PWHL city or not? Frankly, it's a complicated answer.

There's no doubt in my mind that a PWHL team would get solid support here in Winnipeg, but the same issues that plagued the WHL's Winnipeg Ice will likely plague a PWHL franchise. There isn't an 8000-seat arena available for them to occupy, so they would need to play out of Canada Life Centre. If they do that, I can't see Mark Chipman being very enthusiastic about his staff having to work games for another team, so the PWHL would need to look at selling a franchise option for True North Sports and Entertainment to operate.

If all of those stars were to align, I feel like David Thomson wouldn't say no to an additional twenty nights per year where his arena is being used. It would then fall to True North Sports and Entertainment to acquire a PWHL franchise via expansion or relocation, and that's where the rubber hits the road here in Winnipeg. Having people put down deposits on seats doesn't appear to be a problem based on last night's support for the game, so it's likely just working through some of the logistical hurdles before Winnipeg would join the PWHL.

In summary, the short answer is that, yes, Winnipeg could be a PWHL city. The more nuanced answer is that there are business-related matters that would need to be cleared before skates hit the ice at Canada Life Centre. We know that True North Sports and Entertainment doesn't rush into things without considering all options so jumping into this without some sort of guarantee of profitability wouldn't be a move they'd make under any circumstance. After all, a PWHL team is still a business with an entertainment side of hockey.

In a longer view, Winnipeg likely will be on the PWHL's list as an expansion location. For now, though, I wouldn't hold my breath due to the business-related reasons I mentioned above preventing the league from putting a team in the Manitoba capital. What shouldn't be questioned, though, is the region's passion and enthusiasm for professional women's hockey as 15,225 fans showed the PWHL that there's a women's hockey market waiting in Winnipeg.

You did good, Winnipeg and surrounding areas. It was a team effort, but I'm proud of this region's support for women's hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Rundown - National Finals

There isn't much to say today other than "good luck" to the six teams who will close out the 2025-26 U SPORTS women's hockey season. One team from Quebec will celebrate loudly into the evening after capturing gold while an OUA team and an AUS team will duke it out for the bronze medal. A Canada West team and an OUA team have the chance to close out their seasons with a win in the consolation final, so let's not waste anymore time as we look at this last day of championship games from Elmira, Ontario here on The Rundown!

Consolation Final

The UBC Thunderbirds may have dropped their opening game against Montreal, but they bounced back with a win over Ottawa to earn a spot in the Consolation Final. On the other side, the Waterloo Warriors lost to the Guelph Gryphons before handing the Manitoba Bisons a loss to land in the Consolation Final. This was the first meeting between these two teams at a National Championship despite both being at the last three tournaments - who would prevail?



Warriors goals: Nikki McDonald (3), Keiara Raitt (1)
Warriors assists: Carly Orth (1)
Warriors netminder: Kara Mark (33/40)

Thunderbirds goals: Olivia Buckley (1), Jaylyn Morris (2), Ilona Markova (1), Vanessa Schaefer (1), Ilona Markova (2), Presley Zinger (1), Jacquelyn Fleming (2)
Thunderbirds assists: Ilona Markova (1), Hanna Perrier (1), Grace Elliott (1), Mia Bierd (1), Grace Elliott (2), Cassidy Rhodes (2), Ilona Markova (2), Vanessa Schaefer (1), Hanna Perrier (2)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (17/19)

Result: 7-2 victory for UBC over Waterloo.

Bronze Medal Game

The Guelph Gryphons found themselves in the bronze medal game after defeating Waterloo and falling to Concordia. The UNB Reds got by Ottawa in a shootout before Montreal scored more than they did. These two teams were meeting for the first time in a National Championship as Guelph attempted to win its second medal ever while UNB looked to capture its first medal in program history!



Reds goals: Katelyn Scott (1), Avery Thurston (1)
Reds assists: Lauren Carter (1), Rylee Strohm (1)
Reds netminder: Cassie McCallum (28/29)

Gryphons goals: Katherine Heard (2)
Gryphons assists: Reese Coffey (1)
Gryphons netminder: Martina Fedel (16/18)

Result: 2-1 victory for UNB over Guelph.

Gold Medal Game

The Concordia Stingers advanced to the gold medal game by defeating the Manitoba Bisons and the Guelph Gryphons. The Montreal Carabins found themselves in the gold medal final after upsetting the UBC Thunderbirds and the UNB Reds. Montreal was trying to become the second eighth-seeded team to capture gold after the 2023 Mount Royal Cougars while Concordia was hunting for its fifth gold medal and third in five years. The first all-Quebec final since 2014 looked like it would be entertaining, so which Montreal-based team would be crowned as the 2026 U SPORTS champions?



Carabins goals: Audrey-Anne Veillette (3), Ann-Sophie Bedard (1), Jade Picard (2), Catherine Proulx (1), Laurie-Anne Ethier (2)
Carabins assists: Sophie Ledain (1), Lea Salem (1), Meghan Lesage (1)
Carabins netminder: Maude Desroches (40/42)

Stingers goals: Audrey Clavette (2), Emilie Lavoie (1)
Stingers assists: Juliette Leroux(2), Zoe Thibault (3)
Stingers netminder: Jordyn Verbeek (30/33)

Result: 5-2 victory for Montreal over Concordia.

There are no standings to worry about, but the there is one team who stood taller than the rest this weekend as U SPORTS champions!

Les Carabins de Montreal are your 2026 U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Champions after defeating the Concordia Stingers for the first time in eleven tries this season, and they become the second eighth-ranked team to capture the gold medal after starting the tournament as the lowest-seeded team. This is Montreal's third gold medal in program history, and its first gold medal since 2016. Netminder Maude Desroches was named the tournament MVP after the game!

Félicitations aux Carabins de Montréal pour avoir remporté la médaille d'or aux championnats U SPORTS! Savourez la victoire!

Words Of Gratitude

There's nothing to analyze here as the season is over, but I do want to show some gratitude to a handful of people and organizations. You may disagree with me on some of these, but that's your ball to kick. I'll be over here thanking these people for making the season fun and informative. They deserve some thanks for their efforts as well.

I want to thank CBC for their continued efforts in bringing amateur sports to Canadians via their online streams and network channels. I don't know if there will be regular airing of U SPORTS hockey anytime soon, but having all the games and features from both U SPORTS hockey championships available via their streaming options is simply awesome. CBC also had a number of Canada West games on their streams this past winter as well, so CBC gets a big "thank you"! Perhaps this could be the new "Hockey Night In Canada" on CBC?

The Waterloo Warriors and the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira, Ontario deserve some thanks for putting on a second-straight U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship that seemingly went off without any issues. I'm sure there were some bumps along the road, but the games looked good and sounded good at every point. Hosting this event is a massive undertaking, and you've set the bar high for the UNB Reds and the city of Fredericton next year!

