The Tournament That Didn't Happen

I'm sure there are a few people who question my sanity when it comes to some of the things I find in the online newspaper archives I use simply because it looks like I spend a lot of time there. What normally happens is that I go searching for something, and a story will catch my eye that needs more thorough investigation because of a claim or conjecture made. That's exactly what happened today as one newspaper published an interesting "sports quickie" that absolutely needed context and examination.

First off, let's start off with what caught my attention in the archive.

According to the Austin Herald of Austin, Minnesota, the NHL was planning an "invitational tournament" for all fourteen NHL teams in 1970 that would be played in Winnipeg. Being that my parents and I are all from Winnipeg and had never heard about this tournament, this left me scratching my head. How did the NHL begin plannning a big tournament in a hockey-mad city that never materialized?

With my interest piqued, it was time to start hunting for more information on this tournament that never happened. The internet held no information on this tournament, so the newspaper archive was going to be my source for all the information for something that never happened. The next article that came up was from the Albert Lea Tribune as The Associated Press confirmed the "sports quickie" from the Austin Herald. The good news is there was more information as the NHL seemingly was planning to have the tournament in the fall of 1970 after the proposed World Hockey Tournament was cancelled for host cities Montreal and Winnipeg as Canada disputed the use of professional players at the championship.

There's a bold statement from Maitland Steinkopf, chairman of the Manitoba Centennial Corporation, about this tournament, claiming that, after talking to NHL President Clarence Campbell, there was a "75 per cent chance that it will come off." The former Progressive Conservative politician and longtime businessman made it sound like there was a better than good chance that the tournament would happen for the Manitoba capital. But did it happen, though?

Dozens of newspapers ran The Associated Press's report on between January 30 to February 5, 1970, but an article from MacGregor, Manitoba's The MacGregor Herald gave even more details on what was planned as Steinkopf was aiming for late September or early October for dates, adding "Right now we've just got to clear the dates." All fourteen teams would be able to attend using their players under contract to compete in the one-loss-and-out tournament over the planned week of games. In short, it sounded like a preseason tournament that would have brought the best professional players on the planet together for games. This could have been the start of something that the NHL could build on to spark interest for the coming season.

It appeared that Steinkopf was planning this massive hockey tournament to align with Manitoba's centennial celebration in 1970. He was instrumental in bringing all sorts of projects and events forward that year including the Centennial Concert Hall in downtown Winnipeg and a concert called "Man-Pop" that saw all of Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, the Youngbloods, Chilliwack, the Ides Of March, Dianne Heatherington and the Merry-Go-Round, the Mongrels, and Sugar & Spice perform in Winnipeg for one day. That lineup is insane!

For whatever reason, nothing else was published about this NHL invitational tournament following those early reports in 1970, and it could be because Steinkopf shifted his focus to music as Man-Pop took place on August 29, 1970. My guess is that the dates proposed by Steinkopf didn't work for either the arenas in and around Winnipeg or the NHL clubs themselves, but the tournament evaporated as fast as it seemed to materialize. Winnipeg was not an NHL city in 1970.

There is a bit of a sad note to this story as Maitland Steinkopf passed away on Sunday, November 22, 1970 from a heart attack. Had the tournament happened, his passing would have been just weeks after watching NHL teams compete in the Manitoba capital. It also meant that he missed out on the WHA setting up shop in Winnipeg after luring NHL superstar Bobby Hull to the league which, I believe, would have tickled his showman's heart. Rest peacefully, Mr. Steinkopf.

There's a quick bit of history about what could have been the start of an annual event for the NHL had everything gone to plan with the league-wide invitational tournament. Maitland Steinkopf nearly put Manitoba on the map as a hockey destination with his efforts, but that event simply wasn't in the cards for the city of Winnipeg in 1970.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Rule Change Friday

I don't think I'm in the minority here when I say that I like exciting hockey. Having been through the "dead puck" era of the NHL when some version of the trap was used by almost every team, watching hockey was a chore in that era where teams looked to prevent mistakes and were far more comfortable winning 2-1 while preventing their opposition from scoring more than two goals. Good defence hasn't taken a backseat in the NHL as we still see strong defensive teams, but no fans fo to hockey games to watch a clinic on how to stifle offensive hockey. Fans like offence, fans want offence, and two leagues today instituted rule changes that should help generate more offence in games and situations. Thee rule changes won't solve every problem when it comes to overall scoring in these leagues, but it shoudl give fans some hope that offensive hockey is being prioritized when it comes to entertainment value.

We'll start in the WHL who announced three rule changes today. The first two included implementing a coach's challenge for offside goals and adding an officials' review of major and match penalties, but the one I want to focus on in the "no return" 3-on-3 overtime. As you likely have seen in European leagues, teams in overtime can move the puck up the ice, but once they cross the centre ice line they are forbidden to retreat to their defensive zone unless playing defence. The numbers show this is a good rule.

The third rule today is exactly that - a "no retreat" overtime rule. Teams in the WHL will be forbidden to possess the puck in the defensive zone once they cross the centre red line, and this should promote more games being decided in overtime based on what we've seen in other leagues. We're one step close to banning the shootout!

In all seriousness, the Champions Legaue has been using this rule and tracking metrics, and it's not hard to see why this is better for the game. Here are their numbers and MHL (KHL junior circuit) numbers:

• Shot attempts increased by 51% in overtime overall.
• Alternating shot attempts increased by 53% as both teams played more offensively in trying to end the game.
• Puck possession changes were up 23% as teams simply could not retreat into their own zone and regroup.
• Attacking zone swaps increased by 17% as teams forced turnovers and moved the puck more.
• Games completed in overtime increased by 12%.
• Officials approved "no retreat" overtime by 87%, fans by 64%, and Champions League clubs by 63%.
• In the MHL, overtimes averaged 2:14 in length with this rule.
• The MHL saw 67% of games decided in overtime rather than the shootout, giving fans more entertainment.

In short, this overtime rule works because it forces teams to play offensively which results in more mistakes and more goals. Less shootouts are better for the game, so I'm happy to see the WHL adopt this rule rull-time! Now if we could reinstitute tie games....

That aside, we'll move to the AHL where they also made a couple of minor changes to their rules today. The two rules that shouldn't affect too many plays are an expanded video review process to give coaches more options for challenges and using video review for awarding goals for pucks entering the net on a continuous play despite the referee blowing the whistle. Both of these situations do happen so these needed some altering, but it's the third rule that could affect some teams' decisions when it comes to using video review liberally.

