The Rundown - All-Star Week

There are no games this week or for the next few weeks, so this gives me time on The Rundown to explore some other things. If there's one thing that I wish Canada West did, I wish they played an All-Star Game for deserving players who have had themselves great starts to their respective seasons. There would be time to do so after Christmas as all schools are closed, no classes are being taught, and players could congregate in one city for this event. None of the schools would want to pay for this, I'm sure, but it still would be a fun game where the best players could really show off their skills.

Each year prior to the divisional format that we're in this season, I'd choose two teams based on first-half performances. The two teams included the four Alberta-based teams known as "Team Rockies" versus the five remaining teams from BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba who were called "Team Surf-and-Turf". Every team was represented with at least one player, and there was always at least one rookie named to each squad. Six forwards, three defenders, and two netminders made up the teams so that there would be three lines of 3-on-3 hockey at this All-Star Extravaganza.

The format will remain the same, but we're reconfigure the player distribution by remaining under the East and West Divisions rather than lumping the four Alberta teams on one side and the remaining five on the other. Players that are chosen won't necessarily be the top scorers, but they will be the players who stood out on each of the teams in this writer's view. In saying that, though, let's look at who I chose for the Canada West All-Star Extravaganza!

• Grace Elliott (UBC) - leads the conference in scoring.
• Aliya Johma (MRU) - leads the Cougars in scoring.
• Brooklyn Anderson (CAL) - leads the Dinos in scoring.
• Olivia Leier (TWU) - leads the Spartans in scoring.
• Chanreet Bassi (UBC) - second on T-Birds in assists and points.
• April Klarenbach (CAL) - leads all rookies in scoring.**
• Summer Fomradas (MRU) - top defender scorer for MRU.
• Kasey Ditner (TWU) - Spartans' top-scoring defender.
• Jaylyn Morris (UBC) - leads all defenders in scoring.
• Kaitlyn Ross (MRU) - second in wins; backbone of MRU team.
• Elise Hugens (UBC) - most wins; .773 win% all-time.

There should be no surprises here as the top three scorers in the conference in Elliott, Bassi, and Jomha all find their way onto this All-Star team. Olivia Leier led Trinity Western up the standings, Brooklyn Anderson leads the Dinos in goals, and April Klarenbach is the top-scoring rookie so far. Each of the defenders spark the offence from the blue line for their teams, and both Ross and Hugens have been nearly unbeatable all season. This squad will have no problem lighting the lamp as it may be one of the most offensively-gifted teams ever assembled with two outstanding goalies to stop pucks.

• Paige Hubbard (REG) - leads the Cougars in scoring.
• Norah Collins (MAN) - leads the Bisons in goals, 2nd-overall.
• Maia Ehmann (ALB) - leads the Pandas in scoring.
• Kori Paterson (MAC) - leads the Griffins in scoring.
• Jayde Cadieux (SAS) - leads the Huskies in scoring.
• Aimee Patrick (MAN) - leads the Bisons in scoring.
• Sara Kazeil (ALB) - top defender scorer for Alberta.
• Kendra Zuchotzki (SAS) - Huskies' top-scoring defender.
• Jules Stokes (REG) - leads all rookie defenders in scoring.**
• Grace Glover (ALB) - the only goalie with a sub-1.00 GAA.
• Natalie Williamson (REG) - 1.10 GAA and a .960 sv%.

While the East team may have less points collectively than the West team, there's no doubt that this team can find the back of the net with regularity as well. Hubbard is tied for fifth-overall with six goals, Collins has been lighting the lamp regularly, Patrick has been good both scoring and setting up goals, and Maia Ehmann has five goals. Paterson has shown good play-making skills with a MacEwan team struggling to score while Cadieux has been solid all season at both ends of the ice. Kazeil, Zuchotzki, and Stokes have been jumping into the offensive side of the game while playing strong defence, and both Glover and Williamson have shut down scorers all season long. This squad would be fun to watch.

Thoughts on these selections? Any you'd change? Personally, there were a handful of players who just missed the cut for various reasons, but they would have been good choices as well. In the end, these are the players I'd send to a Canada West All-Star Extravaganza, and I think that the game and the skills competition would be fun!

