The Rundown - Week 15

There comes a time in almost every team's season where wins become "must-wins" if they hope to keep their season alive. That may come in the playoffs where teams face elimination or it could be in the regular season where playoff spots are up for grabs. There was a must-win situation among the four series this weekend while another team was looking to cancel travel plans for the last half of the month. Two teams could play spoiler in an effort to disrupt the Canada West standings, so Week 15 had all sorts of intrigue as we recap the action on The Rundown!

FRIDAY: We'll start with the first-place UBC Thunderbirds who were looking to add points to pull away from the idle Alberta Pandas and wrap up first-overall in the conference, guaranteeing themselves home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Trinity Western travelled an hour north as the Spartans were looking to move up in the standings while holding off the Fluffy Cows. Two points were important to both teams in this one as Kate Fawcett took the Spartans' net while Elise Hugens got the nod for the T-Birds.

The opening frame was exciting and fast as both teams found opportunities, created chances, and went north-south on the ice. The goaltenders, though, were on their games as well as they showed their skills in keeping the opposition off the boards. No ink was splashed on the scorehseet as we went through a goalless, infraction-less period as we hit the intermission still tied at 0-0 with UBC leading 14-10 in shots.

The second period was all about one player, though, as she went off. After the teams traded unsuccessful power-play opportunities, Grace Elliott broke the deadlock at 9:22 when she beat Fawcett with a shot, and the Thunderbirds were up 1-0. Elliott would make it a pair in the second when she banged home a rebound on the left side of Fawcett at 19:18 to put UBC up 2-0, and the home side took that two-goal lead into the break with a 32-14 margin in shots after peppering the Spartans in the second frame.

The third period saw the Thunderbirds once again overwhelming the Spartans by playing in their zone for most of the period. Mackenzie Kordic would chip a puck past Fawcett after Ireland Perrott wrapped a centering pass around the post from behind the net, and UBC held a three-goal advantage at 6:34. The T-Birds didn't take their foot off the gas, though, as they surrendered just two shots in the period en route to a 3-0 win over the Spartans! Elise Hugens was stellar in stopping all 16 shots she faced for her fourth shutout and 12th win of the season while Kate Fawcett likely deserved a better fate after stopping 47 shots in this game.

I'll have more on this below, but the number 14 is going to be important for the Thunderbirds moving forward in the playoffs.

SATURDAY: The final game between these two provincial rivals happened in Langley as the back-half of the home-and-home went to Spartans territory. With a win today, UBC would clinch home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. With a win today, TWU would make it nearly impossible to be knocked out of a playoff spot. The storylines were clear for both teams as Kate Stuart was between the pipes for the Thunderbirds while Kate Fawcett was back in the blue paint for the Spartans.

Similar to Friday night, these two squads came out firing on all cylinders as they both wanted an early tally, but the netminders stood tall through the opening frame. An early UBC power-play went without a goal, but some fencing at the end of the period saw Trinity Western tagged for an additional penalty as they'd start the second period with a player in the sin bin. Through 20 minutes, though, it was a 0-0 game with Trinity Western up 11-7 in shots.

That penalty at the end of the period would prove costly in the second period. Sophia Gaskell teed one up from the point, and her shot dented twine through traffic at 1:08 as the power-play marker put UBC up 1-0. The squads would continue to battle after the reset, though, and Trinity Western missed out on a power-play opportunity of their own in seeking an equalizer. Another late power-play for UBC would carryover into the final frame, but the 1-0 score held firm through two periods despite TWU holding a 20-15 margin in shots.

Again, the early power-play in this period saw UBC capitalize. Grace Elliott got a stick on Sophia Gaskell's shot and deflected it into the net past Fawcett just 48 seconds into the period, and UBC held a 2-0 lead. UBC would get another early power-play, but the Spartans would kill off the penalty. With just under seven minutes remaining, Chelsea Debusschere fed Brooklyn Anderson with a backhanded pass in front of Stuart, and Anderson converted the pass at 13:14 to cut the deficit to 2-1. Trinity Western continued to push for an equalizer, pullung Fawcett with 1:55 to play, but it wasn't to be on this night as the Thunderbirds earned the 2-1 win over the Spartans! Kate Stuart picked up her tenth win with a 23-save effort while Kate Fawcett made 22 saves in the setback.

The very one-sided highlights of this game are below!

FRIDAY:The goal for the Dinos was to wrap up a playoff spot with three points in the two games in Winnipeg over the weekend. Defeating the Fluffy Cows on their ice would also put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy, so the Dinos were looking to kill two birds with one stone this weekend. It should be no surprise that the Dinos started Gabriella Durante on Friday night.