Starting today, the AHL announced that any "team’s first failed coach's challenge will result in a bench minor penalty for delay of game. Subsequent failed challenges in the same game will result in double-minor penalties" which is an excellent addition to the video review rules because there is nothing worse than a ten-minute delay after a goal is scored because some coach believed a player's skate was a millimeter offside. If he's right, good on that voach. If he simply wanted a timeout for his team, a minor and subsequent double-minor penalty should curb the enthusiasm over video reviews.

The AHL doesn't publish any numbers on video review challenges, but it seems clear that the Board of Governors wanted to see changes by implementing these new rules. Whether or not this cuts down on the number of coach's challenges seen in the AHL will be determined, but I'm very sure there aren't a lot of coaches willing to put his team down a man for four minutes after one unsuccessful challenge.

Both of these rules in these respective leagues should keep the pace of games moving and make the games more entertaining. The WHL will likely see more games decided in overtime which is always a good thing, and the AHL should see less long delays when video review of a play is needed as failed challenges will now see teams penalized more heavily. As Champions League stakeholders show with their approval ratings, fans, teams, and officials are fans of more entertaining games alike, and the NHL would be wise to start looking at these kinds of changes to make their product better overall.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 730

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is still not back in the confines of the UMFM studios as both hosts are off on separate adventures this week! That doesn't mean they forgot about the show, though, as they have another interview with a fascinating individual tonight! Honestly, it's the stories you don't hear about when it comes to hockey players - specifically, women's hockey players - that are absolutely incredible, and you'll hear a bunch of them from a former U SPORTS player who is now winning championships! Who is this person and what's her story? Find out tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason sit down and chat with former University of Saskatchewan Huskies defender Brooke Patron after she helped the NWZIHL's Auckland Steel win their fourth-straight championship! We talk to Brooke about growing up in Redvers, Saskatchewan, playing for Weyburn, her career with the Huskies, everything that happened between leaving Saskatchewan and landing in New Zealand, her chosen careers, her newest sporting endeavour, and, of course, her hockey career in New Zealand! Honestly, Brooke's life has been a whirlwind of awesome jobs, good hockey opportunities, and not being afraid to chase her dreams, and you'll hear that in the interview as we get to know the former Huskies rearguard 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 former Huskies defender and current NZWIHL champion Brooke Patron about Saskatchewan, university hockey, frequent moves, horticulture, New Zealand hockey, Jason Momoa, Lord of the Rings, getting in the ring, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: September 17, 2026: Episode 730

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Jersey's Got Skills

After she left the Seattle Kraken, it seemed like hockey was letting one of the smartest minds in the game sit on the sidelines with Jessica Campbell being unemployed. Some neanderthals will argue that's where she likely deserved to be, but it's hard to argue about the work she did with the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds in helping them reach back-to-back Calder Cup Finals. In any case, the wait is now over as Campbell has been hired by the New Jersey Devils as the team's manager of hockey development, and this might be a role that suits her best when it comes to building skills and identifying strengths and weaknesses in players. If you want someone who focuses on the details to ensure results are being achieved, Jessica Campbell brings that to the New Jersey Devils.

Campbell's tenure with the Firebirds saw her working with players on the skill development side as a skills and skating coach, and there's an argument to be made that the Devils could use some of that knowledge she possesses after missing the playoffs by eleven points last season. That's not to say that the Devils don't have good players, but there's a case to be made that more skilled teams make the playoffs more often. If Campbell is managing the entire portfolio of hockey development, skills development should fall under her watch.

We haven't seen a lot of high-end talent come out of the Utica Devils in recent years for New Jersey, so Utica could be the landing spot for players that GM Sunny Mehta and Campbell identify as future Devils. With Mehta and his scouting staff identifying players they want to sign and Campbell evaluating their skills, adding Campbell could prove to be be a very fruitful hiring for the Devils if they start identifying and developing players quicker. That will help in a number of areas including success on the ice, on their balance sheet with respect to the salary cap, and by attracting more high-end talent.

"She's very detail oriented. She listens very well to the players and what we want to do," former Devils defender Damon Severson said of Campbell's coaching approach. "It's not always just about going out with her and putting drills on the ice and we just do them. She wants to hear the players' feedback and what we want to work on throughout the summer. She just wants to get herself better."

That kind of growth she's pursuing would have interested Mehta who in worked for the Devils from 2014-18 as their director of hockey analytics where he built the first full-time analytics department in the NHL. Clearly, Mehta is a forward-thinking guy who uses as much knowledge and data as he can to make smart moves, so having someone who can build on the skills of players that he acquires makes sense if the Devils are going to compete for a Stanley Cup.

Everything seems to point to Mehta's experiences watching and learning from the architects who built the Devils in the 1990s that led to success that spanned a decade, and it sounds like Mehta is all-in on the developmental aspect of the Devils who will look to build a strong AHL team in Utica with players who can step into an NHL role at any time. That's where Campbell will play a vital role in helping Mehta achieve that vision with her commitment to development.

For a guy who was once a poker player, rolling the dice with Campbell in charge of hockey development seems like a sure win. There might be some bumps along the way as nothing ever comes easy, but Campbell's dedication to improving player skills and Mehta's dedication to improving the Devils seems like pocket pair of aces.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

It Was Always One Name

I had a chuckle today as a co-worker lamented over Connor Hellebuyck's situation in my office. His proposal was that the Jets are now the laughing stock of the NHL thanks to Kevin Cheveldayoff's inability to facilitate a trade with any number of teams, and this poor asset management will lead to more heartbreak for Jets fans like him. I can't say he's wrong, but his proposal that the Jets should apply for a new team name as the "Jokes" made me laugh before it got the old gray matter churning as we almost had a minor-league version of the Jets before the Atlanta Thrashers headed north.

Back in the summer of 1996, the IHL approved the relocation of the Minnesota Moose to Winnipeg as current Jets' owner Mark Chipman had bought the IHL franchise. Of course, a new league and team in town generates excitement, and one of the ways to get fans involved early is to run a "Name the Team" contest. We already knew the Moose were coming to Winnipeg with that name, so did Chipman need to run this contest? Apparently, the correct answer is yes.

On Friday, March 1, 1996, the newly-relocated IHL franchise in Winnipeg took out a half-page advertisement in the Winnipeg Free Press to run their "Name the Team" contest. This is that ad.

There was a pretty cool grand prize for whoever had their entry selected as flying to Chicago to see the Wolves and Moose play on Air Canada with a friend would be pretty fun despite the game being played in Rosemont as opposed to Chicago. Nevertheless, a free trip is awesome and getting to watch live hockey always makes it better.

However, I want to point your attention to the actual "Name the Team" entry portion of the advertisement where two of the names seem very familiar if you're a Winnipeg hockey fan of any kind.

