4 the Legacy

Naomi Campbell, Staff Writer

For the last five years, four Cougars men’s hockey players have grown together, and as the season rapidly comes to a close, so too does their time at Mount Royal University, where they will leave a lasting legacy. Captain Kyle Walker, forwards Spencer Moe and Josh Tarzwell, and goaltender Riley Sims are all in the final chapter of their U SPORTS careers, donning navy blue for one last dance.

Half a decade ago, the four of them showed up to their first-ever practice with almost as much eagerness as nervousness. 

From playing junior hockey till their over-age year, coming to MRU was a no-brainer decision for all of them, and they wouldn’t have it any other way –– such was the case for Spencer Moe.

“I’m born and raised in Calgary, so it was a pretty easy decision,” Moe said. “Before the recruiting stage, I already knew I was gonna go to MRU. I was just hoping for Bert to give me a call at some point, but I already made that decision.”

Sims describes his career in one word as an example of where the guys started and grew from in their careers, but also the whole culture around the rink, on and off the ice. 

“​​Growth — as a whole culture, we’ve made some big steps,” Sims said. “That makes this group really proud, it’s not just the individual, like the whole team, even from the staff.”

As rookies, Moe, Walker, and Tarzwell all looked up to former Captain Tyson Helgesen. Known as the “epitome of what a Cougar’s athlete is,” Walker drew from his teachings often in his two years of wearing the ‘C’ on his chest.

“He was just so welcoming for all of us, and I think that’s something that I made sure to carry on throughout the years,” Walker said. “Making all the rookies feel welcome, and having them buy into our beliefs and our culture.”

As a rookie, Sims found two fellow Rileys to guide him in Morris and Lindgren. Morris’s goaltending experience and Lindgren’s off-ice behaviour shaped Sims’s habits as a player and a young man for the better, despite their short time together. 

“It was easy to look up to Riley Morris because when I came in as a goalie, he was the graduating goaltender. He and I got along very well on and off the ice, and he showed me a lot,” Sims said. “But the one guy that really helped me out, I would say, is Riley Lindgren. Just how he operated on a day-to-day basis, and we had a class together, so he led the way and showed me what the school aspect was all about.” 

MRU’s Josh Tarzwell ranks second on the team in points scored with 31, already
exceeding the career-high 29 he scored last season. Photo by Daniel Zappe

Some players hit breakout seasons in their collegiate careers, where they find an extra edge or show sudden and vast improvement in their style of play. Such was the case for Tarzwell, who, coming off of playing with the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League, was constantly battling injuries. He forwent his third year of U SPORTS eligibility in an attempt to get healthy again, and exploded in his fourth year with the team — and crucially, his first year playing a full season since joining MRU.

“For me, it wasn’t until my fourth year. I came out of junior injured and really didn’t deal with it”, Tarzwell said. “I then managed to play last year, which was my first full year that I played where I didn’t miss a game. But each year just keeps getting better and better.”

In the 2024-25 season, the men’s hockey team punched their ticket to the Canada West finals for the first time in program history. For all of them, winning game three in the semi-finals matchup against the University of Alberta was their favourite memory of their careers. Even though none of it truly worked out the way they wanted, they all held their heads high and are using it as motivation for one final push to the very top before they head their separate ways.

“The game against UofA last year, where we punched our ticket to nationals, that was a long time coming,” Sims said. “That was four years of work.”

Tarzwell’s goal in the series is permanently etched in the museum of captain Walker’s memory.

“I was leaning over my shin pads and I started crying, and I was like ‘finally.’ We finally did it for the program,” Walker said. “We didn’t even go for the flyby, all of us just hugged each other and on the bench guys were jumping up and down, it was just really special.”

It’s hard to describe such long and memorable careers through a short interview. If you haven’t gotten the chance to witness those years, there are still a couple games left of the season to catch a small glimpse of who these four men are. 

With the regular season coming to an end, they have clinched a playoff spot in Canada West, but before that, the boys will wrap it up with a wicked matchup on home ice against the University of Saskatchewan on Feb. 13 and 14. Their senior night will be celebrated on the Saturday before puck drop at 5 p.m. If you are unable to make it out, all games will be streamed live on CanadaWest TV.