There are certain constants in this world that seemingly never change. Constants can be from a mathematical point of view where values like the force of gravity and the relationship of a circle's circumference to its diameter never change. We can talk about landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty whose constant presence allow people to instantly think of Paris and New York City, respectively. We had one of those constants in Canada West women's hockey, so it may take some time to adjust to the fact that Alberta Pandas head coach Howie Draper will not be behind the bench next season and beyond as U SPORTS' winningest coach announced today that he was retiring from the game.
I'll get into his achievements with the University of Alberta Pandas in a minute, but there's one thing that stands out to me when it comes to what made Howie Draper so special. I often talk about how the people who manage the university game could and should be better in both managing and improving the game, but Howie Draper is one of the people whose stewardship of women's university hockey in Canada will never be questioned. Simply put, Howie Draper cared.
Under his guidance, the Pandas won 15 Canada West titles in 28 seasons. With Draper at the helm, the Pandas won eight U SPORTS National Championships including three in a row from 2002-04 that was part of six-straight U SPORTS National Championship Final appearances from 2002-07. Howie Draper led the Pandas to 715 total wins and 465 conference wins including setting a Canada West undefeated streak record that likely will never be matched where the Pandas did not lose in 86 games (83-0-3) from October 28, 2000 to February 12, 2005. His work behind the bench has seen him honoured as Canada West Coach of the Year eight times and U SPORTS Coach of the Year four times. Draper also coached Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 World Under-18 Championship in Wisconsin.
Yes, he's decorated and he certainly deserves those kudos as he was not only coaching hockey, but he was cultivating lifelong friendships among players. University of Alberta Director of Athletics Leah Pezer said, "The best coaches don't just change what happens on the ice, they change what people believe is possible in themselves and in each other. That's what Howie has done here. He has been a builder of excellence, but also of culture, trust, and belief. His imprint on Pandas Hockey is lasting, and we are better because of it."
Again, I point to how he made the game better as a large reason why Draper found so much success. In 2018, Draper spoke openly about his team's struggles in 2002 regarding LGBTQ inclusion following the introduction of U SPORTS' transgender policy for the 2018-19 season.
In 2016, the Pandas opened their doors to the Edmonton Female Athletic Club AAA program that eventually was named the Edmonton Pandas before becoming the Edmonton Junior Oilers in 2023. That partnership was an effort to raise the skill level of female hockey around Alberta with the rezoning of the AAA teams, eventually leading to the rebranded AFHL that now sends a vast number of young women to post-secondary institutions across North America.
"We want to ensure the players that play hockey have the best opportunity to reach whatever goals they may have in the sport," Draper told the Edmonton Journal's Derek Van Diest in 2016. "We would love to be able to say we'll have anywhere between 5-10 girls in the U-18 provincial program playing for Team Alberta. We would love to be able to say, coming out of this program, we'll have a few national team members down the road. That in of itself would be the greatest reward for all of us involved."
In 2013, Draper helped to organize an exhibition game between the Pandas and the ACAC's MacEwan Griffins in Ponoka, Alberta - a small town about 90 minutes south of Edmonton - in an effort to sell the university women's game as well as growing the game in smaller communities in Alberta to help strengthen Hockey Alberta.
His influence on his former players can't be ignored either as UNB Reds head coach Sarah Hilworth, former MacEwan Griffins head coach Lindsay McAlpine, and Windsor Lancers head coach Deanna Iwanicka all played for Howie Draper's Pandas in their careers. Having these women rise to the level of U SPORTS women's hockey head coaches is another honour for Draper, but his mentorship can go much further as these women can be role models for the players they coach as well!
Hilworth told Windsor's Mia Ines, "Howie coming into my life was one of the best things that could have happened. He has taught me about life and about being a good person. He taught me to be more than just a good hockey player. He was able to transform my game where I had confidence to become a strong player in the program, but he allowed me the opportunity in a safe environment to grow into the person I wanted to become. Howie was always there for me and continues to be – I will be forever grateful for his friendship."
Humbly, he'll tell you that he learned the same lessons from Clare Drake and he's just paying it forward, but Howie's impact on the game cannot be denied. Whether it be growing the game within Alberta's borders, making the game more accepting for LGBTQ+ players, teaching players how to become great coaches, or helping the AFHL find its way, Howie Draper has done more for the game in his 28 years behind the bench than some have done in their entire lives. Yes, there are accolades, awards, and a few rare misses that come with the success he's had at the U of A, but you don't leave fingerprints on the game like Howie has without it being intentional.
Just like it was while he spent a year coaching in the PWHL, there will certainly be a presence missing when the Alberta Pandas come to town next season. Howie Draper earned this retirement after giving 28 years of time, effort, and dedication to a program that he raised from infancy to the prominance it has today. And, as shown above, the effort he gave will continue to be seen across Canada for years to come thanks to everything he did to make the game better.
Thank you, Howie Draper, for being the best steward of women's hockey that I've seen in all my time involved with the game. Enjoy retirement with your wife, three kids, and your pup, and here's hoping that it's everything you imagined and more. You deserve it!
Until next time, raise your sticks high in honour of Howie Draper!
It was a sight that not many dressed in red and white expected to see, but the celebration from the Czechia women was pure, ecstatic joy after they captured a 2-1 overtime win over Canada as the Canadians' defence of their FISU gold medal fell just short. That's not to say that the Canadians didn't play well enough to win - they did - but Czechia's Julie Pejsova was a wall in her net while the plucky Czechia women in front of her blocked shots, jumped on opportunities, and found just enough offence to be crowned as champions for their first time in just their second FISU women's ice hockey event!
Before we get to the champions, though, the silver medal-winning Canadian squad played this tournament extremely well through every game including the final. It isn't often that a team can outshoot their opponents 52-16 and only record one goal, but that happened to Canada today. On any other day, the effort shown today would have won them the game with ease thanks to the chances seen, but Czechia's netminder Julie Pejsova was otherworldly today. That's how the puck bounces sometimes in big games where it's winner-takes-all, but the Canadian women shouldn't hang their heads for any reason.
The Canadians showed a little bit of everything in their effort to defend gold as they scored goals, played some solid defence, got great goaltending, and were gritty when they had to be. If there was one area where the team may look back and wish things were different, it would be their power-play as the Canadians failed to score with the extra attacker throughout the entire tournament. Beyond that baffling stat, I'm proud of each and every one of the women who wore the Canada logo in Torino, and my hope is they are too because they were excellent ambassadors in Italy.
Well done, ladies, and thank you for giving up a few U SPORTS games to represent your country so well on the international stage!
To the victors, though, go the spoils, and Czechia's win today is more proof that what the Czechs are doing in their country to promote, develop, and encourage girls to play hockey is working. While no one will put their senior national women's team on the same level of Canada or the US just yet, Czechia's U18 programs have produced medal winners at the U18 Women's World Championship, and we'r enow seeing those girls moving into post-secondary education where they're taking their talents to professional teams in Europe while representing their country internationally at FISU Universiades.
Anna Vanickova scored the winning goal with 3:39 left in the first overtime period, and that set off the celebration. Vanickova has played for HPK in Finland's Auroraliiga and for HC Baník Příbram in Czechia's Women's Extraliga, but she also has been a member of the Czechia U18 women's team for a couple of years. While she attends the University of West Bohemia, it's pretty clear she's been on Czechia's international radar for a long time.
Czechia's other scorer in the game was Barbora Bartakova, and she's played a pile of international games for her country at the U16 and U18 levels. The 20 year-old forward has graduated to the pro game with HC Baník Příbram in Czechia's Women's Extraliga, but she's showing that she needa a bigger stage. In three seasons with Příbram, Bartakova has scored 53 goals and 91 assists in 37 games - that's nearly four points per game in the country's highest league! She was the leading goal scorer and the leading scorer at this year's Universiade, and the University of Economics student is one of those players who will continue to push Czechia higher if she continues playing hockey once her university studies are complete.