The team went ahead and proposed two names that they didn't own nor held the trademarks for by printing "Winnipeg Jets" and "Winnipeg Warriors" as two of their more popular names. The Jets had just moved to the Arizona desert to become the Coyotes while the Warriors left Winnipeg in 1984 to become the Moose Jaw Warriors. As far as I can tell, neither the Coyotes nor the Moose Jaw Warriors had given permission to Chipman et al. to use those names for his team.

Had one of those names been selected by fans, it's likely that Mark Chipman would have had to negotiate the rights for those names since they belonged to those franchises, but history tells us that the team went with "Manitoba Moose" which seems like the name that requires the least amount of work to trademark. After all, the team once was the Minnesota Moose, and the original Moose logo literally was just modified to say "Manitoba" rather than "Minnesota".

What makes this rather unbelievable to me, however, is that Mark Chipman, current owner of the Jets, proposed that name for the Moose who were the first professional hockey franchise he owned in Winnipeg. It feels like the name "Jets" was always going to be the name of a pro hockey team if one returned to Winnipeg, and, in 2011, we found out that the NHL team that moved from Atlanta would indeed be called "Winnipeg Jets". It's almost like Chipman wanted that name and wasn't going to let anyone else have it!

I want to be clear that "Jets" isn't a bad name in any way, but it seems like, with the advertisement above, that Mark Chipman would someday own a professional hockey franchise called "Winnipeg Jets". He may have missed out on having that dream achieved in the IHL in 1996, but he certainly didn't miss again in 2011 when he bought and relocated the Atlanta Thrashers franchise. And had the fans opted for that name and the NHL had given up rights to that name, we may now be talking about the fourth iteration of the Jets after they played in the WHA, the NHL, the IHL, and back again in the NHL.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Politics And Hockey

The skates to the left are what Alexander Ovechkin wore for warm-up for one game back in 2017 while skating with the Capitals. Obviously, that was before the war in Ukraine began and there was still a modicum of goodwill towards Ovechkin in Washington hockey circles, but things have changed in the last decade to help the world see that Russia is a villain on the world's stage. Every player and his or her team's marketing department is very aware of that player's public image, so you'd think Ovechkin would be distancing himself from Russia's leadership to remain as neutral as possible, right?

Ovechkin has always walked his own path in the NHL, though, and it seems he's found a way to change his image once again. Watch below.
What you just saw was a campaign ad for the United Russia party which supports Russian president Vladimir Putin, meaning that Alexander Ovechkin is clearly supporting Russia's violent visit inside Ukraine. I was hoping the "keep politics out of sports" people would jump all over this, but it seems that the anti-war and anti-Russia crowdsa are currently doing a solid job at tearing down Ovechkin's public image right now. Frankly, he deserves all the vitriol.

As per The Guardian's Robert Mackey and Tom Lutz, "Russian business newspaper Vedomosti published images of the Washington Capitals star alongside pro-Putin figures such as Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, the leading parliamentary candidate on United Russia's list, and Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the propaganda network RT." Clearly, no one is advising Ovechkin on his image during the offseason if these are the people with whom he's associating.

It's no secret that Ovechkin and Putin have long been acquaintences if not colleagues. The Capitals star has never denied being a pro-Putin Russian, praising the Russian president at times and helping to raise support for him. With the war still raging in Ukraine, however, this little charade of letting Ovechkin do and say whatever he wants should come to a quick ending. Canada, who has backed Ukraine since the start of the invasion, should stop Ovechkin from entering the country under Immigration and Refugee Protection Act rules for being a key and vocal supporter of the current Russian regime.

If Ovechkin wants to play stupid games, these are the consequences of his actions. There's no right for him to play or work in Canada, so Canada doesn't need to honour his political choices. He made a conscious decision to appear in that campaign ad, and now would be a good time to show him the fallout from that stupid decision.

Of course, Canada won't do that because it would create a slippery slope and look vengeful, but I'd love to see someone put Ovechkin in his place over his political beliefs. Hockey is his profession, but there's a bigger world out there where being on the right side of history - even if he previously spoke out in favour of Putin - plays a role in how people are remembered once their star's shine begins to fade. I was never an Ovechkin fan which I've stated before, but this is yet another reason why I'm no longer supporting the NHL: they said a lot of words about and threw some money at helping the people of Ukraine, but they do nothing to back those words up with actions.

I'll tip my cap to players like Nikita Zadorov, Artemi Panarin, and Dominik Hasek who have spoken out about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the atrocities associated with the war. A lot of players won't as part of them and their team's marketing department protecting their public images, but these three men have spoken out bravely in the face of a Russian tyrant in Vladimir Putin. It's a shame that one of Russia's biggest stars can't have some influence on the country's leadership personalities after cozying up to them.

He may have more than 900 goals in the NHL, but I won't be surprised if Ovechkin is booed every time he touches the puck this season over his support of warmongering idiots who think Soviet-era Russia still exists. He's welcome to stand behind whomever he likes politically, but it doesn't mean that we can't remind him of Ukraine's sovereignty and independence at every opportunity. Add in "support of tyrants" to the morally-reprehensible list of alleged bigots, racists, domestic abusers, and rapists that play in the NHL. Again, that's why I'm out.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

25 Away From 7K

After today's article, we stand 25 posts from hitting 7000. Back in June, I had postulated that October 9 would be my last day posting if I continued to add one article per day, and that appears to be the date where HBIC will stop worrying about adding a daily post as I've committed far too much time and energy here when it could be spent doing other things. I've had a few people tell me that I should keep posting on a more relaxed schedule and that's the plan moving forward, but hitting 7000 individual articles is a goal that's now easily within reach. And while I don't normally talk about HBIC's future when there's other news, a reminder was needed today.

I say that because The Hockey Show has already committed to a number of things where I'll need a place to post a preview. These shows will feature interviews and chatter, and that also eats into a lot of my free time where I would normally be posting here. With the radio show taking a more active approach in getting out into the community this season, there will still be posts here about all that we're doing so you can drop by and say hello to us if you like.

Officially, we have committed to broadcasting the 2026 Female World Sport School Challenge once again as Balmoral Hall will host the event at the Hockey For All Centre in west Winnipeg from November 12-15 this winter. The roster of teams this year is far more diverse than last year's tournament as we'll see teams from Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Manitoba come together for four days of incredible hockey action! There's a good chance we'll see a second skills competition as players show off their immense talents, and scouts will be watching from a myriad of post-secondary institutions as they look for their next stars! Circle those November dates now!

Of course, our involvement with the tournament means that we'll need to have members of the Blazers in-studio for a chat once again, so that's another fun show that is being planned. As you have heard a couple of weeks ago when we were at the Hockey For All Centre, Winnipeg Ice head coach Eugene Kaminsky said the Ice would be willing to come in and talk about their season and defending their back-to-back FWSSC championships, so we'll have a few fun shows with players and coaches chatting about the upcoming event too!