The Dinos would fall behind five minutes into this game before Brette Kerley scored her first Canada West goal on the power-play just 1:29 after falling behind. Shots were kept to a minumum through the opening frame as the two teams played solid defence, but the damage had been done with the scored locked in at 1-1 and the shots even at 6-6.

A fairly evenly-played second period looked like the first in terms of both teams getting limited opportunities, but back-to-back penalties saw the Dinos fall behind 2-1 at 14:50. The Dinos would respond before the end of the period, though, as Madeline Stanley found the back of the net for her first Canada West goal with 1:01 to play, and we'd hit the second break with the game tied at 2-2 with Calgary holding a 15-14 edge in shots.

The Dinos got a boost just before the seven-minute mark when Rebecca Clarke found twine with her shot as the Dinos went up 3-2 at 6:52. From there, the Dinos had to fend off an aggressive Fluffy Cows team as they pressed for the equalizer, but the horn would sound on a Calgary Dinos victory by that 3-2 score! Gabriella Durante picked up her 11th win on a 20-save night to help the Dinos take one big step closer to clinching a playoff spot!

Just like how the Dinos knocked off the Fluffy Cows in this game, here's Rex knocking off Zurg in Toy Story 2! Good ol' Pixar!


SATURDAY: One point is all the Dinos needed to clinch a playoff spot in 2023. Two points would possibly mean they ended the weekend in fourth-place depending on other results, so the Dinos were coming into this game looking for a win while putting a serious strain on the playoff hopes for the Fluffy Cows. Gabriella Durante was in the crease for the Dinos in this one.

I had mentioned in the 2023 Team Resolutions article that the Dinos needed consistent scoring and goaltending every week. I wrote, "Elizabeth Lang and Alli Borrow were playing some incredible hockey before the break, and the Dinos need them to continue to be hot in the second-half. Secondary scoring needs to emerge, and it may come down to head coach Carla McLeod trying different line combinations to get a few players trending in the right direction. Gabriella Durante played a ton of minutes in the first half as well, and she'll have to see if she can raise her game a little more to deliver a playoff berth."

What the Dinos got on Saturday was exactly all of that. Rebecca Clarke opened the scoring off a gorgeous feed from Alli Borrow at 13:04 of the second period before Alli Borrow doubled the lead 27 seconds into the third period. Gabriella Durante was ridiculous all night as she was making saves and thwarting chances at every turn. The Fluffy Cows pulled their goalie with 3:13 remaining, but Clarke would notch her second goal into the undefended cage with 2:15 to play. The Fluffy Cows would pull their goalie once more only to have Alli Borrow hit the abanadoned net with 25 seconds to play as the Calgary Dinos skated to the 4-0! Gabriella Durante made 44 stops for her seventh shutout and 12th win of the season!

While it's a buffalo who is lowered into the cage, the Dinos absolutely wrecked the Fluffy Cows this weekend with their sweep.

FRIDAY: MacEwan headed south to Calgary where they met the Mount Ryal Cougars with both teams' playoff fates already known. MacEwan was playing spoiler for the remainder of the season while the Mount Royal was in. The only question was where Mount Royal was going to finish in standings as wins put pressure on the teams around them. Points mattered to the Cougars as Brooke Fawcett got the start for the Griffins while Kaitlyn Ross was in net for the Cougars.

The opening period between these two former ACAC champions felt like a bit of a playoff game as good scoring chances were hard to come by thanks to the teams' defences. When called upon, the goalies were solid as well. Both teams played fast and controlled as there were no penalties called in the first twenty minutes, and we'd go into the intermission tied at 0-0 with Mount Royal up 8-5 in shots.

The second period saw the dam burst. Courtney Kollman scored 26 seconds into the frame on a wrap-around, and Athena Hauck made it 2-0 by going shelf at 4:53. MacEwan pushed back as they looked to cut the deficit, drawing a couple of penalties midway through the period, but were unable to convert. Off an offensive zone face-off after MacEwan was called for a penalty, Aliya Jomha set up Kollman for her second of the period off the draw as Mount Royal extended the lead to 3-0 during 4-on-4 play. 57 seconds later, Emma Bergesen launched a missile from the point while on the power-play to make it a 4-0 game for the Cougars through 40 minutes as they held a 17-9 edge in shots.

Claire Hobbs would get one back for the Griffins when Allee Isley fed Hobbs from behind the net for the 4-1 goal at 12:46, but Ava Metzger made it 5-1 seven seconds later as she restored Mount Royal's four-goal lead. Kaia Borbandy would add a sixth goal for the Cougars with 30 seconds to play, and Mount Royal skated to the 6-1 victory over MacEwan. Kaitlyn Ross picked her 14th win of the campaign after a 16-save effort while Brooke Fawcett made 23 stops for MacEwan.

