I have spent more than enough time at a ballpark this season to know that baseball can be a funny game. Whether it be hot streaks, cold streaks, wild pitches, or diving catches, baseball, like hockey, is a game of momentum. If one has it, usually good things happen while those that don't are often looking for a momentum change. Lots of hockey players play baseball in the summer as there are several skills that cross-over between the two sports, and we've seen good hockey players like Tom Glavine, Justin Morneau, and Larry Walker opt for the summer sport over the winter one. We can add another name to the former-hockey-player-turned-pro-baseball-player list as former Alberta Pandas forward Madison Willan is a full-time infielder for the New York Heights of the brand-new Women's Pro Baseball League!
Make no mistake that it was a treat to watch Madison torch defenders and victimize goalies on a regualr basis for the Pandas, but her first sports love was clearly baseball. I first caught wind of Madison's talents on the diamond back in 2019 when she helped Team Canada earn a spot at the COPABE Women's Baseball World Cup Qualifier in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Canada earned a bronze medal there, but Madison made a name for herself with her excellent defensive play with the glove while being lethal at the plate for Team Canada!
Of course, hearing about how good she is second-hand doesn't mean anything unless there's some sort of evidence to prove that hearsay, but I got to witness how good Madison is in-person when she made her way to the 2022 Women's Invitational Baseball Tournament in Stonewall, Manitoba with Team Alberta. Unexpectedly, Madison pitched in the game I saw between Alberta and Nova Scotia, and she tossed a two-hit, complete-game 5-0 shutout where she hit a ground rule double for an RBI. It's pretty clear that Willan has the tools.
With Madison being part of Team Canada every year since 2017, it was almost certain that she'd get some looks from the upstart WPBL during their draft that happened on November 20, 2025. New York would make her pro baseball dreams come true when she was selected with the 15th selection of the second round as the 35th-overall selection! Officially, Madison was now a professional baseball player, and she'd be moving to New York to play for the Heights!
The WPBL kicked off its season on August 1, 2026 with a game between the visiting Los Angeles Queens and the host New York Heights. It didn't take long for the scoring to get started as the Queens put up two runs in the top of the first inning. New York would answer in the bottom half of the inning with Willan playing a role!
Willan would hit the 0-2 offering to left field for the sacrifice fly, allowing Kylee Lahners to tag up from third base for Madison Willan's first professional RBI! That run would push New York ahead by a 3-2 score, but they would eventually fall to Los Angeles by a 10-8 score in the first-evr game for the WPBL, but Willan 0-for-1 on the day with a walk and that RBI shown above as she played third base in the game!
We\ll jump ahead to August 8, 2026 when the Boston Hunters were visitng New York. New York came in at 1-1 while Boston was 0-2 early in the season. With fellow Canadian Raine Padgham on the mound for Boston, Willan stepped into the batter's box in the second inning with New York leading 1-0 with baserunners on first and second base.
Willan goes up the middle with a parachute single for her first professional hit in the WPBL! Unfortunately, Boston would rally for a 9-6 win over New York after being down six runs on the day, but Willan went 1-for-4 with one strikeout on the day for the Heights!
Madison would be a pinch-runner on Sunday's game against the Hunters, helping the Heights defeat the Hunters by a 7-6 score. Boston would exact some revenge on Thursday, August 13 with a 6-1 win over New York where Willan went 0-for-3 with a walk while playing second base. They'd drop a second-straight game to San Francisco by an 11-6 score on August 15 that saw Willan go 0-for-0 with a walk after taking over at shortstop when Keira Izumi went into pitch. Boston would record another win over New York on today, but Willan wasn't in the lineup. As it stands, Willan is 1-for-9 on the season with a .111 average, but she has recorded three walks compared to one strikeout to push her on-base percentage to .308!
It's actually pretty awesome to see Willan doing her thing on the diamond, and you can watch her and her teammates over on YouTube as the New York Heights battle the Boston Hunters, the San Francisco Fireballs, and the Los Angeles Queens. It's honstly pretty good ball with lots of balls in play, so it makes for entertaining baseball! I'm hoping Willan catches fire, goes on a tear, and helps the New York Heights reach chanpionship heights in this inaugural season!
I have no idea what she plans to do this winter, but maybe she could be the first two-sport professional woman in the modern era if she tries out for the New York Sirens! Ok, that probably won't happen, but it's super cool to see Madison Willan playing professional baseball after her university hockey career. Keep up the great work, Madison!
With apologies to author Michael Lewis and publisher WW Norton for using this lede photo, I think both Jason and I have been very clear that the NHL is one massive bubble in terms of its economic forecast. I'm not saying they're close to financial disaster, but everything they're doing seems to have them on that track. Of course, there are thousands of people whose lives will be affected if and when that bubble bursts, but that matters not to anyone associated with the NHL because that organization will live to play another day. Here's the next chapter of the NHL's certain doom.
There are all sorts of financial instruments one can use to make money. Whether it be the age-old guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) or something with more risk associated such as the stock market, the financial world seemingly works to dream up new ways to find money-making ideas. Banks, though, have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that they inform you of these risks associated with some of the investment products they offer, and this needs to be remembered as you read through the rest of this article.
All of those terms used by CME Group are meant to be somewhat confusing to non-finance people. A "derivative" is a financial product whose value is based on the price of another product. It's basically a bet that one makes on something else with the hopes that the initial product's value goes up. What sets that value can differentiate between products, but the understanding is that the derivative is a bet that the value of something else will improve over time. However, derivatives that bet against the success of an outcome is called "a short", and this where The Big Short joins the story.
If you watched The Big Short with Steve Carell, Christian Bale, and Ryan Gosling, you know that the main characters were shorting financial products called CDOs or collateralized debt obligations which are made up of a diverse set of assets - everything from corporate bonds to mortgage bonds to bank loans to car loans to credit card loans can be in a CDO. The banks in the movie were packaging up subprime and risky mortgages into CDOs and selling them off with false ratings as to their financial risks, and our main characters figured that out and were betting AGAINST the success of these products improving in value. That's how we got "the big short".
What CME Group is creating with these index-based hockey futures is a market where people can invest large sums of money into the a team's index of statistics and overall performance in the hopes that the value of the team will increase based on some combination of values. Rather than betting on single games where winning can net a bettor money, the CME Group is offering a product that will allow one to bet on longer-term successes for each NHL team. If the team is succcessful and its index value goes up, you make money.
This is sports gambling on a whole new level. Creating a derivative based on a professional sports team's performance is not how these financial tools were supposed to be used. Not knowing what criteria is being used to determine the value of the index, and that's a major problem for anyone who believes that this derivative market could be used for positive monetary growth. As the SEC filing states,
"The Bruins Index moves up or down based on officially reported statistics from every game, match, or event throughout the regular season and postseason. Positive statistical actions (e.g., goals scored, points earned) add value to the index, while negative actions (e.g., opponent scoring, penalties or setbacks) subtract value. Poor statistical performance by the Boston Bruins could have a significant negative impact on the level of the Bruins Index and therefore the value of the Fund. In addition, unlike instruments that are based on tradable reference assets, the Bruins Index Futures Contracts and Bruins Index-Linked Instruments are tied to an index that is not directly investable and, thus, have settlement prices based on the calculation of that index, not the price of a tradable asset."
