'Tis The Season

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

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

Here is the legendary Paul Lukas' Irish Cream!

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

Notes

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

This Seems Like Poor Planning?

The Detroit Red Wings organization was in a bit of a goaltending bind on Friday night as one of their affiliates was left with only one goalie. The Grand Rapids Griffins announced that they had signed NAHL netminder CJ Kier to an amateur tryout contract after the Red Wings needed a goalie, an ECHL goalie got stuck, and Grand Rapids got stuck in the middle with only one netminder for their Friday night game. How did this happen, you ask? Well, it all started with the man above as Cam Talbot was the catalyst for this goaltending headache. Let's go through how everything unfolded on Friday in the crease.

Everything seemed to be fine when the day started as Cam Talbot was with the Red Wings, Jack Campbell was with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Carter Gylander was heading back to the Toledo Walleye, and CJ Kier was likely sitting at home in Parker, Colorado. As the day went on, the Red Wings announed that Cam Talbot would be unavailable for their Saturday game as they will be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs after re-aggravating a lower-body injury.

Due to this development, Ville Husso was the only goalie on Detroit's roster with Alex Lyon still injured, so they recalled goaltender Jack Campbell from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions to fill the void left by Talbot's injury. Campbell has been with the Griffins after completing his time in the NHL Player Assistance Program, and is sporting an 0-2-0 record with a 2.55 GAA and a .919 save percentage.

As Campbell was on his way to Detroit for the game on Saturday, Grand Rapids found themselves needing a goaltender with only Sebastian Cossa on available to stop pucks as they prepared for their game in Colorado Springs, Colorado against the Colorado Eagles. To solve that problem, they recalled Carter Gylander from the Toledo Walleye who had just been re-assigned to the Walleye one day earlier. Toledo, however, was in Coralville, Iowa to play the ECHL's Iowa Heartlanders, so Gylander needed a travel plan quickly.

Whatever solution he came up with didn't meet the required deadline as Grand Rapids posted the following message to their Twitter account around 7pm CT. Needing a goalie, the Griffins found one.

Gylander appeared to still be in transit as the Griffins were preparing to skate onto the ice in Colorado Springs for warm-up, so they had to put someone on the bench to back up Sebastian Cossa. That's where Parker, Colorado's CJ Kier stepped in as what would technically be an EBUG situation as he allowed the Griffins to have two dressed netminders available for the start of the game!

For those asking, CJ Kier is a 20 year-old American netminder who last suited up for the not-so-good NAHL Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks where was 2-7-0 with a 4.20 GAA and an .881 save percentage. The former El Paso Rhinos and Bismarck Bobcats goalie appears to have been at home when the Griffins called as Parker, Colorado is a suburb of Denver, and sits about an hour north of Colorado Springs. In 27 NAHL games with three teams, Kier sported a 6-15-0 record, a 3.92 GAA, and an .891 save percentage. Would he ever be an AHL starter? Probably not, but he is good enough to stop pucks on an emergency basis for the Griffins if called upon, it seems!

For the record, Kier wasn't called upon to stop pucks, and he never actually made it to the start of the game as Gylander did finally arrive to back up Cossa, but that's a pretty cool Friday night for CJ Kier. While it would have been fun to see him sitting on the bench, Gylander appeared to arrive in time for the start of the game as Kier didn't make the gamesheet tonight. Instead, he'd be treated to watching the game from the stands, possibly cheering on the Eagles as they downed the Griffins by a 4-2 score.

Far be it from me to question Steve Yzerman, but it occurred to me as I was putting all the moving pieces together that this whole mess likely could have been avoided had the Red Wings simply recalled Jack Campbell on Saturday morning rather than putting in the recall on Friday. Campbell would have still had lots of time to get himself ready if he flew into Detroit from Denver tomorrow, so why did the Red Wings force every other team with which their affiliated to jump through hoops for a game that's being played TOMORROW?

As you know, I don't make the rules, but Grand Rapids plays in Colorado Springs again tomorrow while Toledo moves from Coralville to Bloomington for a game against the Bison. Having the majority of a day to travel rather than a handful of hours would have made more sense to me, but I'm not in charge of travel planning for the Red Wings or their affiliates. It just seems like Jack Campbell's emergency recall caused emergencies throughout the organization when there was no need for Campbell to be in Detroit on Friday.