Since Mount Royal isn't doing highlights, let's check in on a couple of Tampa Bay Lightning players who are planning their futures!

SATURDAY: The same storylines as Friday carried into Saturday as the series shifted to Edmonton for the back-half of the home-and-home. MacEwan was looking to spoil the Cougars' party while Mount Royal needed a win over the Griffins to move within a point of idle Alberta. Scout Anderson was in net for the Cougars on this night while Brianna Sank was back in the blue paint for MacEwan.

Mount Royal wasn't interested in wasting any time as Athena Hauck fired a quick shot from the left side that Sank whiffed on, and it was 1-0 for the Cougars just 28 seconds into the game. She'd recover as MacEwan got their legs under them, and the two teams battled through the next fifteen minutes after trading unsuccessful power-play chances. However, Mackenzie Loupelle would score her first Canada West goal at 16:24, and Laura Cook cashed in another goal just 67 seconds later. When the horn sounded on the opening frame, Mount Royal held a 3-0 lead and a 10-6 advantage in shots.

It was a different MacEwan team in the second period as they came out and generated scoring chances. They'd find twine on a Sydney Hughson shot that was tipped past Anderson by Makenna Schuttler at 5:57, and MacEwan was down 3-1. The teams would continue to press as neither side looked to be done scoring, but MacEwan would get another before the horn when Claire Hobbs shot from the right face-off dot eluded Anderson while on the power-play at 18:58, and the lead was down to one through 40 minutes of play despite Mount Royal holding a 21-15 lead in shots.

The renewed battle continued in the third period, and the teams traded power-plays that saw no goals added to the scoreboard. Three minutes past the midway point of period, Mount Royal's Mackenzie Butz teed up a shot that went off the post and in at 13:07. Before the goal was announced, it was 5-2 as Courtney Kollman scored on a backhander at 13:34. The quick strikes took some of the wind out of MacEwan's sails, and Sydney Benko capped off the night by scoring with 26 seconds to play. The final score would show that the Cougars downed the Griffins by a 6-2 count. Scout Anderson picked up her second win with a 21-save effort while Brianna Sank was on the wrong side of a 36-save night.

Since I referenced both teams playing in the ACAC, we need a couple of references from the early 2000s. How about VCRs, Blockbuster, and Circuit City? Those are throwbacks to the past!

SATURDAY: The only series that started on Saturday this season got underway in Saskatoon as the Regina Cougars headed north to meet the Saskatchewan Huskies for a U-Prairie Challenge game. Regina's fate has been set as spoiler, and they could do that to Saskatchewan's hopes of hosting a playoff game. Saskatchewan needed wins and points to claim a home playoff date, so they should be motivated coming into this game. Arden Kliewer was setup in the Regina net while Camryn Drever, fresh off her gold-medal win with Canada at the FISU Games, was back in the Huskies' net.

Saskatchewan seemed to have the early step in this game as they generated a number of good chances. They'd be rewarded for their efforts when Paris Oleksyn dented twine at 7:32, and they'd double the lead just 1:24 later when Jasper Desmarais found room past Kliewer to put the Huskies up by a pair of goals. Mallory Dyer would get in on the goal-scoring when her shot found twine at 13:47, and it seemed this game might be getting away from the Cougars. They'd make it to the break, though, down 3-0 and trailing 16-7 in shots.

The second period seemed to even out as the two teams battled through the opening ten minutes, literally, as four minor penalties - two for each team - were called. It would be the final penalty of those four that was assigned to Saskatchewan where we'd see a lamp lit. Hannah Pennell zipped a shot by Drever on the power-play at 10:58 as Regina cut the deficit to 3-1. However, Saskatchewan restored the three-goal cushion 53 seconds later when Sara Kendall found the back of the net to put Saskatchewan up 4-1. The battle would continue with more penalties through the final ten minutes, but we'd hit the second intermission with the 4-1 lead for the Huskies holding firm and with the Huskies up 26-14 in shots.

The third period was still a battle, but the parade to the sin bin cooled off. The two sides still found chances and opportunities for offence, but the lamps would remain off. That benefitted the Huskies as they maintained their three-goal lead through to the final horn as Saskatchewan downed Regina by that 4-1 score to win the game and the U-Prairie Challenge! Camryn Drever returned to her Canada West winning ways as she stopped 20 shots for her eighth win of the season while Arden Kliewer stopped 31 shots in the setback.