We're also very proud to work with Sledge Hockey Manitoba once again as they look to build on the successes they had last season both at the developmental stages and with the provincial team. The people leading the charge at Sledge Hockey Manitoba are incredibly dedicated to the players and programs they run, and they deserve to be highlighted and given the spotlight. The Hockey Show is proud to do that, so we'll sit down with members of Sledge Hockey Manitoba soon and hear about everything happening in the sledge world!

Of course, we already have a number of other irons in the fire when it comes to events around Winnipeg, so The Hockey Show may end up taking a serious priority when it comes to my available free time. You already know that we'll be chatting with Fiona Quinn about the Fort Wayne Komets at some point, Survivor: NHL Playoffs will return, we'll cover the big stories and have some laughs, and there will undoubtedly be more surprises as we press forward in Season 15.

I'll still use HBIC to promote episodes of The Hockey Show and write longer pieces where examinations are needed, but posting daily for twenty years for fun is nearing its conclusion. Being that there's no news that caught my attention today, you get this countdown article because there's only 25 articles to go. Possibly. In theory. Who knows?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Some Good From A Lot Of Bad

It isn't often that professional hockey teams fold in the middle of a season, but the team with the jersey to the left - the UHL's Mohawk Valley Prowlers - were one of the few pro teams who did fold midway through their campaign. The team only lasted in Utica, New York from 1998 to 2001, so it's not like they had a massive impact on the community in their short existence. However, there are a few notes to examine when it comes to the Prowlers calling Utica home for parts of three seasons. Let's look at the Prowlers announcing their financial issues and what happened from there.

According to a report from The Associated Press on February 8, 2001, the Prowlers sought bankruptcy protection, depending on who you believe, sometime between Friday, February 2 through Tuesday, February 6 after telling a judge that the team was "spending more than 40 percent than it takes in". Citing total assets of $1.7 million and liabilities of $3.94 million, it's not hard to see why the team was suffering as it was spending $1.40 for every dollar made.

With the announcement, the players on the Prowlers' roster voted to strike in knowing that they likely weren't going to be paid until the bankruptcy matter was resolved. Rumours of missed salary payments totalling $40,000 and missed rent payments forcing players to be evicted from their apartments gave the players all the necessary motivation they needed not to play, and the team had no way of borrowing money to make their payroll while under bankruptcy protection despite owner Jack Tompkins saying that the players were owed only $5667 due to creditor protection. As a result of the team being unable to honour their contractual obligations to the players, the entire roster was declared as creditors owed money. Would ever get the money owed?

As the headline from the Syracuse Herald American stated, the Prowlers were forced to use replacement players for their scheduled game on February 11, 2001 against the BC Icemen. For those wondering, the "BC" stands for Broome County as the Icemen called Binghamton, New York home, but they took the ice against a Prowlers team that literally was made up of whoever the Prowlers could find who wasn't under contract. The end result was an 18-4 blowout by the Icemen, and Prowlers' management vowed that Wednesday's game against the Icemen would also see replacement players take the ice in Prowlers uniforms. Based on those results from Sunday, it would appear that their Prowlers needed professional players back.

It seems that Mohawk Valley wasn't done dealing their contracted players, though, as the Prowlers traded 12-goal, 35-point centerman Harold Hersh to Quad City on Monday, February 12. That's one way to satisfy one creditor as Hersh would finish the season in Quad City where he'd score 16 points in 19 games before adding six points in 11 games en route to a UHL championship!

The AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters would pick up a player from the Prowlers as well as they added noted bruiser Andre Payette from Mohawk Valley. Tye 6'2", 205-pound Payette had already made a name for himself in the UHL, scoring nine goals and 18 assists while racking up 244 PIMs in 45 games. Lowell added Payette to their lineup to replace noted pugilist Kip Brennan who returned to the OHL's Sudbury Wolves after it was discovered he still had junior hockey eligibility.

Apparently, business continued as if nothing ever changed for the Prowlers as they waived Quintin Brickley who never even played for them while claiming John Dowd from New Haven. On the other side, former leading scorer Jay Mazur, who was delcared a free agent following the bankruptcy filing, signed with New Haven to strengthen their lineup. Clearly, things were starting to crumble in Mohawk Valley, so it seemed like the inevitable was on the horizon.

On February 22, the final nail in the coffin was hammered as the Mohawk Valley Prowlers closed their doors on the season and on the franchise. With the team officially in bankruptcy proceedings, trustee Michael Balanoff oversaw the proceedings of how the team would repay its creditors which, as the article states, included over 1000 season-ticket holders. Of course, players were also included in the list of creditors, but any players still under contract and on the Prowlers payroll were officially made free agents by the UHL and were able to sign with any team of their choosing. Most players went on to find a new team by the start of the following season, but there was one replacement player whose statistics caught my attention as I was researching another story. Depending on when, he may have been part of the 18-4 loss against the BC Icemen back on February 11.

This young man is Terry Craven. In this picture taken on February 21 as the Prowlers cleared out their lockers following the announcement of the team folding, the 24 year-old had played a total of seven professional minutes of UHL hockey - one with the Asheville Smoke and six with the Mohawk Valley Prowlers. He had 24 NCAA games to his name with the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts where his GAA and save percentage weren't going to get him scouted by NHL personnel, but he could be a decent goalie with a little seasoning in the UHL.

I'm not here to bring down Terry Craven in any way because he clearly got stuck in an untenable situation. Playing for the Prowlers while the franchise crumbles is not one that any player would want, but Craven's numbers are hard to ignore. Consider the following:

In his six minutes of standing in the blue paint for the Prowlers, he surrendered five goals on 11 shots and suffered his only professional loss at the UHL level or above in terms of his professional career. That is heartbreaking to read for a kid just trying to find his way into pro hockey, but Craven's record will show his Prowlers time with an 0-1-0 record, a 46.75 GAA, and a .545 save percentage. Just brutal!

There is a bright spot, though: Craven did get picked up as a goaltender for the ECHL's Lexington Men O'War in 2003. He spent two minutes on the ice in the ECHL with Lexington and made one save, but the Men O'War clearly saw something in Craven by bringing him in as an EBUG after spending nearly two years out of hockey!

Terry Craven's story won't be a 30-For-30 on ESPN or a Netflix special, but he did get nine minutes of professional hockey under his belt. Two-thirds of that time came in a Prowlers jersey where he was thrown to the wolves, but Craven did spend two minutes in an ECHL game where he officially made one save and finished with a 0.00 GAA and a 1.000 save percentage. The Prowlers franchise may have died in 2001, gone for good, but Terry Craven wasn't quite done.

