Eight of the best hockey teams in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) will travel to Halifax in pursuit of the University Cup this weekend. The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team will be looking to win their first ever national championship, but they’ll have to take down some strong teams along the way if they wish to cement themselves in the history books. Here is a preview of what to pay attention to when university hockey converges in Halifax.
Atlantic University Sport (AUS):
St. Francis Xavier (St. FX) X-Men—AUS conference champions. Ranked 3rd.
Regular season record: 18-6-4
Playoff record: 4-0
The X-Men are led by Eric Locke, the AUS MVP and former Buffalo Sabres draft pick. Locke leads his team in scoring with 35 points and has been a point-a-game player since joining the CIS last year. On the back end of St. FX, a pair of players earned Second Team All-Star accolades at the end of the season. Defenceman Nathan Chiarlitti was +14 through the season and put up 15 points along the way. Meanwhile, goaltender Drew Owsley won 16 games for the X-Men, which tied for a season high in the AUS.
University of New Brunswick (UNB) Varsity Reds—AUS Finalists. Ranked 5th.
Regular season record: 23-3-2
Playoff record: 3-2
UNB will be one of the more physical teams at the tournament. In the regular season they racked up 720 penalty minutes in 28 games, over 100 more minutes than the next closest team in the CIS. Despite being on the penalty kill so often, the team still has a strong defence. Their goals-against-average of 2.18 is only topped by Carleton. Goaltending is the strongest position for the Varsity Reds. Etienne Marcoux posted a stellar record of 16-2-0 to go with his goals-against-average of 2.11 and his save percentage of 0.918%. Rookie Alex Dubeau has also fared well in net this season with a record of 7-3. He previously won a Memorial Cup with the Shawinigan Cataractes and the experience could become useful in Halifax.
Saint Mary’s Huskies—Host. Ranked 8th.
Regular season record: 17-8-3
Playoff record: 3-3
Stephen MacAulay scored 11 more points than any other Husky this season. He stood out with 13 goals and 21 assists in 28 games. MacAulay also has plenty of experience in high pressure hockey games. He won a Memorial Cup with Carleton’s Jason Seed and the Saint John Sea Dogs back in 2011, and played pro hockey with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Wheeling Nailers briefly before heading for the CIS. One thing to watch with the host Huskies is their power play. They had the second most power play opportunities in the CIS this season and buried 31 goals on the man advantage. It will be important to stay disciplined against this team.
Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA):
Saskatchewan Huskies—CWUAA Champions. Ranked 2nd.
Regular season record: 22-6-0
Playoff record: 4-0
It’s been quite the year for rookies in Saskatchewan. Kohl Bauml, Levi Cable, and Andrew Johnson have contributed quite a bit of offence for the Huskies in their first CIS season. Bauml was recognized for his outstanding season by being named the CWUAA rookie of the year, as well as a member of the All-Rookie Team, alongside Cable. When playing against Saskatchewan, it’s best not to try and pressure for a goal while on the penalty kill. The Huskies never surrendered a short-handed goal all season, but they did score seven short-handed themselves—the most in the CIS. In net, the Huskies have Jordon Cooke, the CWUAA goaltender of the year. He posted a record of 19-5-2 in his second season in the CIS, and first as a starter.
Alberta Golden Bears—CWUAA Finalists. Ranked 6th.
Regular season record: 19-7-2
Playoff record: 2-2
The Alberta Golden Bears will arrive in Halifax looking to win their third consecutive University Cup. In order to defeat the Golden Bears, opposing teams will have to execute their special teams to perfection. Alberta boasted the best power play in the nation during the regular season as well as the best penalty kill. The Golden Bears are led upfront by CWUAA First-Team All-Star Jordan Hickmott, who has scored 172 in 140 games throughout his five seasons at Alberta and will wrap up his CIS career in Halifax this week. The defence is lead by CWUAA Outstanding Defenceman Jordan Rowley. The former Prince Albert Raiders captain will also wrap up his stellar CIS career this week. Although this team is ranked sixth, don’t underestimate them at all—they have plenty of experience and could take home another Cup.
Ontario University Athletics (OUA):
UQTR Patriotes—OUA Champions. Ranked 1st.
Regular season record: 24-3-1
Playoff record: 7-0
The Patriotes are undoubtedly the favourites at this tournament. The team features the most potent offence in the nation, and are led by CIS scoring champion Guillaume Asselin. The team also has plenty of secondary scoring options such as Tommy Giroux. He was quiet through the first two rounds of the OUA playoffs, only registering an assist in four games, but he woke up in the series against Carleton and lit up the Ravens with four goals in two games. In net, the Patriotes have Sebastien Auger, a small rookie goaltender who wrapped up his QMJHL career with the Saint John Sea Dogs last year. Auger had a terrific first season, finishing with a record of 23-4-1 and a save percentage of 0.927. He was even named to the OUA East Second-Team All-Stars. No team can take the Patriotes lightly—Western held a two-goal lead twice in the OUA final, but eventually fell in overtime.
Western Mustangs—OUA Finalist. Ranked 4th.
Regular season record: 18-10
Playoff record: 6-3
The Mustangs don’t excel in any particular team stat, but are solid in most of them. They don’t have a go-to goal scorer either, they rely on scoring by committee. In the regular season, eight players registered at least fifteen points although no one scored more than ten goals. In the playoffs, the rookies led the way as Andrew Goldberg, Cody Brown, and Spenser Cobbold combined for 26 points in nine games to lead the team all the way to the OUA silver. In the regular season, Peter Delmas and Greg Dodds split duties in goal, although the latter earned the majority of the starts in the playoffs.
Carleton Ravens—OUA Bronze Medalists. Ranked 7th.
Regular season record: 20-7-1
Playoff record: 5-2
The Ravens’ biggest asset is their depth. They have plenty of offensive assets, such as their top line of Brett Welychka, Ryan Van Stralen, and Mike McNamee, along with secondary scorers such as Joey West and Mitch Zion. Despite the high octane offence of the Ravens, defence could very well lead them to the championship. They allow the least amount of goals a game, at 2.15, and feature strong, gritty defenders such as Jeremie Fraser. The toughest choice for Ravens head coach Marty Johnston will be who to start in goal. Both Patrick Killeen and Francis Dupuis have had admirable seasons in their final year of eligibility. After splitting starts throughout the regular season, Dupuis took the reigns in the playoffs, although Killeen earned the win in the bronze medal game. Whoever starts in game one on Thursday, March 17, the Ravens will be confident playing in front of them.