No highlights by the Huskies as usual. The Huskies negated the Cougars' attack with those three early goals tonight, though, so here's a husky negating a cat's potential attack quite efficiently.

SUNDAY: Saskatchewan was looking for more points as they tried to pull away from Calgary and put themselves in a good position to claim home-ice advantage for the quarterfinals. Regina was wearing their spoiler costumes once again as they looked to disrupt their provincial rival's efforts. Natalie Williamson got the call for the Cougars while the Huskies went back to Camryn Drever in this one!

The first period saw both teams get chances throughout the period thanks to a steady stream of players heading to the penalty box. It would be an even-strength goal that broke the tie, though, as McKenna Bolger snuck in from the right point to the right face-off dot, took a pass from Sara Kendall, and zipped a shot past Williamson at 6:27 to put Saskatchewan ahead 1-0. Regina looked to pull even before the intermission thanks to a couple of late power-play opportunities, but the horn would sound on the opening frame with Saskatchewan up 1-0 on the scoreboard and 11-8 in shots.

The physicality remained in the game and the scoring chances were still present in the second period, but the netminders were showing their skills as well. It wouldn't be until a Huskies penalty just past the eight-minute mark that gave Regina the break it needed. Heather Fiske brought the puck in on the left side, stopping just outside the circle before sending it in front where Lauren Focht deflected it by Drever at 8:56 to tie the game at 1-1! The game settled down after that goal as both sides looked to take the lead, but the final eleven minutes belonged to the goalies as we hit the second intermission tied at 1-1 with the Huskies holding a 21-17 edge in shots.

Regina got the early jump in the second period when the Kushniruk sisters broke down the ice on a partial 2-on-1. Makena fed Jadyn, and Jadyn took care of the rest by sending a backhander past the glove of Drever just 1:26 into the frame! Saskatchewan turned the pressure on after surrendering the goal, and Williamson was brilliant while her defence cleared pucks efficiently. Two Saskatchewan power-plays saw nothing added to their total, and the 52 seconds of 6-on-5 saw lots of pressure, but no goals. When the horn sounded, the Regina Cougars had defeated the Saskatchewan Huskies by the 2-1 score! Natalie Williamson stopped 37 shots for her first win this season while Camryn Drever was on the wrong end of an 18-save night.

No highlights once again, but this GIF sums up this game nicely.

CANADA WEST WOMEN'S HOCKEY

School	Record	Points	GF	GA	Streak	Next
UBC	19-2-3-2	46	89	35	W10	@ REG
Alberta	18-5-2-1	41	69	34	W11	vs MAN
Mount Royal	17-5-1-3	39	73	44	W4	vs SAS
Calgary	11-9-3-3	30	55	53	W2	vs MAC
Saskatchewan	9-10-4-3	29	46	45	L1	@ MRU
Trinity Western	8-13-3-4	26	53	66	L3	BYE
Manitoba	7-14-4-1	23	61	81	L2	@ ALB
MacEwan	5-19-1-1	13	36	81	L5	@ CAL
Regina	4-20-0-2	10	34	77	W1	vs UBC

Colour Coded

If your team appears in yellow, they've officially clinched a playoff spot. If your team appears in red, they've officially been eliminated. One playoff spot remains up for grabs for two teams. One of those teams will watch this weekend, so one team holds their fate in their own hands. Colour-coding will end next week.

Out Of Road

Trinity Western is the first team to reach the end of the road in Canada West as they've completed their regular season. They'll sit, wait, and watch now as they need some help from the Alberta Pandas if they're to make the playoffs this season, but it's out of their hands for the final weekend. The three-point edge they have on the Fluffy Cows is a nice cushion, but they could know as early as Friday if they're in and where they're headed if they make the playoffs.

It doesn't happen often, but the Alberta Pandas will have a pile of people cheering for them next weekend in Langley, BC.

The Rest Of The Scene

We already have a pretty good idea of the playoff scene.

• UBC: top-seed in Canada West and home-ice throughout the playoffs. They have a bye to start the playoffs.
• Alberta: two points next weekend guarantees them the second seed, and they'd have a bye to start the playoffs.
• Mount Royal: to earn the #2 seed, they need to finish ahead of Alberta. If they're tied, Alberta is #2 and MRU is #3.
• Saskatchewan: will finish as #4 or #5 depending on next weekend, and will play the Dinos. Home ice is up for grabs.
• Calgary: will finish as #4 or #5 depending on next weekend, and will play the Huskies. Home ice is up for grabs.
• TWU: will finish #6 if the Fluffy Cows don't earn 3 points. They'll play Alberta or Mount Royal on the road.
• Fluffy Cows: need three points against Alberta to win the tiebreaker over TWU. Any regulation loss ends the dream.