The parents, families, friends, and fans of U SPORTS players and teams are deserving of some gratitude as well. These are the people that sacrificed time, spent oodles of money, booked time off work, and were there to cheer on their daughters, sisters, granddaughters, nieces, best friends, former teammates, and the amazing women that make up the teams in U SPORTS women's hockey. They may not get enough thanks, but these people are there during the times of sadness, the times of frustration, and, ultimately, the time of joy in these women's lives. Thank you for helping these women achieve their dreams of getting a high-level education while playing hockey!

A big thank-you goes out to the coaches, athletic therapists, nutritionists, equipment people, and everyone behind the scenes that keep these women healthy, happy, and on the ice. All of these people invest their time and energy into their programs with the hope that it will pay off with a celebration at the end of games and seasons, and they put in countless hours preparing and making sure their teams are ready to go wherever a game is being played. Thank you for your dedication to women's hockey, to keeping players healthy in both mind and body, and for preparing them for any challenge they may face, both on and off the ice. The game is better because of you.

You can't play a game without officials, and, despite complaining or disagreeing with calls made, the effort these men and women put in to keep order in the game can't go unmentioned. Officiating means someone will always be unhappy with you, and these people have shown that they're willing to take a little heat to ensure the games remain safe for all to play. Thanks to the stripes on the ice and off-ice officials who do a great job in making sure the women's game remains awesome, and sports in general remain friendly competition.

A big shoutout goes to all the broadcasters who put in countless hours reading and memorizing facts and stats about players and teams to bring you the best broadcasts they can. Most of these broadcasts don't have a Sportsnet truck outside the arena and a dozen cameras inside, but the people who call the games make it sound just as good with their passion for and knowledge of the game. Thanks to everyone across the four conferences who picked up a microphone this year to add some chatter and insight to the games!

Finally, to the players, another season has come and gone and I know a lot of you will say that the time passed by too quickly. That's a truth about life: time is one of the most valuable commodities you'll have that will always seem like it's being spent too quickly, so I hope you used it wisely. I'm not talking about scoring goals or making saves, but about making life-long friendships and lasting memories. Every moment you spent in the community meant something to someone you met. Every second you spent on the bus rides complaining about school work was something over which you bonded with someone else. You made an impact on lives, especially with all the high-fives given to youth hockey players at your games. Those matter to them.

Thank you, players, for entertaining us every weekend. For always being good role models. For being brilliant students and better people. For your charitable work. For the time you spent making lives better. For being incredible teammates, cherished friends, and unforgettable icons. For being coachable and pushing your athletic limits. For sacrificing social opportunities to do homework. For welcoming challenges and embracing opportunities. For simply being awesome people that touched the lives of many. Thank you so much.

This game will push forward without reflection just as time does, but your impact on the game will be felt for years. History was made, victories were earned, friendships were forged, and smiles were seen. Yes, big goals and big saves will get remembered, but your legacy at your school and in the university game will be marked by the relationships and friendships formed over the time you played.

Thank you to everyone listed above who made the 2025-26 U SPORTS hockey season fun, and here's hoping next season is just as good!

The Last Word

That will close this chapter of The Rundown, and I don't know if it will return next season. I know I said that last year and I ultimately went ahead and did another season, but I can't be the only person talking about Canada West and U SPORTS women's hockey all the time. Making matters worse is that fact that no one who has the power to do so wants to see it get better. It's honestly frustrating.

There will be two new schools added in Quebec next season, so the number of women playing university hockey will grow. You would think that having options like CBC internet streams would be something that U SPORTS would want to capitalize on with the explosion of growth in women's hockey thanks to the Olympics this year, but I guess my lack of marketing and business degrees say that following an easily-sourced statistical trend is a bad idea.

I have been dedicated to this game, specifically in western Canada, for a long time. I have meticulous records for U SPORTS National Championships because that information isn't readily or easily found online anywhere. I have reached out to leaders in the university women's hockey game, and I haven't received a single response to my questions. I know I'm not the only person who cares, but I also feel like I can't keep doing this alone. I'm honestly frustrated.

What I do know is that a new wave of incoming students will join teams where renewed hope for immediate and long-term successes will be fostered. Teams will play, players will score, goalies will stop, and coaches will strategize as everyone aims to follow in Montreal's footsteps this season with a massive celebration in March. Just remember that time will fly by, so use your time as best as one can to build those friendships, foster those relationships, and create those life-long memories. And for heaven's sake, have some fun too!

Enjoy your summers, hockey fans. October is closer than you think!

Until next season, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Rundown - National Semifinals

The games started early on Saturday as the 2026 U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship moved into the semifinal phase of the tournament. Four teams were still in the hunt for medals while four others were trying to close out their seasons with wins. Unfortunately for fans of Canada West teams, the two representatives in Elmira, Ontario were playing for the latter as both squads lost their opening games nof the tournament. However, there was still lots to play for when it came to this season and beyond as action got underway at 10am ET. Let's find out who would be playing for the medals and who would get one more game to play tomorrow on The Rundown!

Consolation Semifinal #1

The Manitoba Bisons ran into a very good Concordia team that bumped them to the consolation side of the bracket while the Waterloo Warriors were bounced by their playoff opponents again as the Guelph Gryphons ended their medal run. Both teams wanted to extend their seasons by one more game, so they met in the 10am game to determine who would play on Sunday in the Consolation Final. It was the first time Manitoba and Waterloo had met at Nationals, so let's see who would prevail and get the extra game!



Bisons goals: none
Bisons assists: none
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (24/26)

Warriors goals: Nikki McDonald (1), Nikki McDonald (2)
Warriors assists: Tatum James (1), Gracey Smith (1), Tatum James (2), Gracey Smith (2)
Warriors netminder: Kara Mark (32/32)

Result: 2-0 victory for Waterloo over Manitoba.

Consolation Semifinal #2

In another meeting of two teams that had no history, the Ottawa Gee-Gees dropped a shootout decision to the UNB Reds to land in the consolation semifinal while the UBC Thunderbirds also lost in shootout to the upstart Montreal Carabins to end their march towards gold. Both teams weren't prepared to go home without trying to play another day as they met in the 1pm game for the right to advance to the Consolation Final. Would the Thunderbirds bounce back or could the Gee-Gees land an upset in this game like the Carabins did?



Gee-Gees goals: none
Gee-Gees assists: none
Gee-Gees netminder: Clara Genier (37/39)

Thunderbirds goals: Ashton Thorpe (1), Jacquelyn Fleming (1)
Thunderbirds assists: Presley Zinger (1), Cassidy Rhodes (1)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (15/15)

Result: 2-0 victory for UBC over Ottawa.

Championship Semifinal #1

The Guelph Gryphons advanced to the medal round with a win over the Waterloo Warriors as they looked to continue their battle towards a second gold medal. The Concordia Stingers defeated the Manitoba Bisons to advance to the medal round for a fifth-straight year, and they were looking for a third gold medal in that five-year span and a fifth gold medal overall. Historically, Concordia held a 3-0 record against Guelph, so would we see the Stingers stay perfect against the Gryphons or would Guelph down Concordia for the first time?