Award Winners?

Yes, I'm very aware that there are a few winners of Canada West awards for outstanding seasons, so let's expand that opportunity and name a few players who likely could end up winning NHL Awards with the seasons they're having to this point.

• "Rocket" Richard Trophy: Grace Elliott (UBC). She may be unstoppable at times, but she has only scored two-or-more goals once this season. Her consistent play may fetch her 20 goals this season. She's currently one off her career-best of 13.
• Vezina Trophy: Kaitlyn Ross (ALB). She's second in wins and is top-five for all other major statistics. She has played every meaningful game for Mount Royal, but has allowed less goals and made more saves than her closest competitor.
• Calder Trophy: Jules Stokes (REG). This was the toughest vote for me, but Stokes gets the nod for playing in all situations while being the top-scoring rookie defender.
• Norris Trophy: Jaylyn Morris (UBC). Last season's pick for Rookie of the Year continues her solid play as the top-scoring defender in all situations. She has two GWG this season.
• Jack Adams Trophy: Brandy West-McMaster (REG). Did anyone have Regina at 20 points at the December break? Regina finds ways to record points, and it shows in the standings.
• Hart Trophy: Grace Elliott (UBC). Elliott has been on some kind of tear this season as she's using her size, skating, and hands to decimate opponents. She holds a ten-point lead over second-place in scoring, and it doesn't seem like anyone will close that gap. She has been the best player thus far.

I'll be completely transparent here and say that the Calder Trophy could be won by others as April Klarenbach could have a big second-half if the Dinos find their game again while players like Seanna Price in Manitoba and Dara Thompson with Mount Royal have scored at better rates than any of the rookie leaders. Stokes has helped Regina to a playoff spot with her play, though, and that's the wild card here.

The Vezina Trophy race could be tighter as it's Ross and UBC's Elise Hugens who are neck-and-neck, but Alberta's Grace Glover and Regina's Natalie Williamson need to play more to jump into the conversation while TWU's Kate Fawcett has to win against the better teams to add her name into the debate. Ross has been a difference-maker for Mount Royal, but the January 10 and 11 games against UBC could push Hugens ahead of Ross depending on the results.

Ontario Contenders

Being that the OUA is still airing games for free, it's a lot easier to see these teams play than other conferences. That being said, there are six teams that look like they could challenge for the OUA banner this season. Let's take a look at who's playing well in Ontario.

The Nipissing Lakers hit the December break as the top team in the OUA both in points and statistically. They are tied for most goals-for, they are tied for least goals-against, they have the best goal differential, they have three players with 15-or-more points, they have the top goaltender in terms of GAA, save percentage, and shutouts. Nipissing has won games at the National Championship before, but this might be the best team that head coach Darren Turcotte has assembled to date.

The other team that looks like a serious contender already has a spot at the National Championship booked as the Waterloo Warriors are hosting. Waterloo sits a point back of Nipissing, is second in goal differential, is tied for scoring the most goals in the conference, has balanced scoring, and Kara Mark has the third-best GAA and save percentage. After seeing them in person, Waterloo didn't look as polished as I thought they may be, but one game is hardly a solid sample size. Clearly, they're winning often in their own conference, and they could be a threat to win the Golden Path Trophy.

The Ottawa Gee-Gees are quietly putting together a solid campaign as they have the third-most goals-for and third-best goal differential. They have the conference's top scorer in Arianne Gagnon and four more players with 12-or-more points. Mireille Kingsley gives them solid goaltending with a 1.87 GAA and a .935 save percentage, but Ottawa's losses have come to Toronto, Guelph, Waterloo, and Nipissing - teams they'll have to beat in the playoffs. Ottawa looks like a threat, but they have to beat the good teams as well.

The Guelph Gryphons are among the OUA's best once more, and they're paced by the goaltending of Martina Fedel as she's second in GAA, save percentage, and shutouts. Guelph doesn't score a lot as they're tied for eighth-best goals-for in the 14-team conference, but they are tied for the least goals-against as well. Their goal differential won't wow anyone, and Jamie Magoffin leads the team with nine points - tied for 11th-highest in the conference. Guelph will rely heavily on goaltending as they push for a spot at the National Championship, but that may also be their downfall if they fall behind.