Whatever the case for doing it on Friday was, it seems that it allowed CJ Kier to get a taste of AHL hockey in the warmup skate prior to Friday's game between the Griffins and Eagles. If nothing else, that's a pretty cool opportunity for Kier even if he only got to watch the game from the stands rather than being on the bench.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 638

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back in the studio and on the airwaves tonight as our hosts get into another week that was filled with crazy and head-shaking stories from the world of hockey. It isn't often you get a week where outdoor games are being proposed for tropical environments, line brawls are happening in piles of toys, and less people watching is a good business strategy, but it seems those stories are part of the news this week. We'll dive into a little of all of that and more tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

There might be a few moments where you'll have the same reaction as Gordon Ramsay as Teebz and Jason discuss the Canadian 2025 FISU University Games rosters for the men and women, Utah getting closer to a brand, two OHL teams scrapping as teddy bears flew, a player who will play in the Spengler Cup, a team potentially moving in the QMJHL, a Jagr update, the PWHL with an odd business strategy, and an outdoor game in a place where ice is only found in drinks. It another busy show with a lot to go over, so settle in with a beverage because we're going to move quickly tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat international hockey, branding, brawling, moving, returning, cutting people off, playing under the sun, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: December 12, 2024: Episode 638

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Remembering Wayne

While a lot of arenas across the continent have some sort of corporate sponsorship attached to their names - Scotiabank Arena, Canada Life Center, and Rogers Center to name a few - the arenas in Canada West have largely remained the same as people who have been influential in or for those programs have been honoured with the arena's name. Some of those include Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton, Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary, and Wayne Fleming Arena in Winnipeg. It's this last rink that's named for the man pictured above, and I'm not sure a lot of people are aware just how important Wayne Fleming was to the Bisons men's hockey program before finding success at higher levels.

Wyane Fleming passed away on March 25, 2013 at the age of 62, so it's likely that the players who are skating on the ice today in the arena named for him are unaware of what he did for and at the University of Manitoba. While I don't usually like to bring up the memories of a man's death, reflecting on why the arena at the university was named for him is something that should be done at the start of every season for the Bisons hockey programs. I can't say whether that's done or not, but I have a feeling that it's not based on what I've seen so let's talk about him now.

The Winnipeg Free Press wrote up this article for its October 2, 2013 newspaper about the Bisons changing the name of the university rink.

As stated in the article, Wayne Fleming "played for the Bisons in 1970-73 and 1974-75 while receiving his physical education degree and certificate of education," so the soon-to-be NHL and Team Canada coach got himself started with a solid education. I've always stressed that the student part in student-athlete comes first because one's education will take one further in this journey called life, and Fleming was all-in on that part in earning his degree.

One year after graduating, however, Fleming was back at the University of Manitoba as an assistant coach "before taking over as head coach in 1980-87." During that time, Fleming led the Bisons to two Great Plains Athletic Conference championships in 1983 and 1984 while being named as the conference's best coach in both 1983 and 1985 and the CIAU's top bench boss in 1985. During his time as head coach, Fleming coached the Bisons to a 140-78-14 record in regular-season play, logging a solid .634 win percentage as the Bisons were often seen as a powerhouse in the west.

Under Fleming, players like Mike Ridley, Stu Grimson, George Maneluk, Vaughn Karpan, and Barry Trotz all went on to bigger and brighter lights. Ridley spent 12 seasons in the NHL with the Rangers, Capitals, Maple Leafs, and Canucks before retiring following a four-game skate with the IHL's Manitoba Moose in 1997-98. Ridley was the Great Plains Athletic Conference's MVP and the CIAU Player of the Year in 1984 when he scored 39 goals and 41 assists in 46 games, and his two seasons with the Manitoba Bisons would see him amass 68 goals and 79 assists in just 76 games.

Stu Grimson logged 14 seasons in the NHL, most notably with Chicago, Anaheim, Detroit, Hartford, and Nashville where he now works with the Predators after obtaining his law degree in 2005. He wasn't an offensive dynamo like Ridley, but Grimson's two seasons saw him score 15 goals and 12 assists in 41 games with the Bisons. Grimson's noted fearlessness helped him record 2113 PIMs in the NHL.