The playoff picture will be clear next Saturday night as to who is travelling and who sleeps in their own beds, but the only guarantee right now is that the UBC Thunderbirds will get a weekend off. We'll see who joins them next week.

Fourteen

I mentioned above that I'd discuss the number 14 a little more down here, and UBC will carry that with them into the playoffs. 14, you see, is the number of maximum home wins one can have in a 28-game schedule, and that means UBC was perfect at home this season as they went 14-0. Suddenly, UBC having home-ice advantage through the playoffs means something entirely different.

Officially, including last year's playoffs, UBC is 19-0 at home since starting this home-winning streak, and their perfect home record this year saw the Thunderbirds outscore their opponents 59-17 over those 14 games. Only one non-UBC team scored three goals at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Arena, and that was Trinity Western back on November 12. Since November 19, only one team has scored two goals at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Arena, and that was MacEwan on January 28. Only four times this season has a team scored two-or-more goals on UBC when playing in Vancouver.

We already know the road to the Canada West banner and the U SPORTS National Championship will run through Vancouver for one team. Only two teams - Alberta and Mount Royal - won't face the possibility of meeting UBC in the semifinal, but one of five playoff-bound teams will need to end the streak if they hope to defeat UBC in a three-game series. And then do it again within the span of two days to prevent UBC from repeating as Canada West champions.

I'm not a betting man so I won't put my money on UBC just yet, but the odds are certainly in their favour to repeat.

Home Ice?

The Saskatchewan Huskies and Calgary Dinos are so close in terms of the tie-breaker situation right now that it may come down to a coin flip as to who will play at home in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. Both teams are 0-0-2-2 against one another with six goals-for and six goals-against. Both teams have 13 wins this season. Yes, the Dinos have one more point than the Huskies right now, but if they end up tied they'll have the same win percentage. The goal differential head-to-head is nearly the same, so this may come down to goal differential as the tie-breaker that determines which team hosts.

The irony is that the final tie-breaker is an actual coin flip. Personally, I hate the idea that home-ice advantage could be decided by a coin, so let's hope that Saskatchewan and Calgary sort themselves out before the coin comes into play!

He Said It

If you're going to make public statements that anyone can look up and compare to the results seen on the ice, you're smarter to underpromise and overdeliver. When the following statements were made this fall as the hockey season was about to start, I found them baffling considering how his team had just finished preseason play where they got absolutely crushed by good teams.

Hope springs eternal, though, so I let the words be. With the Fluffy Cows on the verge of missing the playoffs, though, here's what the head coach said at the time. Click on the image to blow it up.

Accountability matters in all facets of life, so seeing those statements in writing means we need to hold the head coach accountable for his statements. He said them, so he should be able to deliver on what was promised, right?

• "I like our progression and the direction we are headed as a program." - you finished in fourth-place last season, and you're in seventh-place this season. Show me the "progress". Is the direction "get worse before getting better"?
• "It was a good learning lesson... when we got bounced from the playoffs." - if you got bounced and the players learned something, what was it? I ask because you played at home against the Dinos this weekend with a shot at locking down a playoff spot and you got bounced once again. So let's be very specific: what lesson was learned?
• "They will have learned about what it takes to compete in Canada West...". - except they didn't because they're worse this year than they were last year.
• "... how to win playoff games, playoff series...". - you have to get there first, and you haven't won a playoff series since 2019. There's an entire generation of players moving through your program that haven't won a single playoff game. Better luck next year, I guess?
• "The players are motivated from the unpleasant feeling of being bounced in your own barn." - except they weren't or you'd be in a playoff position after sweeping Calgary. Only you didn't as you got swept on home ice - JUST LIKE LAST YEAR - and the chances of making the playoffs this season are virtually nil.

Some people may view me pointing this out as an act of vengeance. Some may believe it's a cheap shot or some sort of "gotcha" move on my part. I get that it may appear as that, but this is about accountability. If you sell people a bill of goods, you better come through with what was promised. That's accountability.

There are 29 women on this coach's roster who committed to this program because of its success and promised future success, and there are only two players on the roster currently who have experienced any playoff success. There are no women on this roster who have won a playoff game under its current head coach. It appears that this will be the second time in three seasons that this team misses the playoffs since the head coach returned from a sabbatical. Anyone seeing a trend and/or direction here?

If the Fluffy Cows show up in Edmonton and don't play like their lives depend on it, it might be time to start asking some hard questions about what he's teaching his players because the lessons he spoke of don't seem to have sunk in. And that's on you, Coach.