Gryphons goals: Maeve Sutherland-Case (1)
Gryphons assists: Jadyn Calder (2), Brielle Caruso (1)
Gryphons netminder: Martina Fedel (28/30) in 65:42

Stingers goals: Courtney Rice (1), Emilie Lussier (1)
Stingers assists: Jessymaude Drapeau (1), Zoe Thibault (2)
Stingers netminder: Jordyn Verbeek (32/33) in 65:42

Result: 2-1 overtime victory for Concordia over Guelph.

Championship Semifinal #2

The second semifinal game saw the Montreal Carabins looking for a second-straight upset as they pushed for another gold medal after defeating the UBC Thunderbirds. Standing in their way was the medalless UNB Reds who downed the Ottawa Gee-Gees to reach the semifinal, but the Reds were hungry for some precious metal. Montreal defeated UNB in 2023 by a 4-1 score, so UNB was looking to even the all-time record. Would les Carabins win over another higher-seeded team or could UNB end up in their first Nationals final?



Carabins goals: Jade Picard (1), Juliette Rolland (2), Audrey-Anne Veillette (1), Laurie-Anne Ethier (1), Audrey-Anne Veillette (2)
Carabins assists: Chloe Duchesneau (1), Kaleann Laforge (1), Catherine Proulx (2), Jade Picard (2), Chloe Duchesneau (1), Rosalie Couture (1)
Carabins netminder: Maude Desroches (20/21)

Reds goals: Hailey Jackson (1)
Reds assists: Katelyn Scott (1), Jorja Nystrom (1)
Reds netminder: Cassie McCallum (25/29)

Result: 5-1 shootout victory for Montreal over UNB.

There are no standings to worry about, but the tournament bracket has been updated to reflect the championship side of the bracket!

Two teams will make their ways back to their respective communities as the Manitoba Bisons and Ottawa Gee-Gees see their tournaments come to an end today with a second loss. They will know what place they finish in based on the results of the Consolation Final that will be played between UBC and Waterloo tomorrow. Speaking of which, here is the schedule for Sunday:

• Consolation Final @ 8am: Waterloo at UBC
• Bronze medal game @ 11am: UNB at Guelph
• Gold medal game @ 3pm: Montreal at Concordia

All the times above are for the Eastern Time Zone, so adjust your clocks accordingly, and make sure you tune in on CBC Gem! The gold medal game can also be seen on CBC Network TV, meaning you can watch the game anywhere in the country! How awesome is that?

The Drive For Five

Ok, so it's not where they wanted to place, but the UBC Thunderbirds will be playing for a fifth-place finish for the fourth time in the last five years. Given their eight appearances at Nationals. they might be the most consistent team when it comes to finishes. If they win tomorrow, this will be the fifth time in eight appearances that they've finished in fifth-place. Even weirder? They've never been the fifth-seeded team at the tournament in those eight appearances!

Waterloo and UBC have never met at a National Championship, but UBC has a 5-2 record against OUA teams. Waterloo is 2-1 against Canada West teams, so it would appear the odds favour the Thunderbirds over the Warriors. It's an 8am game, though, so we'll which team comes out ready to play. If you wanted a little hockey to go with coffee tomorrow, it'll be on the CBC streams bright and early!

Storybook Ending?

The UNB Reds are looking to medal for the first time in the school's history, and certainly since the team was brought back from the dead in 2018. UNB has been to five-straight National Championships, and their best finish was in 2022 when they lost the bronze medal game to the Saskatchewan Huskies in Charlottetown. Will we see them earn a bronze medal tomorrow for the first time in program history?

Standing in their way will be the Guelph Gryphons as UNB and Guelph meet for the first time at a National Championship. Guelph is searching for their second medal in program history after winning the gold medal in 2019 in Charlottetown, so they'll be aiming to play a solid game as well. Historically, UNB is 1-4 against OUA teams while Guelph holds a 4-3 record against AUS teams. Guelph may be the favorite based on history, but UNB may be a tough opponent for the Gryphons tomorrow as they stand on the precipice of history!

La Belle Province

The RSEQ will bring home the gold medal no matter what as the Montreal Carabins and the Concordia Stingers renew acquaintances in the final tomorrow. Including the playoffs, Concordia posted a 10-0 record against Montreal this season, outscoring them 35-15 in those games. It seems that the statistical analysis favours one team by a large margin. Does Montreal even have a chance tomorrow?

Lost in the stats from those ten games are five games that were decided by one goal. We've also seen goaltender Maude Desroches come up being against two higher seeds in UBC and UNB, and it looks like Montreal is getting great contributions from scorers while the defence remains solid. Of course, the same could be said for Concordia as they enter the final, so these generalities apply to both teams. Just swap Desroches' name for Jordyn Verbeek's name.

There could be some history made tomorrow. If Montreal scores in the game, it will be their 100th goal at National Championships, making them the fifth team to hit that mark. Depending on how many times they score, les Carabins could move past Wilfrid Laurier into fourth-place for most goals by a team at Nationals. I hope someone grabs the historic puck if it ends up in Concordia's net!

Concordia is also looking to move past a team as a gold medal victory would give them five in program history which would move them ahead of the McGill Martlets into second-place when it comes to gold medals won. Strangely, Concordia is 0-1 versus RSEQ teams at Nationals and that one loss came against McGill in the bronze medal game back in 2001. If they win tomorrow, it will give them an 11-0 record against les Carabins this season! That's dominant hockey!

The Last Word

There are three games left in the 2025-26 season. Six teams will play tomorrow before the offseason begins. Some players will graduate and move on to professional hockey opportunities while others will choose additional schooling or gaining employment for the summer and beyond. Some players will begin the offseason training regiment they undertake in order to prepare for next season's grind while others will enjoy summer away from the game to reset their outlook.

None of these are wrong choices to make, and my hope is that people don't forget how much they've sacrificed and how hard they've worked when it comes to their university hockey careers. Being an elite student-athlete is a tough job when one has to practice, eat right, play games, maintain a required grade-point average, and try to have a social life. The women playing in Elmira, Ontario are some of the best student-athletes this country has to offer without doubt.

I don't know how many people have tuned in to watch the games on CBC's streams, but my hope is that more and more people are discovering how great the Canadian university game is. I know I've spent far too much time trying to push the game as being some of the best hockey people will see, so I'm hoping CBC's coverage of university hockey will amplify that message because it's been a helluva tournament and a helluva season in every corner of Canada.

Three more games. Enjoy the action, and celebrate the women!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Rundown - National Quarterfinals

Eight teams arrived in Elmira, Ontario with one thought on their minds: win three games to capture the 2026 U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship. Single-elimination games leave little room for mistakes, so teams need to be ready to play the moment the puck is dropped on their first game right through to the final whistle in the gold medal game. Would we see upsets? Would the favorites find their way into the final? The first step is winning a quarterfinal game, so let's see who did what on The Rundown!

THURSDAY: The seventh-ranked Manitoba Bisons met the second-ranked Concordia Stingers in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday. Manitoba was looking to continue to play solid hockey after their run up to and through the playoffs while Concordia was looking to continue its winning ways after capturing the RSEQ championship. Historically, Manitoba was 2-0 against Concordia at this tournament, so would we see them push that to 3-0 or would the Stingers prevail?



