2026 Stellar Recruits

If you're looking at the image to the left and thinking "that looks like an eye", you're looking at the Helix Nebula which is nicknamed the "Eye of God" or "Eye of Sauron" due to its shape! The nebula gets its eye-like shape from the glowing, gaseous remains of a dying star that has begun shedding its outer layers into space. Frankly, it looks awesome, but it's appropriate today because you're going to want to keep your eye on the following players listed below. Today, I present to you the 2026-27 recruits for each Canada West women's hockey team with my thoughts on the incoming class!

I spent a lot of time digging around social media and looking over websites as I collected names and information about the players joining Canada West's nine teams. It took a while, but here we are today. I'm not going to waste any further time, so here are all the known or announced players joining the nine Canada West teams!

Canada West Recruits

Alberta Pandas

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Cassia Severin	Edge	AB	F	4	14
Samantha Baker	Edge	AB	F	8	23
Saya Earl	Delta	BC	F	4	7
Hudson Bradley	Balmoral Hall	MB	D	8	14
Elise Miller	North Shore	BC	F	11	23
Sarah McNabb	Battleford	SK	F	10	13
Daniella Martorana	Merrimack (NCAA)	MA	F	0	0
Scarlett Jones	Toronto (OUA)	ON	F	1	1
Jaylah Bottle	Ottawa (OUA)	ON	D	0	0

The Alberta Pandas recruited a pile of players long before Howie Draper announced his retirement, so I assume that this class will be the last of his era running the Pandas. With interim head coach Leah Copeland taking over, I would expect a similar brand of tenacious hockey that she played when suiting up for the Pandas, but don't expect her to replicate Howie's style. She has some high-end talent coming in along with a few players who have suited up at the university level elsewhere. Alberta's in a bit of a rebuild, but I expect them to still be a solid team as everyone settles in. Once again, the Pandas should be a playoff team in their temporary home in Nisku.

Calgary Dinos

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Madison Batch	Delta	BC	D	3	25
Brooklyn Blomquist	RINK Kelowna	BC	F	4	9
Katelyn Marshall	Regina	SK	F	9	11

The Calgary Dinos are playing their cards close to their chests when it comes to recruiting. I know this can't be the entire class they're bringing in, but they haven't posted their recruit information anywhere that I could find or have seen. In saying this, the three recruits listed above are solid, and they will contribute for head coach Josh Gosling. Calgary's going to have to battle after some of their veterans graduated, but they'll be a handful for any opponent this season. The Dinos could still have a number of weapons they haven't announced, so we'll have to see who lands in Calgary.

MacEwan Griffins

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Olivia Stewart	Red Deer	AB	D	3	4
Sawyer McKay	Lloydminster	AB	F	5	8
Peyton Mages	North Shore	BC	D	10	16
Tristan Todosichuk	Weyburn	SK	F	10	10
Shannon MacLeod	Calgary	AB	F	1	2
Haley Braun	OHA Mavericks	ON	F	12	10
Vayda Rigaux	Eastman	MB	D	8	17
Delainey Rigaux	Eastman	MB	F	25	16
Mya Magowan	Calgary	AB	F	2	3
Paige Smith	Bemidji (NCAA)	MN	F	0	1

The MacEwan Griffins will get a fresh start after Chris Leeming was replaced by interim head coach Izzy Cropper, and this recruiting class should give them a little more firepower and a little more tenacity on the ice. Cropper served as an assistant coach for the last two years, so she's going to have to find ways to get this squad to push the puck up the ice without abandoning their netminders. I like the scoring and grittiness in these new recruits, so we'll see if they can be the spark for the new-look Griffins this year as they get back on track.

Manitoba Bisons

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Addilyn Nohlgren	Winnipeg Avros	MB	F	5	21
Braya Kapusta	Winnipeg Avros	MB	F	23	12
Kadence Fleece	Calgary	AB	D	1	2
Brynn Hannula	Lovell	MA	F	11	20
Oda Austefjord	Stavanger	NO	D	3	33
Jamie Hensch	Lloydminster	AB	D	1	6
Addison Greve	Mt. Academy	PE	F	4	8

The first recruiting class done by Jordan Colliton and her team have some high-end talent joining the Herd. I'm curious to see how Oda Austefjord jumps into the team because she was excellent in Norway, and Colliton has seen other Norwegian defenders thrive in Canada West. That being said, the Bisons get a number of solid additions to their forward group that should make the attack that much more lethal. If the Herd are looking to build on their showing at Nationals this year, this class of recruits should help them do that.

Mount Royal Cougars

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Castilla Rubin	North Shore	BC	F	8	9
Ayden Kehrig	Battleford	SK	D	2	11
Peyton Carter	OHA Edmonton	AB	F	8	13
Danelle Steffen	Saskatoon	SK	D	9	10
Skylar Heinrichs	Lloydminster	AB	F	11	5

If there's one thing that head coach Scott Rivett gets with his recruits, it's talent and work ethic. All of his recruits will continue that trend for the Cougars this season, and I suspect we'll see the Cougars pushing for the top of their division. I am surprised that there isn't a Manitoban in Scott's recruits this year as he always seems to have one, but these five players will continue to keep the Cougars as one of the best teams in Canada West and across Canada.

Regina Cougars

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Summer Grenier	Edmonton	AB	F	5	14
Ivy Perkin	Westman	MB	F	26	34
Isabelle Luttmerding	Calgary	AB	F	10	6
Darby Marshall	Regina	SK	D	7	6
Aliyah Teixeira	Winnipeg Ice	MB	D	5	13
Aldawna Evers	Edmonton	AB	G	1.70	.921
Raela Packet	Swift Current	SK	F	11	19
Jade Pelland	OHA Mavericks	ON	F	7	13
Amy Dvernichuk	St. Thomas	NS	F	3	9

Head coach Brandy West-McMaster did a superb recruiting job with her class this season, bringing in fantastic scoring and solid defenders who will look to push the Cougars to new heights. Recruiting a third goalie was needed, but I don't know what West-McMaster has in store for them when it comes to playing time. What I do know is her team will benefit from these players' talents as there are a lot of solid additions to the Regina lineup. The Cougars could be scary good.