The Last Word

Five teams are in. One team is idle. One team has its own fate in its hands. The Canada West playoffs will certainly take place in Calgary at some point, and it's possible that Calgary could host both series depending on next weekend's final games. In other words, the final two games of the regular season are vitally important to a number of teams who still need to determine where they'll place in the standings.

Trinity Western will be cheering for Alberta next weekend as we know, but hockey fans cannot complain that the playoff races in Canada West haven't been exciting. At this time next weekend, we'll know who is in and who will be planning for next season. For a few teams, the playoffs start now.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Thursday's Plans Have Changed

If you've been listening to The Hockey Show for the last few weeks, you likely heard me promote the first annual Ducky Pond Hockey Classic that was taking place at Camp Manitou in Headingley, Manitoba from Feburary 9-12. There were a ton of things that were included in the promotion - food trucks, a Jets watch party, visits from Jets and Moose players, a DJ playing music - and it sounds like it's going to be a good time. Heck, Jason and I were going to take the show there and broadcast live from the event. The only problem? The first annual Ducky Pond Hockey Classic isn't happening this year as I found out in checking out the Ducky Pond Hockey website.

I find it strange that we were given no notice considering that we seem to be the only media outlet that was promoting it, but perhaps that's why we were the only outlet promoting it - the others were notified. As it stands, there was no specific reason for the cancellation; rather, there was a vague message on the website.

Given the lack of specificity in the message, I would wager a guess that there may have been low registration numbers heading into February which prompted the cancellation of the event, but the accuracy of this guess would be about as accurate as me holding a bow and arrow.

Having been to the US Pond Hockey Championship in Minneapolis, I know how much these events can be. If registration costs aren't exorbitant, players usually invest the money into uniforms. We saw lots of great uniforms worn at the US event - a squad wearing Team USA's 1932 jerseys, a team that wore Iowa Stars jerseys, an NYPD team, and lots more - but most were creative, hockey-related, and funny for the teams who knew they weren't competing at the top level of the event. Some wore wigs, others added funny leggings, but all teams who showed up knew that having a great look was just as important as how one played on the ice!

With the Ducky Pond Hockey Classic being cancelled, Jason and I will be back in the UMFM studio this week as we go over some of the hockey news, information, and action seen across the hockey universe. We're still looking for road trip options for this year, so if you know of a hockey event taking place on Thursday night that can use a little promotion, get in touch with us and we'll see what we can do to help get some people out to that event!

For now, we'll wait one more year to see what happens with the Ducky Pond Hockey Classic as I do hope that True North Sports and Entertainment can get it off the ground. If it's remotely as fun as the US Pond Hockey Championship in Minneapolis, it will be talked about for years to come by all who attend!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Freshman Superstar

I've been pretty lucky to have seen some incredible players lace up the skates at the Female World Sport School Challenge over the years. I've mentioned the likes of Aerin Frankel, Jule Schiefer, Kennesha Miswaggon, Lauren Warkentin, and Kayla Friesen as players who have excelled at various levels after playing at the annual tournament, we may have to add another name to the list despite it being somewhat premature to do so as Jade Iginla, pictured with the Rink Kelowna team above at the 2022 Female World Sport School Challenge, is making a name for herself in the NCAA with Brown University in her first year with her on-ice abilities. Yes, the last name is very familiar to hockey fans, but Jade is writing her own story this season with her skills!

Before we get into why Jade Iginla will likely suit up for the Canadian National Team at various levels throughout her ongoing career, I need to make it clear that this has nothing to do with her last name and everything to do with her own skill set. Yes, she's the daughter of Jarome Iginla who had his own incredible hockey career, but the path that Jade chose is her own to walk. People will associate her skills to her dad's talents as if shooting accuracy is a genetic trait, but let me be transparently clear: Jade Iginla is good because she put in the time, the effort, and the repetitions at practice, at home, and in games to be as good as she is.

I have to say this because people will look at what she's doing at Brown University as a freshman with the Bears women's hockey program and just assume that she's good because of who her dad is. Dismiss that thought immediately, though, as you read the next few paragraphs because Jade's freshman season should have people clamouring to see her play the game for a once-prominent women's hockey program.

Iginla scored three goals tonight in a 4-1 victory over the RPI Engineers to push her season total to 14 tallies. That's ten goals better than anyone else on her team, and it accounts for 36.8% of the goals scored by Brown this year. Her 73 shots is the highest total on the team, and her shooting percentage of 19.2% is the highest on the team. She's tied for the lead in power-play goals, and she's the only Brown player to have recoreded a shorthanded goal - she has two shorties this season.