Bisons goals: Brenna Nicol (1)
Bisons assists: Sadie Keller (1), Norah Collins (1)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (18/21)

Stingers goals: Audrey Clavette (1), Jessymaude Drapeau (1), Jessymaude Drapeau (2)
Stingers assists: Juliette Leroux (1), Kate Furlong (1), Emilie Lussier (1), Zoe Thibault (1), Emilie Lussier (2), Emilie Lavoie (1)
Stingers netminder: Jordyn Verbeek (23/24)

Result: 3-1 victory for Concordia over Manitoba.

THURSDAY: The sixth-seeded Waterloo Warriors were looking for revenge against the third-seeded Guelph Gryphons after the Gryphons eliminated the Warriors from the OUA playoffs. These two teams were meeting for the sixth time this season with Guelph holding a 3-2 edge in the series. Guelph was looking to win a fourth game while Waterloo looked to eliminate their Ontario rival from the medals.



Warriors goals: none
Warriors assists: none
Warriors netminder: Kara Mark (29/30)

Gryphons goals: Katherine Heard (1), Katy McKenna (1)
Gryphons assists: Jadyn Calder (1), Maeve Sutherland-Case (1)
Gryphons netminder: Martina Fedel (26/26)

Result: 2-0 victory for Guelph over Waterloo.

FRIDAY: The eighth-ranked Montreal Carabins met the top-ranked UBC Thunderbirds on Friday afternoon. Historically, UBC has struggled against RSEQ teams with a 1-3 record, so they were looking to erase any memory of 2024's loss to the Carabins with a win today. Montreal was looking to keep their winning ways against the Thunderbirds going, but they'd need to play well to defeat the country's top team.



Carabins goals: Chloe Duchesneau (1), Janelle Mentor (1), Juliette Rolland (1)
Carabins assists: Laurie-Anne Ethier (1), Audrey Gervais (1), Jade Picard (1), Catherine Proulx (1)
Carabins shootout scorers: Audrey-Anne Veillette, Jade Picard
Carabins netminder: Maude Desroches (31/34) in 70:00 plus 2/3 in the shootout

Thunderbirds goals: Grace Elliott (1), Jaylyn Morris (1), Karine Sandilands (1)
Thunderbirds assists: Jaylyn Morris (1), Ashton Thorpe (1)
Thunderbirds shootout scorers: Karine Sandilands
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (19/22) in 70:00 plus 1/3 in the shootout

Result: 4-3 shootout victory for Montreal over UBC.

FRIDAY: The fifth-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees met the fourth-ranked UNB Reds for the first time in these teams' histories, and both teams were looking to continue their strong play. Ottawa fell just short of an OUA championship so they were aiming to get back in the win column while UNB had been playing excellent hockey in capturing the AUS championship. More importantly, UNB was looking to snap an eight-game losing streak at Nationals while Ottawa was 1-8 at National Championships since winning a silver medal in 2004.



Gee-Gees goals: Alex Ferguson (1)
Gee-Gees assists: Maelle Laplante (1), Gillian Warren (1)
Gee-Gees shootout scorers: Alex Ferguson
Gee-Gees netminder: Clara Genier (43/44) in 70:00 plus 3/5 in the shootout

Reds goals: Lauren Carter (1)
Reds assists: none
Reds shootout scorers: Katelyn Scott, Payton Hargreaves
Reds netminder: Cassie McCallum (28/29) in 70:00 plus 4/5 in the shootout

Result: 2-1 shootout victory for UNB over Ottawa.

There are no standings to worry about, but the tournament bracket has been updated to reflect the championship side of the bracket!

Saturday will still see all eight teams in action as the consolation semifinals will be played as well. That starts early on Saturday morning, but two teams will be eliminated from the tournament with a second loss. No one wants to be those teams, so wins still matter!

• Consolation semifinal @ 10am: Manitoba at Waterloo
• Consolation semifinal @ 1pm: Ottawa at UBC
• Championship semifinal @ 4pm: Guelph at Concordia
• Championship semifinal @ 7pm: Montreal at UNB

All the times above are for the Eastern Time Zone, so adjust your clocks accordingly, and make sure you tune in on CBC Gem!

Another Tough Loss

I'm not here to throw salt in the wound, but it's hard to understand just how dominant UBC can be over the course of a season in Canada West only to lose a key game at Nationals once again. This talented group of women should have more than just a bronze medal to show for their efforts over the last five seasons, but they'll head home to Vancouver empty-handed once again after a shootout loss today.

Having watched these Thunderbirds grow and mature together to become a well-oiled machine in Canada West play has been nothing short of remarkable when it came to their trajectory. They established a standard and style of play that few teams could match, and the wins and Canada West banners began piling up. Make no mistake that this Thunderbirds team are a special group of people.

I can't imagine the heartbreak these women are going through tonight, but hockey can be cruel sometimes. These women should be proud of all they've accomplished despite the shortfalls at Nationals because I don't know if we'll see an era of hockey like theirs in Canada West again. They can still finish their season with a win if they play well over their next two games, and that would be a fine way to cap off this era of dominance by the Thunderbirds.

3-In-5?

Concordia's win over Manitoba put them into the semifinals, so we know they'll play for a medal. What colour will be determined by the next two games, but the Stingers have a shot at four medals in five years and three gold medals in five years. I think it's safe that we can put the Concordia Stingers next to some other legendary teams, but they're not quite at the level of success two teams have had.

The Alberta Pandas captured eight medals in nine years from 1999 until 2007, and they did nine medals in twelve years. The McGill Martlets medalled 15 times in 21 years from 1999 until 2019. The Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks captured six medals in nine years, so the Stingers still have a little bit of work to do in trying to catch these legendary teams for successive years with medals.

However, a gold medal at this year's tournament would give them three gold medals in five seasons which is only bettered by McGill's three-in-four-years run from 2008-11, and Alberta's five-in-six-years from 2002-07 and six-in-eight-years from 2000-07. Since Nationals switched to the eight-team format in 2015, only Concordia has more than one gold medal. That's some pretty impressive history.

They still have work to do, but they're two wins away from success!

The Last Word

This will be the last word for the day, but The Rundown will be back all weekend as Nationals play out. Four games tomorrow plus three more on Sunday will determine how these eight teams finish their seasons in Ontario. Only three teams will close out the weekend with victories, so there's still lots to be determined in two days.

Waterloo's loss means that the defending silver medallist cannot earn a medal, so this year's podium will feature three teams who did not medal in 2025. Both Concordia and Montreal medalled in 2024 while Concordia is the only team who medalled in 2023 and 2022. With the Stingers as the top seed still on the championship side, they'll attempt to not repeat last year's finish with two-straight losses.