How does one invest in something where there is seemingly no set criteria for how the index value fluctuates? Some would call this investment "gambling", and I'm definitely one of those people.
That catch here is that investment firms won't have to call this new financial option "gambling" in any sense of the word because it's just like any other derivatives market and comes with its own set of risks. As long as they advise John Q. Public sitting across from them in their offices that these risks are possible, they have done their fiduciary duty while you, as a supporter of your favorite team, now have a vested interest in how they perform this season. You're not gambling; you're investing in the team's potential performance this season!
If this initial round of "index-based hockey futures" pays off for CME Group, there will be additional derivatives added that will consider the outcome of the initial derivatives. We'll go back to The Big Short film where Behavioral Economics Pioneer Dr. Richard H. Thaler and Selena Gomez explain how these synthetic derivatives work.
In this reference, Selena Gomez's $10 million bet is the investment into the Bruins Index-Linked Futures makret, and every bet after that is a bet on how well Gomez's investment performs. As Dr. Thaler illustrates, that initial investment is now worth billions of dollars.
Remember my comment about fiduciary responsibility above? Because investment firms only have to warn you of the risks associated with an investment like this, they've fulfilled their required fiduciary responsibility with respect to their client. If you go ahead, you assume the risk. The catch here is that you're basically investing in the outcome of sports games - goals scored and points earned vs. opponent scoring and penalties or setbacks - which is what everyone recognizes as gambling. It's just being called something else.
Let me be clear that the derivative market, when properly managed and scrutinized, can be an effective way to invest. It's certainly not for everyone when it comes to the markets on which these derivatives are based, but, for those who can afford risk in their portfolios, it can work to make one money. As with any investment, there are no guarantees for a return on the initial investment, but one can explore these options with a certified financial planner.
After spending two decades in finance, I would not be recommending this "index-based hockey futures" option to any client because it's simply sports gambling masquerading as an investment option. I see why some sports fans might prefer this option, but, as we all know, only "the house" gets rich when it comes to people gambling.
I usually don't spend a lot of time talking about mascots on HBIC simply because they don't generate many stories. I did spend a little time on July 24 talking about the mascot to the left in Icy D. Eagle after Friend of the Blog Fiona Quinn asked about Icy's appearance as the Winnipeg Jets' mascot back in 1995. In that article, I had mentioned that Icy was " a regular in the nominations for the annual ECHL Mascot of the Year award", and that voting happened this week for the 2026 award. Of course, you shouldn't be surprised that Icy D. Eagle won his third ECHL Mascot of the Year award as Komets fans put Icy on the map again, but you should be impressed with what else they did to celebrate Icy's third crown as the ECHL's best mascot!
You may have heard that the Fort Wayne Komets are celebrating their 75th anniversary this season, so they're really digging into their history. They'll wear three jerseys representing the championship teams from each of the eras in which they won the Turner Cup. Frankly, those jerseys look incredible, and I'm seriously giving those 1991-92 jerseys some thought about joining my collection.
Personal closets aside, the Komets also produced a video celebrating their long-time mascot's history of how Icy joined the Komets! Check out this great video of Icy, and note the Winnipeg clip in the footage!
How amazing is that? Full marks to the Fort Wayne Komets for creating this video! How many other teams have videos of their mascots from all different eras with an audio recap of the mascot's history? Hint: not many, if any, at all. This video is more evidence as to why the Komets are one of the classiest minor-pro teams, though!
I feel pretty proud that I contributed two seconds of footage to the video above thanks to finding that YouTube video of the Jets and Stars in 1995. Fiona gave me a shout-out on Twitter after the Komets posted the video, but I will gladly downplay my "work" because the other 80 seconds that the Komets provided is so darned good!
I clearly have no effect on how the Komets play or how they'll finish the 2026-27 season, but they are starting this season off by doing everything right. The three historical jerseys are replicas of the ones worn in each of the three championship seasons, they're honouring their past with reverence and resepct, and they're signing good players to make a run when the action on the ice starts. If the hockey gods are watching, everything they're doing since kicking into 75th anniversary mode should win the graces of said hockey gods!
Congratulations to Icy on being voted as the ECHL's best mascot for the third time, and keep up the great anniversary work, Komets!
Virtually every team on the planet has a mascot. They usually have the role of being an ambassador for the team while entertaining fans, but mascots are usually in a one-to-one relationship with a team. Rarely do we see mascots moving between teams, but there have been a handful who have made the transition from one team to another like Youppi! in Montreal and Sparky the Dragon on Long Island. There is one mascot in hockey, however, who has worked for a number of teams in his career, and one of those teams was the Winnipeg Jets despite him not being listed as an official mascot in the team's history nor being credited for his work!
The mascot pictured above is Icy D. Eagle who appears at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum for every Fort Wayne Komets game. What's cool about Icy is that he didn't start out as the Komets' mascot, but moved to join the Komets after the Salt Lake Golden Eagles moved following the 1993-94 season to become the Detroit Vipers. It's reported that Icy made the trip to Fort Wayne for the 1994 IHL All-Star Game and fell in love with the Komets and the fans, but he officially became the Komets' mascot in the 1994-95 season!
I'll tip my cap to Friend of the Blog Fiona Quinn who is doing exemplary work in compiling the full history of the Fort Wayne Komets. Fiona's been working at this project for a few years now, and she reached out to me with an interesting question. It reads,
"Hi Teebz!!! I have a question. In 1994-95, Icy was in Winnipeg for a game and we were wondering if there was any way you could find a picture of him up in Winnipeg?"
At first, this question had me confused because the 1994-95 season would still be when the Winnipeg Jets were playing here before their move to Arizona. As we know, the Jets had a mascot in Benny, so having a second mascot in the arena who wasn't affiliated with the team didn't make much sense. However, I trust Fiona's research skills, so this sounded like something that needed a little investigating.
According to what she could find, she believed the games where Icy appeared in Winnipeg happened on March 10 and 11, 1995. After a quick check online, the Jets did indeed have back-to-back games that weekend against the Dallas Stars and the Los Angeles Kings, so the possibility of Icy being in Winnipeg became a little more real.
The next place I went to check for evidence of Icy's visit and appearance in Winnipeg was the newspaper archive. 1995 was long before the internet became what it is today, so the newspaper archive likely held the answer. As you can see to the right, Tim Campbell had documented Icy's visit to Winnipeg at the two games on Thursday, March 9, 1995, so we got one step closer to seeing some sort of visual evidence that Icy was at the Winnipeg Arena. 1995 was a tough era for images being online, so this is where I hit a wall.
Despite me looking for any and all newspapers who would have covered the Jets, Stars, and Kings, none of them seemingly had photographers who captured the work done by Icy in Winnipeg. I get that an opposing team's mascot wouldn't likely appeal to Stars fans or Kings fans, so I can understand why they wouldn't have made a big deal out of Icy being in Winnipeg. However, you'd think the Winnipeg newspapers would make some mention or grab a pciture of Icy being there outside of the small blurb above, right? Apparently not.