The 2022 U18 Women's World Championship gold medalist was named to the Hockey Commissioners Association Rookie of the Year watch list yesterday alongside 27 other women, but it's hard to argue that any of those freshmen players have had the same impact on their teams as Iginla has. While Brown doesn't get the same national attention as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Quinnipiac, Boston University, or Ohio State, Brown likely won't be the top-scoring rookie in the NCAA this season, but she should garner a number of votes thanks to her contributions in a rebuilding Brown Bears program. I may be biased, but I'd likely be voting for her if I had a ballot.

It's hard to believe, when you look at all she's accomplished, that hockey wasn't her main focus until she was named to her high school's varsity team as an eighth-grader. Iginla was far more focused on softball than hockey at the time, and an elbow injury in softball allowed her to rediscover the passion she had for the game.

"It's a known thing that the longer you are away from hockey the more you miss it," she told Marty Klinkenberg of The Globe & Mail in November. "After that I had a lot of gratitude and dedicated myself. I definitely have come a long way."

Watching her play with Rink Kelowna last season was an absolute treat for me as she showed off her incredible speed and skill at the 2022 Female World Sport School Challenge. She has incredible acceleration when she's skating and her shot is deceptively quick which makes her dangerous almost anywhere in the ice. She uses her 5'7" frame well to shield the puck from defenders who manage to stick with her, and her tenacity combined with that speed makes her a nightmare on the forecheck. It was hard not to picture her in Canadian red last season, but this season only confirms that she's destined to be a household name for Canadians for years to come.

What does dad think about Jade's progress?

"When she started I wanted her to be more aggressive," Jarome told Klinkenberg. "She was a good player but she was nice. Since she turned 16 she has gotten much more aggressive and her compete level has gone up. She is much more assertive."

2022 U18 Canadian head coach Howie Draper had a much more frank assessment of Jade's skills, saying, "She plays a gritty game. She likes handling the puck. She likes having it on her stick. She does good things with it. She plays the game like a hound dog."

"She was all over the ice", Draper continued. "She was playing the game at a very high tempo, playing a tough game, the kind of game that I think any hockey coach would really value. When she came into camp, she brought the same thing. I think that spoke not only to her skill set, but also to her ability and inner confidence to bring it at the next level when it's best on best and show that she can do it there too. So you pair that confidence with that kind of ability, good things are gonna happen."

Jade will likely tell you she still has lots to learn as she navigates the NCAA hockey schedule, but she's also doing some learning in the classroom. Attending an Ivy League school is nothing to scoff at, and her marks coming out of high school had to reflect the belief the hockey program had in her. Since arriving in Providence, Rhode Island, she's been enrolled in Brown's Open Curriculum as she figures out what path she wants to take with her education, but it's pretty clear she's taking her academic career as seriously as her hockey career with her enrollment at Brown University. She has lots of time to decide what she's wants to do, but attending a prestigious university like Brown is never a bad thing.

She's clearly impressed coaches throughout her career with her skill and demeanour as well.

"She is the most level-headed young lady that I think I've had the opportunity to work with," Draper said. "There's no tremendous highs and no tremendous lows, emotionally. She's just always there."

Iginla's also turned her skills into a way to make a little money while skating for Brown as she signed a name, image, and likeness deal with BioSteel, resulting in Iginla starring in one of the BioSteel commercials shown on air during this NHL season!
That well-spoken model for the next generation of athletes at the end of the commercial is the aforementioned Jade Iginla, and she could be a very marketable star for women's hockey moving forward. Perhaps she'll follow Jennifer Botterill and Cheryl Pounder in moving into broadcasting when she's done playing? Honestly, Iginla's options for whatever she wants to do may be limitless.

For now, she's Brown's leading goal-scorer and leading scorer. There will be national teams and accolades to come for someone as richly talented as Jade Iginla is, but she's a freshman hockey player at Brown University as she figures out her next steps. She's the daughter of Jarome and Kara, the sister of Tij and Joe, a 2022 U18 World Champion, and a 2022 CSSHL champion. Her last name doesn't have to define her and it shouldn't carry expectations.

Jade, flashing her smile, joked with Klinkenberg in November, "There was a stretch where my dad could beat us all single-handedly. Now he is probably the worst player among us."

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 541

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, hits the airwaves at 530pm CT with all sorts of news, notes, information, and chatter about the hockey world as Teebz and Jason take you through the stories that stuck with them this week. This episode will have an all-star game flavour as the NHL and AHL have their weekend events planned for this weekend, but we have other stuff to discuss as well! It should be another busy show tonight at 530pm CT!