The first two days of action have been awesome, so I can't wait for the next two days of hockey as the 2026 U SPORTS National Championship moves into the semifinal round! Enjoy the games!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 704

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight with one of our favourite people talking about one of our favourite topics! Our guest is well-versed in the game of hockey, and her experiences with both the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets and ACHA's Indiana Tech Warriors has led to her going to school to get even more knowledge on the game. Tonight, it's excited to welcome back Fiona Quinn who will give us some insight on ECHL news, Komets news, Warriors news, and more stories from her spot in the pressbox tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason are proud to have the always-fantastic woman to the left on the show as Fiona Quinn will give us all the details on the roster moves being made with the Komets, the playoff race the Komets are currently in as they challenge for first-place, some of the players who helped them achieve that lofty standing, the promotions they run, the Iowa Heartlanders' news, ECHL expansion and relocation, Indiana Tech women's hockey's "rebuilding" season and how they almost shocked everyone, the CBA pause in the ECHL, some of the bigger hockey stories, and much more! And yes, we ask about the sweater she's wearing in the photo as well because, frankly, that's AWESOME! Make sure you've got your radio on internet-connected device set as we get down to business with Fiona Quinn 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 UMFM website's 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.

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 with our ECHL MVP in Fiona Quinn about the Komets' roster, the playoff race, promotional nights, the CBA, losing a team, gaining teams, moving teams, ACHA hockey, her sweater, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

He Lost More Than A Tooth

I don't think the man to the left needs an introduction as you probably recognize New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes thanks to his work done in Italy. You may remember him scoring the gold medal-winning goal against Canada in overtime to give the Americans their first finish atop the men's hockey podium since 1980 in Lake Placid. Obviously, that's a massive moment in international and US hockey history, and all of the important pieces from that game went to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. However, Jack Hughes' comments today make me think that the Canadian stick that knocked his tooth out in that gold medal game may have done more damage than just affecting his smile.

According to an article by ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, "Jack Hughes wants the Hockey Hall of Fame to give him the puck from his gold-medal-winning overtime goal for Team USA in the Milan Cortina Olympics."

"I'm trying to get it. Like, that's bulls--- that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?" Hughes told ESPN in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. He also told Wyshynski, "I don't see why Megan Keller or I shouldn't have those pucks."

I don't even know where to start with this one, but let's give it a shot.

First and foremost, leave Megan Keller out of this. The US women already went through all the trouble of trying to rationalize the misogyny shown by the US men's team once, and Keller certainly doesn't need to be a part of this baffling stupidity. Keller hasn't made one mention of the puck with which she scored her overtime winner because she clearly understands the process by which the puck goes to the Hockey Hall of Fame while she gets the gold medal for scoring. Keller's not complaining, so don't wrap her up in this gem of idiocy.

The second point should be easiest to understand because anytime something historical happens in hockey, the Hockey Hall of Fame is involved with collecting as much paraphernalia as possible for their exhibits. That includes gold medal-winning, overtime goals like the one that Sidney Crosby scored in 2010, like the one that Marie-Philip Poulin scored in 2022, like the one that Megan Keller scored this year, and like the one that Jack Hughes scored this year. This isn't new, it shouldn't be a surprise, and it definitely has happened before.

You might be wondering why Hughes wants the puck so badly, and he revealed that to Wyshynski as well in the exclusive interview.

"I wouldn't even want it for myself. I'd want it for my dad. I know he'd just love, love having it," said Hughes, whose father Jim Hughes has hockey collections from Jack's, Quinn's and Luke's careers. "When I look back in time in my career, I don't collect too many things for myself, but my dad's a monster collector for the three of us. I know he would have a special place for it."

You mean a special place like the Hockey Hall of Fame alongside all of the other historical artifacts and moments from hockey's rich and colourful history where the story of Jack Hughes' goal in Italy could be mentioned in the same breath as the Summit Series and the Miracle On Ice? If that place isn't special enough for the puck, perhaps Papa Hughes should have taught his eldest son a few more lessons in selflessness because it seems that was never learned.

They gave Jack Hughes a gold medal for earning, with his teammates, Olympic hockey's highest honour. That medal represents more than a puck ever will, but it seems that lesson was also lost somewhere on the flight home. The kicker is that Hughes didn't even think of the puck until he was asked about it during "an interview on TNT on" Feburary 26 - four days after he scored the goal! You'd think a kid who was so concerned about getting his dad a puck would have been all over it during the hysteria following the goal he scored, right?

But I guess that thought didn't even cross his mind. Isn't that peculiar?

Ths demand that Jack Hughes made in the ESPN interview is so outrageously absurd that I hope the hockey gods ensure that never wins anything ever again until he issues an apology for his selfishness. What Hughes did in Italy was both significant and historical, and the Hockey Hall of Fame is the right place for that puck to be given the magntiude of that goal. Yes, it's the biggest goal of Hughes' career to date, but it's also the biggest goal that Team USA's men's program has scored in the last 46 years. Everyone should share in that.

Jack Hughes lost a tooth against Canada, but it seems he's clearly lost his mind with the demand he made today. I don't know if the two are related, but I know that I've lost all respect for Jack Hughes. As the old saying goes, "Million-dollar talent, but a ten-cent head."

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Schedule Change

With the U SPORTS National Men's and Women's Hockey Championship being played this weekend, I figured I would be spending a lot of my time in front of my laptop and TV watching games. Everything appeared to be heading towards that fate until I received an email today that changed my schedule and could add a lot of fun to the upcoming weekend. I'll still be watching games, but I'll also be attending a game and chatting with players thanks to receiving some media credentials today!

I applied a long time ago to the PWHL to see if we could bring The Hockey Show down to the practices that the Montreal Victoire and the Ottawa Charge would hold here in Winnipeg as part of the PWHL's Takeover Tour. I had followed up emails that went unanswered, and I figured that our application had likely been rejected with a number of media outlets potentially competing for radio broadcast rights.

UMFM wasn't looking for that nor does the station possess the financial backing to bid on those rights, but Jason and I figured that The Hockey Show could bring its unique interview style to the PWHL if we were granted access. After all, we had a blast talking to Savannah Harmon when she skated with Ottawa, we had too many laughs with Logan Angers after she was drafted, and we had a great chat with author and CBC reporter Karissa Donkin about lots of PWHL news and topics. Surely, there had to be room for The Hockey Show at the Winnipeg stop of the PWHL's Takeover Tour, right?

Consider me surprised this afternoon when an email landed in my inbox stating that The Hockey Show would be involved as Jason and I received media credentials for all of the weekend's activities hosted by the PWHL! That's not to say we fit in at all the activities, but we're going to work on getting at least one interview with a player!

Friday night will also see me attend a workshop held by the Ottawa Charge where interested parties can interact with a panel of people from the Charge regarding meaningful career paths in sports, insider knowledge, and forging real connections with professionals working in the PWHL. I have lots of questions for the panel that reportedly includes Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld and Charge Hockey Operations Director Olivia Giardetti, so hopefully there will be a good discussion!

That doesn't mean that I won't still have my phone or laptop nearby so I can keep tabs on what's happening in Elmira and Halifax, but it's pretty exciting to be included in one of the bigger hockey events to visit Winnipeg in the last number of years. At no point did I think Winnipeg would be a landing spot for the PWHL despite the strong women's hockey market in the city, but clearly I thought wrong.