Not all hope was lost of finding an image of Icy, though, as I hit YouTube to see if the full games were posted to their site. The March 11 game against Los Angeles came up first, and it was produced by Prime Sports which covered the Los Angeles Kings. I had my doubts that a Kings-backed broadcast would show anything other than Kings content, and those doubts were confirmed as there was no mention nor video evidence of Icy on the Kings' broadcast that day.
My last hope was the January 10 game against the Dallas Stars, and this one gave me more hope as Winnipeg-based CKND produced this broadcast! I scrolled through the action as I watched for any sort of crowd shot that may include Icy, and my faith in local broadcasting was restored at the 19:06 mark as John Garrett was speaking!
We now have visual evidence that Icy D. Eagle was in Winnipeg for the Jets-Stars game on March 10, 1995 while wearing a Winnipeg Jets jersey with #0 on it and working as a Jets mascot! Fiona is correct!
Honestly, I didn't even know this happened. Benny was the only mascot I ever associated with the Jets, and Mick E. Moose only came about thanks to the Manitoba Moose who played in the IHL and AHL. At no point was I aware that Icy D. Eagle had a two-game stint as a Winnipeg Jets mascot if it wasn't for Fiona's dedication to the Fort Wayne Komets' history. I'm not sure if the Jets are even aware about Icy's appearance as I can't find any information that links Icy and Winnipeg outside of that Winnipeg Free Press blurb posted above.
Major stick-tap to Fiona Quinn and her outstanding work as the Fort Wayne Komets' team historian for sending me down this path. Not only would I have not looked for this piece of hockey history had it not been for Fiona's prompt, but I wouldn't even have associated Icy with the Winnipeg Jets. Her effort in researching this led me to Icy being a Winnipeg Jets mascot which has blown my mind because I had no idea this even happened! Was Icy the only mascot who got this opportunity? Where was Benny in all of this? How many other mascots got this kind of opportunity with the Jets? These questions may go unanswered thanks to time, but we can officially say, thanks to Fiona's relentless research on all things Komets, that Icy D. Eagle was a Jets mascot for at least one game!
Don't be fooled by other ornithological mascots like Gulliver in San Diego or Swoop in Philadelphia when it comes to which bird mascot is the best. Icy D. Eagle holds that title, and is a regular in the nominations for the annual ECHL Mascot of the Year award. He's beloved for his antics at Komets games, he's an outstanding ambassador for the Komets' brand, and he's clearly good enough for an NHL team as the Winnipeg Jets wanted him for two games in 1995!
Because she is entirely responsible for me doing a deep dive into Icy's time in Winnipeg, please check out the Komets all-time record book edited by Fiona and Komets' radio play-by-play broadcaster Shane Albahrani. And when I say edited, I really mean "did all the research and compiled all the information". These two are vitally important cogs in the Komets organization considering all they do for the team and Komets fans, and I'm forever grateful to call Fiona a friend!
If there's one thing I know about the work that goes into getting arena ice ready for a season of hockey, it's that it takes a lot of time and planning. Arena staff have to properly measure, align, and paint lines by hand for the various lines needed in hockey, and the bigger teams may include logos or elaborate designs in their lines. The logos seen in faceoff circles are usually large, printed logos that are installed below the ice surface and they're usually a static design for the entire season. But what if they didn't have to be?
The OHL's Guelph Storm announced today that they're upgrading the Sleeman Centre, and one of the new things that fans will see at the rink this year and beyond is an ice surface that changes its logos and advertising as the Storm see fit. Thanks to a Finnish company named LedFoil! With a number of European clubs using their technology, LedFoil is looking to break into the North American market with their in-ice LED technology where they likely will make a fortune!
Guelph will see it used at centre ice in place of their traditional, faceoff-circle team logo, and Storm vice-president of business Matt Newby told Mark Pare of GuelphToday.com, “Depending on what jersey we're wearing on a given game, or if we're doing a special event – which we're going to do with the Platers – it allows us to put that logo at centre ice instead of the Storm logo," adding, "It's an LED scoreboard in the ice, the entire centre ice circle."
This sounds interesting, right? The options for teams could be limitless depending on how creative they get, but I'm a definite "try it before you buy it" guy. What does this in-ice LED display look like when being used during a game? Is it as good as Newby suggests?
Waterloo, Ontario-based Athletica Sport Systems, who owns the North American distribution and selling rights, has a video up on YouTube, and I have to say that seeing what this technology can do might change how hockey looks in North America. Check it out below!
Before we go any further, that video is also two years-old, and the company has yet to post anything newer. I'd love to see some of the ways this technology is being used by hockey teams, but Athletica Sport Systems doesn't have those details available anywhere.
That's not a setback, though, because both Athletica Sport Systems and the LedFoil companies have images on their website where they talk about the cool science that goes into the LedFoil system.
"Smart LED-unit is installed inside the ice and is supported by a cloud-based content management software. It enables live interaction with fans and changes the event experience. First and foremost the digital in-ice display enables scalability which adds the number of sponsors and gives your club more time to seek advertising partners. Ultimately LEDFOIL ICE multiplies club's commercial income so that the core business, sport, would do better."
I'm not particularly excited about adding advertising to the ice, but I get how hockey in today's age works. Money matters when it comes to running a franchise and an arena, so finding extra revneue-generating spaces in an arena matters to owners. That's obvious.
Depending how deep an owner's pockets may be, LedFoil can be added to the ice from the "centre circle to the entire ice as well as to the boards". The LedFoil installation can show things like logos, videos, and animations, so you're likely going to see this in NHL arenas sooner rather than later when it comes to owners maximizing revenue dollars. For teams like Vegas, it could upgrade their pre-game productions further, so this technology could significantly change how hockey looks from an entertainment standpoint!
If you're wondering about the costs, there is nothing posted on either website and Guelph Storm's Newby "was hesitant to say what the cost would be, as he isn’t sure what the company is charging other teams". Being that scoreboards with video screens are usually hundreds of thousands of dollars, I would expect those kinds of numbers to be on an invoice for any arena that wants to install LedFoil. It certainly isn't a necessity for hockey at this point, but LedFoil's technology may eventually be part of the standard arena equipment one day if teams begin to see and realize benefits.
We'll have to keep an eye on Guelph's ice this season to see if this investment is worth it, but this technology is already being used in Europe by Czech club HC Dukla Jihlava and Finnish club Oulun Kärpät. If Guelph's financial statements at the end of the year show a big jump in advertising revenue, expect other teams to follow suit.
For as much as I dislike seeing ads plastered everywhere in rinks, on boards, on jerseys and helmets, and on the ice, it seems we're not far from having dynamic sets of ads appear inside the ice as well. Maybe hockey is actually the distraction from two hours of advertising?