Saskatchewan Huskies

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Reese Dyky	Saskatoon	SK	D	2	11
Anna Benoit	Regina	SK	F	10	9
Addison Tomes	Eastman	MB	G	0.81	.958
Cambree Legge	Saskatoon	SK	F	3	5
Reese Overton	N. Capitals	BC	F	4	12
Cedar Swan	Saskatoon	SK	F	7	8
Alexa Roberts	North Shore	BC	F	14	13
Charlie Shearer	Westman	MB	F	2	6
Makayla Christmann	MacEwan (CW)	AB	G	3.75	.895

Head coach Steve Kook has done another marvelous job in recruiting high-end talent for his team, and it starts from the crease out again as he has one of Manitoba's best young netminders, a solid two-way defender, and a pile of forwards who can score, but will be defensively responsible in ensuring that the Huskies are successful. Don't expect a lot of high-scoring games from the Huskies in any season, but this group builds on the momentum that the Huskies were building last season. I don't expect them to win the division next season, but I do expect them to cause a lot of headaches for opposition coaches and players during the 2026-27 season.

Trinity Western Spartans

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Mika Higgins	Edge	AB	D	6	5
Jamie Sanford	Central York	ON	G	1.78	.923
Ella Newton	Regina	SK	D	5	5
Dyllan Nelson	Fraser Valley	BC	F	14	16
Haley Waugh	Delta	BC	F	6	5
Avaya McCann	Edge	AB	F	12	8
Kamryn Reiber	SAHA	AB	F	7	24
Audrina Freeman	Okanagan	BC	F	11	16
Shae Laprade	Carleton (OUA)	ON	F	4	5
Tori Evans	Ottawa (OUA)	ON	D	1	2

The evolution of the Trinity Western Spartans continues under Peter Hay, and they seem to be finding more and more fantastic players to add to their roster. Having another solid netminder joining the team is good for everyone, and I like the additions up front. The Spartans needed a little more defence from their blue line, and the players they recruited should be solid two-way players in their times. This year's group may not put Trinity Western over the top, but they'll be very close if they aren't there. Could this be the season for TWU?

UBC Thunderbirds

Name	Current	Prv.	Pos	G/GAA	A/SV%
Tayah Wallace	Barrie	ON	F	14	16
Cassie Carvalho	Winnipeg Ice	MB	F	19	15
Payton Henwood	Balmoral Hall	MB	F	13	30
Kate Chuback	Balmoral Hall	MB	F	25	16
Maggie Rauckman	Battleford	SK	F	15	14
Sophie Brecht	Battleford	SK	F	6	10
Isabel Gollop	OHA Edmonton	AB	F	13	6
Alyssa Worsley	Shawnigan Lake	BC	D	3	18
Emma Kohl	Delta	BC	F	10	22
Ella Dunham-Fox	Edmonton	AB	G	1.03	.948
Anslei Thistle	St. Albert	AB	D	2	6
Anna Rose	ECDC Memmingen	DE	F	6	15
Leila Sinclair	Toronto Leaside	ON	D	4	22
Adriana Almeida	Winnipeg Avros	MB	G	2.04	.939
Hannah Dods	Lindenwood U.	MO	F	5	2

This is what a complete rebuild looks like after half of one's team graduates. Head coach Graham Thomas is bringing in all sorts of talent who can push for roster spots immediately, and we'll likely see the same growth over the next five years as his previous core group of players did in the previous five years. This group has scoring, it has tenacity, it has goaltending, it has speed, and they'll move the puck, but it still needs some maturity when running into disciplined teams. We'll have to see how this group settles, but UBC looks like they're building another dynasty with the talent they recruited this year.

Now you might be saying, "Teebz, this is barely any insight on these players coming into these teams," and you're correct. There's a reason for me not spending a lot of time in crunching numbers and looking at who may emerge with the best class of rookies, and it starts and ends with one organization's specific actions towards me:

Some will say that I've been pretty rough on Canada West over the years, and that's likely true. I have tried over and over and over and over again to work with Canada West to help elevate the status of their conference, its member teams, and all of the coaches, players, and staff that make up their league. Not once have they responded to any interaction I've tried to have with them, so I'm done trying. If they don't want the help, so be it. I have zero obligation to continue to support Canada West women's hockey in any way, shape, or form.

To everyone who enjoyed The Rundown on a weekly basis, it will make an appearance every now and again when needed, but it's painfully obvious that Canada West thinks it's doing a fine job with its efforts in promoting women's hockey and requires no help. For all of the stastical analyses I did and for all of the fun segments I added to The Rundown, no one at Canada West sees that as beneficial or helpful to sell their product, so I'm off the case as of right now.

Unless a bunch of athletes and coaches comment down below, the nine women's hockey programs are on their own when it comes to promotion and chatter about all the good the players and coaches do and all the interesting stats that make Canada West women's hockey so good. It's not like Canada West helps them in any way, so, as the old saying goes, "You never know what you have until it's gone."

Thanks for letting me have some fun, folks. Best of luck in the future.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Future

If you've ever been driving along a US interstate, you may encounter a sign like the one to the left. If that seems like an odd mile marker, apparently there have been a rash of thefts of mile markers for mile 69 and mile 420 in the US. I guess some people never grow out of that teenage mentality, but today's article here on HBIC is #6899. It's not a significant number nor is tomorrow's article that will see the odometer on the blog roll over to 6900, but it will be July 1 which got me thinking about the future. There will be more to talk about tomorrow, but the demise of Hockey Night in Canada on CBC combined with some of the stuff happening in and around hockey regarding the state of the game has me truly questioning whether or not I want to continue talking about hockey.