Considering that we've had the privilege of calling the Female World Sport School Challenge thanks to Balmoral Hall School, the Cross Border Classic thanks to Sledge Hockey Manitoba and Team Manitoba parahockey, and now we get to chat with PWHL players and sit in the pressbox for their game, I'd say The Hockey Show is feeling very humbled and extremely grateful for these opportunities.

I'll do my best this weekend to keep the blog updated with U SPORTS women's hockey information, but things may be posted a little later than usual depending on where I am during the day or evening thanks to this media access we've been granted. Both Jason and I are excited to forge a few friendships with PWHL players where possible, and we'll look to have some exclusive coverage on The Hockey Show in the coming weeks! It'll be a busy weekend, but it will be worth it!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Rundown - Nationals Preview

Eight teams have officially puched their tickets to Elmira, Ontario for the 2026 U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship that will kick off on Thursday. The Waterloo Warriors are the host team for the second-straight year as they look to improve on their silver medal earned last year. Three more teams will play for a second-straight year in Elmira, and four will look to make their marks on this year's tournament in their returns. Let's look at the eight teams who will determine Canada's best university hockey team on The Rundown!

Before we even get into this, I'm not going to half-ass this National Championship preview like some other publications do. You'll be given reasons why each team could win and why they may not. There may be some disagreement with my assessments, but how many people predicted a Bishop's win last season? There are many variables that could come into play, but we'll look at this as objectively as possible.

I'll break this down by the U SPORTS rankings for each team.

Record: 29-2-1; CW Champions
Team Offence: 83GF; 2.59 gpg
Team Defence: 26GA; 0.81 gapg

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The UBC Thunderbirds come in with, arguably, its best roster in any of the five consecutive years that they have been to Nationals. Grace Elliott's outstanding play was highlighted by good secondary scoring in the playoffs as newly-joined Russian star Ilona Markova seemed to find her groove in the Canada West playoffs. Goaltender Elise Hugens was outstanding throughout the entire season, UBC does a great job in limiting shots by its opposition, they score on the power-play, and they have a physical edge to their game when needed. UBC will arrive in Elmira as the favorite based on how complete their game is as proven with their Canada West dominance.

WHY THEY WON'T: UBC lost to a lower-seeded team in each of 2022, 2023, and 2024 and were bumped to the consolation side by Bishop's, playing in their first-ever Nationals, last season. In each of those games, the "underdog" got an outstanding goaltending performance while playing a smothering defensive system that slowed UBC down. UBC has to find a way to get leads early and dictate the pace of play as there is no tomorrow at Nationals. They also need to find a way past the RSEQ teams who have eliminated the Thunderbirds in three consecutive seasons. They're not invincible despite their swagger.

APPERANCES (MOST RECENT): Seven (2025).
BEST FINISH: Silver medal in 2016.
TOTAL MEDALS: One silver, two bronze.

Record: 26-2-0; RSEQ Champions
Team Offence: 101GF; 3.61 gpg
Team Defence: 38GA; 1.36 gapg

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The Concordia Stingers are easily the most successful team at Nationals in the last four years with a pair of gold medals and a silver medal to show for their efforts, so they'll be leaning on their "been there before" experiences. They were dominant through the entire RSEQ season, and they were led by Jessymaude Drapeau and Emilie Lussier who have skated at Nationals in their careers. Jordyn Verbeek's efforts between the pipes hasn't gone unnoticed, but she plays behind a very skilled and mobile defence that makes things easier. Concordia's special teams are good, and the Stingers won't be pushed around nor intimidated by anyone.

WHY THEY WON'T: Concordia hasn't been pushed in any real manner all season long, so they'll need to find an extra gear if they want to win three more games. Removing Drapeau's and Lussier's combined 40 goals this season, no other Stingers player had more than six. Secondary scoring becomes that much more important at this tournament, so Concordia will need players like Courtney Rice, Zoé Thibault, and Emilie Lavoie to dent twine. Concordia was held to two goals in their final two games last season, so a good defensive effort from the Stingers' opposition could be a problem for Concordia.

APPERANCES (MOST RECENT): Twelve (2025).
BEST FINISH: Gold medals in 2024, 2022, 1999, and 1998.
TOTAL MEDALS: Four gold, one silver, one bronze.

Record: 24-5-3; OUA Champions
Team Offence: 90GF; 2.81 gpg
Team Defence: 42GA; 1.31 gapg

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The Guelph Gryphons play a very structured defensive system that is highlighted by by their outstanding goaltending tandem of Olympian Martina Fedel and Sophie Helfenstein. With Fedel returning from Italy, she's looked extremely sharp in resuming her role in the crease. Guelph will score if given the chance, but they aren't loaded with offensive weapons. Katherine Heard was sixth in OUA scoring at 24 points while Maeve Sutherland-Case was fourth in goals with 13. Deija Houston had nine goals, but the goal-scoring falls off quickly. Guelph will use that solid defensive game to cause turnovers and force mistakes, and that's been a winning formula for them this season. They'll need it to continue!

WHY THEY WON'T: Did I mention they don't score a lot of goals? Guelph was tied for fourth-most goals in the OUA during the regular season, and they posted a goal differential of just +2 in the playoffs despite going 5-1 in those games. If Guelph needs a goal late, they don't push the pace very well, and they only have a few players who might dent twine with any shot. Guelph's power-play was a pedestrian eighth in the OUA at 14.5% with that lack of scoring punch, and the Gryphons' dependence on their goaltending and defence may cost them if they need to a score a goal or two quickly.

APPERANCES (MOST RECENT): Six (2019).
BEST FINISH: Gold medal in 2019.
TOTAL MEDALS: One gold.

Record: 25-8-2; AUS Champions
Team Offence: 89GF; 2.54 gpg
Team Defence: 53GA; 1.51 gapg

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The UNB Reds have no problems filling nets on the east coast. They had the top-three scorers in the AUS this season in Katelyn Scott, Olivia Eustace, and Payton Hargreaves with Scott leading the AUS in helpers and Hargreaves finishing second in goal-scoring. Cassie McCallum was solid between the pipes as she finished with a 1.65 GAA and a .930 save percentage. UNB had the top AUS power-play at a 21.7% success rate, and they killed off penalties with an 88.9% efficiency. UNB used all of these impressive statistics in combination through the playoffs to win the AUS championship.

WHY THEY WON'T: Playing at Nationals seems to be UNB's kryptonite as they enter this year's tournament with a 1-8 record all-time at the tournament. Their only win came in 2022 against McGill, and they haven't played a third game at Nationals in three-straight years, going 0-8 since that win against McGill. Making matters worse is that they've scored just eight goals all-time at National Championships, so the odds are certainly stacked against them going into this year's tournament. Forget winning the tournament; how about just a game?

APPERANCES (MOST RECENT): Four (2025).
BEST FINISH: Fourth-place in 2022.
TOTAL MEDALS: No medals won yet.