While I legitimately had no team in the Stenley Cup Final I wanted to see win, there was a team that I definintely didn't want to see win. That made me a Carolina Hurricanes fan by proxy, and the Hurricanes showed everyone that they were for real this year with a convincing 3-0 win tonight to capture the Stanley Cup in six games over the Vegas Golden Knights. After running into and being bullied by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final the last few years, the Hurricanes showed that they learned from those series by bringing their version of grit and sandpaper into Vegas tonight where they grinded out a solid 3-0 shutout of the Western Conference champions to earn the right to be called "2026 NHL Stanley Cup Champions"!
Whether it was Jordan Staal's record-tying effort of scoring five goals in five consecutive games in the final, Brandon Bussi jumping right in where he left off with outstanding goaltending after relieving Freddie Andersen, the Hall-Blake-Stankoven line bring all sorts of chaos, the likes of Jarvis, Ehlers, Aho, and Svechnikov flying up and down the ice, the defensive prowess of Jacob Slavin, Sean Walker, and K'Andre Miller, or the coaching of Rod Brind'Amour and his staff, everyone on this 2026 version of the Carolina Hurricanes seemed to contribute.
I'm not making light of the fact that Vegas pushed Carolina in this series. Vegas took Game One by a goal, and Carolina responded with an overtime win in Game Two. Vegas won Game Three in double-overtime, and Carolina responded with a two-goal victory in Game Four. Vegas flipped the script in the best-of-three series that was remaining by winning Game Five, and they had their best showing in the final in Game Six with the three goals and the shutout tonight.
Much chatter was given to the "dark days" of the Hurricanes' rebuild when they missed the playoffs for nine-straight years and what it took to get back to winning their second Stanley Cup. They went through Kirk Muller and Bill Peters as head coaches before giving Rod Brind'Amour his shot behind the bench, elevating him from assistant coach to head coach in 2018. Staal, Slavin, Aho, Svechnikov, and Jordan Martinook are the players who have been in Raleigh the longest, so getting to this point as champions by adding and retaining the necessary players and staff to win has been a long process.
Every player tonight said that the long process was entirely worth it.
For me, it was awesome to see Nikolaj Ehlers win the Stanley Cup tonight after all he's been through. Like Paul Maurice did after his time in Winnipeg, "Fly" had fond memories of his time in Winnipeg that led him to the promised land elsewhere. Sportsnet's David Amber and Elliotte Friedman spoke to Ehlers after winning the Stanley Cup.
How is it that we've seen two recent Stanley Cup champions speak fondly about Winnipeg yet neither champion is a member of the Winnipeg Jets? I'm not going to turn this article into dissection of the Jets, but it seems clear that Nikolaj Ehlers wanted to hoist the Stanley Cup in the Manitoba capital. Good on him for finding a place where he could! He'll always be one of my favorite 2.0 Jets!
They swept Ottawa. They swept Philadelphia. They lost Game One of the Eastern Conference Final to Montreal after an eleven-day layoff before roaring back to life and winning four-straight games. They lost Games One and Three in trying to figure out the Vegas Golden Knights before winning three-straight games to eliminate the Western Conference champion. They went 16-3 in the playoffs, outscored their opponents 66-39 in those 19 games, and were 5-1 in overtime games. Tonight, they are the NHL's best team with the honour of raising the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history.
The spoils always go to the victors, so a deserving congratulations go to Carolina Hurricanes, the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup champions!
I had a number of errands I needed to get done tonight, so my ability to watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs was interrupted by life. As much as I try to prevent this from happening, life occasionally gets in the way and needs to be dealt with accordingly. Being that I was running around tonight, I put the car stereo to good use by tuning into Game Two of the AHL Calder Cup series between the Milwaukee Admirals and the Manitoba Moose, but I also used Bluetooth to listen to Game One of the ECHL Kelly Cup series between the Indy Fuel and the Fort Wayne Komets! Manitoba was in must-win terrotory after dropping Game One by a 4-1 score in their best-of-three matchup while Fort Wayne and Indy opened their series in Fort Wayne, Indiana this evening. It almost felt like I was back in my university days, listening to the Moose on the radio with frequent visits from their IHL counterparts in Fort Wayne and Milwaukee! So how did these three former IHL teams do tonight?
We'll start in Winnipeg where the Admirals and Moose met. A win by Milwaukee would see them advance to play Grand Rapids while a Manitoba win would push this series to a third and deciding game on Sunday. Ryna Ufko beat Dominic DiVincentiis while shorthanded early in the second period to put Milwaukee ahead, but Parker Ford erased that lead 2:11 later when he beat Matthew Murray to make it 1-1.
A tight-checking game meant things didn't open up in the third period, and it seemed like we were heading for overtime. Oasiz Wiesblatt would be whistled for an elbowing penalty with 1:52 left in the frame, and I'll let Moose broadcaster Daniel Fink handle the rest.
With 43 seconds reamining in regulation time, Moose forward David Gustafsson tipped Brendan Yager's shot past Murray, pushing the Moose to the 2-1 win in Game Two. There was all sorts of rough stuff at the end of this game between the two former IHL foes, but they'll play one more time this season when they meet in Game Three on Sunday afternoon at Canada Life Centre with another former IHL foe in the Grand Rapid Griffins waiting for the winner of this series.
If that wasn't enough IHL references for one article, we'll keep going because the ECHL's Kelly Cup Playoffs began tonight, and the Central Division-winning Fort Wayne Komets, formerly of the IHL, were in action as they hosted the Indy Fuel in Game One of their series. Fort Wyane was playing in their 606th playoff game this evening over their 74-year history, hunting for their 319th win. Indy, meanwhile, wasn't an IHL team and had only two playoff wins in their entire history. Both sides would add another chapter to their histories tonight!
Komets forward Brady Stonehouse would get things started late in the first period when he beat Indy netminder Mitchell Weeks while shorthanded to put the Komets up 1-0. There were handful of chances by both sides as the game moved through the middle frame, but both Weeks and Komets goaltender Nathan Day were putting up walls at both ends of the ice. We wouldn't see the score change until early in the third period off a turnover at center ice, and I'll let legendary Komets announcer Shane Albahrani handle this one.
Matthew Brown would finish off the passing play after the turnover at center ice, and the Komets would take a 2-0 lead on his goal. Austin Magera would add a power-play goal with just over five minutes to play, and Nathan Day stopped 30 Indy shots as the Komets took Game One by a 3-0 score to go up 1-0 in the best-of-seven series!
With their 319th playoff win in the books, the Komets will look to go up 2-0 over Indy tomorrow night before the series shifts to Fishers, Indiana for three games. The ECHL plays all their series as 2-3-2 series to reduce the travel costs for teams, so the Komets will want to sweep their home games in order to go into enemy territory in good standing. The winner of this series will play the winner of the Bloomington Bison-Toledo Walleye series in the next round.
Clearly, it was a good night for two former IHL teams in Manitoba and Fort Wayne as they picked up big wins in their quests for trophies. Milwaukee is still in the hunt despite the loss tonight, and with the Grand Rapids Griffins waiting for the winner and the Chicago Wolves in the other Central Division series there are IHL fingerprints all over the Calder Cup Playoffs. Fort Wayne is the lone former IHL team in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, but they look like a contender there as well.