As it stands, I'll hit post #7000 on October 9, 2026 if I continue posting once per day. The NHL season, expanded to 84 games in this upcoming season, will reportedly start on September 29, 2026. The Canada West schedule kicks off on October 9, the AHL season begins on October 2, and the ECHL kicks off on October 16. Ending the blog before most of hockey get underway this season would be the right time to pull the plug on something I've been doing for two decades.

That's the other thing: twenty years of blogging about hockey on a daily basis is a heckuva commitment. HBIC existed before Netflix, Instagram, and the iPad. People had never heard of jobs like "App Developer" or "Social Media Manager" when I started HBIC. CDs and DVDs was how most media was consumed by the public, composite sticks were just hitting the hockey market, the NHL salary cap was $44 million, and the NHL only had 30 teams in the league.

What I'm saying is that everything changes. To quote James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams, life "has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again" as time has moved forward. Things change, thing go away, and other things replace them. That's how I feel about writing about hockey - the game has changed in ways that no longer light the fire inside me.

I'm not a writer, an author, or a journalist. Some may even contest my ability to form coherent thoughts, but that's a whole other story. I never once thought I'd be doing this twenty years after starting it. I thought I'd ride the wave of an emerging trend and, like a candle, it would simply flicker to an end... except people kept reading. I guess I was doing something right? So I kept writing about hockey.

Officially, there is no decision to end the blog right now, but that October 9 date looms large. I've already made one decision about the blog that I'll announce tomorrow, but the horizon is getting closer. I'm going to enjoy Canada Day tomorrow by forgetting about hockey for a while. There's lots of stuff happening, so I'll go and focus on that and forget about the free agency madness that overtakes hockey.

Enjoy Canada Day tomorrow, folks! It's the best place on the planet!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

HBIC Summer Project Announcement

Every year on HBIC, I try to come up with a project that will incorporate summer into hockey a little more than usual. I've done a series on women who played both baseball and hockey, I cover a lot of hockey history throughout the summer, and I have covered field hockey at multiple Summer Olympiads, but this year's HBIC Summer Project will take me on the road. This project sadly won't involve The Tragically Hip, but it could be a lot of fun if I can make it work.

Throughout Manitoba, there are large statues in a number of communities. People often stop and take photos with these statues as they travel through Manitoba, but there are a vast number of them that should be documented and discussed. That's what I plan on doing this summer - hitting the road and exploring Manitoba on day trips to all these little towns and municipalities with iconic statues!

To make this a little more HBIC in its push, I'll also seek out the arena or local rink where players gather, and I'll document any significant hockey players who have come from those towns. I'm aware that not all of them will have well-known names, but I'll be looking for any and all hockey stories that involve the town and its citizens as well. I want to find these untold stories from places people should know!

Lastly, I'll be giving a local restaurant a bump as well as I will enjoy a meal in these eateries so you get an idea of where to stop if you want to retrace my steps. There are lots of mom-and-pop greasy spoons and hole-in-the-wall diners that deserve a little recognition for laying down roots in these communities, and I'll pay them my respects by dining at these establishments. Expect reviews of the meal and the food joint at the end of every one of these Summer Project articles!

Where did this idea come from, you ask?

Well, if you were around in the 1990s, "Another Roadside Attraction" was a concert series that toured across Canada that featured a ton of great artists and was headlined by The Tragically Hip. In 1997, it was just outside my backyard as the concert landed at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, and my backyard was just across the highway from the horse racing track. The Hip headlined as stated above, but they were joined by Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Los Lobos, Ron Sexsmith, Ashley MacIsaac, and Change of Heart. In short, it was an incredible concert.

If you're wondering, yes, all those linked songs were heard that day.

Back to the idea itself, I have been wanting to travel more in the summer. I love a good road trip, and this seemed like a great idea to get out and explore the province a little more. I may be limited by gas prices based on how things are going, but there's no time like the present to do a little exploring in my "backyard" here in Manitoba. By combining that with hockey and these iconic statues, I should have a lot "to write home about" when documenting my adventures!

I plan on starting this in May, so keep an eye on this blog for these updates. My hope is to have one town or municipality with a statue featured every week throughout the summer with weather and gas prices pending, but I'll do my best to get out to some of these amazing towns and talk about why you should be visiting them during your next Manitoba road trip. Buckle up because this will be fun!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Updates Made

This isn't going to be a profoundly-deep update for anyone who may be wanting them, but I've been doing a few updates on the ol' blog for things that needed some attention. Despite this blog getting close to the 6650-article mark, today will have no talk about the future of this site or what I may be planning to do. To be completely honest, I really haven't given it much thought, but I was clicking through a few of the menu options and I noticed that there were things that needed updating. That's the purpose of this article, so let's get updating!

At the menu bar across the top, there's a radio section where I have sections for each of the NHL, AHL, and ECHL in terms of radio stations that carry each of those teams' games from those respective leagues. I hadn't gone through those pages in a while, but I click on both the NHL and ECHL pages and noticed there were two teams missing from the league lists for radio stations. Updates were made.

The Utah Mammoths were missing from the NHL list of radio stations, and I still had the Arizona Coyotes on the list. Obviously, that can't stand on HBIC if I have any self-respect, so Arizona was removed and Utah was added. Here are those details for your listening pleasure.

KZNS 1280AM
KZNS 1280AM
KZNS 1280AM

If you've not seen those pages for radio station I made, I do have three options for radio stations as there are times where some stations won't carry games, other times where internet streams are wonky, and occasions where some sites that host the streams are offline. So while it appears that KZNS 1280AM is listed three times, it's actually three different sites that carry the stream.

Of course, that led me to the ECHL page where there was a brand-new expansion team that took the ice this season in the Greensboro Gargoyles, and they too have official radio partners for their games. I'll be honest in that I have yet to listen to a Gargoyles game, but here are your radio options if you want to listen to Gargoyles hockey!

