2025-26 Manitoba Bisons/CW Hockey

March 4-5, 2026: OUT-OF-TOWN SCOREBOARD

OUA

U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 3
QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS 5
(Queen’s leads series 1-0)

This one was played on Wednesday, hosted by Queen’s. UQTR gets the next two games at home. Queen’s has beaten McGill and Concordia, so they’re going for the Quebec hat-trick here.

WINDSOR LANCERS 2
TORONTO METROPOLITAN BOLD 1
(in double overtime)
(Windsor leads series 1-0)

This was a bit of a marathon at the former Maple Leaf Gardens. Windsor gets to host the rest of the series. Oddly, there are no Friday night games this weekend in the OUA.

Next Up:
Sat Mar 07 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Sun Mar 08 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 4:00 EDT/3:00 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 08 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

BCIHL

SIMON FRASER RED LEAFS 6
OKANAGAN LAKERS 2
(SFU advance to quarter-finals, Okanagan eliminated)

The Lakers outshot SFU 45-22 yet lost by lots. They had a bit of a tailspin this year.

Next Up:
Fri Mar 06 Game 2 – Vancouver Island v Victoria 11:30am PST/1:30 CS T
Fri Mar 06 Game 3 – Simon Fraser v Logan Lake 3:00 PST/5:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Game 4 – Loser of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 3 3:00 PST/5:00 CST
Sun Mar 08 Game 5 – Winner of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 4 3:00 PDT/5:00 CDT

Non-Conference Games
Thu Mar 05 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) 1 Michigan 8

This likely brings to an end the SFU experiment with independent scheduling. Personally, I’d like to see the team revived in a usual CWUAA format some time in the future. BTW, Michigan is currently #1 in NCAA rankings.

March 4, 2026: NEWS UPDATE, AUS FINAL SET

There is a pre-preview because the OUA division final begins tonight, and the AUS finished their semi-final round on a Tuesday. The regular preview is tomorrow for the CW, ACAC, and BCIHL.

Captain Jonny Hooker turned pro with the Tulsa Oilers (ECHL) and was briefly loaned to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. He’s back in Tulsa and scored his first two professional goals in a 2-0 win.

Link:
➤ Instagram: Video

OUT EAST

OUA
Wed Mar 04 U.Q.T.R. at Queen’s 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Thu Mar 05 Windsor at Toronto Metropolitan 6:15 EST/5:15 CST
Sat Mar 07 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Sun Mar 08 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 4:00 EDT/3:00 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 08 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

AUS

NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 2
U.P.E.I. PANTHERS 1
(in overtime)
(UNB wins series 3-0)

While this was a sweep, at least UPEI went down with a fight. The stats look to be pretty even.

MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 3
ACADIA AXEMEN 1
(Moncton wins series 3-0)

The Rajin Cajuns kinda fell apart this year. They looked to be a good bet to be at the nationals, yet here they are with 3-straight losses.

Next up:

Sun Mar 08 Moncton at New Brunswick 4:00 ADT/2:00 CDT
Tue Mar 10 New Brunswick at Moncton 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Thu Mar 12 Moncton at New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT *if necessary

March 1, 2026: BLUEGARS ADVANCE

CALGARY DINOSAURS 1
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 2
(MRU wins series 2-1)

Quick Summary
Calg: P. Bocharov (13:10 1st)
MRU: J. Lies (08:15 2nd) , J. Wiens (05:24 3rd)
Goal: Calg: Tetachuk (38 shots, 36 saves), MRU: Farkas (19 shots, 18 saves)

This was a real nip-and-tuck battle, but the Bluegars controlled the play throughout. The Dinos took the lead with the only goal of the 1st period. That one was contrary to the flow of play. The Bluegars did control the 2nd and 3rd periods by wide margins (shots of 12-4 and 11-6 respectively), but their only two goals were on the powerplay (2-for-6 on the night). While the Dinos were capable of an upset in this series, it was pretty clear that the Bluegars were a level above.

Now Mount Royal will host their first ever CW Championship Series against Saskatchewan. Of note, in the regular season the Bluegars swept UBC, Calgary, and Saskatchewan the last time they played each of them.