Listening to these two games on the radio as I drove around the city completing tasks made it feel like 1997 all over again when Manitoba, Milwaukee, and Fort Wayne were juggernauts in the IHL. Some would say those were the "good ol' days" of minor professional hockey!
As a person who follows Canada West women's hockey very closely, it's always great to see a player get rewarded for the hard work she puts in playing the game. Earning a professional contract somewhere across the planet is a big accomplishment for any player, but keeping a roster spot year after year takes dedication and hard work to continue to be an asset to a team. The player pictured with the Montreal Victoire has done that since she decided to make the jump into the professional ranks, and Friday night may saw the culmination of a lot of hard work finally pay off for her. Having watched forward Kailtin Willoughby score a pile of goals for the Saskatchewan Huskies, she finally got one with the Victoire after years of hard work!
I really wanted to see Kaitlin score during the Victoire's stop in Winnipeg after all the big goals she scored in Winnipeg while playing against the Manitoba Bisons, but the Victoire could only light the lamp once last weekend. On Friday night, though, Willoughby broke out of her goal drought with two goals against the Ottawa Charge at Canadian Tire Centre, removing any doubt as to whether she belongs among the world's best. However, it's all the hard work that you don't know about that made this moment even better for what it means.
Before we go any further, let's get Willoughby's goal posted from TSN.
What you didn't see when Willoughby scored for the first time in 75 PWHL games were all the overnight shifts at hospitals and early morning training sessions after a long night of work as a nurse. In her final year at the University of Saskatchewan where she was earning her degree, Willoughby shuttled between Calgary and Saskatoon often as she was playing for the CWHL's Calgary Inferno, working at Calgary Foothills hospital, and attending classes in Saskatchewan!
"I was living in Saskatchewan, living in Calgary, finishing my nursing degree and flying back and forth," she told Kerry Gillespie of the Toronto Star in 2024. That was the reality for players in the CWHL.
She'd continue to work as a nurse as the CWHL folded into history while training alongside the players from the Inferno. That would turn into an opportunity to play in the PWHPA where she couldn't play every weekend, but she squeezed in as many games as she could to keep her professional hockey dreams alive. After all, paying the bills that come with life and hockey means she had to keep working.
"Life is definitely expensive... so just trying to be financially in a good spot once hockey's done," she told Gillespie.
A new path opened up for women's hockey, though, and it has changed how Willoughby has approached the game. No longer does she need to work to play, but she can now focus on working on her play as her full-time career. Finding a roster spot with the Toronto Sceptres in 2023 allowed her to move into a more casual nursing role in the offseason while she continues to chase a Walter Cup.
"Looking back, it was some crazy long days and hard work and sacrifice, but I wouldn't have it any other way to get to where I am right now," she said to Gillespie about playing with the Sceptres in 2024. "Living this dream life, like, it's still a job, but it doesn’t feel like it because it's the best job in the world."
Being a professional hockey player doesn't come without some hardships, though, as Willoughby would need to pack up her life and head east on March 13, 2025 when the Sceptres traded her to the Montreal Victoire at the PWHL trade deadline for defender Anna Kjellbin. After 43 games in Toronto with one assist to her name, she was on the move as Montreal added her as forward depth.
In seven games with the Victoire, she doubled her assist and point total with another assist, and she was an addition that Victoire general manager Danièle Sauvageau was happy to have made as the Victoire re-signed Willoughby in the offseason to a new deal.
"Upon her arrival last season, Kaitlin quickly developed chemistry with our existing players, both on and off the ice. She played valuable minutes with us at the end of the season and during the playoffs," Sauvageau told The Canadian Press.
Without having to work overnights at the hospital or squeeze in shifts between games thanks to her PWHL contract, Willoughby circled back and began to put the work in to focus on improving her game.
"You're now pouring all of your energy into the sport and the training, so you can give 100 per cent every day," she told Gillespie in 2024. "I'm turning 30 next year and I still feel like I haven't reached a plateau. I'm still seeing myself get better."
Clearly, she knows what she's talking about as Willoughby had three assists this season before Friday night to eclipse her career total in one season. Her play alongside Catherine Dubois and Alexandra Labelle on Montreal's "U SPORTS line" has been excellent as a checking unit, but these three women have been showing some jump in recent weeks as they push the offensive side of their talents.
Of course, Friday night saw Willoughby toss the 800-pound gorilla off her back as she scored her first PWHL goal against Ottawa before doubling her output with an empty-netter late in the game! That night saw Ottawa play in front of its largest crowd at 17,114 fans while the win marked Montreal's 50th PWHL win in franchise history and the 39-save shutout for Sandra Abstreiter was also the first of her career on what was a big night for the Victoire in Ottawa!
Upon returning to the bench, Willoughby got hugs from both head coach Kori Cheverie and assistant coach Caroline Ouellette as they've been witness to just how hard Willoughby works everyday at practice.
"It's not for lack of chances I've had throughout the years; but my teammates, my coaching staff, everyone has just continued to believe in me and keep my confidence up," Willoughby said to habseyesontheprize.com's Jared Book about her big night after the game. "The support I've had from my teammates just keeps me going. They're like – 'it's going to come Willow'. And eventually it did, and now the floodgates might be open for me."
My hope is that it does exactly that - open the floodgates for a woman whose U SPORTS career saw her dent twine 50 times in 132 games. She's an incredible player to watch, and seeing that smile after she scored her first PWHL goal felt like the old Kaitlin Willoughby that terrorized Canada West goalies was back again.
I've heard from several professional hockey players that making the roster isn't where the hard work ends, but that the hardest work comes in keeping that roster spot. Kaitlin Willoughby has travelled between cities to practice and play hockey, work as a nurse, and take classes, so it was clear that she knew how to work hard before ever being signed by the Sceptres and re-signed by the Victoire.
It may have taken 75 PWHL games, but the hours put into reaching that pinnacle for Kailtin Willoughby are countless. Her ear-to-ear smile during the celebration says that all of the hard work, hours away from family, and sacrifices that she made were worth it. It may have been the hardest goal she's ever had to work for, but that's the effort that Kaitlin Willloughby brings to the rink everyday.
Congratulations, Kaitlin, on your first and second PWHL goals!
There isn't much to say today other than "good luck" to the six teams who will close out the 2025-26 U SPORTS women's hockey season. One team from Quebec will celebrate loudly into the evening after capturing gold while an OUA team and an AUS team will duke it out for the bronze medal. A Canada West team and an OUA team have the chance to close out their seasons with a win in the consolation final, so let's not waste anymore time as we look at this last day of championship games from Elmira, Ontario here on The Rundown!
Consolation Final
The UBC Thunderbirds may have dropped their opening game against Montreal, but they bounced back with a win over Ottawa to earn a spot in the Consolation Final. On the other side, the Waterloo Warriors lost to the Guelph Gryphons before handing the Manitoba Bisons a loss to land in the Consolation Final. This was the first meeting between these two teams at a National Championship despite both being at the last three tournaments - who would prevail?