WCOG 1320AM
WCOG 1320AM
WCOG 1320AM

Before anyone jumps all over me for the banner colours, can I just say how much I dislike black in the banner colours? I know Utah has it above, but that literally is one of three colours they have in their official branding. Greensboro, meanwhile, had a few different colours outside of black, so the purple "Greensboro Grape" and darker-yellow "Greensboro Gold" were the two colours I chose.

Moving off the radio streams, Teebz's Library found under the menu options at the top will also undergo a number of additions as I have cracked the spines on a pile of books this month. Some of them were required reading as we have guests who want to talk about new books coming up on The Hockey Show, but others are ones I've been wanting to read for a while. Keep your eyes on Teebz's Library and this blog for more book reviews on great hockey books!

Speaking of those books, the drop-down list on the right menu is now gone for hockey books. Everything will be contained within Teebz's Library, and I went over the entire list I had there to ensure that I hadn't missed any books. I may start looking at the NHLPA Charities I have listed over there as I have no idea if any of those have shut down their operations, but that might be something for a future update article. I should also review the Hockey Blogs section too!

I may start adding a few new sounds to the Soundboard under the menu at the top because we use those sounds on The Hockey Show, but the statistics on the back-end of this site say a lot of people land there. I'll admit there are some goofy and funny things on there, but I need to go through those sounds and figure out if they fit for what we use them. Either way, that's another future update as well.

We'll see what else gets updated on this blog in future weeks. I'm not saying that this blog will continue on forever, but there are things planned into November for now. If events keep sliding across my desk that look and sound intriguing, I'll likely keep writing. For now, these were things that needed to be updated, so keep an eye on this blog!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The New Wing

For the longest time, I've disliked the drop-down list of hockey books I've read and reviewed here on HBIC. That's not to say that it didn't serve a purpose, but it was good when there were a dozen books and slowly descended into chaos as I read more and more books. Anything that was read a couple of years ago essentially disappeared on that list as no one was scrolling to the bottom. In any case, I wanted a new option for searching and looking up books, and I spent my Labour Day coding that new wing of Hockey Blog In Canada!

Ok, it's not that great, but Teebz's Library is now open! The Library link can be found under "Extras" at the top, and it will now be the home of all the reviewed books on HBIC. I still have to go through a list that I compiled to ensure that they're all on there, but I'd say that there's a good number of books shown on that page. The best part? Clicking on any book will take you directly to the review found here on HBIC! Not bad for a Labour Day of coding, right?

I'll admit that the books don't go in any sort of organized order, and that might be a future upgrade if/when I get to it. The only organizing I did was to put the covers who were the same size on the same line like they're shelves, and all of the books intended for younger readers are at the bottom of the list. Beyond that, some of the more recent books I've reviewed are at the top as they're the books with which I was testing various coding designs.

If you're thinking you may have seen this layout somewhere else, you may be a GoodReads member. I grabbed their code and changed a few things around in order to make it fit within the blog's current formatting, but, again, that may change. If you look closely, there are edges cut off on some of the book covers, so that may have to be adjusted at some point as well. All in a day's work.

Click the library link here or click the library icon under the "Extras" menu option at the top. Either way, you can now see titles and covers of each book as well as scrolling through the vast number of books I've already added to the library. The drop-down list will disappear next weekend, and newly-reviewed books will be added to the library page from this point forward. Yes, that means I'll read more.

I've always wanted a library in my home to feel posh, but this will likely be the closest I ever get to that. I will, however, be able to say that I coded my own rudimentary library in a day. Goal achieved!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Summer's Unofficially Over

I don't officially make calendars nor do I hold any meteorlogical degrees, but summer officially ended for me yesterday as my final shift at the ballpark for this summer was fulfilled. The local professional team isn't going to the playoffs this season after being eliminated a couple of weeks ago, but it was still a fun season of baseball that allowed me to witness a triple play, a handful of balks, and a couple of other rarely-seen calls. With baseball season coming to a close, though, that means my focus can return exclusively to hockey and, in turn, this blog. This article is just a few shy of 6600 in HBIC's existence, and that brings me to the crossroads once again.

I've been quietly working on something new for this blog that I've wanted to add for a while, but I couldn't quite get the formatting right. I'm still not completely satisfied with the results, but Version 1.0 of this addition accomplishes what I wanted. I'll release that tomorrow for all to see, but it'll be something that I'll keep working on as time passes. Or for however long this blog keeps running.

I promised changes this summer to how this blog works and functions, and I've been quietly testing a number of things to see how I like some of these changes. A few have worked, a few have not, and I'm trying to figure out some other options for the things that did not work. Not taking a day off all summer from both jobs has contributed to less testing time that I would have liked, but I have no one to blame for that situation except for myself. C'est la vie, I guess.

Speaking of not taking a day off, let's get to the crux of this article on the final day of August. I had never envisioned this blog lasting as long as it has, but there are stories, both old and new, that are worthy of some examination. There will certainly be more stories over the coming days, weeks, and months that can be examined, dissected, and debated. The question I have struggled with for the past two years as another hockey season looms is "for how long do I want to keep doing this?" when I never expected it to get this far.

Three years ago, I said I would stop at 6687 articles as a tribute to the two players who I've admired the most in my career - Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby. Both men came into the Penguins franchise as game-changers, and they lived up to expectations by winning multiple Stanley Cups. That number is still in play as I approach 6600 articles, but the days would be numbered as this blog neared 6687 entries in total. That's something to ponder.

Maybe I just need hockey to start again. Of course, I spent most of yesterday sleeping before doing more of that today, and I find that I'm really starting to like sleep. Feeling constantly tired isn't something I envisioned for the summer, yet I found myself constantly running on empty all summer. Some of that lack of sleep could be solved simply by pushing this blog aside to allow me more time to do more of what I want, but old habits are hard to break.