The star of today's game, Julie Pejsova, is also a star netminder with HC Baník Příbram, and the 21 year-old showed the world why the Czechs should be feared in years to come. Pejsova made 51 stops in the victory today, and at least a dozen were of the elite goaltending variety. Despite being enrolled in the Centre for Higher Education Studies, she still has time to play professionally where she has a 0.60 GAA in eight games with Příbram. She also has a pile of international experience thanks to her play at the U16 and U18 levels, and she may be one of the best netminders not playing in the NCAA right now.
"I had a lot of saves, but every game I'm trying to give my girls a chance to win," Pejsova said after the game. "I think I've done that today. It doesn’t matter if I have five or 100 saves, I just want to win the game. We know each other for ten years, maybe more, and we played together for our whole lives. I love them so much, and I've done that for them. After a second place in the European cup, I told them 'One day we are going to win something big'."
Add in the likes of twin sisters Alexandra and Sandra Halounova, Hana Haasova, and Patricie Skorpikova, and Czechia's university-aged women are poised to be big players for Czechia in the near future. The Czechs won bronze in 2023 at Lake Placid, and they've now added a gold medal in their second appearance at the FISU games. Czechia's not just a competitor at future FISU women's hockey events, but they should be gold medal considered a favorite alongside the likes of Canada and Japan!
Seeing another country emerge as a legitimate gold medallist is good for the game in a number of ways, and we're seeing Czechia's growth as a women's hockey nation on a number of fronts. This should help their senior women's program as players mature and replace veterans, and it couldn't come at a better time with the Olympics just over a year away. Could the Czechs win in Italy again?
It's not hard to imagine that they could, and a few of the players we saw with FISU gold medals around their necks could be in the Czechia lineup when the Olympics begin next February. The Czechs have something special with their women's hockey program, and Julie Pejsova may have identified what makes them special when she said, "We are not the fastest, and probably not the most skilled or the best team either. But we Czechs always find a way to win, it doesn't matter against who."
Canada would certainly agree with that assessment today.
Things got back to normal this week as eight teams were in action while the MacEwan Griffins got a little time to relax. A couple of home-and-home series were part of the fun this weekend, and we got to see two of the top teams square off despite both of them missing players due to another major tournament happening. Playoff positioning also was up for grabs for a few teams, so there was lots to play for on this first full week of hockey action in Janaury. Let's take a look at the results from those games today on The Rundown!
FRIDAY: We'll get things started in the Alberta capital as the Calgary Dinos headed north on Highway 2 to meet the Pandas. Alberta has seem locked in since the break ended as they are looking for deep playoff run while the Dinos need some points if they want to skate in late February. Taking a few points off the Pandas would be a good way to show everyone they can be a threat, but the Pandas could potentially clinch a playoff spot this weekend with a pair of wins. I'd love to show you the action from this game, but Alberta has used the entire season to do nothing to promote its players so here's the scoring summary.
Pandas goals: Abby Soyko (4), Abby Soyko (5)
Pandas assists: Natalie Kieser (7), Raegan Yewdall (3), Taylor Anker (7), Madison Willan (9)
Pandas netminder: Misty Rey (12/13)
SATURDAY: This weekend series head to the south end of Highway 2 as the back half of the home-and-home was played in Calgary. The Dinos need some scoring punch, but they are missing Sydney Mercier who is playing in Italy (more on that later) so someone needs to step up to break this 2025 winless streak. Alberta was looking to come in and play another controlled game as they looked to clinch a playoff spot, so it was all business. Grace Glover was in net for the visitors while Amelia Awad was back between the pipes for the Dinos.
Both teams looked to establish a lead early in this game, but the netminders and defences were holding strong through the first ten minutes. Things changed in the latter half if the frame when Brooklyn Anderson got slashed while on a breakaway, and she was sent to center ice for a penalty shot. Anderson came in on the left side and snapped a quick shot through the wickets of Glover, and Calgary had a 1-0 lead at the 12:38 mark.
That lead lasted all of 1:52 as Holly Magnus circled off the half-boards to the high slot where she fired a shot on net past traffic in front for the goal, and it was a 1-1 game. Calgary would retake the lead late in the period, though, when Makenna Schafer's pass to Rebecca Clarke across the crease was returned to her, and she potted her first Canada West goal into the open cage at 16:46 for the 2-1 Calgary. That's the score with which we'd go into the break as the Pandas held an 8-6 edge in shots.
The second period saw Calgary find chances, but Alberta capitalized on their chances. Ryann Perrett circled out from behind the net and threw a puck on net that went high on Awad and found room, tying the game at 9:03. The Pandas would take the lead while on a power-play as a goalmouth scramble saw the puck settle on Madison Willan's stick, and she made no mistake in denting twine with 3:51 remaining as Alberta grabbed the 3-2 lead. That score would take us into the second break, but the teams evened things out with 14 shots apiece.
Seven minutes into the third period, an offensive zone faceoff won by the Pandas came to Kallie Clouston as she came off the right wing, and her shot from the slot beat Awad on the glove side for the power-play marker and a 4-2 lead at 7:02. From there, Alberta was all about limiting chances and keeping the puck out of danger zones. With 1:45 remaining, Jadynn Morden iced this game with an empty-net goal as the Alberta Pandas downed the Calgary Dinos by a 5-2 score. Grace Glover picked up her ninth win with a 16-save night while Amelia Awad was on the wrong end of the score in this game.
Again, the Calgary Dinos' athletics team deserves some major kudos as they continue to excel compared to everyone else. Clips on social media, fanastic Dinos-produced segments, and highlight reels like the one below are why the Dinos deserve some major kudos!
FRIDAY: The all-Saskatchewan series kicked off in Saskatoon on Friday as the Huskies were hosting the Regina Cougars. Regina was looking to hold onto their second-place standing with wins this weekend while the Huskies still had a mathematical chance to make the playoffs, but they were going to need a lot of help. They could help themselves with wins over their provincial rivals, but the Cougars wouldn't make it easy. No highlights because the Huskies seem to enjoy playing in anonimity, so here's the scoring summary.
SATURDAY: Just as the Alberta series went, the Saskatchewan series headed south down Highway 11 as the Regina Cougars hosted the back half of the home-and-home series. The Huskies scored a big win one night earlier, and they were looking to build on that win. The Cougars, meanwhile, wanted to find their form once again after dropping the first game they played in 2025. Like their provincial rivals, Regina gies zero effort in promoting its program and players, so here's the scoring summary.
FRIDAY: Normally, this would be a matchup that I'd have circled on the calendar, but with all of Sophia Gaskell, Aliya Jomha, Alex Spence, and Kaitlyn Ross playing in Italy, there were some significant pieces missing from these lineups. That being said, I hoped that we'd still get some incredible games as two of the best teams in Canadian university hockey met in Calgary. The Cougars could catch and pass UBC with a sweep this weekend while the Thunderbirds looked to more space between the two teams. Mount Royal insists on not giving any highlights of their team, though, so we're stuck with the scoring summary for this game.
SATURDAY: It wouold be hard for any team to overcome losing their starting netminder, leading scorer, and one of the best defensive defenders, but Mount Royal needed a bigger effort from those who were on the ice this weekend if they hoped to split with UBC. The Thunderbirds certainly miss Sophia Gaskell's presence, but it seemed UBC was able to overcome her absence on Friday. Would we see a closer game or different results on Saturday? With no highlights, you can imagine what happened from the scoring summary.
FRIDAY: The Manitoba Bisons headed as far west as they could go for their first games of 2025 as the Trinity Western Spartans played host to this series. Manitoba was looking to pass Regina this weekend, so they needed wins. Trinity Western was looking to hold off Calgary while solidifying a playoff spot. Both teams came in with motivation for success, so who would find it? You don't get credit for only doing half the work, Spartans, so here's the scoring summary.