Warriors goals: Nikki McDonald (3), Keiara Raitt (1)
Warriors assists: Carly Orth (1)
Warriors netminder: Kara Mark (33/40)
The Guelph Gryphons found themselves in the bronze medal game after defeating Waterloo and falling to Concordia. The UNB Reds got by Ottawa in a shootout before Montreal scored more than they did. These two teams were meeting for the first time in a National Championship as Guelph attempted to win its second medal ever while UNB looked to capture its first medal in program history!
The Concordia Stingers advanced to the gold medal game by defeating the Manitoba Bisons and the Guelph Gryphons. The Montreal Carabins found themselves in the gold medal final after upsetting the UBC Thunderbirds and the UNB Reds. Montreal was trying to become the second eighth-seeded team to capture gold after the 2023 Mount Royal Cougars while Concordia was hunting for its fifth gold medal and third in five years. The first all-Quebec final since 2014 looked like it would be entertaining, so which Montreal-based team would be crowned as the 2026 U SPORTS champions?
There are no standings to worry about, but the there is one team who stood taller than the rest this weekend as U SPORTS champions!
Les Carabins de Montreal are your 2026 U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Champions after defeating the Concordia Stingers for the first time in eleven tries this season, and they become the second eighth-ranked team to capture the gold medal after starting the tournament as the lowest-seeded team. This is Montreal's third gold medal in program history, and its first gold medal since 2016. Netminder Maude Desroches was named the tournament MVP after the game!
There's nothing to analyze here as the season is over, but I do want to show some gratitude to a handful of people and organizations. You may disagree with me on some of these, but that's your ball to kick. I'll be over here thanking these people for making the season fun and informative. They deserve some thanks for their efforts as well.
I want to thank CBC for their continued efforts in bringing amateur sports to Canadians via their online streams and network channels. I don't know if there will be regular airing of U SPORTS hockey anytime soon, but having all the games and features from both U SPORTS hockey championships available via their streaming options is simply awesome. CBC also had a number of Canada West games on their streams this past winter as well, so CBC gets a big "thank you"! Perhaps this could be the new "Hockey Night In Canada" on CBC?
The Waterloo Warriors and the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira, Ontario deserve some thanks for putting on a second-straight U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship that seemingly went off without any issues. I'm sure there were some bumps along the road, but the games looked good and sounded good at every point. Hosting this event is a massive undertaking, and you've set the bar high for the UNB Reds and the city of Fredericton next year!
The parents, families, friends, and fans of U SPORTS players and teams are deserving of some gratitude as well. These are the people that sacrificed time, spent oodles of money, booked time off work, and were there to cheer on their daughters, sisters, granddaughters, nieces, best friends, former teammates, and the amazing women that make up the teams in U SPORTS women's hockey. They may not get enough thanks, but these people are there during the times of sadness, the times of frustration, and, ultimately, the time of joy in these women's lives. Thank you for helping these women achieve their dreams of getting a high-level education while playing hockey!
A big thank-you goes out to the coaches, athletic therapists, nutritionists, equipment people, and everyone behind the scenes that keep these women healthy, happy, and on the ice. All of these people invest their time and energy into their programs with the hope that it will pay off with a celebration at the end of games and seasons, and they put in countless hours preparing and making sure their teams are ready to go wherever a game is being played. Thank you for your dedication to women's hockey, to keeping players healthy in both mind and body, and for preparing them for any challenge they may face, both on and off the ice. The game is better because of you.
You can't play a game without officials, and, despite complaining or disagreeing with calls made, the effort these men and women put in to keep order in the game can't go unmentioned. Officiating means someone will always be unhappy with you, and these people have shown that they're willing to take a little heat to ensure the games remain safe for all to play. Thanks to the stripes on the ice and off-ice officials who do a great job in making sure the women's game remains awesome, and sports in general remain friendly competition.
A big shoutout goes to all the broadcasters who put in countless hours reading and memorizing facts and stats about players and teams to bring you the best broadcasts they can. Most of these broadcasts don't have a Sportsnet truck outside the arena and a dozen cameras inside, but the people who call the games make it sound just as good with their passion for and knowledge of the game. Thanks to everyone across the four conferences who picked up a microphone this year to add some chatter and insight to the games!
Finally, to the players, another season has come and gone and I know a lot of you will say that the time passed by too quickly. That's a truth about life: time is one of the most valuable commodities you'll have that will always seem like it's being spent too quickly, so I hope you used it wisely. I'm not talking about scoring goals or making saves, but about making life-long friendships and lasting memories. Every moment you spent in the community meant something to someone you met. Every second you spent on the bus rides complaining about school work was something over which you bonded with someone else. You made an impact on lives, especially with all the high-fives given to youth hockey players at your games. Those matter to them.
Thank you, players, for entertaining us every weekend. For always being good role models. For being brilliant students and better people. For your charitable work. For the time you spent making lives better. For being incredible teammates, cherished friends, and unforgettable icons. For being coachable and pushing your athletic limits. For sacrificing social opportunities to do homework. For welcoming challenges and embracing opportunities. For simply being awesome people that touched the lives of many. Thank you so much.
This game will push forward without reflection just as time does, but your impact on the game will be felt for years. History was made, victories were earned, friendships were forged, and smiles were seen. Yes, big goals and big saves will get remembered, but your legacy at your school and in the university game will be marked by the relationships and friendships formed over the time you played.
Thank you to everyone listed above who made the 2025-26 U SPORTS hockey season fun, and here's hoping next season is just as good!
The Last Word
That will close this chapter of The Rundown, and I don't know if it will return next season. I know I said that last year and I ultimately went ahead and did another season, but I can't be the only person talking about Canada West and U SPORTS women's hockey all the time. Making matters worse is that fact that no one who has the power to do so wants to see it get better. It's honestly frustrating.
There will be two new schools added in Quebec next season, so the number of women playing university hockey will grow. You would think that having options like CBC internet streams would be something that U SPORTS would want to capitalize on with the explosion of growth in women's hockey thanks to the Olympics this year, but I guess my lack of marketing and business degrees say that following an easily-sourced statistical trend is a bad idea.
I have been dedicated to this game, specifically in western Canada, for a long time. I have meticulous records for U SPORTS National Championships because that information isn't readily or easily found online anywhere. I have reached out to leaders in the university women's hockey game, and I haven't received a single response to my questions. I know I'm not the only person who cares, but I also feel like I can't keep doing this alone. I'm honestly frustrated.
What I do know is that a new wave of incoming students will join teams where renewed hope for immediate and long-term successes will be fostered. Teams will play, players will score, goalies will stop, and coaches will strategize as everyone aims to follow in Montreal's footsteps this season with a massive celebration in March. Just remember that time will fly by, so use your time as best as one can to build those friendships, foster those relationships, and create those life-long memories. And for heaven's sake, have some fun too!
Enjoy your summers, hockey fans. October is closer than you think!