With another summer in the books, I can honestly say that time is fleeting. Time waits for no man, and time is a limited resource that becomes much more valuable as it decreases in quantity. I never seem to have enough of it, and I'm always looking for way to gain more. One of those ways is to sacrifice some activity that occupies that time which could be better used elsewhere, and, at the end of the day, HBIC might be the sacrifice. No pun intended.

For now, though, I'll see you tomorrow. There's more to write.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

One Of The Tools

I received an email about what program I used to edit video. I'll be honest in saying that I don't spend a lot of time editing video mainly because editing eats up a lot of time, but I have done it on occasion and I likely will do it again at some point. In fact, I'm working on a few videos as I write this for an upcoming event, so I thought I'd share with everyone who stops by here one of the tools I use. This is not an endorsement as there are many different options out there for one to use, but this software is the one that I found that works best for my needs. It may not work for you depending on what you want out of the software, and it could be a little elementary for those with editing experience! What I do know is that I find that I can get most things done with this software.

The software in question that I use is Lightworks. I'll point out the very obvious that I am not making Hollywood-style movies or editing hours of video, so this straightforward software does just enough for me to handle the two-minute highlight reels I was doing during the Canada West playoffs or for other fairly easy video edits. There is better software out there for those who want a more robust editor.

This is not a paid endorsement nor am I advocating for Lightworks. I was asked, and I am responding. Being that HBIC generates a whopping $0.00 of income for me per year, I like free options when it comes to software I can use. Lightworks provides me that free option, and I've opted to use it until something better can be found. For now, though, it's the best option I have found for the right price.

Stringing together video clips is quite easy, and it allows both images and GIFs to be inserted into videos as well. Overlaying audio is just as easy, and re-arranging clips to make the video work better is as easy as click-and-drag. It does take a little intuition to figure out how to get the clips into the bucket where they can be used and modified within the program to fit the video one seeks, but once the commands are understood it becomes much easier. Transitions, video effects, and other modifications can be made inside Lightworks too.

Because I don't pay for a premium subscription, I miss out on some of the different formats that Lightworks offers for saving videos. However, I have found ways around that as well with some alternative, secondary software, so I'm not really missing anything. It's just a few more clicks to getting video in the format I need. Uploading an .mp4 file to YouTube takes very little effort as well, so I'm not complaining about the lack of options. It's just something one should know if one wants this software. C'est la vie.

Again, this isn't an endorsement for the software and Lightworks did not contact me in any way for me to write this. I won't provide training nor screenshots for those who want to know more because I am simply answering the question of what video editing software I use. If you want any further information, there are a lot of videos on YouTube and a pile of forums online where Lightworks and its myriad of options are discussed. Those are where I learned how to use it.

There's a bit of a peek behind the curtain here at HBIC. I want to thank Jim for his question as I don't usually talk about the process or the tools I use to make things happen here. I can't say that there are many tools in the toolbox that makes this blog possible as you've probably discovered as it has stayed relatively the same throughout its entire existence, but that will change. For now, video edits will remain with Lightworks as it's the software that fits HBIC's budget.

If you choose to download Lightworks for your own projects, invest some time in it as it can be a powerful editor. While other products can do more for a price that reflects that type of investment, I'm happy with what Lightworks brings to the table for my editing needs.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Change Is In The Air

I'm going to pull back the curtain on HBIC for a few moments here. This blog has remained in the form you currently see since it's inception in 2007. There have been some small coding changes I've made over the years to make things a little better, but nothing has moved in the last 18 years that could be categorized as a "major improvement". That's all going to change soon as I've been tinkering with code, playing with some ideas, and looking at different things to possibly make this blog better than what it currently offers. in short, "major improvement" is coming.

You may be asking what those changes are, and I'm here to tell you "no". I'm not about to reveal anything other than a lot of the changes will come as we get closer to the summer. I've been setting up some new pages that will be used moving forward and I want to expand on the menu bar at the top while tocuching up a few other spots on HBIC that could use some TLC. The biggest change, though, will come with the horizontal space that the blog takes up since everyone has widescreen monitors. No longer will HBIC just occupy a strip of real estate down the middle of your computer screen.

As stated, don't expect to see these changes overnight. I want to stress that this will all come together closer to the summer than it will at this point. All the little pieces will fit together like a puzzle, and the image of HBIC's new look will present itself. Being somewhat of a perfectionist, I want to use the time to make things how I want them since a blog's most important feature should be its user experience. You don't land on HBIC to find broken links and pictures that won't load. It needs to load quickly and work properly!

For a long time, I've wanted to walk away from this blog, but the prospect of coding and learning how to do more keeps me trying new things. It's like having a free coding lab where I can try stuff, change stuff, and figure out if I even like some stuff. I can't say that I always have a thought on the game that I feel like sharing, but I always come back to finding that there's something on this blog that can be coded better or made better. My web design skills are kindergarten-level at best, but the effort to try new things and being committed to making things work keeps me coming back to try different things.

For now, though, playoffs of all sorts are happening, and we'll work through that craziness for all the leagues being followed here on HBIC. As for the changes, don't worry about when and where. You'll likely notice them when they happen, but I'll also be posting about them so you can find the ones that aren't so obvious. Just know that change is coming, and it's happening soon. Very soon.

Steve Jobs once said, "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do" which is profound enough for me to consider because I want to see changes in hockey. Some are changes to the very fabric of the game while others are simple changes that can bring about big changes. In the end, I'm starting with changes on this blog, and we'll see where we get to on the hockey front. After all, change is inevitable!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Reflection On Zero Marketing

I'm very aware that my effort to market this blog has been steadily lessening over the last few months. I'm not complaining that I haven't done the work because I realized that there were more important things that required my attention. Frankly, it will be easier to wind down this blog if no one is reading it, so maybe this was a subconscious decision by me and I've been acting on it for a while. Whatever the reasons are, it seems less people are reading articles that were once popular, so I'm wondering if writing about leagues and teams that aren't covered in Canada is needed any longer. Based on numbers, it seems it's not.