Spartans goals: Charlotte Swanton (4)
Spartans assists: Reilley Kellner (2), Kasey Ditner (8)
Spartans netminder: Kate Fawcett (25/28)
Bisons goals: Louise Fergusson (2), Aimee Patrick (6), Camryn Gillis (3), Julia Bird (4)
Bisons assists: Louise Fergusson (5), Hanna Bailey (2), Brenna Nicol (2), Rachel Gottfried (2)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (23/24)
Result: 4-1 victory for Manitoba over Trinity Western.
SATURDAY: Manitoba has a sweep on their minds while Trinity Western was looking for the split after dropping Friday's contest. If this series is a potential first-round Canada West playoff preview, fans from both sides should be keeping an eye on the key performers this weekend. Manitoba got some good efforts out of players in the first game, and Trinity Western need a pushback in the second game. Again, the Spartans seem to think only their highlights are important, so here's the scoring summary of this game.
Spartans goals: Olivia Leier (3), Kyra McDonald (5)
Spartans assists: Kara Yackel (5), Ella Boon (4), Jordyn Matthews (3)
Spartans shootout scorers: Kara Yackel
Spartans netminders: Mabel Maltais (4/6) in 10:04; Olivia Davidson (31/31) in 54:56
Bisons goals: Aimee Patrick (7), Kylie Lesuk (2)
Bisons assists: Louise Fergusson (6), Julia Bird (4)
Bisons shootout scorers: none
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (27/29)
Result: 3-2 shootout victory for Trinity Western over Manitoba.
No, I'm not doing the stupid East and West Divisions on the standings board. One conference, nine teams, let's see who is best.
CANADA WEST WOMEN'S HOCKEY
School
Record
Points
GF
GA
Streak
Next
UBC
15-2-2-1
35
72
27
W6
@ TWU
Alberta
12-3-4-1
33
54
23
W5
@ REG
Mount Royal
11-4-2-3
29
49
36
L2
@ MAC
Manitoba
8-6-2-2
22
41
41
L1
vs SAS
Regina
5-5-4-4
22
32
34
W1
vs ALB
Trinity Western
8-10-2-0
20
39
39
W1
vs UBC
Calgary
5-12-1-2
14
37
54
L8
BYE
Saskatchewan
2-11-1-4
10
22
45
L1
@ MAN
MacEwan
0-13-2-3
7
13
60
L4
vs MRU
Honour Roll
Each week on The Rundown, I highlight the best performances from the weekend's games. It won't always be the top scorer or the best goalie, but I'll have a reason for who gets picked each week. This week's Honour Roll candidate is a player who is known for her solid defensive play than her goal scoring abilities, but Megan Long's three-goal weekend for the Regina Cougars puts her on the Honour Roll!
Megan was always considered a cornerstone of a maturing Regina defence, but she wasn't seen as an offensive dynamo who drove the play from the blue line. This season has been a breakout for Megan as she has recorded the most points in her career since her days with the Edmonton Pandas AAA program, and her five goals are five more than she scored in any of her previous three seasons with the Cougars. Her offensive outburst now has her sitting second in team scoring for the Cougars, and her five goals - three of which came this weekend - have her second in team goal scoring!
While I'm not saying that Megan Long needs to change her game in any way, her offensive outburst this weekend now has her at career-highs for goals and points, and there are still games to be played. Megan's been a key part of the Regina blue line for four seasons, but her offensive side of the game this season has made her a key player for the Cougars. After a big weekend where she jumped into the offence, that's how Megan Long adds her name to the list!
First Two In
Alberta's two wins over the Calgary Dinos officially made them the first team in Canada West to clinch a playoff spot, but it also helped UBC clinch a playoff spot as well. While Canada West hasn't bothered to update their standings with this information because apparently math is hard, Alberta's two wins put them 23 points ahead of Saskatchewan with Saskatchewan having ten games remaining for a possible 20 points. Needless to say, the math works out that Saskatchewan can't catch Alberta in any scenario, so Alberta is officially in the Canada West playoffs.
In the other division, Calgary's two losses to Alberta didn't help their chances, but it also means that the Dinos have eight games left for a potential 16 points in the standings. UBC's wins over Mount Royal officially put them 21 points ahead, so Alberta's win over Calgary on Friday night actually clinched a playoff spot for the Thunderbirds.
As we get closer towards the end of the season, teams will see their magic numbers for clinching playoff spots decrease. The next team looking at a potential clinching situation is Mout Royal who can clinch next weekend with a win over MacEwan. If Manitoba can beat Saskatchewan twice next weekend and Regina wins both games against Alberta, those two teams can clinch a playoff spot as well bye virtue of tie-breaker rules.
In short, we could know as many as five playoff-bound teams by next Sunday morning. All that's left after that are seedings.
The Italian Job
The 2025 FISU Games began in Torino, Italy this week, and, as mentioned, all of UBC's Sophia Gaskell, Calgary's Sydney Mercer, and Mount Royal's trio of Aliya Jomha, Alex Spence, and Kaitlyn Ross are playing for Team Canada at the event. The first game for the Canadian women was against Chinese Taipei yesterday, and things seemed to go pretty well for Canada in a 16-0 victory.
Canada led 3-0 through one period and 10-0 after two periods, so they clearly got stronger as the game progressed. Jomha scored a pair of goals - 3:35 into the second period and 11:22 into the third period - while Mercier had an assist as Ross picked up the seven-save shutout. Spence and Gaskell combined for six shots on net, but didn't hit the scoresheet in a game where Canada simply overwhelmed their opponents, outshooting Chinese Taipei by an 84-7 mark.
Other winners at the women's hockey event included a 20-0 win for Slovakia over Great Britain where Slovakia outshot the Brits by a 71-5 margin, and Sunday's early game saw Czechia beat the US by a 6-3 score as Czechia outshot the Americans by a 34-13 mark. In the later Sunday game, Japan met Kazakhstan, and Team Japan held a 4-0 lead over Kazakhstan at the time of publishing.
Canada and Great Britain tangle tomorrow, but I suspect that will be a one-sided game for the Canadians once more. That's not to say that the British women won't give it their all, but the Canadians may be a little more polished than their counterparts. Unfortunately, there is no TV coverage whatsoever for the women's event until they reach the semifinal stage, so I encourage everyone to hit this site for information on how Canada is doing in Torino.
And because I'm not against the Canadian men defending their gold medal either, they opened with an 11-0 win over Korea. Calgary Dinos forward Colson Gengenbach recorded a hat trick in the win as they now get set for a battle Czechia later today. Again, no TV coverage, so stick with the website above for details on Canada's progress!
The Kids Are Alright
Congratulations to Canada's U18 National Team who came away with a gold medal in today's final in Vantaa, Finland! I'm not here to bemoan the lack of U SPORTS commitments because these women are the best of the best we have to offer at the U18 level, and it's clear that they earned the right to be called "the best" with their gold medal victory over the US today!
As it stands, there are two uncommitted players on Canada's roster in goaltender Marilou Grenier and defender Rosalie Breton. If any U SPORTS coaches are looking to add a great player to their rosters, I suggest brushing up on your French as these two Quebec-born players are still looking at options. I'd assume that the RSEQ schools have a shot, but these are two players every coach should covet!
There was a member of one Canada West team who was on the team, though, as Saskatchewan Huskies goaltending coach Sheldon Goertzen was part of the team, so there is a U18 World Championship gold medal coming back to Canada West! And while she's not a "kid", big kudos go out to former Saksatchewan Huskies play-by-play broadcaster and current U SPORTS National Championship broadcaster Daniella Ponticelli for her calls of the Canada and US games throughout this tournament. Alongside Cheryl Pounder, I thought the entire coverage, including in-studio analysts Laura Diakun, Sami Jo Small, and Megan Bozek, was excellent!