Remember this goal? If you do, you're probably old like me, but that's Owen Nolan calling his shot on Dominik Hasek at the 1997 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose. Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat about the NHL All-Star Weekend and how the fun is gone, where we'd improve the game, the problem with having it in Florida, and the reason people generally tune out the game. Beyond that, they chat about the AHL All-Star Game happening this weekend, they wrap up the 2023 Female World Sport School Challenge, they shake their heads at the Vancouver-New York Islanders trade, they celebrate the debuts of Luke Philp and Matt Berlin in the NHL, there's a new ad partner debuting at the NHL All-Star Game, and they chat about TV viewership of NHL games being down in the NHL. We're gonna hustle through some stories to try to squeeze everything in tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player is pretty awesome if you want to listen online. If you're using an Apple device, the player doesn't seem to like Safari yet, so if you want to stream the show I'd recommend Radio Garden to do that as it works nicely with Safari. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. If you do use the TuneIn app, you won't be disappointed. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason talk broken all-star games, an amazing hockey weekend, a head-shaker of a trade, Danny DeVito, a couple of first games, why people aren't watching south of the border, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: February 2, 2023: Episode 541

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Happy National Girls and Women in Sports Day!

If there's one thing this blog does unapologetically, it covers women's hockey as often as possible. Granted, there are stories that I pick and choose when it comes to covering things, but I have always maintained that women's hockey will get equal footing at the very least when it comes to coverage of hockey both on this blog and on The Hockey Show. I'll admit that having a weekly column about Canada West women's hockey helps in that coverage, but I truly believe in the women's game and will go out of my way to support the women's game anytime I can because I'm a hockey fan. That means I like all forms of hockey no matter who is playing.

Not counting the previews for The Hockey Show, there were 27 articles written by me in January, and nine of them were specifically about women's hockey in some form. I'm sure there could have been more if I paid more attention to the PWHPA, the PHF, and the NCAA, but I want to support the Canadian women who play at U SPORTS institutions and at the grassroots level because these are the women who often play in front of friends and family only. To me, that's crazy.

We should talk about the efforts with the Maple Leafs that both Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser and Danielle Goyette are giving in improving the Maple Leafs through player development. We can point to the efforts of New Jersey Devils assistant GM Kate Madigan, the USHL's Chicago Steel Associate GM Noelle Needham, and Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM Meghan Hunter as women who have proven that they know just as much about hockey as the men who once held those positions. We can't forget Marie-Philip Poulin working as a player development consultant with Montreal, Manon Rheaume as a hockey operations and prospects adviser with the Los Angeles Kings, and Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach with the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds. I should also mention both Jodi van Rees and Aisha Visram who worked as athletic trainers on NHL benches.

There have been many women who have moved from playing roles to coaching roles at other levels of hockey as well. Whether it's Kori Cheverie coaching the men's team at the Under-18 world championships, Christine Bumstead joining the Saskatchewan Huskies women's team in U SPORTS, or the foursome coaching unit that has Shanya Shwetz, Courtney Beierbach, Megan Goebel, and Jessie Olfert leading the Edmonton Junior Oilers U18 AAA women's team, more and more women are staying in sports in various capacities than ever before. That's very encouraging when it comes to the next generation of women who may look for other opportunities if they decide to hang up their skates.

This is why HBIC will always go out of its way for women's hockey - the people who make the game so good have such incredible stories about their careers, their decisions to stay in hockey, and some of the obstacles they overcame to get where they are. That's not to say that men don't face some of these same obstacles, but there was always that casual sexism that hung over the higher levels of professional men's hockey that never made sense, but I understood that women stop chasing the dream in past decades when it was evident that "the best candidate" meant "the best male candidate".

I am proud that Jenna Thompson joined The Hockey Show because she was an incredible addition to the show. I am proud that Kyleigh Palmer accepted the play-by-play position for hockey boradcasts because she became one of the best in the business at the U SPORTS level. I am proud that The Hockey Show will always be a place where women's achievements in hockey will not only be mentioned and discussed, but celebrated and welcomed whenever possible. And I'm proud that a number of people who read this blog and listen to the radio show appreciate our efforts to make women's hockey a normal part of any and all sports conversations.

For any and all women out there reading this, go after those dreams. Forget the naysayers. Kick down walls and barriers. Go get what you want most in this world. If it's on, in, or around a hockey rink, we'll talk about it on The Hockey Show and I'll probably mention it on HBIC. Manage a pro team. Coach a college program. Win a national championship. Whatever it is you want, nothing should stop you from reaching that goal.

Make no mistake about this fact: I'll always be a fan of women smashing through glass ceilings in all situations and sports. As you check off the achievements, ladies, I'll keep talking about your achievements. You certainly earned that celebration of your efforts in whatever you do!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!