Sometimes, out of the worst situations, good things happen. While Terry Craven never had a long or propserous professional hockey career, he did stop one puck in the ECHL with the Lexington Man O'War which is more than a lot of other good goaltenders can say they did. Who knows if that would have happened had it not been for the UHL's Mohawk Valley Prowlers franchise hemorrhaging money.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

And I'm Out

There comes a time in every person's life where one walks away from something that simply cannot be saved. I'm not trying to impose any savior complex or white knight complex on anyone, but the NHL is broken. Whether it be ticket prices that are no longer affordable, TV contracts that make watching impossible, or signing players whose reputations shouldn't allow them any sort of privilege, it seems the NHL simply no longer has a place for morals and ethics. Like Mark Cuban above, because of this, I'm out on the NHL.

In the last couple of weeks, we've seen the cost of watching the game at home escalate to a point where many people are simply not going to watch any longer, and the Edmonton Oilers decided to pile on top of those problems by signing mediocre forward Alex Formenton whose name was last mentioned in North America at the Hockey Canada trial where he was one of the defendants.

The fact that the Oilers decided that Formenton was a player they needed is laughable after not playing NHL hockey for five years, but the kicker is that the Oilers seem to want ill-reputed individuals from all walks of life as part of the organization. Whether it be Carter Hart (who they looked at), Stan Bowman, or Mike Babcock, the Oilers are doing their best to be the most radioactive team in the NHL. And both McDavid and Draisaitl seem fine with this outcome.

Alex Formenton was playing hockey as a middle-six forward for Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss National League, and he was hardly close to being the best player on his own team, let alone in Switzerland. After finishing in 82nd-place in Swiss Leafue scoring, however, the Oilers saw value in the once-blossoming forward who is now 26 years-old with 33 goals and 19 assists in his last five years of hockey. Let's not forget that he also has one massive black mark on his record where he was charged with, and eventually acquitted of, sexual assault.

It's almost like the Oilers don't care about what their fans think after either kicking tires on or signing people like Jake Virtanan, Evander Kane, the aforementioned Hart, Zack Kassian, Milan Lucic, Corey Perry, Stan Bowman, and Mike Babcock. And I'll be the first to say that people deserve a second chance on the condition that those chances are granted if there is evidence that those seeking another chance have put in the work to improve one's character with receipts being clearly visible. Alex Formenton has done none of that.

The Oilers lost one major fan today when Mary Loewen, aka Mama Stanley, walked away from the team following the Formenton signing, explaining her decision by saying, "Although he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision represents to me. As a sexual assault survivor, I must stand by my morals and stand with the woman at the centre of this case."

Not surprisingly, the Oilers won't lose sleep over Mary's defection, but I commend Mary for her stance. Writer Nitya Prakash stated, "If you can abandon your principles for convenience, or social acceptability, then they are not your principles. They are your costume," and Mary Loewen, who has worn a number of costumes as Mama Stanley, isn't playing dress-up when it comes to her character. I stand with her.

In fact, let me go one step further: I support Mary's decision, and I'm walking away as well. From all of it. The NHL, for all its perceived good, cannot stand by and abandon whatever shreds of morals and ethics it has because five players think they deserve NHL jobs. When they allow its member teams to employ alleged bigots, racists, domestic abusers, and rapists, the NHL could be mistaken for Riker's Island rather than the best hockey league on the planet.

In saying that, today is the day where I draw the line in the sand: I will not buy tickets or merchandise, I will not pay for a cable package or streaming subscription, and I will not attend NHL events because my support indirectly justifies the behaviour of the Oilers and other teams who employ these people. I'll hit the NHL where it hurts the most by not spending money on their product. If you feel the same way about how the NHL and its member teams have behaved, feel free to join me and Mama Stanley in opting out of supporting them.

I'll still write about the important stories here on HBIC and we'll discuss them on The Hockey Show, but I will not spend one cent on the NHL moving forward. Again, no one at the NHL is going to lose sleep over one person walking away, but, if enough of us walk away, changes will have to be made. Between Rogers Communications destroying hockey broadcasts for all Canadians and the NHL being a haven for all types of criminals, I'm better off without them.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 729

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, remains out of the studio for another week, albeit for an entirely different reason. We had fun at the Hockey For All Centre last week as we chatted with Winnipeg Ice head coach Eugene Kaminsky, and this week sees us chatting with another incredible hockey mind and awesome person as we tackle a subject most seem to avoid! Who did we chat with and what's the subject? All that is answered tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat with author Daniel Gawthrop about his new book, Cutting Edge: Hockey as Queer Culture, and all of the topics he covered while getting his thoughts and a better understanding from his experiences about how the hockey world can be better place for everyone. They look at a very famous, historical hockey player whose past seems to indicate that he was the first gay hockey superstar, chat about making the game better for the LGBTQ+ community and for kids so that more people can be included in the "hockey is for everyone" statement, and discuss some of the ongoing realities that all of Daniel, the Cutting Edges Hockey team and association, and hockey in general faces with respect to making everyone feel welcome. It was an incredible chat with Daniel that gave Teebs and Jason new perspectives, and we need to thank Daniel for being so open and honest with us! Thanks again, Daniel!

On top of that, the interview ran for about 75 minutes, meaning that we had to cut some topics out of the interview just to fit into the time window, but Daniel kept giving us such interesting thoughts that it was hard not learn more from him! We'll post an hour of the chat tonight in giving you all of the best parts of the interview, so open your mind and tune into 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 author Daniel Gawthrop about Cutting Edge: Hockey as Queer Culture, ways to fix the game, making the game more inclusive, Don Cherry, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: September 10, 2026: Episode 729

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The First EBUG?

As we know, the NHL has mandated that every team has to have an Emergency Back-Up Goaltender, EBUG, available this season. We've already seen fun stories about Peter Thome getting his shot and the return of the first NHL EBUG to win a game, but there was an EBUG sighting on another team long before David Ayles stepped onto the ice for the Hurricanes. Pictured to the left is that EBUG, and his name is Joe Franke who was pressed into action on December 14, 2002 as the Fort Wayne Komets and Elmira Jackals battled in the ECHL! How did this happen? Who is Joe Franke? Is he officially the first EBUG in modern hockey? Let's find out as we look at this awesome hockey history!

Franke wasn't on the Fort Wayne roster that night or any other night as an everyday goaltender. Instead, Franke was hired in 1978 by the team as their full-time equipment manager, but that didn't stop him from getting his name on the line-up sheet as a netminder more than 30 times in his illustrious career before he stepped away from the organization in 2020! And that leads us to December of 2002.