Well done, Daniella, on your incredible career, and it always tickles me when I say, "I used to work less than six feet away from her!"
The Last Word
"We just need to elevate our level," Dinos head coach Josh Gosling said following Saturday's game. "At the end of the day right now, we're playing in second gear. We've got to find fourth, and we've got to find it quickly."
With the Dinos on a bye week this week, they need UBC to help them by beating the Trinity Western Spartans. From there, they need to go in and sweep Trinity Western on January 24 and 25 if they want ay chance at playing for a playoff spot. Calgary, as noted, has eight games remaining and they sit six points back of Trinity Western.
I know Josh Gosling said they're in second gear, but they need to start every game after their bye week in fourth gear and leave it all on the ice. Otherwise, these playoff races may be settled before the calendar flips to February, and no one wants to be playing games that don't matter. It's going to take a big effort, but the Dinos need to play playoff hockey for the next eight games as it's as close to "win or go home" as they can get.
There are no games this week or for the next few weeks, so this gives me time on The Rundown to explore some other things. If there's one thing that I wish Canada West did, I wish they played an All-Star Game for deserving players who have had themselves great starts to their respective seasons. There would be time to do so after Christmas as all schools are closed, no classes are being taught, and players could congregate in one city for this event. None of the schools would want to pay for this, I'm sure, but it still would be a fun game where the best players could really show off their skills.
Each year prior to the divisional format that we're in this season, I'd choose two teams based on first-half performances. The two teams included the four Alberta-based teams known as "Team Rockies" versus the five remaining teams from BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba who were called "Team Surf-and-Turf". Every team was represented with at least one player, and there was always at least one rookie named to each squad. Six forwards, three defenders, and two netminders made up the teams so that there would be three lines of 3-on-3 hockey at this All-Star Extravaganza.
The format will remain the same, but we're reconfigure the player distribution by remaining under the East and West Divisions rather than lumping the four Alberta teams on one side and the remaining five on the other. Players that are chosen won't necessarily be the top scorers, but they will be the players who stood out on each of the teams in this writer's view. In saying that, though, let's look at who I chose for the Canada West All-Star Extravaganza!
Grace Elliott (UBC) - leads the conference in scoring.
Aliya Johma (MRU) - leads the Cougars in scoring.
Brooklyn Anderson (CAL) - leads the Dinos in scoring.
Olivia Leier (TWU) - leads the Spartans in scoring.
Chanreet Bassi (UBC) - second on T-Birds in assists and points.
April Klarenbach (CAL) - leads all rookies in scoring.**
Summer Fomradas (MRU) - top defender scorer for MRU.
Jaylyn Morris (UBC) - leads all defenders in scoring.
Kaitlyn Ross (MRU) - second in wins; backbone of MRU team.
Elise Hugens (UBC) - most wins; .773 win% all-time.
There should be no surprises here as the top three scorers in the conference in Elliott, Bassi, and Jomha all find their way onto this All-Star team. Olivia Leier led Trinity Western up the standings, Brooklyn Anderson leads the Dinos in goals, and April Klarenbach is the top-scoring rookie so far. Each of the defenders spark the offence from the blue line for their teams, and both Ross and Hugens have been nearly unbeatable all season. This squad will have no problem lighting the lamp as it may be one of the most offensively-gifted teams ever assembled with two outstanding goalies to stop pucks.
Paige Hubbard (REG) - leads the Cougars in scoring.
Norah Collins (MAN) - leads the Bisons in goals, 2nd-overall.
Maia Ehmann (ALB) - leads the Pandas in scoring.
Kori Paterson (MAC) - leads the Griffins in scoring.
Jayde Cadieux (SAS) - leads the Huskies in scoring.
Aimee Patrick (MAN) - leads the Bisons in scoring.
Sara Kazeil (ALB) - top defender scorer for Alberta.
Jules Stokes (REG) - leads all rookie defenders in scoring.**
Grace Glover (ALB) - the only goalie with a sub-1.00 GAA.
Natalie Williamson (REG) - 1.10 GAA and a .960 sv%.
While the East team may have less points collectively than the West team, there's no doubt that this team can find the back of the net with regularity as well. Hubbard is tied for fifth-overall with six goals, Collins has been lighting the lamp regularly, Patrick has been good both scoring and setting up goals, and Maia Ehmann has five goals. Paterson has shown good play-making skills with a MacEwan team struggling to score while Cadieux has been solid all season at both ends of the ice. Kazeil, Zuchotzki, and Stokes have been jumping into the offensive side of the game while playing strong defence, and both Glover and Williamson have shut down scorers all season long. This squad would be fun to watch.
Thoughts on these selections? Any you'd change? Personally, there were a handful of players who just missed the cut for various reasons, but they would have been good choices as well. In the end, these are the players I'd send to a Canada West All-Star Extravaganza, and I think that the game and the skills competition would be fun!
Award Winners?
Yes, I'm very aware that there are a few winners of Canada West awards for outstanding seasons, so let's expand that opportunity and name a few players who likely could end up winning NHL Awards with the seasons they're having to this point.
"Rocket" Richard Trophy: Grace Elliott (UBC). She may be unstoppable at times, but she has only scored two-or-more goals once this season. Her consistent play may fetch her 20 goals this season. She's currently one off her career-best of 13.
Vezina Trophy: Kaitlyn Ross (ALB). She's second in wins and is top-five for all other major statistics. She has played every meaningful game for Mount Royal, but has allowed less goals and made more saves than her closest competitor.
Calder Trophy: Jules Stokes (REG). This was the toughest vote for me, but Stokes gets the nod for playing in all situations while being the top-scoring rookie defender.
Norris Trophy: Jaylyn Morris (UBC). Last season's pick for Rookie of the Year continues her solid play as the top-scoring defender in all situations. She has two GWG this season.
Jack Adams Trophy: Brandy West-McMaster (REG). Did anyone have Regina at 20 points at the December break? Regina finds ways to record points, and it shows in the standings.
Hart Trophy: Grace Elliott (UBC). Elliott has been on some kind of tear this season as she's using her size, skating, and hands to decimate opponents. She holds a ten-point lead over second-place in scoring, and it doesn't seem like anyone will close that gap. She has been the best player thus far.
I'll be completely transparent here and say that the Calder Trophy could be won by others as April Klarenbach could have a big second-half if the Dinos find their game again while players like Seanna Price in Manitoba and Dara Thompson with Mount Royal have scored at better rates than any of the rookie leaders. Stokes has helped Regina to a playoff spot with her play, though, and that's the wild card here.
The Vezina Trophy race could be tighter as it's Ross and UBC's Elise Hugens who are neck-and-neck, but Alberta's Grace Glover and Regina's Natalie Williamson need to play more to jump into the conversation while TWU's Kate Fawcett has to win against the better teams to add her name into the debate. Ross has been a difference-maker for Mount Royal, but the January 10 and 11 games against UBC could push Hugens ahead of Ross depending on the results.
Ontario Contenders
Being that the OUA is still airing games for free, it's a lot easier to see these teams play than other conferences. That being said, there are six teams that look like they could challenge for the OUA banner this season. Let's take a look at who's playing well in Ontario.
The Nipissing Lakers hit the December break as the top team in the OUA both in points and statistically. They are tied for most goals-for, they are tied for least goals-against, they have the best goal differential, they have three players with 15-or-more points, they have the top goaltender in terms of GAA, save percentage, and shutouts. Nipissing has won games at the National Championship before, but this might be the best team that head coach Darren Turcotte has assembled to date.
