U Sports men's ice hockey
| 200px | |
| Formerly | CIAU men's ice hockey, CIS men's ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | September 1, 1961 First Championship 1962–63 |
| No. of teams | 36 |
| Country | Canada |
| Most recent champion(s) | UNB Reds |
| Most titles | Alberta Golden Bears (16, 28% of 57 UCups) |
| TV partner(s) | Sportsnet TVA Sports |
| Official website | U Sports men's ice hockey |
U Sports men's ice hockey is the highest level of play at the university level under the auspices of U Sports, Canada's governing body for university sports. As these players compete at the university level, they are obligated to follow the rule of standard eligibility of five years.
University hockey teams in Canada compete in leagues as part of U Sports, the national governing body for Canadian university athletics (in Canadian English, the term "college" is reserved for schools that would be called "junior", "community", or "technical" colleges in the U.S. Such schools' athletics programs are overseen by the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association.) U Sports sponsors both men's and women's hockey. Like in the United States, teams compete in athletic conferences based on geographical locations of the schools. Unlike the NCAA the U Sports does not award players with athletic scholarships, resulting in a lack of divisional separation such as found between NCAA divisions. Individual conferences hold postseason tournaments, followed by the round-robin U Sports Championship tournament in late March.
Contents
History
The Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union was established in 1961 by Major W.J. McLeod, Athletic Director of the Royal Military College of Canada.[1][2] By the 1962-63 season, the CIAU had created a National Championship for their ice hockey playoffs: the David Johnston University Cup.
The first ever national championship was competed for in Kingston, Ontario between the UBC Thunderbirds and the McMaster Marlins. The Marlins won the game 3-2.
The CIAU had competition in Canadian post-secondary varsity hockey at a national level, but rivalries only existed on an exhibition basis. The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association, now Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association, held national championships between 1975 and 2001. At one time, seven conferences in the CCAA sanctioned hockey, but only two do today — the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference and the Quebec Student Sport Federation (now known by its French initialism of RSEQ).
In 1978, the governing body of the league changed its name to the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union. The body's name was changed in 2001 to Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and most recently in 2016, to the current U Sports.
The most successful team in U Sports history is the Alberta Golden Bears with 16 David Johnston University Cup titles, winning 28% of all championships awarded to date. This is followed by the Toronto Varsity Blues with 10 (last in 1984) and the UNB Reds with 8 (last in 2019). The reigning champions are the UNB Reds, who defeated the Alberta Golden Bears 4-2 in Lethbridge, Alberta in March 2019.
On August 12, 2016, Kori Cheverie was announced as an assistant coach for the Ryerson Rams men’s ice hockey team, making her the first female full-time assistant coach in U Sports men’s hockey history.[3]
The MacEwan Griffins and Trinity Western Spartans have joined the Canada West conference beginning with the 2020-21 season.[4][5] However, the Lethbridge Pronghorns announced the discontinuation of their hockey programs following the 2019-20 season due to budgetary constraints.[6]
Teams
Atlantic University Sport
- Acadia Axemen
- Dalhousie Tigers
- Moncton Aigles Bleus
- St. Francis Xavier X-Men
- Saint Mary's Huskies
- UNB Reds
- UPEI Panthers
Canada West Universities Athletic Association
- Alberta Golden Bears
- Calgary Dinos
- MacEwan Griffins
- Manitoba Bisons
- Mount Royal Cougars
- Regina Cougars
- Saskatchewan Huskies
- Trinity Western Spartans
- UBC Thunderbirds
Ontario University Athletics
East
- Carleton Ravens
- Concordia Stingers
- Laurentian Voyageurs
- McGill
- Nipissing Lakers
- Ottawa Gee-Gees
- Queen's Golden Gaels
- RMC Paladins
- UOIT Ridgebacks
- UQTR Patriotes
West
- Brock Badgers
- Guelph Gryphons
- Lakehead Thunderwolves
- Ryerson Rams
- Toronto Varsity Blues
- Waterloo Warriors
- Western Mustangs
- Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
- Windsor Lancers
- York Lions
Annual awards
The following are annual U Sports trophies and awards:[7]
- David Johnston University Cup - Awarded annually to the U Sports men's ice hockey champions
- Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy – Annual “Player of the Year” awarded to the most outstanding player in U Sports.
- U Sports Defenceman of the Year - Awarded annually to the most outstanding defenceman in U Sports.
- U Sports Goaltender of the Year – Awarded annually to the most outstanding goaltender in U Sports.
- Clare Drake Award - Annual "Rookie of the Year" award presented to "the most outstanding first-year player in U Sports who has exhibited exemplary skill and leadership".
- R.W. Pugh Award – Awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike player in U Sports.
- Dr. Randy Gregg Award - Awarded annually to reward excellence in the student-athlete. The player who receives this award has exhibited outstanding achievement in ice hockey, academics, and community involvement.
- Father George Kehoe Memorial Award – Coach of the Year award.
- U Sports All-Canadian Teams - Each year U Sports names a "First Team", "Second Team", and "All-Rookie Team".
Champions
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References
- ↑ Knowles 2000, p. 72.
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