Again, the Komets put out an incredible video about this significant moment in their history and in hockey history, so I'd be remiss if I didn't post it here. Here is the video about Joe Franke's big night!
Pretty incredible video, right? Franke went in with eleven minutes remaining in the third period with Fort Wayne and Elmira tied 1-1. But how did Franke even get the chance to head out onto the ice?

As mentioned in the video, Komets starting goaltender Tom Lawson was called up to Milwaukee by the AHL's Admirals as they were battling a rough stretch with injuries and recalls by the Predators. As such, that left Pokey Reddick as the lone netminder for Fort Wayne despite him struggling with a virus. Cory Campbell, Scott Rideout, and Parris Duffus were the only other goalies used by the Komets that season, and none were available for their game against Elmira, forcing Franke into stand-by mode in case anything happened.

With Reddick cramping up in the third period and unable to play, Franke was sent to the dressing room to get ready as he would be needed to stop pucks. Minutes later, Franke would emerge down the tunnel wearing #35 in full gear as he stepped onto the ice. Shortly after he took his spot in the crease, Colin Chaulk scored for the Komets and Franke, unbelievably, earned an assist on his goal!

With Fort Wayne leading 3-1 after scoring a second time in the final frame, all the Komets had to do was shut down the Jackals for the win. However, the Jackals would rally for two goals late to tie the game at 3-3, and this UHL contest needed a shootout to determine the winner. Could Franke shut the door in the skills competition?

After both shooters failed to score in the first round of the shootout, Fort Wayne scored three times - Dustin Virag, Colin Chaulk, and Kelly Perrault - while Franke stopped Aaron Phillips in Round Five to give Fort Wayne the 3-1 shootout win for the 4-3 victory in the game! As such, Franke earned the win, picked up an assist, and stopped four of six shots plus four more in the shootout! How awesome is that debut?

While he's not the first EBUG in hockey history, Joe Franke might be the first EBUG to win a game at any professional level in modern hockey. Picking up an assist is also pretty cool for any goalie, but imagine getting an assist in your only game as a professional goalie! Well done, Joe, in crossing off two major stats in one fell swoop!

Just for fun, the Komets, as mentioned in the video, won the UHL championship that season, and that would add a second championship ring to Franke's jewelry box as he had also won a Stanley Cup with the 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins! He'd also add three Turner Cup rings from the IHL and a Central Hocley Lague championship ring during his time with the Komets, but his eleven minutes in net will never be forgotten in Fort Wayne, Indiana!

I know it won't happen, but maybe the Komets should retire #35 in honour of Joe Franke's tenure and his one big win in a Komets net!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A New Philly Cathedral?

In a joint announcement today made by the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers alongside the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, exterior renderings of a proposed new arena in south Philadelphia were shown to gathered reporters and media. There have been rumblings as far back as 2022 about Philadelphia getting a new arena for one or both of its arena-homed teams, and today seemed to be the day where the dream became reality. Of course, there are people like me who don't wear the rose-coloured glasses that others do, so it's time to add a pinch of reality to today's announcement in only a way that HBIC can do. Let's get out the measuring tapes and calculators and break down this arena pitch!

The first thing I went searching for was who was writing the cheques for this new arena, and everything points to the arena being privately funded. As per to Josh Harris, Co-Founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Managing Partner of the Philadelphia 76ers, "Philly fans deserve the best arena in the world, and we are excited to partner with Comcast to deliver just that. This privately funded arena will be the home to moments and memories that define this city for generations," adding, "This is a new era for Philadelphia sports."

Of course, what Harris doesn't tell you is that the new arena is going to be built on the old site of the Philadelphia Spectrum located at 3601 South Broad Street. That area is currently parking lots for as far as the eye can see thanks to Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies, being built on the east side of the concrete jungle. If you've ever been to Kansas City, this is your future, Philadelphia.

Having walked that neightbourhood-sized parking lot in Kansas City during a late summer day, I can tell you that it was dreadfully hot as I passed by row after row of cars. I can't imagine what that would feel like in the winter, but I'd be packing for a polar expedition if I was forced to park further from the arena. Yes, there were people tailgaiting as I passed by, but I just wanted to get to my destination.

The proposed Philadelphia arena unveiled today included a "plan to extend the restaurant footprint, showcasing food-and-beverage pavilions," but I struggle to see where one will put food and beverage pavilions when there's nothing but parking spots for miles around the arena site. The Phillies aren't going to want their parking lots torn up for some restaurant that will pay rent to someone else, so this already sounds like a pipe dream when it comes to nearby amenities.

There's also the claim that this new arena will generate "hundreds of millions in new tax revenue directly benefiting the School District of Philadelphia and the city" which seems quite unlikely. Back in 2024, the 76ers were working with the city to avoid paying taxes through a means called annual "payments in lieu of taxes" or PILOTs. The catch is that "the PILOTs would almost certainly be lower than what the team would pay in real estate taxes" as per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Sean Collins Walsh. JC Bradbury, an economist at Kennesaw State University in Georgia who studies arena finance, told Walsh, "Philadelphia taxpayers would be better off if they did nothing."

The Sixers likely wouldn't abandon this money-saving idea as long as the city of Philadelphia allowed them to build on the old Spectrum site. 76ers co-owner and lead developer David Adelman justified the use of PILOTs to sports news website Crossing Broad by saying, "When you buy your house, there's a methodology for how your taxes are established, your property taxes. For stadiums and arenas, there's no real methodology, so it has to be done within this construct."

Except that's just not true. Geoffrey Propheter, a professor of public affairs at the University of Colorado-Denver, told Walsh that "[t]he Golden State Warriors own the real estate for the Chase Center" and their property tax bill in 2024 was about $19.5 million. He added additional fuel to the fire by telling Walsh, "The facility that you get — even though it's 100% privately financed for construction — is made possible because of the subsidies you get on the operating side."

By fronting the costs for the arena in whole, the Flyers and Sixers will pay less taxes directly to the city via the PILOTs for the life of the arena rather than the proper amount of taxes that would be split between the city and school district. In short, the School District of Philadelphia gets cut out of the picture if the city, Sixers, and Flyers agree to this plan. And unless the owners are crazy, they'll agree.

So let's review what wasn't said in the announcement today:

• Philadelphia will get a new arena in the middle of its largest parking lot with no real room for amenities to be built.
• Billionaire Josh Harris will pay for the arena up front in exchange for tax breaks and lower bills in perpetuity.
• The School District of Philadelphia gets screwed over by the three stakeholders agreeing to lower property tax bills.