The games started early on Saturday as the 2026 U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship moved into the semifinal phase of the tournament. Four teams were still in the hunt for medals while four others were trying to close out their seasons with wins. Unfortunately for fans of Canada West teams, the two representatives in Elmira, Ontario were playing for the latter as both squads lost their opening games nof the tournament. However, there was still lots to play for when it came to this season and beyond as action got underway at 10am ET. Let's find out who would be playing for the medals and who would get one more game to play tomorrow on The Rundown!
Consolation Semifinal #1
The Manitoba Bisons ran into a very good Concordia team that bumped them to the consolation side of the bracket while the Waterloo Warriors were bounced by their playoff opponents again as the Guelph Gryphons ended their medal run. Both teams wanted to extend their seasons by one more game, so they met in the 10am game to determine who would play on Sunday in the Consolation Final. It was the first time Manitoba and Waterloo had met at Nationals, so let's see who would prevail and get the extra game!
Warriors goals: Nikki McDonald (1), Nikki McDonald (2)
Warriors assists: Tatum James (1), Gracey Smith (1), Tatum James (2), Gracey Smith (2)
Warriors netminder: Kara Mark (32/32)
Result: 2-0 victory for Waterloo over Manitoba.
Consolation Semifinal #2
In another meeting of two teams that had no history, the Ottawa Gee-Gees dropped a shootout decision to the UNB Reds to land in the consolation semifinal while the UBC Thunderbirds also lost in shootout to the upstart Montreal Carabins to end their march towards gold. Both teams weren't prepared to go home without trying to play another day as they met in the 1pm game for the right to advance to the Consolation Final. Would the Thunderbirds bounce back or could the Gee-Gees land an upset in this game like the Carabins did?
The Guelph Gryphons advanced to the medal round with a win over the Waterloo Warriors as they looked to continue their battle towards a second gold medal. The Concordia Stingers defeated the Manitoba Bisons to advance to the medal round for a fifth-straight year, and they were looking for a third gold medal in that five-year span and a fifth gold medal overall. Historically, Concordia held a 3-0 record against Guelph, so would we see the Stingers stay perfect against the Gryphons or would Guelph down Concordia for the first time?
Gryphons goals: Maeve Sutherland-Case (1)
Gryphons assists: Jadyn Calder (2), Brielle Caruso (1)
Gryphons netminder: Martina Fedel (28/30) in 65:42
Result: 2-1 overtime victory for Concordia over Guelph.
Championship Semifinal #2
The second semifinal game saw the Montreal Carabins looking for a second-straight upset as they pushed for another gold medal after defeating the UBC Thunderbirds. Standing in their way was the medalless UNB Reds who downed the Ottawa Gee-Gees to reach the semifinal, but the Reds were hungry for some precious metal. Montreal defeated UNB in 2023 by a 4-1 score, so UNB was looking to even the all-time record. Would les Carabins win over another higher-seeded team or could UNB end up in their first Nationals final?
Reds goals: Hailey Jackson (1)
Reds assists: Katelyn Scott (1), Jorja Nystrom (1)
Reds netminder: Cassie McCallum (25/29)
Result: 5-1 shootout victory for Montreal over UNB.
There are no standings to worry about, but the tournament bracket has been updated to reflect the championship side of the bracket!
Two teams will make their ways back to their respective communities as the Manitoba Bisons and Ottawa Gee-Gees see their tournaments come to an end today with a second loss. They will know what place they finish in based on the results of the Consolation Final that will be played between UBC and Waterloo tomorrow. Speaking of which, here is the schedule for Sunday:
Consolation Final @ 8am: Waterloo at UBC
Bronze medal game @ 11am: UNB at Guelph
Gold medal game @ 3pm: Montreal at Concordia
All the times above are for the Eastern Time Zone, so adjust your clocks accordingly, and make sure you tune in on CBC Gem! The gold medal game can also be seen on CBC Network TV, meaning you can watch the game anywhere in the country! How awesome is that?
The Drive For Five
Ok, so it's not where they wanted to place, but the UBC Thunderbirds will be playing for a fifth-place finish for the fourth time in the last five years. Given their eight appearances at Nationals. they might be the most consistent team when it comes to finishes. If they win tomorrow, this will be the fifth time in eight appearances that they've finished in fifth-place. Even weirder? They've never been the fifth-seeded team at the tournament in those eight appearances!
Waterloo and UBC have never met at a National Championship, but UBC has a 5-2 record against OUA teams. Waterloo is 2-1 against Canada West teams, so it would appear the odds favour the Thunderbirds over the Warriors. It's an 8am game, though, so we'll which team comes out ready to play. If you wanted a little hockey to go with coffee tomorrow, it'll be on the CBC streams bright and early!
Storybook Ending?
The UNB Reds are looking to medal for the first time in the school's history, and certainly since the team was brought back from the dead in 2018. UNB has been to five-straight National Championships, and their best finish was in 2022 when they lost the bronze medal game to the Saskatchewan Huskies in Charlottetown. Will we see them earn a bronze medal tomorrow for the first time in program history?
Standing in their way will be the Guelph Gryphons as UNB and Guelph meet for the first time at a National Championship. Guelph is searching for their second medal in program history after winning the gold medal in 2019 in Charlottetown, so they'll be aiming to play a solid game as well. Historically, UNB is 1-4 against OUA teams while Guelph holds a 4-3 record against AUS teams. Guelph may be the favorite based on history, but UNB may be a tough opponent for the Gryphons tomorrow as they stand on the precipice of history!
La Belle Province
The RSEQ will bring home the gold medal no matter what as the Montreal Carabins and the Concordia Stingers renew acquaintances in the final tomorrow. Including the playoffs, Concordia posted a 10-0 record against Montreal this season, outscoring them 35-15 in those games. It seems that the statistical analysis favours one team by a large margin. Does Montreal even have a chance tomorrow?
Lost in the stats from those ten games are five games that were decided by one goal. We've also seen goaltender Maude Desroches come up being against two higher seeds in UBC and UNB, and it looks like Montreal is getting great contributions from scorers while the defence remains solid. Of course, the same could be said for Concordia as they enter the final, so these generalities apply to both teams. Just swap Desroches' name for Jordyn Verbeek's name.
There could be some history made tomorrow. If Montreal scores in the game, it will be their 100th goal at National Championships, making them the fifth team to hit that mark. Depending on how many times they score, les Carabins could move past Wilfrid Laurier into fourth-place for most goals by a team at Nationals. I hope someone grabs the historic puck if it ends up in Concordia's net!
Concordia is also looking to move past a team as a gold medal victory would give them five in program history which would move them ahead of the McGill Martlets into second-place when it comes to gold medals won. Strangely, Concordia is 0-1 versus RSEQ teams at Nationals and that one loss came against McGill in the bronze medal game back in 2001. If they win tomorrow, it will give them an 11-0 record against les Carabins this season! That's dominant hockey!
The Last Word
There are three games left in the 2025-26 season. Six teams will play tomorrow before the offseason begins. Some players will graduate and move on to professional hockey opportunities while others will choose additional schooling or gaining employment for the summer and beyond. Some players will begin the offseason training regiment they undertake in order to prepare for next season's grind while others will enjoy summer away from the game to reset their outlook.