Both Toronto and Windsor are in virtually the same spots in the two divisions, and both have statistically similar numbers. Where they differ is that Windsor's goaltending is significantly better as Rebecca Noble and Chantal Petitclerc split games whereas Toronto's Lyla MacKinnon plays almost every game. The Windsor tandem has better numbers overall comparatively, so they could be better off if defence wins championships. However, Windsor doesn't score a lot either as no player has more than four goals, but that distribution is more balanced than Toronto. The Varsity Blues do have Alli McKeown with seven goals, but things drop off after the Delahey sisters. In short, Toronto and Windsor could challenge, but they seem to be long shots when compared to the four teams above.

Four-Team Conference

The RSEQ still somehow gets two National Championship spots despite only having four teams, so I'll point out how ridiculous it is that a Quebec-based team needs to win one playoff round to go to Nationals. That being said, there's one team who is a lock unless something goes dramatically wrong while two others will battle in their annual playoff series.

Concordia is the class of the four-team circuit as they have an 11-0 record, and only Bishop's seems to be able to give them a competitive game. Bishop's is 0-4 against Concordia, but they did get a point in an overtime loss. However, Concordia appears to be a lock to defend their championship in Kitchener-Waterloo at this point.

Bishop's and Montreal are separated by one point in the standings, but Montreal holds a 2-1-1 edge in the head-to-head with Bishop's. Bishop's can score and have shown that against Concordia whereas Montreal has been blown out by the Stingers in a couple of games. That being said, whatever Montreal does against Bishop's seems to work, so goal differential may be deceiving despite Bishop's have excellent scoring. This playoff series may come down to defence and goaltending, and Bishop's Erika Gagnon holds the statistical edge over the Montreal tandem of Maude Desroches and Élissa Jean.

It would seem that, based on what the RSEQ is giving us, one of Bishop's and Montreal will join Concordia at Nationals this season unless the McGill Martlets can figure out a way to shock the hockey world and upset the Stingers.

Representing The Country

Congratulations to all the players who were named to the 2025 FISU Team Canada women's hockey team this past week! Canada appears to be taking another powerhouse team to the tournament being held in Torino, Italy, and that could mean a second-straight gold medal finish for the team if they play to their potential.

Specifically, I want to highlight Mount Royal's Aliya Jomha, Alex Spence, and Kaitlyn Ross, UBC's Sophia Gaskell, and Calgary's Sydney Mercier on their selections for the team, and I'll be watching as they look to replicate Canada's success in Lake Placid in 2023. These five players have shown they're among Canada's best, and they often appear here on The Rundown as some of Canada West's top performers week-in and week-out.

We all cheer for the maple leaf, so fans can put team allegiances aside when it comes to cheering on Canada. No matter what colour of medal Canada comes home with, these women should be proud of their selections to represent the country. Cheer them on via FISU.tv as they look to win Canada's second-straight gold medal!

The Path Walked

Next week, I'll have updates on all the former Canada West players who have gone off to play professionally somewhere on the globe. Whether it be here in North America, Sweden, Switzerland, China, Russia, or anywhere else, next week is all about getting caught up with players who walked the path that the current teams are following. If you're wondering where a player landed or how well they may be doing with their new team, I'll have that update next week here on The Rundown! Don't miss this one!

The Last Word

I don't have much for this one other than I hope exams are going well for everyone writing them. I hope the holiday shopping and festivities have been fruitful. And, if you're travelling to get home this month, I hope your travels are safe and efficient so get as much time to spend with the people you love.

We're ten days from Christmas, so be merry, give everyone a little more benefit of the doubt, and smile often. Most of all, enjoy the break in whatever form it takes for you, and we'll reconvene next week for another installment of The Rundown!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

'Tis The Season

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

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

Here is the legendary Paul Lukas' Irish Cream!

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

Notes

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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!