The other team that looks like a serious contender already has a spot at the National Championship booked as the Waterloo Warriors are hosting. Waterloo sits a point back of Nipissing, is second in goal differential, is tied for scoring the most goals in the conference, has balanced scoring, and Kara Mark has the third-best GAA and save percentage. After seeing them in person, Waterloo didn't look as polished as I thought they may be, but one game is hardly a solid sample size. Clearly, they're winning often in their own conference, and they could be a threat to win the Golden Path Trophy.
The Ottawa Gee-Gees are quietly putting together a solid campaign as they have the third-most goals-for and third-best goal differential. They have the conference's top scorer in Arianne Gagnon and four more players with 12-or-more points. Mireille Kingsley gives them solid goaltending with a 1.87 GAA and a .935 save percentage, but Ottawa's losses have come to Toronto, Guelph, Waterloo, and Nipissing - teams they'll have to beat in the playoffs. Ottawa looks like a threat, but they have to beat the good teams as well.
The Guelph Gryphons are among the OUA's best once more, and they're paced by the goaltending of Martina Fedel as she's second in GAA, save percentage, and shutouts. Guelph doesn't score a lot as they're tied for eighth-best goals-for in the 14-team conference, but they are tied for the least goals-against as well. Their goal differential won't wow anyone, and Jamie Magoffin leads the team with nine points - tied for 11th-highest in the conference. Guelph will rely heavily on goaltending as they push for a spot at the National Championship, but that may also be their downfall if they fall behind.
Both Toronto and Windsor are in virtually the same spots in the two divisions, and both have statistically similar numbers. Where they differ is that Windsor's goaltending is significantly better as Rebecca Noble and Chantal Petitclerc split games whereas Toronto's Lyla MacKinnon plays almost every game. The Windsor tandem has better numbers overall comparatively, so they could be better off if defence wins championships. However, Windsor doesn't score a lot either as no player has more than four goals, but that distribution is more balanced than Toronto. The Varsity Blues do have Alli McKeown with seven goals, but things drop off after the Delahey sisters. In short, Toronto and Windsor could challenge, but they seem to be long shots when compared to the four teams above.
Four-Team Conference
The RSEQ still somehow gets two National Championship spots despite only having four teams, so I'll point out how ridiculous it is that a Quebec-based team needs to win one playoff round to go to Nationals. That being said, there's one team who is a lock unless something goes dramatically wrong while two others will battle in their annual playoff series.
Concordia is the class of the four-team circuit as they have an 11-0 record, and only Bishop's seems to be able to give them a competitive game. Bishop's is 0-4 against Concordia, but they did get a point in an overtime loss. However, Concordia appears to be a lock to defend their championship in Kitchener-Waterloo at this point.
Bishop's and Montreal are separated by one point in the standings, but Montreal holds a 2-1-1 edge in the head-to-head with Bishop's. Bishop's can score and have shown that against Concordia whereas Montreal has been blown out by the Stingers in a couple of games. That being said, whatever Montreal does against Bishop's seems to work, so goal differential may be deceiving despite Bishop's have excellent scoring. This playoff series may come down to defence and goaltending, and Bishop's Erika Gagnon holds the statistical edge over the Montreal tandem of Maude Desroches and Élissa Jean.
It would seem that, based on what the RSEQ is giving us, one of Bishop's and Montreal will join Concordia at Nationals this season unless the McGill Martlets can figure out a way to shock the hockey world and upset the Stingers.
Representing The Country
Congratulations to all the players who were named to the 2025 FISU Team Canada women's hockey team this past week! Canada appears to be taking another powerhouse team to the tournament being held in Torino, Italy, and that could mean a second-straight gold medal finish for the team if they play to their potential.
Specifically, I want to highlight Mount Royal's Aliya Jomha, Alex Spence, and Kaitlyn Ross, UBC's Sophia Gaskell, and Calgary's Sydney Mercier on their selections for the team, and I'll be watching as they look to replicate Canada's success in Lake Placid in 2023. These five players have shown they're among Canada's best, and they often appear here on The Rundown as some of Canada West's top performers week-in and week-out.
We all cheer for the maple leaf, so fans can put team allegiances aside when it comes to cheering on Canada. No matter what colour of medal Canada comes home with, these women should be proud of their selections to represent the country. Cheer them on via FISU.tv as they look to win Canada's second-straight gold medal!
The Path Walked
Next week, I'll have updates on all the former Canada West players who have gone off to play professionally somewhere on the globe. Whether it be here in North America, Sweden, Switzerland, China, Russia, or anywhere else, next week is all about getting caught up with players who walked the path that the current teams are following. If you're wondering where a player landed or how well they may be doing with their new team, I'll have that update next week here on The Rundown! Don't miss this one!
The Last Word
I don't have much for this one other than I hope exams are going well for everyone writing them. I hope the holiday shopping and festivities have been fruitful. And, if you're travelling to get home this month, I hope your travels are safe and efficient so get as much time to spend with the people you love.
We're ten days from Christmas, so be merry, give everyone a little more benefit of the doubt, and smile often. Most of all, enjoy the break in whatever form it takes for you, and we'll reconvene next week for another installment of The Rundown!
The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back in the studio and on the airwaves tonight as our hosts get into another week that was filled with crazy and head-shaking stories from the world of hockey. It isn't often you get a week where outdoor games are being proposed for tropical environments, line brawls are happening in piles of toys, and less people watching is a good business strategy, but it seems those stories are part of the news this week. We'll dive into a little of all of that and more tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!
There might be a few moments where you'll have the same reaction as Gordon Ramsay as Teebz and Jason discuss the Canadian 2025 FISU University Games rosters for the men and women, Utah getting closer to a brand, two OHL teams scrapping as teddy bears flew, a player who will play in the Spengler Cup, a team potentially moving in the QMJHL, a Jagr update, the PWHL with an odd business strategy, and an outdoor game in a place where ice is only found in drinks. It another busy show with a lot to go over, so settle in with a beverage because we're going to move quickly tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!
If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.
If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!
Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat international hockey, branding, brawling, moving, returning, cutting people off, playing under the sun, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!
It's probably not a secret that Team Canada will be a medal favorite in women's hockey when the 2025 FISU World University Games open in Torino, Italy on January 13. The reigning gold medalists from Lake Placid will be looking to defend their title, and it seems that Canada is sending another highly-skilled U SPORTS team to mount that title defence. If U SPORTS could hold an all-star game, the FISU team members named this year would likely all be invited to the event as the talent assembled for the trip to Italy is rather impressive. With all four conferences represented on the roster, let's take a look at the players who will take ten days off in pursuit of a FISU World University Games gold medal!
Before we jump into the players, though, let me say that being chosen to represent Canada at the FISU University Games means a lot to every player. It's recognition for the hard work they've put into becoming one of this country's best players, it's validation for the dedication they've had to both their education and their sport, and it's an honour to be chosen to wear the maple leaf on their chests. Make no mistake that these players have every right to be proud not only of being selected, but in being chosen to stand tall on the international stage for their country and peers.
In saying that, here is Team Canada's FISU women's hockey team!
Goaltenders
Kaitlyn Ross - Mount Royal Cougars (CW)
Grace Beer - Dalhousie Tigers (AUS)
Jordyn Verbeek - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
There's no doubt that Canada's goaltending will be strong, but these three netminders are three of the best statistically that U SPORTS boasts this season. For readers of The Rundown, we're aware of Kaitlyn Ross's skill as the Mount Royal goalie as she's 8-1-2 this season with a 1.33 GAA and a .945 save percentage, but it's her career of stopping pucks that can't be overlooked. In her career, Ross has shown a knack for winning big games as she's 51-17-5 with a 1.47 GAA and a .932 save percentage, she was the fastest goalie in Canada West history to hit the 50-win mark, and she has a National Championship to her name.
