Cougars hockey teams returning with vengeance
Zafir Nagji, Sports Editor |
Hockey is more than just a sport in Canada; it’s a religion. And even though the Flames only have one Stanley Cup to their name, Calgarians eat, sleep, and breathe the good old hockey game. Cougars fans have been spoiled lately, as the women’s team brought home the 2022-23 USPORTS National Championship and the men’s team made its 10th consecutive playoff appearance in Canada West. So, as Mount Royal University’s hockey teams prepare for another gauntlet through the 2024-25 season, fans will have plenty of on-ice action to watch at the Flames Community Arena.
Women’s hockey
The Cougars women’s hockey team failed to win back-to-back USPORTS National Championships in the 2023-24 season, finishing third in the conference with 20 wins, seven losses, and one overtime loss. Despite losing in a tough three-game series to the University of Alberta at the Canada West semi-finals, the team continued to prove that they were one of the most intimidating forces in the conference. Championship DNA still courses through their veins and with the injection of young talent, the Cougars women’s hockey team is preparing to march on a warpath to a second national championship.
The gold medal run will go down in Cougar’s history. Entering the tournament eighth in the standings and with no conference championship to their name, MRU were serious underdogs and proved their doubters wrong. However, that turned them from hunters to being hunted, as opposing squads were now aware of the talent on the ice and leadership on the sidelines.
However, repeating as champions is difficult in any sport at any level, and the women’s hockey team found that out the hard way. After losing in the conference semifinals and missing out on the national competition, Rivett knew that going through adversity would help the team in the long haul.
“You can try and replicate some through practice and through different situations in the season, but the reality is you need a little bit of scar tissue,” Rivett said, “You need to go through those [things]. Those kids hadn’t been in those roles before and they needed to understand what it feels like to play those meaningful games… that little chip on the shoulders would actually help propel us for the next year.”
“I do think it was healthy for our group there. I’m a competitor. Our kids want to win. But I’m hopeful that that’s going to set the stage this year for an opportunity for us to have another deep run.”
This year’s roster features a litany of first and second-year players, meaning that their energy levels will be higher than ever. They are flanked by eight third-year players and numerous more in fourth and fifth years of eligibility, and that provides a unique strength for them this season.
“One of the things that we’ve seen is just how the team seems to be coming together, which always helps set the stage for your season, off the ice and on,” Rivett said. “The fact that we’ve been able to create as much depth in every position, hopefully, the strength of our group will be the depth of our group.”
As a result of these multiple levels of talent, Rivett and the team have lofty expectations going into the new season, aiming to light the conference up with their offensive onslaughts and goaltending greatness.
“As a team, [we] just [have to] be committed to play on the right side of the puck, to be strong defensively,” Rivett said. “We’ve got one of, if not the best goaltender in the country as our backbone. But she’s being pushed along the way too with some of our younger ones, so that’s certainly going to be a strength for our group this year. Hopefully, we can continue to demonstrate that we can grow from an offensive standpoint and figure our way out as we move along.”
However, the team refuses to back down from the pressure of those goals, choosing instead to take each game as an opportunity to progress as a group and put the big picture together in chasing their first conference championship and second national championship.
“We want to continue to grow and get an opportunity to play deep into the year and ultimately push for a national championship,” Rivett said, “But winning it back means trying to get a Canada West Championship, which we’ve never done before. We’ve got a lot standing in our way to be able to do that but, I think we’ve got a good group who’s certainly highly motivated in order to try and help us get there.”
With the season start date looming over them, Rivett believes the fans will be treated to an unbelievable season, insisting on the excitement waiting for them at Flames Community Arena.
“You know what? Whether it’s our program or men’s hockey it doesn’t matter which you’re showing up at Flames Community Arena,” Rivett said. “I think both programs established themselves as some of the top programs in the country.”
“Our programs continue to feed the pro ranks, whether it be over in Europe or hopefully, through the PWHL and names that you see in this rink with our team and others are names you’re going to see down the line on the pro side of things.”