I never wrote this blog to be popular or famous. In fact, I wanted to help the people and teams I was writing about find bigger stages with this format. I like writing about hockey, and I believe inb Konstantin Stanislavski's advice to actors that reads, "Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art". I've learned a lot about hockey on a number of fronts since I stared writing in 2007, but I also feel that my writing has evolved. What once was more of an emotional release as I typed, I now find it more storytelling with a chance to work some comedic elements into the writing. A lot of it is still factual with historical aspects to it, but writing today feels more like documenting historical information for others to acquire and use in their own lives.

I say that because the current ways of marketing HBIC is to hit social media - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky most notably - and post little snippets of info with a link back to HBIC. My concern is that there are more people who no longer want the information I'm presenting nor do they want to sift through pages and posts of political fighting, disinformation and scams, and the amount of inane garbage that people find on these sites. I'm not saying that what I present isn't part of that noise - it may be exactly that! - but I hope that I present something at some points that would make one want to come back and see what else I've posted on HBIC.

I feel there's a moral and ethical obligation to stop posting on Twitter's and Meta's social media outlets when the owners of said sites have thrown their support behind people who seemingly have no problem removing rights from women, LGBTQ+ people, and children. As such, I have posted less on Twitter than I ever have in recent months, and my use of Facebook is virtually zero. I have used Instagram a little more thanks to some key interactions with people who use it, but I feel like my reach there was limited since I'm not really a fan of the site or its owner. And Bluesky, while friendly, isn't as populated as Twitter when it comes to the people with whom I want to interact, so it's an afterthought when marketing HBIC.

Again, I'm not here for hit counts on most articles. There are some where I hope that someone notices, but I realize I'm a minnow in an ocean when it comes to hockey information. I like to believe that I'm doing the game service by promoting women's hockey, specifically Canada West women's hockey, on a regular basis, but the numbers say otherwise. The historical pieces are fun to research and write, but they rarely seem to get the attention I think they should get. Maybe this is just my own passion project at this point?

In any case, I guess I'll have to either have to push my principled stances on some of these social media sites aside if I want to generate more traffic on HBIC. I'm very aware I'm not an Elliotte Friedman or Greg Wyshynski when it comes to attracting hockey fans to stories, but, if I want more eyes on some of the players and teams I'm trying to elevate, I'll have to change my methodology when it comes to marketing these articles. In these cases, clicks matter.

Be prepared to see more posts from me on social media. As much as I dislike using any service that helps or supports the likes of Musk or Zuckerburg, it's hard to ignore the reach their sites have.

While some may say that abandoning my self-imposed hiatuses from these social media sites, I may have inadvertently done more damage to my efforts in elevating people than I did in simply staying off those cesspools. Because I respect those people and want to see them pursuing their hockey dreams, my beliefs will take a backseat to helping those players and teams because it's the right thing to do.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Quiet Saturday

I'm not going to lie: I'm tired. One would think that broadcasting hockey games on the radio wouldn't be an overly-tiring job, but I can say that there have been a number of things that have led to me wanting to crawl into bed and not wake up for a few days. Some of that is due to being up late on Thursday thanks to games that ran late and being back at the Hockey For All Centre on Friday for an 8am game on Friday morning, but I do enjoy the work we do at the Female World Sport School Challenge so I won't complain. Gotta play through the fatigue, right? Onward and forward with more fun!

The semifinals ran today, and we were treated to a dandy overtime game between the MFHL's Winnipeg Avros and Winnipeg Ice who have quite the rivalry. These two teams always seem to be in the hunt when it comes to MFHL championships, and they're both near the top of the standings once again this season with the Avros holding down second-place while the Ice are in third-place.

The Ice prevailed 2-1 in overtime over the Avros as Isabella Mann chipped a puck over Adriana Almeida's pad on a 2-on-1, but both Almeida and the Ice's Bailey Grunewald were exceptional in their goaltending today. I know there has to be a winner in a semifinal game, but I selfishly wanted to see this game to run longer due to the skills shown by all the players today, particularly when it came to the netminding. This semifinal was fast, there were great chances, there were amazing saves, and we got a final in the overtime period.

After that hockey today, you can keep your NHL. I got a family-sized serving of incredible hockey earlier this morning, so I'm happy. So what did I do on a Saturday night where I could relax?

Well, I finished off a few blog articles, but I also did something I've been meaning to do for a while: I updated my GoodReads account! I'll be honest in saying that I don't use GoodReads very often, but I think I'm going to start cross-posting some of the book reviews I do over there because there are a lot of great authors who seemingly have very few reviews on their books at that site.

I get that Amazon dominates the online shopping market and there are a ton of reviews posted there for people to read. I'm not saying that should stop. Instead, what I am saying is that a site where people go to find information on books should have more information rather than less. Specifically, there were a lot of hockey books written for children that had very low ratings which, to me, is weird because they're meant for children. Why are GoodReads/Amazon users rating them like they're written by Stephen King or Nora Roberts?

In any case, I added a pile of books to my profile on GoodReads, so feel free to follow me over there if you have an account. As I said, I may start moving reviews over to that site when the time allows, so hopefully I can help a few authors sell a few more books with my opinions on their books. Beyond that, I'm hoping to potentially add a "library" page on HBIC where one can click the cover or spine of the book and be taken the review I wrote for it. We'll see how that goes.