While everyone was celebrating a new venue in Philadelphia, it's the fine print on the documents that no one sees that keep things from being better than what they are. Josh Harris is a billionaire - he can easily afford to build an arena and pay the proper amount in annual property taxes without even breaking a sweat, but that's not these arena deals work, I guess. School District of Philadelphia be damned.

We hear owners singing their own praises about job creation and funds generated, but there's always a catch to these municipal endeavours. That catch almost always benefits the owner financially, and no one ever seems to question nor contest these backroom deals. Billionaires don't need tax breaks as much as a school district could use an increase in funding, but that doesn't seem to matter in Philly.

For a place called the "City of Brotherly Love," it seems only a billionaire who promises a new arena gets that kind of love.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Road Trip: Cancelled

Every year, I look at the schedules of the teams near HBIC Headquarters and try to map out a potential road trip where I can see as many games as possible. Normally, there are all sorts of things that get in the way where the total number of games that I could see drops to a few, but this year seemed to have the stars align for such a trip. Based on the title of this article, however, I have decided against taking this trip and I'll discuss why below. For now, let's take a look at my proposed trip, destinations, and costs involved for this trip into hockey's heartland.

I'll break this down by stop as it makes more sense for me to illustrate the games I had planned on seeing with a little context. Some might be more of a head-scratching reason than others, but I'm looking for variation, not repetition, and unique hockey locales. You'll notice I include ticket costs, approximate hotel costs (because I didn't book those nights officially), and incidentals like food and merchandise at the game. All of these factored into the costs I was planning while travelling. Time's wasting, so let's get rolling!

DULUTH, MINNESOTA

The first leg of this trip would have seen me travel to Duluth where the Bulldogs women's team would host the St. Cloud State Huskies on December 4. I have been itching to see Ève Gascon play with the Bulldogs more often, and knowing the success that Laura Schuler has had with that program meant that I'd likely be walking the halls of AMSOIL Arena and taking in a lot of history. St. Cloud State has former Finnish standouts Mira Jalosuo and Noora Räty behind the bench as the program rebuilds, so I was curious about their progress as well.

DISTANCE: 613kms (7 hours)
TICKET COST: $17.00
HOTEL COST: $220 with free breakfast
INCIDENTALS: $30 (Castle Danger beverage and Burnt Ends)

MANKATO, MINNESOTA

Saturday night would see me in Mankato where I'd attend the Mavericks men's hockey game as they hosted Bowling Green. I have never been to Mankato, but I've heard good things about the city from former women's player Alexis Paddington, so this had to be a stop on this trip. Goaltender Raiden LeGall and defender Sam Court are from Manitoba while former ECHL forward Ty Cheveldayoff plays for Bowling Green, so there are few players to watch. On top of that, I have a Mavericks jersey I can wear so I can blend in as a local!

DISTANCE: 377kms (4 hours)
TICKET COST: $20.00? (not available yet)
HOTEL COST: $140 with free breakfast and pool
INCIDENTALS: $30 (local beverage and Wiste's Meat Market)

DES MOINES, IOWA

Sunday would be a bit of a rush, but I'd have to be up early and on the road for Des Moines, Iowa for the 3pm game between the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins and Iowa Wild. Being that I'm quite familiar with both teams thanks to the Moose and that no roster decisions have been made for either team yet, this game was more of a luxury in seeing an AHL game in another city. I do have an Iowa Heartlanders jersey I could wear, but I'm not certain how welcome those would be at a Wild game. Being that I'm me, though, I'd wear it anyway.

DISTANCE: 336kms (3.5 hours)
TICKET COST: $31.00 in section 114
HOTEL COST: none
INCIDENTALS: $30 (some sort of local beverage and food)

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

You have noticed the "none" for hotel costs above, and that's because I'd high-tail it back to Minneapolis after the game (weather permitting). I'm not going to lie, though - this is the one that broke my enthusiasm. The Edmonton Oilers are visiting the Minnesota Wild on this evening, and I thought I could take the opportunity to see all of McDavid, Draisaitl, Kaprizov, Hughes, and Boldy in one rink. I'm not a fan of either team, but I'd gladly wear my Oilers alternate jersey to the game and take the abuse from the Wild fans. However, I look at that $200 price tag on the ticket and think "I haven't spent one-third of that amount in seeing three games". The NHL is too expensive.

DISTANCE: 399kms (3.5 hours)
TICKET COST: $178 in section 122
HOTEL COST: $93 x 3 nights with free breakfast
INCIDENTALS: $10 (I already spent enough)

RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

I'd need to be on the road early on Wednesday to cover a thousand kilometers. However, an ECHL game featuring the Orlando Solar Bears and Rapid City Rush is one I would not want to miss. Mount Royal's Shane Farkas just signed with the Rush, former NHLer Brady Keeper is on the protected list for this season, and Seth Fyten, brother of former Bisons captain Caitlin Fyten, is also on the list. And when am I ever going to see the Solar Bears play? This was a must-see event.

DISTANCE: 939kms (8.5 hours)
TICKET COST: $48.50 in section C
HOTEL COST: $90 with free breakfast
INCIDENTALS: $30 (some sort of local beverage and food)

FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA

I'd have to hustle again on Thursday to land in Fargo where I'd be heading to Scheels Arena on Friday night for the USHL game between the Des Moines Buccaneers and the Fargo Force. Being that I've never been to a USHL game and knowing Fargo's drive for winning, I expect this one to be a fun night. I have no ties to any of the players, but crossing another league off the list after attending a game is a personal goal. If you count the NCAA's women's game as being a different league, that would be six different leagues in seven days!

DISTANCE: 130kms (1 hour)
TICKET COST: $20 in section 110 bought in advance
HOTEL COST: $140 with free breakfast
INCIDENTALS: $30 (some sort of local beverage and food)

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA

The last stop is obvious as no hockey trip through the middle of the US would be complete without a UND game. The Fighting Hawks are scheduled to battle the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on Friday and Saturday, and there are literally a handful of tickets remaining for either day. As such, I'd be sitting in the nosebleed section, so one game will be enough for me. They play their annual White-Out Game on Saturday so I'd opt for Friday's game where the 701 Night promotions will run, but the cost of tickets was surprising.

DISTANCE: 130kms (1 hour)
TICKET COST: $80 in section 111 bought in advance
HOTEL COST: $160 with free breakfast
INCIDENTALS: $30 (some sort of local beverage and food)

CONCLUSION

By Saturday, I'd be home and getting back into an everyday routine after spending a week on the road watching hockey in an arena virtually every night. Some will say I'm insane for planning something like this out, and there may be some truth to that. After all, the dollar figures that I'd need to make this happen are greater than I want to spend. I'll break this down so you get what I mean.