George Maneluk only spent four games in the NHL with the New York Islanders, but he was part of the 1990 AHL Springfield Indians' Calder Cup championship and the 1995 CHL Wichita Thunder's William Levins Memorial Cup championship. Maneluk played 20 minutes against the New Jersey Devils on October 23, 1990 in his debut, and he recorded his only win in the NHL in a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on October 26, 1990. Like his NHL record, Maneluk played just two games with the Bisons in 1985-86, going 1-1-0 in the net.

Vaughn Karpan represented Canada twice at the Olympic Winter Games. His first taste of Olympic action came at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics where Canada finished in fourth-place. His second trip to the Olympics were more memorable as he was on the ice in Calgary for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Canada would finish in fourth-place again, and Karpan recorded no points in his 14 Olympic contests while being used as a penalty-killer and checking forward. Two seasons with the Bisons saw Karpan score 36 goals and 34 assists in 42 games.

Barry Trotz likely needs no introduction, but he spent a long portion of his life coaching at various levels including being the head coach of the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders. He helped the 1994 Portland Pirates win the AHL's Calder Cup while being named as Coach of the Year, and he won the Stanley Cup in 2018 while coaching the Capitals. Trotz never saw his hockey career going higher than the minor leagues, so he joined the Bisons as an assistant coach in 1984 before becoming head coach in 1987 when Wayne Fleming left the program. The current GM of the Nashville Predators played one season for the Bisons, scoring six goals and 14 assists in 32 games in 1983-84.

While we often talk about the success that the Alberta Golden Bears have in sending players to higher levels, it seems the Bisons may have had their own pipeline to the NHL and the Olympics before the Golden Bears began their run of success. A lot of that success came from the recruiting and coaching that Wayne Fleming did nearly fifty years ago, and it's hard to argue that he wasn't successful on both fronts. Any coach who can sustain a .634 winning percentage over seven seasons as head coach is clearly doing something right.

While Fleming would find all sorts of success at the NHL and international levels after leaving the University of Manitoba, the Snowflake, Manitoba native was writing his name into the University of Manitoba record books long before he stepped behind an NHL bench. Because of his success both as a player and as a coach at the school, Fleming absolutely deserved to be honoured by his alma mater by having his name on the arena. If we're talking about legendary coaches like Clare Drake, Andy Murray, Dave Adolph, and Dave King who got their starts and found success in Canada West, Wayne Fleming absolutely needs to be in that group.

October 4, 2013 will be a day that should be memorialized with a plaque on the arena's wall because that was the day that the University of Manitoba arena was named correctly. Wayne Fleming put the Bisons men's hockey program on the map through the 1980s, and his pride in the team, the school, and the program should be instilled in every player who wears the Bisons logo on their chests.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Looking For A Repeat

It's probably not a secret that Team Canada will be a medal favorite in women's hockey when the 2025 FISU World University Games open in Torino, Italy on January 13. The reigning gold medalists from Lake Placid will be looking to defend their title, and it seems that Canada is sending another highly-skilled U SPORTS team to mount that title defence. If U SPORTS could hold an all-star game, the FISU team members named this year would likely all be invited to the event as the talent assembled for the trip to Italy is rather impressive. With all four conferences represented on the roster, let's take a look at the players who will take ten days off in pursuit of a FISU World University Games gold medal!

Before we jump into the players, though, let me say that being chosen to represent Canada at the FISU University Games means a lot to every player. It's recognition for the hard work they've put into becoming one of this country's best players, it's validation for the dedication they've had to both their education and their sport, and it's an honour to be chosen to wear the maple leaf on their chests. Make no mistake that these players have every right to be proud not only of being selected, but in being chosen to stand tall on the international stage for their country and peers.

In saying that, here is Team Canada's FISU women's hockey team!