In any case, I'll be in bed early as we're back at the Hockey For All Centre tomorrow for the 10am gold medal game as the Winnipeg Ice, coming off their 2-1 overtime win, will meet the Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg who ran roughshod over the Westman Wildcats with a 7-1 win in the second semifinal game. It should be an incredible final if both teams play to their potentials, and we'll know who stands atop the mountain when all is said and done at the 2025 Female World Sport School Challenge!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Welcome To 2025

With the old calendar in the recycling bin as of today, 2025 is officially underway. I've seen lots of "best of 2024" lists and polls, but I'm not really interested in tracking that kind of stuff. If you liked something, that's yours to own and no one can say otherwise. I don't have any Spotify "most played" lists mainly because I don't subscribe, and I don't make resolutions because it gets done if something needs to be done. HBIC isn't undergoing many changes this year as I plan to continue to blog about things that interest me, but it should be noted that this is entry 6357 on this blog. That's a lot of writing, so who knows how long I'll keep adding a daily article in the future.

We're not going to start 2025 off with negatives, though, as there are a pile of things to which I'm looking forward. We'll start with the end of January where the 2025 Female World Sport School Challenge will run from January 30 to Febraury 2. This tournament always has me pumped for the future of women's hockey as we get to see a pile of U SPORTS- and NCAA-bound players before they hit the university circuits. Getting to see this great hockey, working with the amazing people in and around the St. Mary's Academy Flames throughout the tournament, and working alongside great people at the broadcast table has me excited to get back to it in 29 days!

Another event to which I'm looking forward is the annual NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs contest we run on The Hockey Show known as Survivor: NHL Playoffs! Sixteen people will be granted entry to the contest that will open in late April, and those sixteen people will watch their selected teams compete for prizes through the Stanley Cup Playoffs! Wayne is the defending champion after the Florida Panthers won him a pile of prizes in June, but we had fifteen fun, hilarious, and intelligent exit interviews that show how knowledgeable and creative our fans are. Survivor: NHL Playoffs is always a good time!

I haven't quite decided where yet, but there will be a hockey road trip next year as well. I had a pile of fun checking out the OHL in Sudbury and the ECHL in Fort Wayne in 2024, so it might be time to take a trek somewhere in 2025. Of course, the Canadian dollar has nosedived since I got back from my work trip at the end of November, so that may limit the number of places and games I can see. What I do know is that I'll be saving my nickels and dimes where I can because I had way too much fun watching hockey while road tripping.

I will say there will be trip to Brandon at some point, and I plan on not only stopping to see the WHL's Wheat Kings, but I want to see the MFHL edition of the Wheat Kings as well. Brandon's explosion of hockey is something that should be embraced and celebrated, so I'm hoping to get out to the community before the end of the season to catch a few games in southwestern Manitoba. Of couse, I'd love to the University of Brandon with a hockey program again, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards in the foreseeable future.

Beyond these items above, I'm open to suggestions. As you know, The Hockey Show is available to broadcast from your event if you want our presence there, so don't be afraid to ask! If you're holding a hockey tournament or some sort of special game or fundraiser, we'd be happy to help by lending our medium and show to the cause. HBIC will certainly accept invitations to events as well, so feel free to fire me an email for both HBIC and/or The Hockey Show on UMFM. We'll look at every request and see if we can fit into our calendars!

I'm ready for a big 2025 with all sorts of fun and adventure, so let's get this year rolling! Maybe I'll see you during my travels!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

'Tis The Season

As is done every year like clockwork, I spend an afternoon with my folks in an effort to create one of the season's best parts that we all enjoy. I fully admit that I don't imbibe in any sort of regularlity, saving my moments for special events and/or get-togethers. That's precisely why this beverage is needed to be made because it has a certain feeling of comfort like a evening with friends and family. Of course, I'm talking about the annual mixology event in my parents' kictchen known as Irish Cream Day. Along with my mom, known as Mrs. Quality Control, and my dad, known as Mr. Taste Tester, the afternoon was used to create bottles of the rich, delicious beverage for consumption over the next few weeks, and it's something that I hold in high regard as spending an afternoon with my folks is always good, and coming home with this delightful beverage is a bonus!

Thanks to Paul Lukas, who writes now the Inconspicuous Consumption substack and who turned me on to this recipe, I am a full-fledged member of the Irish Cream club. This beverage is a big hit wherever it's brought, and people are often surprised how easy it is to make. Of course, there are a lot of websites with various versions of this Irish cream recipe on them and I've tried a few, but they aren't the same as they taste slightly different or miss out on the rich, creamy texture. Stick with Paul's recipe, folks. You won't be disappointed.

Here is the legendary Paul Lukas' Irish Cream!

Ingredients

2 cups of Irish whiskey*
2 cups of cream**
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp. of chocolate syrup
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 espresso shot***
1/4 tsp. of almond extract

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a large container and be sure to stir well. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, and enjoy over ice.

Notes

* - any mid-range Irish whiskey will do - Bushmills, Jameson, Tullamore Dew - so don't buy any high-end whiskey. You'll lose the nuances of the high-end whiskey, which is what you're paying more for, in the Irish cream mixture.
** - half-and-half or 18% cream works best for a pourable, drinkable Irish cream, but 35% whipping cream will give you a thicker beverage that is more suitable as a topper for ice cream. Choose your cream based on your final product's needs.
*** - an espresso shot is 1 tsp. of instant espresso in 2 tbsp. of hot water and mixed well until dissolved.

The blend of chocolate, espresso, and vanilla tones in the smooth, sweetened base mixture of whiskey, cream, and condensed milk will be evident upon first taste. Served over ice, it's a delicious beverage that's entirely worth the effort of making it, specifically after coming in from the cold where the warmth from the alcohol found in the Irish cream will provide an immediate temperature boost. Even as an after-dessert drink, one can't go wrong with this beverage.

As a reminder, I am not qualified nor should I be consider a spirits master, so I have never tested the mixture for its alcohol content. In saying that, if you do make this beverage, please enjoy responsibly. Because of how tasty and easy-to-drink it is, be smart and call for a cab, an Uber or Lyft ride, or get a ride from a friend if you indulge in a couple of glasses. The last "gift" anyone wants this holiday season is a ticket for driving under the influence, an impounded vehicle, a suspended license, or all three of those things. Please be responsible so everyone can have a happy holiday!