I mentioned Dalhousie's Grace Beer on The Rundown this past weekend as she holds a 9-4-0 record, a 1.68 GAA, and a .956 save percentage as her stats have gotten better with each year through her first three years in the AUS. Concordia's Jordyn Verbeek is 18-1-0 in her U SPORTS career with a 1.33 GAA and a .919 save percentage, but she is a National Championship winner. If we're only looking at numbers, this may be one of Canada's best goalie trios to ever play at FISU, but these three netminders thrive on making every save. Canada won't have to worry about goaltending.
Defenders
Sophia Gaskell - UBC Thunderbirds (CW)
Alex Spence - Mount Royal Cougars (CW)
Alexandra-Anne Boyer - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
Mackenzie Keenan - UNB Reds (AUS)
Abigail MacKenzie - Saint Mary's Huskies (AUS)
Emma Potter - Toronto Varisty Blues (OUA)
This defence unit should scare other countries as they can skate, they can shoot, they have a little grittiness, and they'll shut down offensive chances by the handful. Readers of The Rundown know that Sophia Gaskell can score as her two goals and four assists are a solid total this season, but she had seven goals in each of the previous two seasons and totals of 22 and 18 points, respectively, in the last two seasons while only accumulating 12 PIMs in four seasons. Sophia's one of the offensive dynamos on a high-scoring UBC team, and Canada will need that from her in Italy.
The other defender that readers of The Rundown will know is Mount Royal's Alex Spence. Spence has shown some offensive flair with her five assists this season, but it's her defensive game that caught the eye of Team Canada's brass. Spence is very good at keeping forwards from scoring as she often has a stick in a lane, a body in front of a shot, or a player pinned along the wall. If Canada needs a shutdown pairing, expect Spence to be on it because she's one of the reasons that Mount Royal has only surrendered 1.5 goals-per-game.
Alexandra-Anne Boyer is one of the top-scoring defenders in the RSEQ with two goals and ten points, and she has National Championship experience. Mackenzie Keenan is the top-scoring defender in the AUS with three goals and 12 points while Abigail MacKenzie plays the game like Spence - four assists, lots of defence, and good offensive instincts. Emma Potter might the spark plug needed as the fiesty Toronto defender isn't afraid to go into corners, skate the puck out, and set up goals. I like the six players chosen to patrol Canada's blue line as they bring skill, speed, tenacity, and awareness.
Forwards
Aliya Jomha - Mount Royal Cougars (CW)
Sydney Mercier - Calgary Dinos (CW)
Madison Desmarais - Nipissing Lakers (OUA)
Malory Dominico - Nipissing Lakers (OUA)
Leah Herrfort - Waterloo Warriors (OUA)
Scout Watkins Southward - Toronto V. Blues (OUA)
Jaime Magoffin - Guelph Gryphons (OUA)
Emilie Lavoie - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
Emilie Lussier - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
Gabrielle Santerre - Bishop's Gaiters (RSEQ)
Ekaterina Pelowich - St. Thomas Tommies (AUS)
Erica Plourde - Moncton Blue Eagles (AUS)
There are likely 6-8 other women who could have been named to this team, and there wouldn't be any less skill or talent than there is above. For as deep as U SPORTS is, though, there are some exceptional scorers and leaders going to Italy in this forward group listed above. Readers of The Rundown know that I like Aliya Jomha's hustle, and that's reflected in her seven goals and 15 points this season while leading Canada West in game-winning goals. Jomha has shown she can put the puck in the net, but she doesn't cheat in the defensive zone. She's among this country's best 200-foot players.
Some may wonder about Calgary's Sydney Mercier being named to the team, but she plays a solid 200-foot game as well. She'll give you the hustle up and down the ice, she can score as she had 22 points in each of the last two seasons, and she's shown solid growth as a leader in each of her three seasons. Yes, her scoring may be down this season, but Mercier hasn't lost the hands or hustle that made her successful in years past.
The OUA is well-represented in the forward group. Nipissing's Malory Dominico is tied for fourth in OUA scoring with nine goals and 16 points while Leah Herrfort is tied for fifth in scoring with four goals and 15 points as two of the top-scorers, but Jaime Magoffin leads Guelph with two goals and nine points for some additional scoring. Madison Desmarais has two goals and nine points, but she plays a solid 200-foot game and wins face-offs. Scout Watkins Southward is a responsible defensive forward that has some offensive punch, and her motor never stops running.
The RSEQ trio are legitimately 1-2-3 in scoring as Emilie Lussier has 12 goals and 17 points, Gabrielle Santerre has four goals and 15 points, and Emilie Lavoie has eight goals and 14 points. If these three play on a line for Canada, they could be nearly unstoppable. Moncton's Erica Plourde is tied for top-spot in AUS scoring with nine goals and 17 points while St. Thomas's Ekaterina Pelowich is tied for second in scoring qith seven goals and 12 points. In short, Quebec and the Maritimes are bringing a ton of offence to Team Canada.
Coaches
Head Coach Kelly Paton of Wilfrid Laurier has assembled a solid roster that mixes offence with defence, and has a number of award-winners to boast. Santerre is the 2024 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year and U SPORTS Player of the Year, Sydney Mercier is the 2023 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, and Leah Herrfort was named as the 2023 OUA Player of the Year. There are seven National Champions, and two returning players who won a 2023 gol medal in Herrfort and Scout Watkins Southward. Needless to say, this is a decorated bunch of players who want to add more hardware to their résumés!
Kelly Paton is no stranger to coaching at the FISU Games as she has a gold medal from Canada's triumph in Lake Placid in 2023 and a silver medal from 2017 in Almaty, Kazakhstan where Canada fell to a semi-pro Russian team. She earned a BFL Women in Coaching Award last season with Wilfrid Laurier, and she was invited to participate as a guest coach at the Detroit Red Wings' rookie development camp. Needless to say, Paton's experiences will be called upon in Italy when it comes to Canada's success.
Paton will be joined behind the bench by Carleton University's Stacey Colarossi and Mount Allison University's Addie Miles-Abbott. Colarossi may be best known for being the Associate Head Coach for the Chinese Olympic Team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but she was previously the head coach for the Laurentian Voyageurs for nine seasons and has a silver medal from the 2019 FISU Games where she coached Canada to a second-place finish. Addie Miles-Abbott was still a Manitoba Bisons forward when she won a gold medal for Canada at the 2011 FISU Games in Erzurum, Turkey, and she's the current head coach of the Team New Brunswick U18 program. Much like the players, Canada's coaching staff is also well-decorated.
Schedule
For those wondering, the tournament will be played in the Palaghiaccio Tazzoli or "PalaTazzoli". It opened in 1970, seats 3000 people, and has a 60-foot by 30-foot ice surface. The eight countries featured in the tournament include Canada, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Japan, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Chinese Taipei and the United States. Canada will play in Pool A along with Slovakia, Great Britain, and Chinese Taipei. For those looking to watch games, FISU.tv will have the games live on its streams.
JANUARY 11: Canada vs. Chinese Taipei - 1pm CT
JANUARY 13: Great Britain vs. Canada - 6am CT
JANUARY 15: Canada vs. Slovakia - 1pm CT
JANUARY 18: 1st-Place Pool A vs 2nd-Place Pool B - 9am CT
JANUARY 20: gold medal game - 1pm CT
Yes, I'm being presumptuous in posting the 1-vs-2 game and the gold medal game, but I really feel that this team can bring home a second-straight gold medal from Italy. I like the make-up of this team, and I feel they have the right mix of scoring, defence, and goaltending to carry them into the gold medal game. Who they meet there is a tougher question, but Canada should be the class of Pool A if they play as well as the roster's potential shows.
We'll see if this squad can make it back-to-back gold medals at the FISU Winter Universiade when the tournament starts on January 11!