Record: 19-11-3; OUA Finalist
Team Offence: 86GF; 2.61 gpg
Team Defence: 64GA; 1.94 gapg

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The Ottawa Gee-Gees come in as the unknown team. They haven't played at Nationals since 2009 despite having a pile of talent go through their program, so this year's squad is virtually unknown to non-OUA teams. Scouting will be vital for their opponents, and that's where Ottawa can capitalize by working in some new plays and modifying their current systems. Gillian Warren finished second in OUA scoring, and goaltender Clara Genier has proven she can win big games. Ottawa was the most penalized team in the OUA playoffs, but they had the second-best penalty-killing efficiency at 88.9%. Combine that with their second-best power-play rate, and Ottawa has the tools to be successful this year.

WHY THEY WON'T: There's a fine line between being the unknown and being naive. One can make a team dangerous while the other usually has disastrous results. Ottawa needs to find scondary scoring as the drop-off after Warren's 16 goals is noticeable. Rebecca Morissette had nine tallies while Alex Ferguson had eight, but Ottawa's top-three scorers behind Warren combined for 12 goals. Defender Reece Mepham has to remained disciplined as opposition power-plays will feast if she's in the sin bin, but, overall, secondary scoring has to be a priority for the Gee-Gees if they want to medal.

APPERANCES (MOST RECENT): Four (2009).
BEST FINISH: Silver medal in 2004.
TOTAL MEDALS: One silver medal.

Record: 18-10-1; host team
Team Offence: 89GF; 3.07 gpg
Team Defence: 60GA; 2.07 gapg

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The Waterloo Warriors come in as the defending silver medallists, so they know what it takes to make the final. Waterloo ran into a solid Guelph team in the OUA playoffs, resulting in an early exit, but the Warriors had three players hit double-digits in goals as Carly Orth had 10, Tatum James had 13, and Keiara Raitt notched 11 goals. They have a good supporting cast, and Kara Mark provides solid goaltending. They need to work hard against solid defensive teams, but the Warriors have the firepower to carry them to victory if their defence can hold the fort long enough.

WHY THEY WON'T: The Warriors take a lot of penalties, and their penalty-killing efficiency was dead-last in the OUA. That has to change or the Warriors will be fishing a lot of pucks out of their net. Defensively, they could tighten the screws as well as Mark was good in her crease, but Bishop's showed last season that a strong forecheck will force Waterloo into errors which ended up behind Mark. The Warriors don't get a lot of offence from their blue line, so Waterloo will need to find ways to push the play from the back end.

APPERANCES (MOST RECENT): Three (2025).
BEST FINISH: Silver medal in 2025.
TOTAL MEDALS: One silver medal.

Record: 17-13-6; CW Finalist
Team Offence: 95GF; 2.64 gpg
Team Defence: 83GA; 2.31 gapg

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The Manitoba Bisons are the team that should scare everyone because they don't know who is showing up. It took Manitoba eight weeks to record their first regulation win before they went on a crazy run that saw them knock off Alberta and Mount Royal before UBC slowed them up. Manitoba has three double-digit goal scorers in Julia Bird, Aimee Patrick, and Norah Collins. They have good secondary scoring from players like Brenna Nicol and Sadie Keller. They had the second-best power-play efficiency in Canada West, and they were the least penalized team in the conference. No one expected them to be in Elmira, and now they have a chance to prove everyone wrong about their comeback season this year.

WHY THEY WON'T: The other side of the coin is that Manitoba's defence and goaltending has to be elite like it was for the majority of the playoffs. Goaltender Emily Shippam wasn't bad with a 2.29 GAA, but her .891 save percentage was the lowest of all Canada West playoff starters. It got better in the playoffs as Manitoba showed an improved commitment to defence, but this is a one-game elimination from the medal round. Mistakes have to be limited, saves have to be made, and defensive play has to remain high. Manitoba's penalty-killing units also allowed six goals on 20 shorthanded situations, so staying out of the penalty box would be helpful as well.

APPERANCES (MOST RECENT): Eight (2019).
BEST FINISH: Gold medal in 2018.
TOTAL MEDALS: One gold medal, three bronze medals.

Record: 15-12-2; FSEQ Finalists
Team Offence: 71GF; 2.45 gpg
Team Defence: 65GA; 2.24 gapg

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The Montreal Carabins play like a team of grizzled veterans in that they all come to play. They don't score a lot as leading scorer Catherine Proulx had just 16 points, but they have players who can find the back of the net all over their lineup. The addition of Audrey-Anne Veillette saw her score seven goals in 11 games, and Lea Salem had seven goals this season as well. They don't mind a little physicality in the corners or in front of the net, and goaltender Maude Desroches can steal Montreal a game if she's on.

WHY THEY WON'T: Montreal is going to need everything to come together for three-straight games against arguably better opponents than they faced this season. Montreal defeated UBC 4-2 as the seventh-seeded team in 2023 so it's possible that we could see an upset, but Montreal will need outstanding goaltending, stout defence, and timely scoring - key pieces that were missing at times in their RSEQ series against Concordia. It's an uphill climb that we saw Mount Royal make in 2023, but Montreal's going to need every facet to be better than what was seen all season. That's a tough ask.

APPERANCES (MOST RECENT): Eleven (2024).
BEST FINISH: Gold medals in 2016 and 2013.
TOTAL MEDALS: Two golds, two silvers, and three bronze medals.

There are no standings to worry about, but the bracket has been posted. Play starts on Thursday afternoon in Elmira, Ontario!

The schedule for the games in Elmira are as follows:

• Thursday, March 19 @ 3pm: Manitoba at Concordia
• Thursday, March 19 @ 7pm: Guelph at Waterloo
• Friday, March 20 @ 3pm: Montreal at UBC
• Friday, March 20 @ 7pm: Ottawa at UNB

All the times above are for the Eastern Time Zone, so adjust your clocks accordingly, and make sure you tune in on CBC Gem!

I have some concerns over the rankings above, so read on for my analysis of why U SPORTS once again has no clue what it's doing when ranking teams. If you're a fan of two teams in particular, you should be furious while two others deserve more respect from U SPORTS.

When Winning Means Nothing

The top-four seeds in the tournament have always been the four conference champions and there may be some debate about who got seeded where, but U SPORTS messing that up would take real skill. Instead, we're going to look at the bottom-four seeds because one team didn't even win a playoff series and has an easier path than two teams who did. What's the point of winning in the playoffs then?

The Waterloo Warriors won 17 games in the regular season against OUA competition, and those 17 wins were more than any of the other three teams on the bottom of the rankings. However, when the playoffs started and games counted for more, Waterloo went ahead and won one game - the least of the four teams at the bottom of the rankings. Guelph knocked Waterloo out of the playoffs in the OUA quarterfinals, and somehow they're ranked higher than the Canada West finalist in Manitoba and the RSEQ finalist in Montreal.

How does that make any sense? Nationals has never been about how many wins any team has in the regular season. It's about competing against other teams across the nation, and Waterloo couldn't even reach the final in their own province. Somehow, though, they're ranked ahead of Manitoba and Montreal who defeated teams to make it to Nationals. Can anyone explain how U SPORTS arrived at this?