None of these are wrong choices to make, and my hope is that people don't forget how much they've sacrificed and how hard they've worked when it comes to their university hockey careers. Being an elite student-athlete is a tough job when one has to practice, eat right, play games, maintain a required grade-point average, and try to have a social life. The women playing in Elmira, Ontario are some of the best student-athletes this country has to offer without doubt.
I don't know how many people have tuned in to watch the games on CBC's streams, but my hope is that more and more people are discovering how great the Canadian university game is. I know I've spent far too much time trying to push the game as being some of the best hockey people will see, so I'm hoping CBC's coverage of university hockey will amplify that message because it's been a helluva tournament and a helluva season in every corner of Canada.
Three more games. Enjoy the action, and celebrate the women!
Eight teams arrived in Elmira, Ontario with one thought on their minds: win three games to capture the 2026 U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship. Single-elimination games leave little room for mistakes, so teams need to be ready to play the moment the puck is dropped on their first game right through to the final whistle in the gold medal game. Would we see upsets? Would the favorites find their way into the final? The first step is winning a quarterfinal game, so let's see who did what on The Rundown!
THURSDAY: The seventh-ranked Manitoba Bisons met the second-ranked Concordia Stingers in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday. Manitoba was looking to continue to play solid hockey after their run up to and through the playoffs while Concordia was looking to continue its winning ways after capturing the RSEQ championship. Historically, Manitoba was 2-0 against Concordia at this tournament, so would we see them push that to 3-0 or would the Stingers prevail?
THURSDAY: The sixth-seeded Waterloo Warriors were looking for revenge against the third-seeded Guelph Gryphons after the Gryphons eliminated the Warriors from the OUA playoffs. These two teams were meeting for the sixth time this season with Guelph holding a 3-2 edge in the series. Guelph was looking to win a fourth game while Waterloo looked to eliminate their Ontario rival from the medals.
Warriors goals: none
Warriors assists: none
Warriors netminder: Kara Mark (29/30)
FRIDAY: The eighth-ranked Montreal Carabins met the top-ranked UBC Thunderbirds on Friday afternoon. Historically, UBC has struggled against RSEQ teams with a 1-3 record, so they were looking to erase any memory of 2024's loss to the Carabins with a win today. Montreal was looking to keep their winning ways against the Thunderbirds going, but they'd need to play well to defeat the country's top team.
Thunderbirds goals: Grace Elliott (1), Jaylyn Morris (1), Karine Sandilands (1)
Thunderbirds assists: Jaylyn Morris (1), Ashton Thorpe (1)
Thunderbirds shootout scorers: Karine Sandilands
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (19/22) in 70:00 plus 1/3 in the shootout
Result: 4-3 shootout victory for Montreal over UBC.
FRIDAY: The fifth-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees met the fourth-ranked UNB Reds for the first time in these teams' histories, and both teams were looking to continue their strong play. Ottawa fell just short of an OUA championship so they were aiming to get back in the win column while UNB had been playing excellent hockey in capturing the AUS championship. More importantly, UNB was looking to snap an eight-game losing streak at Nationals while Ottawa was 1-8 at National Championships since winning a silver medal in 2004.
Gee-Gees goals: Alex Ferguson (1)
Gee-Gees assists: Maelle Laplante (1), Gillian Warren (1)
Gee-Gees shootout scorers: Alex Ferguson
Gee-Gees netminder: Clara Genier (43/44) in 70:00 plus 3/5 in the shootout
Reds goals: Lauren Carter (1)
Reds assists: none
Reds shootout scorers: Katelyn Scott, Payton Hargreaves
Reds netminder: Cassie McCallum (28/29) in 70:00 plus 4/5 in the shootout
Result: 2-1 shootout victory for UNB over Ottawa.
There are no standings to worry about, but the tournament bracket has been updated to reflect the championship side of the bracket!
Saturday will still see all eight teams in action as the consolation semifinals will be played as well. That starts early on Saturday morning, but two teams will be eliminated from the tournament with a second loss. No one wants to be those teams, so wins still matter!
Consolation semifinal @ 10am: Manitoba at Waterloo
Consolation semifinal @ 1pm: Ottawa at UBC
Championship semifinal @ 4pm: Guelph at Concordia
Championship semifinal @ 7pm: Montreal at UNB
All the times above are for the Eastern Time Zone, so adjust your clocks accordingly, and make sure you tune in on CBC Gem!
Another Tough Loss
I'm not here to throw salt in the wound, but it's hard to understand just how dominant UBC can be over the course of a season in Canada West only to lose a key game at Nationals once again. This talented group of women should have more than just a bronze medal to show for their efforts over the last five seasons, but they'll head home to Vancouver empty-handed once again after a shootout loss today.
Having watched these Thunderbirds grow and mature together to become a well-oiled machine in Canada West play has been nothing short of remarkable when it came to their trajectory. They established a standard and style of play that few teams could match, and the wins and Canada West banners began piling up. Make no mistake that this Thunderbirds team are a special group of people.
I can't imagine the heartbreak these women are going through tonight, but hockey can be cruel sometimes. These women should be proud of all they've accomplished despite the shortfalls at Nationals because I don't know if we'll see an era of hockey like theirs in Canada West again. They can still finish their season with a win if they play well over their next two games, and that would be a fine way to cap off this era of dominance by the Thunderbirds.
3-In-5?
Concordia's win over Manitoba put them into the semifinals, so we know they'll play for a medal. What colour will be determined by the next two games, but the Stingers have a shot at four medals in five years and three gold medals in five years. I think it's safe that we can put the Concordia Stingers next to some other legendary teams, but they're not quite at the level of success two teams have had.
The Alberta Pandas captured eight medals in nine years from 1999 until 2007, and they did nine medals in twelve years. The McGill Martlets medalled 15 times in 21 years from 1999 until 2019. The Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks captured six medals in nine years, so the Stingers still have a little bit of work to do in trying to catch these legendary teams for successive years with medals.
However, a gold medal at this year's tournament would give them three gold medals in five seasons which is only bettered by McGill's three-in-four-years run from 2008-11, and Alberta's five-in-six-years from 2002-07 and six-in-eight-years from 2000-07. Since Nationals switched to the eight-team format in 2015, only Concordia has more than one gold medal. That's some pretty impressive history.
They still have work to do, but they're two wins away from success!
The Last Word
This will be the last word for the day, but The Rundown will be back all weekend as Nationals play out. Four games tomorrow plus three more on Sunday will determine how these eight teams finish their seasons in Ontario. Only three teams will close out the weekend with victories, so there's still lots to be determined in two days.
Waterloo's loss means that the defending silver medallist cannot earn a medal, so this year's podium will feature three teams who did not medal in 2025. Both Concordia and Montreal medalled in 2024 while Concordia is the only team who medalled in 2023 and 2022. With the Stingers as the top seed still on the championship side, they'll attempt to not repeat last year's finish with two-straight losses.
The first two days of action have been awesome, so I can't wait for the next two days of hockey as the 2026 U SPORTS National Championship moves into the semifinal round! Enjoy the games!
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