No one is looking at Italy as the next superpower in women's hockey. As of right now, the IIHF has them ranked as the 19th best country on the planet - just behind Netherlands and Korea and just ahead of Poland and Great Britain - so they're in that group of countries that's emerging on the scene. With Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo hosting the 2026 Olympiad, the Italians want to prove to the rest of the world that they're ready to take the next step in hockey by joining the top teams at the best tournaments regularly. Like host countries before them, it looks like Italy is speeding up their progress by recruiting established hockey players to help them take that next step.
There's nothing wrong with this from an IIHF standpoint. We've seen Kazakhstan recruit multiple North American players who play for the KHL's Barys Astana squad as they've granted those players citizenship. China did the same thing when they hosted the Olympics in Beijing, and I suspect we'll see more countries who want the Olympic bump use this tactic as well. As long as the IIHF sees no issue with it, this practice will continue for the next Olympiad and beyond.
As indicated on The Rundown last weekend, Calgary Dinos goaltender and Canadian citizen Gabriella Durante opted to head to Italy to follow her roots as she has plans on playing for Team Italy. The Calgary Dinos made it official today, however, as they announced that Durante was headed to Turin, Italy to join Real Torino for the 2024-25 season! It should be noted that her single game against the Saskatchewan Huskies last weekend would officially qualify as her fifth and final year of eligibility in U SPORTS, so Gabriella Durante would not be able to return to any U SPORTS hockey team in any future season even if she wanted to play again.
She may not have to worry about that, however, because it sounds like she'll be busy in Turin. According to hockeyitalia21.com, "Real Torino announced that it will enter a team in the next Italian IHL Women 2024/25 championship" as the team rejoins the women's Italian Hockey League to give Turin a hockey team at that level for the first time since the 2018-19 season and it will mark the first time Real Torino HC has played at the IHL level since 2014-15.
Turin will play host to the 2025 FISU Universiade Games from January 13-23, 2025, so it seems that Italy is looking to have more women playing at a higher level in more cities as they approach both the Universiade and the Olympics. We'll see the Italians return to the IIHF Women's World Championship Division I Group B tournament after earning a bronze medal there last season, so getting more women playing at a higher level will be crucial for the Italians if they hope to repeat the success they saw in 2024.
Bringing in players like Gabriella Durante to help at the internal league level will promote growth and development so that the Italians see better players develop along the lines of Martina Fedel, Laura Lobis, and Anna Caumo at the international level. If a few of those players they bring in to help become naturalized citizens as well, the Italian hockey federation won't complain, I'm sure.
For Gabriella Durante, she'll get to stop pucks against the likes of EV Bozen's Kristin Della Rovere, EV Bozen's Justine Reyes, and Neumarkt/Egna's Olivia De Ciantis. All of those players have North American ties, but they'll all skate in the Italian Hockey League this season with the potential to be naturalized for the 2026 Olympics. The key is that they'll all make their teammates better as they skate in the IHL this season and beyond, and there's a good possibility that they'll help to make Italy a better hockey country in the long run whether they suit up for the country themselves or they continue to play for one of the teams in the Italian league.
No one is expecting Gabriella Durante to change Italian hockey in any way, but her presence both in the country's top league and playing for the Italian national team may very well do that incrementally. With her and Martina Fedel potentially being the Italian netminders at the 2026 Olympics, Italy will have a pair of backstoppers who could potentially steal games like they did when they beat Slovakia and Slovenia at the 2024 IIHF World Championships.
I want to wish Gabriella Durante all the best this season with Real Torinto, and my hope is that she plays as well as she did for the Dinos while she earned her degrees. Seeing Durante at the 2026 Olympics would be incredible, so here's hoping this opportunity goes well for her. Knowing the type of person she is, though, I suspect she'll have a major impact on Italian hockey not only as they approach the Olympics, but well beyond it as well.
She'll make players better through her play, her positive attitude, and her approach at the rink, and that's the kind of leader that Team Italy needs when it comes to establishing themselves as hockey nation. This is a big oppotunity for Gabriella Durante, but I suspect she'll open doors for so many more Italian players during her time in Italy. That's just who Gabriella Durante is.
You can make a case that Manitoba might be one of the places on the planet where coaches take their games to the next level. We've seen the likes of Andy Murray, Barry Trotz, Fred Shero, and Wayne Fleming do some amazing things at a number of levels, but one name that should join those illustrious coaches is Gardiner MacDougall. Granted, MacDougall isn't from Manitoba originally like the four aforementioned men, but he has roots in the Keystone Province in the same way that Paul Maurice, Bob Lowes, and Venla Hovi have rich ties to the province. In knowing that MacDougall likely has built himself a Hockey Hall of Fame career thanks to his incredible body of work out in the Maritimes, I thought it might a good time to shine a little light on a guy whose name is synonymous with winning at every level where he has coached.
We need to jump back to northern Manitoba in the 1980s to see where MacDougall's story started, and that takes us to a place called Cranberry Portage which sits north of The Pas and southeast of Flin Flon. MacDougall had been hired to coach the Frontier College Institute's high school hockey team as well as jumping in with the midget Winter Hawks program in the region. MacDougall must have done well in helping these programs find success because he'd get his first big break in 1990 when he was hired as an assistant coach by the nearby SJHL team in the Flin Flon Bombers! And while he was just an assistant coach at the time, his two seasons with the Bombers got him ready for his next opportunity in northern Manitoba.
"I realized there is a lot to coaching," MacDougall told Saltwire's Jason Simmonds about his first year with Frontier College Institute. "I remember coming back that summer from working in Manitoba and working at Doug MacLean's hockey school (in Summerside). I tried to immerse myself and find out everything about the game I could."
After spending a few seasons in Saskatchewan coaching the Lebret Eagles in the SJHL between 1993-96, MacDougall was hired as the first head coach in the history of the MJHL's OCN Blizzard in 1996. His work with the Blizzard would see them build towards a Turnbull Cup Championship in their third season of existence with the likes of Jordin and Terence Tootoo leading the way. The Blizzard posted a 33-18-5 record in 1996-97, a 42-18-1 record in 1997-98, and a 53-7-2 record in 1998-99 en route to the championship! In three seasons, MacDougall had built a powerhouse at the MJHL level, and a familiar team came calling once again after his successes in The Pas.
In 1999, the Flin Flon Bombers hired MacDougall as their director of hockey operations where the squad went 29-27-4. What the Bombers likely didn't know at that time is that MacDougall has his sights set on a higher level of hockey as his want to return to the Maritimes where he grew up grew larger with every passing season. He would finally get his break to return home when he was hired as the head coach of the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds men's hockey head coach on his third time applying for the position!
Since arriving in Fredericton, the Reds have won eight U SPORTS championships under MacDougall's guidance and 11 AUS championships. Twice he's been named U SPORTS Coach of the Year - 2015 and 2010 - while also being named AUS Coach of the Year on five occasions. In his sixth season behind the bench of the Reds, he became the winningest coach in program history, and has since set records that puts him in a class of his own in U SPORTS.
November 22, 2019 saw MacDougall record his 400th regular season coaching win, he added his 600th regular season and playoff win as UNB's head coach on January 20, and he won his 489th U SPORTS regular season game on February 6 to become the winningest coach in U SPORTS history. In terms of individual seasons, he coached the 2007-08 team to a 31-1-1 as the most successful season to date in AUS play, and that team holds the record for the most wins in a single season (43) in Canadian university hockey. And he may add another historical note to his already-impressive list of accomplishments this season - more on this in a second.
Besides being one of U SPORTS' best coaches of all-time, his work elsewhere has been impeccable as well. In January 2023, MacDougall coached Team Canada to the gold medal at the FISU World Winter University Games in Lake Placid, adding a third gold medal to his resumé after coaching Canada to the World University Games gold medal in Trentino, Italy in 2013 and as an assistant coach at the 2007 Games in Torino, Italy. Add in five weeks as the head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs in 2022 where he helped the QMJHL squad win the 2022 Memorial Cup after downing the Hamilton Bulldogs in the final, and it's pretty clear that MacDougall gets results no matter who he coaches. It seems all he does is win.