The Cougars women’s hockey team open their season as they host the Trinity Western University Spartans at the Flames Community Arena on Oct. 4 at 7 P.M. All games stream live on Canada West TV.
Men’s Hockey
Semi-final losses are a dreaded but familiar sight for the men’s squad, who have yet to advance past that stage of the conference playoffs. They posted their best regular season record since joining Canada West and USPORTS in 2023-24 with 21 wins, six losses, and one overtime loss, good for the third-best record in the conference. The team made the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season but failed to break their conference semi-final curse, losing in a hard-fought two-game series to the University of Calgary Dinos.
It’s hard to call that run a disappointment by any measure, though, as head coach Bertrum Gilling puts it, as the team was underestimated before the season even began.
“There were really no expectations for us,” Gilling said. “We were the fourth youngest team in the country and the youngest team in Canada West,” said Gilling. “We were picked fifth in the preseason polls, but you could just tell early that there was a great vibe with our guys. They enjoyed being around each other. They love coming to the rink to work, and you go out on a little roll and and we just rode it.”
The team also had to say goodbye to seven players, including one of, if not the greatest, player in Cougars USPORTS history, Connor Blake. After the final game against the Dinos, Gilling had a moment with his boys in the locker room.
“It was a really nice group and this was one of the most fun years I’ve had coaching since I’ve been here,” Gilling said. “The guys left everything on the ice.”
“At that moment it was about recognizing our graduating player, Connor Blake, and just understanding that that’s the last time that that group would be together like that. To take a moment of appreciation in just saying, ‘thank you for all the dedication and the hours in the weight room, the hours and the practice ice, all the travel and, for being a part of it.’”
Going into the new season, the Cougars men’s team are in a great place. With a well-established and player-loved head coach, one of the best goaltenders in the country in Shane Farkas, nuclear offensive talents like Connor Bouchard, and a perfectly primed supporting cast, MRU has everything they need to make a run at Canada West and USPORTS titles. According to Farkas, who won 2023-24 USPORTS Goalie of the Year, it all starts with Gilling’s leadership from the sidelines.
“Bert really, truly cares for all of us as people, individuals, athletes and a team,” Farkas said. “I’ve been around sports for most of my life, and I don’t think I’ve seen many examples where I’ve seen a coach care as much as he does and put as much time and effort into the things that he does.”
“Everything that he does is with purpose and he’s honest with you. At the end of the day, that’s what you want. I think most of the guys in our room can take that and know that it’s not judgment. It’s constructive criticism. It’s a good balance and he always does the right thing for us,” said Farkas.
With seven players in the first year of eligibility, the combination of savvy veteran skaters and a composed coaching crew play perfectly when it comes to leading the rookies into battle. Those first-year players have much to learn and have already begun receiving advice from their senior teammates.
“Our approach is a little bit more like a country club vibe,” Farkas joked. “Most of the advice is just ‘don’t be afraid to ask questions. Be yourself. This is the first time in your life, in your hockey career where you are really living on your own and you probably have some more freedoms. So be happy. Be human. If you’re struggling, just reach out to us, but work hard every day.’”
With this composition of competitive components, the men’s team only has one thing on their mind— breaking the curse of conference semi-final eliminations and joining the women’s team in the championship corner.
“We know how important every single point is in the regular season,” Gilling said. “Yes, we’ve lost in the semifinal series.’ We haven’t made it past that, but we’ve never been at home for it either.”
“I want to break through. I want that moment. My guys want that. The players want it. But there’s a lot that goes into it. ”
The men’s cold and unforgiving path to greatness begins on the road as they face the Trinity Western University Spartans on Oct. 4. The home opener is set for the following week on Oct. 11 at the Flames Community Arena against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Farkas and the rest of the team expressed a strong desire to see Cougar fans flood the arena, but those that can’t come to games can catch every game on Canada West TV.