Goaltenders

Kaitlyn Ross - Mount Royal Cougars (CW)
Grace Beer - Dalhousie Tigers (AUS)
Jordyn Verbeek - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)

There's no doubt that Canada's goaltending will be strong, but these three netminders are three of the best statistically that U SPORTS boasts this season. For readers of The Rundown, we're aware of Kaitlyn Ross's skill as the Mount Royal goalie as she's 8-1-2 this season with a 1.33 GAA and a .945 save percentage, but it's her career of stopping pucks that can't be overlooked. In her career, Ross has shown a knack for winning big games as she's 51-17-5 with a 1.47 GAA and a .932 save percentage, she was the fastest goalie in Canada West history to hit the 50-win mark, and she has a National Championship to her name.

I mentioned Dalhousie's Grace Beer on The Rundown this past weekend as she holds a 9-4-0 record, a 1.68 GAA, and a .956 save percentage as her stats have gotten better with each year through her first three years in the AUS. Concordia's Jordyn Verbeek is 18-1-0 in her U SPORTS career with a 1.33 GAA and a .919 save percentage, but she is a National Championship winner. If we're only looking at numbers, this may be one of Canada's best goalie trios to ever play at FISU, but these three netminders thrive on making every save. Canada won't have to worry about goaltending.

Defenders

Sophia Gaskell - UBC Thunderbirds (CW)
Alex Spence - Mount Royal Cougars (CW)
Alexandra-Anne Boyer - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
Mackenzie Keenan - UNB Reds (AUS)
Abigail MacKenzie - Saint Mary's Huskies (AUS)
Emma Potter - Toronto Varisty Blues (OUA)

This defence unit should scare other countries as they can skate, they can shoot, they have a little grittiness, and they'll shut down offensive chances by the handful. Readers of The Rundown know that Sophia Gaskell can score as her two goals and four assists are a solid total this season, but she had seven goals in each of the previous two seasons and totals of 22 and 18 points, respectively, in the last two seasons while only accumulating 12 PIMs in four seasons. Sophia's one of the offensive dynamos on a high-scoring UBC team, and Canada will need that from her in Italy.

The other defender that readers of The Rundown will know is Mount Royal's Alex Spence. Spence has shown some offensive flair with her five assists this season, but it's her defensive game that caught the eye of Team Canada's brass. Spence is very good at keeping forwards from scoring as she often has a stick in a lane, a body in front of a shot, or a player pinned along the wall. If Canada needs a shutdown pairing, expect Spence to be on it because she's one of the reasons that Mount Royal has only surrendered 1.5 goals-per-game.

Alexandra-Anne Boyer is one of the top-scoring defenders in the RSEQ with two goals and ten points, and she has National Championship experience. Mackenzie Keenan is the top-scoring defender in the AUS with three goals and 12 points while Abigail MacKenzie plays the game like Spence - four assists, lots of defence, and good offensive instincts. Emma Potter might the spark plug needed as the fiesty Toronto defender isn't afraid to go into corners, skate the puck out, and set up goals. I like the six players chosen to patrol Canada's blue line as they bring skill, speed, tenacity, and awareness.

Forwards

Aliya Jomha - Mount Royal Cougars (CW)
Sydney Mercier - Calgary Dinos (CW)
Madison Desmarais - Nipissing Lakers (OUA)
Malory Dominico - Nipissing Lakers (OUA)
Leah Herrfort - Waterloo Warriors (OUA)
Scout Watkins Southward - Toronto V. Blues (OUA)
Jaime Magoffin - Guelph Gryphons (OUA)
Emilie Lavoie - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
Emilie Lussier - Concordia Stingers (RSEQ)
Gabrielle Santerre - Bishop's Gaiters (RSEQ)
Ekaterina Pelowich - St. Thomas Tommies (AUS)
Erica Plourde - Moncton Blue Eagles (AUS)

There are likely 6-8 other women who could have been named to this team, and there wouldn't be any less skill or talent than there is above. For as deep as U SPORTS is, though, there are some exceptional scorers and leaders going to Italy in this forward group listed above. Readers of The Rundown know that I like Aliya Jomha's hustle, and that's reflected in her seven goals and 15 points this season while leading Canada West in game-winning goals. Jomha has shown she can put the puck in the net, but she doesn't cheat in the defensive zone. She's among this country's best 200-foot players.