Waterloo's seeding only doubles-down on how stupid it is for U SPORTS to have three OUA teams in the National Championship, and it reeks of favoritism towards the OUA's teams when it comes to medalling. If I were involved in operations for Manitoba and Montreal, I'd be demanding answers from U SPORTS over this clear lack of respect for winning in the playoffs. This is completely ridiculous.

The regular-season rankings mean nothing as I've gone over time and time again, but it takes real guts to tell teams that winning your conference doesn't matter. Welcome to U SPORTS women's hockey.

Didn't We Just Play Them?

If you're a fan of the Guelph Gryphons or the Waterloo Warriors, there will be a sense of familiarity when those teams meet on Thursday night. That's because they played one another twice during the regular season with each team winning a game. They then met in the OUA quarterfinals where the Gryphons won in three games. And now they meet in a single-elimination game at the National Championship. Again, I ask how U SPORTS thinks this is a good idea.

OUA teams have met six times at Nationals, and Wilfred Laurier was involved in every single game. Wilfred Laurier hasn't played at Nationals since 2014, the year before the format changed to eight teams, so it's been a long time since any conference foes met in an opening-round game thanks to the tournament's rules where champions and finalists were on the opposite sides of the bracket.

Imagine being the Guelph Gryphons who eliminated the Waterloo Warriors from OUA playoff contention only to arrive at Nationals knowing that Waterloo could end their quest for a National Championship. What's worse is that all U SPORTS had to do was flip-flop Manitoba and Waterloo, and every single game would feature non-conference opponents in the opening round. What may have been even better is if Montreal and Waterloo were switched so that the finalists were ranked ahead of the opening-round OUA burnout.

Further to this, Guelph should NOT be the visitors in their game against Waterloo under any circumstance. I get that Waterloo is hosting this tournament, but they did not earn the right to be the home team at any point in this tournament. You don't get to flame out in the first round of the OUA playoffs only to have home-ice advantage against the team that eliminated you. That's bonkers!

I have a hard time believing that any of this was unintentional which means that U SPORTS has abandoned what made Nationals so good: teams that never play each other would always meet through the opening two rounds of Nationals. With this year's brackets, it's clear that U SPORTS no longer cares about making this sport better.

Does the "U" in U SPORTS stand for "useless at managing"?

Getting A Shot

The PWHL's Ottawa Charge are the first team to boast two former U SPORTS netminders on their roster after they signed Kaitlyn Ross to a 10-day Standard Player Agreement while Sanni Ahola recovers from an illness back in Ottawa! After adding Kendra Woodland in November, the Charge now feature a former UNB Reds netminder and a former Mount Royal Cougars netminder on their roster!

There's no guarantee that Ross will play, but the Redcliff, Alberta native seems to be the insurance policy while Ottawa travels across western Canada and into the American midwest. The Charge are battling for a playoff spot, so their upcoming games against the Frost in Minnesota and against Montreal in Winnipeg called for a third goalie to be available in case there were any goalie injuries.

Ross may only be with Ottawa util they get through Winnipeg, but my hope is that this is the opportunity she needs to impress the Charge brass. She's a helluva goalie, and I hope this leads to more!

Bringing Home Hardware

Saturday saw two former Calgary Dinos players and one former Mount Royal Cougars player earn gold medals in professional hockey play. Annaliese Meier and Courtney Kollman were part of the CG Puigcerdà squad that swept through the playoffs en route to winning that club's first national championship in Spain's Liga Iberdrola de Hockey Hielo!

Kollman and Meier were key additions to CG Puigcerdà as both players had significant impacts for the team, but CG Puigcerdà saw a number of Spanish-born players elevate their games in preparation for the upcoming IIHF Division-1B Women's World Championship that Puigcerdà will host from April 12-19. CG Puigcerdà joined the LIHH in 2006, so this was a truly historic win for the city and the club!

Congratulations to Annaliese and Courtney on their championship!

Sweden's Canada West Battle

The SDHL is rolling through their playoffs right now, and we got to see one of the relegation series feature a few key Canada West players. Rogle BK met Linköping HC in their best-of-three series with Linköping looking to stay in the SDHL while Rogle was attempting to take Linköping's spot in the SDHL. Linköping won 2-0, but it was who took part in the series that caught my attention as there was a Canada West wrinkle in the games thanks to who played!

Linköping HC was supposed to have former UBC Thunderbirds forward Chanreet Bassi on the ice, but I never saw her once if she played. According to what I can find, her last point came on January 16 in a 5-4 shootout win against MoDo. She actually had two assists in that game, but I didn't see any other mention of her in the lineup or on the scoresheet after that game. Did she play? I can't confirm because the SDHL website is hot garbage. Who designs these websites?

What I can confirm is that Rogle BK featured former Alberta Pandas forward Cassidy Maplethorpe and former UBC Thunderbirds defender Kennesha Miswaggon on their roster, and both played in the series! It's always cool to tune into a game and discover two players you watched are now playing at the professional level!

Officially, Rogle BK will return to the Nationella Damhockeyligan (NDHL) next season while Linköping HC will remain in the SDHL. We'll have to see if these three Canada West alumna re-sign this summer!

Backs Against The Wall

Luleå is still alive in the SDHL playoffs as they're in the championship final against Brynäs IF. The only problem is that Brynäs IF won the opening two games of the best-of-five series by 2-1 and 3-2 scores, putting Luleå on the brink of elimination. That means all of former Manitoba Bisons defender Erica Rieder, former Regina Cougars forward Jaycee Magwood, and former StFX X-Women forward Sarah Bujold are on the precipice of being bridesmaids in the SDHL!

None of those three players have scored in the final yet, but Magwood did have three goals and a helper in the three-game semifinal series win over Djurgarden. Erica Rieder also added an assist while Bujold was held off the scoresheet, but Luleå is going to need all three at their best for the next three games if Luleå wants to win the SDHL! It won't be easy, but it's still very possible!

The Last Word

I had every intention on getting into the history of the teams playing against one another, but this edition of The Rundown is already long enough. Besides, I need something to generate some chatter on the CBC YouTube chat where I'll be spending my time watching the games. Honestly, CBC deserves a ton of credit for covering every game for all of U SPORTS' championships, but it seems like no one wants to give CBC any credit so I will because they earned it.

You can watch every second of action from both the men's and women's hockey national championships this weekend on CBC Gem and the CBC Sports website. The gold medal games from both tournaments will be on CBC's network television feed as well, so you can ask for it to be broadcast on any big screen at your favorite sports establishment no matter where in the country you are.

From their work with their Olympic and Paralympic coverage to their commitment to U SPORTS to their dedication in bring amateur athletics to Canadian viewers, CBC is invaluable to this country. I cannot say enough good things about CBC's efforts to make lesser-watched sports more prominent, and I'll give them credit anytime I can. I appreciate their work, and this year's U SPORTS National Hockey Championships should look good on all the CBC options!

Everything starts on Thursday. Settle in for an amazing weekend of hockey and catch every second on CBC's viewing options!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!