It was a good afternoon of beverage-making, chatting, laughing, and planning out the big day set to land in eleven days. There was some quality control and taste testing for the two appropriate people who own said kitchen, and I was able to bring home a few bottles for my own consumption to enjoy. If you decided to indulge and make this beverage, please be responsible once more. Let me know how it turned out by dropping a comment below as well!

'Tis the season for a delicious adult beverage shared among friends at a holiday get-together, and this recipe brings it in spades!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

So What Now?

With another edition of the U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championships in the book and me back in familiar spaces of HBIC Headquarters, you may recall that I had mentioned back on January 10 that I was going to walk away from HBIC after having posted 6000 articles. Well, I didn't walk away then as I had stated that "I'm going to keep writing and covering the game through to the end of the U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship taking place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on March 17," and that day has come and gone. Being that I'm a man of my word, though, I fully intend to change the direction of HBIC moving forward. That starts now.

I've had a few people reach out about my coverage of Canada West women's hockey, and I'll speak on that in a moment. What I can tell you is that writing the recaps after spending the days volunteering in Saskatoon wasn't something I was particularly excited to do. I committed to doing it, though, and they got done. One night was fairly difficult since I was craving sleep, but those recaps and articles were posted. My hope is that you read through them as we brought the 2023-24 U SPORTS season to a close.

Moving forward, I don't know how often I'll post about hockey on here. I might start working more personal articles into the mix where I've gone adventuring or learned a new skill. There will be posts about hockey, but their frequency might be less frequent. Or infrequent depending on what I'm doing. Hearing about the losses of Chris Simon and Konstantin Koltsov today brought that "life is short" perspective back to me again, and I don't want to wish I had more time to experience more of life when my time comes.

There are some guarantees I can deliver in this soliloquay, however, and one of those is that The Hockey Show will continue, so previews will still be posted on Thursdays prior to the show airing. Our annual NHL Playoff Pool known as Survivor: NHL Playoffs will run again this April, and that's always a fun time of the year. If you want to win prizes, you'll need to stay tuned for that because being the last person standing at the end of the Survivor: NHL Playoffs contest means you'll go home with some awesome new gear compliments of The Hockey Show.

I also want to draw everyone's attention to UMFM's annual, week-long telethon that, for pandemic reasons, was on hiatus for the last couple of years. Pledge-O-Rama returns this year at the end of April, and I would ask that if you want to show support for HBIC's continuing efforts, please donate to UMFM. All donations will get you either a UMFM prize package or you can opt for the tax receipt to help you on next year's taxes, but the money you donate goes towards a lot of great stuff like the remote radio gear I hauled to Saskatoon where I chatted with Robin Ulrich last week. In short, UMFM uses the money to make the station and its shows better, and we're always grateful for your support and listenership. Give a little money, get some great shwag, and help UMFM produce more amazing programming. It's a win-win-win!

Ok, so if you're still reading because I haven't addressed The Rundown yet, let's jump into that. The first thing you should know is that depending on how far in advance I start writing each edition of The Rundown, it takes anywhere from four to eight hours to produce. Because I can't write recaps until the games are over, anything played on the west coast means I don't usually start those recaps until next day. In short, they eat up a lot of my time on the weekend.

If you read The Rundown all season this year, you know I was snarky about teams not posting highlights. By not showing off their athletes, I feel they're doing a disservice to those athletes, but I want to selfishly give you another reason when it comes to posting highlights: I want to do a video recap of all the games just like The Score television network used to do with highlights accompanied by a voiceover. In case you forgot what that looks like, here's an example.


Knowing how to clip the highlight reels together and add various graphics and audio would elevate the highlight reels that are produced by the schools. Imagine having a "SportsCentre"-style video to watch on Sunday with all the same news, notes, stories, and recaps that are featured on The Rundown. It would be awesome! I've had this planned for the last two years, but it seems that Canada West decided to pull the requirement for highlight reels from the schools' responsibilities, so here's where you come in, readers.

If you truly are a fan of The Rundown, talk to your local team and athletics department. Ask them to produce these highlight reels or, at the very least, post a ton of clips on Twitter where I can weave them together. I neither have the time nor the resources to fast-forward through hours of video to pull all the goals from all eight games featured every weekend, so I need some help. Not to mention that having the schools post the highlights on YouTube like they used to do would also benefit the athletes and their programs immensely when it comes to exposure. I can honestly tell you that the PWHL general managers aren't subscribing to Canada West TV to watch games.

At the very worst, I'll continue with the written form of The Rundown while posting snarky GIFs in place of where highlights are supposed to be. If all nine schools get onboard with the idea of making highlight reels and uploading them to YouTube, I'll do the video recaps and have some fun with it. Yes, that includes Trinity Western posting goals scored by both teams. This is an all-or-nothing offer to the nine schools in Canada West, and all it takes is a little effort since most of the schools are posting clips of goals on social media.

If you want to see a recap video each week, contact your local university and make them turn their give-a-damn meter up. If they make the effort to show off their athletes' skills and abilities, I'll make the effort to take it one step further with a full highlight show. I'm not The Score network, but it seems like I'm the only person trying to get more exposure for these amazing hockey players to hopefully take one more step towards their hockey-playing dreams.

Will there be something published here tomorrow? I can't say for certain, but if something catches my eye and compels me to write, I'll hammer something out on the ol' laptop. What I do know is that The Hockey Show preview and The Rundown will exist in some form as long as I'm still feeling in good spirits about it. If you can urge your university's athletics department to help me out, I'll start getting video recaps going in October when the season starts again.

These women do an amazing job every weekend in playing two games at the highest level of amateur hockey this country has to offer while putting their universities on the map, so let's give them their very own version of The Score every Sunday. That'd be pretty awesome.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!