That last line is important because the current iteration of the Varsity Reds is trying to do something not seen since the 197-2-73 season in U SPORTS play. Tomorrow night, the UNB Varisty Reds will host the UPEI Panthers in their final AUS regular season game of the season, and it's a big one as the Reds currently sit at 29-0-0 on the season, meaning a win tomorrow will give them a perfect season for the first time in U SPORTS play in 50 years. For a coach who seemingly has done everything, this record should, in this writer's view, give him enough credibility to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame after being inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
While we can't claim the Bedeque, PEI native as our own, it's pretty awesome that the best coach of all-time in U SPORTS history cut his coaching teeth in Manitoba. MacDougall will always be a part of MJHL lore thanks to his work with the OCN Blizzard, and that championship was the start of a long list of achievements and championships for which Gardiner MacDougall has designed the blueprints.
Here's hoping the Reds win game #30 tomorrow night for yet another achievement he can claim, and it's time we start talking about Gardiner MacDougall's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a coach because I'm not sure we'll see another bench boss in this lifetime, or perhaps ever, like him.
Canada faced Japan today in the gold medal game at the 2023 FISU World University Games, and the end result was as this writer expected: Canada has won the gold medal! That's not to say that Japan didn't give Canada headaches at times, but the Canadians were able to overcome the Japanese attack to find enough time and space to outscore their opponents. While the final score may have been 5-0, this was a Canadian team that simply outworked, out-chanced, and out-skated their opponents in all seven games in this tournament. Canada is the FISU women's hockey gold medalists!
Once again, Canada seemed to start off slowly as the score through the first period of play was 0-0, but Canada certainly looked like they were prepared for the game in outshooting the Japanese team by a 14-3 advantage. Canada had a pair of power-plays where they had chances, but Miyuu Masuhara was solid in the Japanese net. As the period rolled into the break, it felt as though Canada was in control of the game.
Just 1:16 into the second period, Montreal's Audrey-Anne Veillette would break the deadlock on a bit of a broken play, but she would find the puck off the blocked shot and backhand it by Masuhara.
With assists going to Waterloo's Leah Herrfort and SMU's Shae Demale, there's no doubt that this line has been one of Canada's best all tournament long, and Veillette's goal-scoring prowess will be on display this March when the Montreal Carabins host the U SPORTS National Championship. I suspect people will be keeping an eye on the Carabins forward after her amazing tournament in Lake Placid!
Another player who has been on fire this tournament for the Canadians has been Nipissing's Maria Dominico, and she announced her presence in the gold medal game in a big way at the 6:01 mark.
That's an incredible individual effort from Dominico, but we saw her play like this last season in helping Nipissing win the U SPORTS National Championship silver medal. She's showing that same hunger for the net that she had in the OUA playoffs, and that should be good for the Lakers down the stretch in the OUA. Toronto's Celine Frappier and Bishop's Marie-Camille Théorêt picked up assists on the goal as Canada went up by a pair.
Minutes later, Japan was trying to kill a 5-on-3 shorthanded situation, and Canada's offence simply would not be stopped as they had a number of good looks before StFX's Maggy Burbidge fired home her own rebound at 9:27 of the second period.
Burbudge is the AUS leading scorer and U SPORTS' leading scorer, so seeing the puck on her stick usually means a red light is going to be lit shortly. The one-timer off a pass from Montreal's Annabel Faubert - uncredited with an assist on this play - following the chance by Alberta's Madison Willan had the Japanese defence scrambling, and Burbidge cashed in her own rebound before the Japanese defence could recover. Make it 3-0 for Canada.
Canada has trailed just once in this tournament - in the semifinal against Slovakia - and has not lost in the tournament. They have the top goaltending statistics and the best defensive statistics as a team, so Japan's task over the final 30 minutes of the game wouldn't be easy. It would be arrogant of me to say the game was over at that point, but the odds were certainly stacked against the Japanese. So what happened, you ask?
Toronto's Celine Frappier scored an unassisted goal at 10:50 of the second period to make it 4-0, and McGill's Elizabeth Mura scored Canada's fifth goal off a feed from Audrey-Anne Veillette at 4:44 of the third period. From there, UNB's Kendra Woodland was required to stop just two more pucks sent her way as Canada controlled the puck, controlled the play, and, ultimately, controlled the game in the gold medal final en route to the gold medal celebration. Cross that one off the bucket list, ladies!
Players from four conferences within U SPORTS came together. They include:
AUS: StFX's Maggy Burbidge and Lea MacLeod, SMU's Shae Demale, and UNB's Jenna MacLean and Kendra Woodland.
RSEQ: Concordia's Rosalie Bégin-Cyr and Emmy Fecteau, Montreal's Annabel Faubert, Kelly-Ann Nadeau, and Audrey-Anne Veillette, Ottawa's Aurélie Dubuc, McGill's Elizabeth Mura, and Bishop's Marie-Camille Théorêt.
OUA: Waterloo's Carley Bossé-Olivier and Leah Herrfort, Nipissing's Maria Dominico, Guelph's Hannah Tait, and Queen's Scout Watkins Southward.
Canada West: Saskatchewan's Isabella Pozzi and Camryn Drever, and Alberta's Madison Willan.
We can't forget the coaching staff who were directing this symphony of wins either as Ottawa head coach Greg Bowles, UNB head coach Sara Hilworth, Wilfred Laurier head coach Kelly Paton, and Guelph head coach Katie Mora all deserve a pile of credit. Along with general manager Daniele Sauvageau from Montreal, UNB's goalie coach and video coach Kyle MacDonald, and Waterloo's athletic therapist Jacqueline Schwantz, this is the management and staff of the gold medal-winning Canadian squad!
It should be mentioned that the Slavic bronze medal game between neighbouring Czechia and Slovakia happened earlier tonight. Czechia's Sandra Halounova opened the scoring at 16:37 of the first period while on the power-play. Lucia Haluskova tied things up for Slovakia just 1:01 into the second period, but Czechia's Karolina Kosinova responded 50 seconds later to restore the one-goal lead. University of Vermont's Kristyna Patkova made it a 3-1 game for the Czechs when she scored at 9:02 of the third period, and that was more than enough for Czechia on this night as they captured the bronze medal with a 3-1 victory!
I also need to give a big shout-out to Manitoba referee Amy Martin who called the bronze medal game. Amy's one of this province's best officials, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's calling games in men's professional hockey at some point. She's smart, she's very observant, and she manages the game well. Her repeated invitations to high-profile international events is a testament to her talents, dedication, and passion for officiating, and it's awesome to see her as part of the 2023 FISU World University Games!
Overall, this was a highly-entertaining tournament played by some of the best and brightest university hockey players on the planet. I take nothing away from any of the countries who appeared at the 2023 FISU World University Games because each of the qualified to be there, and all played with the heart and courage of champions no matter what the odds were that may have been stacked against them. Canada may have won the tournament, but every team showed up and played well in every game. You can't ask for much more than that as a hockey fan.
Congratulations go out to Canada, Japan, and Czechia who won the gold medal, silver medal, and bronze medal, respectively. The Canadian women will return to their respective teams at this point to rejoin playoff races with conference playoffs a month away. The likelihood of some of these players meeting in their conference playoffs is good, and there's a chance that we could see some of them face off against one another in Montreal at the 2023 U SPORTS National Championship. For 60 minutes, they'll try to eliminate one another, but they'll always have these last two weeks as teammates where they shared an incredible bond and brought home one of university sports' biggest awards.
Congratulations on an excellent tournament, ladies!
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