TOTAL TICKET COSTS: $394.50 USD
TOTAL HOTEL COSTS: $1029 USD
TOTAL INCIDENTALS: $190 USD, but this likely would be less.
TOTAL KILOMETERS: 3032kms including leg back to Winnipeg.

Between the costs totalling $1500, the addition of gas and food while travelling, and any required contingency money needed, I'm looking at a $2000 USD cost for this trip, and that's just not something for which the budget will allow before Christmas. Pushing the costs higher would be the exchange rate, and this trip suddenly went from fun to expensive with a final total nearing $3000 CDN for a week of hockey games. I'd love to make something like this happen, but it's simply not in the cards when it comes to spending wisely.

On this Labour Day, this is what I laboured over as I looked to go on an adventure. Unfortunately, that won't happen this December 4-11 due to the escalating costs, but it would have been fun to watch seven games over eight nights from six different leagues!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Une Année Supplémentaire

If you don't recognize the stylized "S" to the left, that's ok because I had no idea that the Université de Sherbrooke Vert-et-Or used that as a logo. As you may know, Sherbrooke was looking to get into men's and women's hockey at the U SPORTS level with the addition of hockey teams by 2027 thanks to a generous donation. With Laval ready to go this season, I had assumed that SHerbrooke had pushed their scheduling up to bring their team into the RSEQ at the same time. It turns out that not everything would follow the logical addition of two teams at the same time as the Vert-et-Or remain committed to the 2027 start date for university hockey.

I have no issue with admitting that I was wrong on this one as my wish to see university-level women's hockey grow and improve is being shared by one province across this nation. Sherbrooke has made a handful of announcements for their men's hockey team's debut next season when it comes to staffing and players, but the women's team doesn't even exist on their athletics page yet. This isn't a setback, but one would hope that a page for the women's team is on the horizon.

That being said, the 2027 debut for the Vert-et-Or in the RSEQ will happen at the Thibault GM Complex where the school and arena agreed to a three-year deal to have all activities - practices and games - held there. You might be thinking, "Aren't they going to be around more than three years?" when it comes to this arena deal, but Sherbrooke is planning an ambitious new project: a new arena!

As Camille Guindon wrote in her article for Le Collectif, the arena project still has several key details that have to be sorted out including capacity, layout, and the services that will be offered, but by having the two university teams as initial tenants the arena will see revenue streams develop. The total cost is currently estimated at between $25 million and $40 million, but the arena project received a $15 million donation from businessman Herb Black and funds from the Serge Savard Fund. Perhaps a future arena isn't impossible.

As Guindon's wrote in the article, though, was the note that read "A women's team could also be created as early as the following year."

I'm not asking Sherbrooke to rush the creation of a women's team, and seeing all the moving parts that surround the Sherbrooke entries into men's and women's hockey justifies that extra year of preparation and setup. Sherbrooke's efforts to recruit won't be easier with the other five teams in the RSEQ still needing players next season, but the women's program still needs all of its coaching staff hired which is something that needs to happen sooner than later.

Five teams will take the ice this season with a sixth team planning for a 2027 debut. The RSEQ is still the smallest conference in U SPORTS women's hockey with the new additions, but the six-team RSEQ is far more legitimate than the four-team RSEQ ever was. I'll be watching Laval's progress this season when it comes to the Rouge-et-Or's competitiveness with teams like Concordia, Montreal, and Bishop's, and their growth should be the map that Sherbrooke follows for their 2027 debut. If Laval does well, Sherbrooke should replicate that.

In summary, nothing is happening on the surface for the Sherbrooke Vert-et-Or women's team right now. Under the surface, however, the building of the coachign staff will start soon, a possible new arena announcement seems to be imminent, and 25 women will be given a chance to be Sherbrooke's inaugural women's hockey team. If you're a fan of U SPORTS women's hockey, having Sherbrooke take this gap year might be disappointing at first, but they're working on making hockey better for everyone in and around Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Keep up the good work, and we'll see you in 2027, Sherbrooke!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Icemen Cometh

Back in July, the ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen announced that they were redesigning and rebranding their look which worked simply due to fun. Anytime that one can get a yeti into Florida means they're looking to have a little more fun with their branding, so I was hopeful that the team's new look would carry into their jersey design. With a refined colour palette and some creativity, the Icemen could have a lot of fun with their look this season and beyond. Would we see them indulge?

It seems that the fun begins and ends with the yeti logo on this one.

There isn't a lot to get excited about here when it comes to the three base colours the Icemen chose in white, black, and gray. If we were still watching black-and-white television, this might get a pass, but these three base colours do nothing to help elevate the logo or the colours used on these jerseys. Let's break these down, though.

We'll start with the gray jersey only because the Icemen did in their release, stating, "The new gray jersey features the new primary logo with the iceberg blue and black accents scattered throughout." The only problem is that there aren't iceberg blue accents scattered throughout, and it seems like black is carrying a lot of water for iceberg blue. Why is there so much black on a jersey for Icemen? Why is there no white used on this jersey for accent colours or contrasts? For a team who uses white and iceberg blue as its main colours, having a gray jersey is the equivalent of giving up. This gray jersey needs a do-over.

We move to the black jersey where the release states, "The black jersey features the full-body design of the yeti-like creature with the iceberg blue accent at the base of the jersey." With Captain Obvious working in the Icemen's marketing department, there is zero reason why the Icemen should be wearing black when they have iceberg blue available to them as a base colour. Even if they went with a deeper blue or a navy blue, it would be infinitely more "ice"-like than black. Having the Icemen wear black is the definition of dumb, and my hope is that these jerseys will be retired quickly because they just don't fit the branding. If they do stay, give me a shoulder yoke!

And that brings us to the white jersey where the release states, "The team’s white jersey will also be worn with white pants, helmets and gloves to complete an iced-out look for the Icemen." For someone who has lived in ice and snow all his life, I can honestly say that white is not the colour of ice, but iceberg blue is. If you're digging the Icemen out of the snow, this would be a suitable jersey. However, there's a significant lack of contrast on here that the black accents could provide as shown by the black Atheltic Knit logo in the middle of the chest. Again, this jersey just feels incomplete at this point without the immediate contrasts to the white and blue colours.

Besides my absolute hatred for black jerseys, this new set of threads for the Icemen just feels rushed and incomplete. I understand the concept of keeping the design simple, but, between poor colour choices and missing design elements, the Icemen miss the mark with this rebranding. The fun they baked into the logos isn't there when applied to fabric, and that's a shame because it looked like the Icemen's tenth anniversary was going to based on fun beginnings.

Unless the Icemen can find a way to bring the fun to these jerseys in the coming years, they may see their bottom line for merchandise remain frozen. These three are good concept jerseys, but they shouldn't be worn on the ice by anyone called the Icemen.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!