Some may wonder about Calgary's Sydney Mercier being named to the team, but she plays a solid 200-foot game as well. She'll give you the hustle up and down the ice, she can score as she had 22 points in each of the last two seasons, and she's shown solid growth as a leader in each of her three seasons. Yes, her scoring may be down this season, but Mercier hasn't lost the hands or hustle that made her successful in years past.

The OUA is well-represented in the forward group. Nipissing's Malory Dominico is tied for fourth in OUA scoring with nine goals and 16 points while Leah Herrfort is tied for fifth in scoring with four goals and 15 points as two of the top-scorers, but Jaime Magoffin leads Guelph with two goals and nine points for some additional scoring. Madison Desmarais has two goals and nine points, but she plays a solid 200-foot game and wins face-offs. Scout Watkins Southward is a responsible defensive forward that has some offensive punch, and her motor never stops running.

The RSEQ trio are legitimately 1-2-3 in scoring as Emilie Lussier has 12 goals and 17 points, Gabrielle Santerre has four goals and 15 points, and Emilie Lavoie has eight goals and 14 points. If these three play on a line for Canada, they could be nearly unstoppable. Moncton's Erica Plourde is tied for top-spot in AUS scoring with nine goals and 17 points while St. Thomas's Ekaterina Pelowich is tied for second in scoring qith seven goals and 12 points. In short, Quebec and the Maritimes are bringing a ton of offence to Team Canada.

Coaches

Head Coach Kelly Paton of Wilfrid Laurier has assembled a solid roster that mixes offence with defence, and has a number of award-winners to boast. Santerre is the 2024 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year and U SPORTS Player of the Year, Sydney Mercier is the 2023 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, and Leah Herrfort was named as the 2023 OUA Player of the Year. There are seven National Champions, and two returning players who won a 2023 gol medal in Herrfort and Scout Watkins Southward. Needless to say, this is a decorated bunch of players who want to add more hardware to their résumés!

Kelly Paton is no stranger to coaching at the FISU Games as she has a gold medal from Canada's triumph in Lake Placid in 2023 and a silver medal from 2017 in Almaty, Kazakhstan where Canada fell to a semi-pro Russian team. She earned a BFL Women in Coaching Award last season with Wilfrid Laurier, and she was invited to participate as a guest coach at the Detroit Red Wings' rookie development camp. Needless to say, Paton's experiences will be called upon in Italy when it comes to Canada's success.

Paton will be joined behind the bench by Carleton University's Stacey Colarossi and Mount Allison University's Addie Miles-Abbott. Colarossi may be best known for being the Associate Head Coach for the Chinese Olympic Team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but she was previously the head coach for the Laurentian Voyageurs for nine seasons and has a silver medal from the 2019 FISU Games where she coached Canada to a second-place finish. Addie Miles-Abbott was still a Manitoba Bisons forward when she won a gold medal for Canada at the 2011 FISU Games in Erzurum, Turkey, and she's the current head coach of the Team New Brunswick U18 program. Much like the players, Canada's coaching staff is also well-decorated.

Schedule

For those wondering, the tournament will be played in the Palaghiaccio Tazzoli or "PalaTazzoli". It opened in 1970, seats 3000 people, and has a 60-foot by 30-foot ice surface. The eight countries featured in the tournament include Canada, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Japan, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Chinese Taipei and the United States. Canada will play in Pool A along with Slovakia, Great Britain, and Chinese Taipei. For those looking to watch games, FISU.tv will have the games live on its streams.

JANUARY 11: Canada vs. Chinese Taipei - 1pm CT
JANUARY 13: Great Britain vs. Canada - 6am CT
JANUARY 15: Canada vs. Slovakia - 1pm CT
JANUARY 18: 1st-Place Pool A vs 2nd-Place Pool B - 9am CT
JANUARY 20: gold medal game - 1pm CT

Yes, I'm being presumptuous in posting the 1-vs-2 game and the gold medal game, but I really feel that this team can bring home a second-straight gold medal from Italy. I like the make-up of this team, and I feel they have the right mix of scoring, defence, and goaltending to carry them into the gold medal game. Who they meet there is a tougher question, but Canada should be the class of Pool A if they play as well as the roster's potential shows.

We'll see if this squad can make it back-to-back gold medals at the FISU Winter Universiade when the tournament starts on January 11!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!