SUNDAY MORNING LINKS

While the UofS website uploaded a game story on Saturday night, Huskie Fan and UBC both waited until the wee hours of Sunday morning. So here are the links now.

NEXT UP

Fri Mar 06 Saskatchewan at Mount Royal TBA

WOMEN’S SPECIAL REPORT

MANITOBA BISONS 6
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 1
(Manitoba wins series 2-1)

Quick Summary
Man: J. Bird (05:22 1st) , K. Huibers (13:18 1st) , S. Heidinger (17:12 2nd) , N. Collins (18:10 3rd) , J. Haner (18:36 3rd) , D. Goertzen (19:48 3rd)
MRU: S. Fomradas (14:38 3rd)
Goal: Man: Shippam (18 shots, 17 saves), MRU: Anderson (26 shots, 21 saves)

This is a surprise victory for the Bison Broads! They started the season 1-7-4 and nobody was thinking playoffs. They squeaked in, and last weekend travelled to Edmontown where they beat the Fat Pandas. This weekend, it was off to Cowtown to beat the Bluegars. They opened with a 2-1 loss, followed by a 3-1 win. This one was closer than the scoreboard would suggest. With a 3-1 lead, they registered a late empty-netter to make it 4-1 then added a couple more for good measure. The defence was the story here, as they allowed just 52 shots in 3 games.

MRU has been nationally ranked all year, and only UBC finished ahead of them. Can the Bison Broads waltz into British California and win another series on the road? Either way, they have secured a berth in the nationals.

Also, in volleyball news, both Manitoba squads were off to British California and both series went to a 3rd and deciding match. The women’s team (defending national champs) lost to Thompson Rivers, and are eliminated. The men’s team beat UBC-Okanagan, thus qualifying for the CW Final Four Tournament next weekend. Of note UBCO won on Friday and led 2 sets to none on Saturday. The Bisons came storming back to win 3-straight sets and force today’s decider, which they won 3-1. BTW, Winnipeg lost to Alberta in two straight. UBC and Holy Trinity also qualified for the Final Four.

OUT EAST

OUA

BROCK BADGERS 1
TORONTO METROPOLITAN BOLD 2
(TMU wins series 2-1)

Brock’s surprising run turned into a pumpkin on Sunday. They outshot The Bald 32-20, but were trailing for most of it. They were down 2-0 12 minutes into the 3rd before they finally scored. So, in the end, the OUA West final will be between the top two teams from the regular season, with TMU at Windsor likely on Wednesday. In any event, three of the four survivors will qualify for the U-Cup.

Next Up:
TBD Queen’s at U.Q.T.R.
TBD Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor

OUT WEST

ACAC

BRIERCREST CLIPPERS 3
PORTAGE VOYAGEURS 7
(Portage wins series 2-1)

With all the marbles on the line in this game three, they said “screw defence” and shots were 49-47 in favour of Portage. Briercrest led 2-1 after the 1st, and Portage led 4-3 after the 2nd. Portage has got to be everybody’s favourite underdog. They have not played in the playoffs since 2014 (a 3-game loss to Augustana) and in 2020 went 0-26-2. They have never had a winning record since the program started in 2008-09. Lac La Biche must be a happy town! I looked up the facilities. Their hockey arena holds 1,000 fans. It sounds great for a small place which covers college and community uses.

The Lac La Biche, Bold Center is home to the Portage College Voyageur Hockey, Curling, Soccer & Futsal Teams. The Bold Center is a 250,000 Sq foot Recreation Facility built by the County. The facility includes a twin ice arena, curling rink, two indoor field houses, running track, fitness & wellness center plus much more. The Bold Center’s outdoor facilites include a natural grass soccer pitch, a 400 m track with an artificial turf football & soccer pitch infield, three baseball diamonds and outdoor tennis and basketball courts.

Next Up:
Fri Mar 06 Portage College at Red Deer Poly TBA
Fri Mar 06 N.A.I.T. at S.A.I.T. TBA

February 27, 2026: MRU & SASK ON TRACK FOR FINALS, OUA GETS TWO MORE SWEEPS

CWUAA: https://men.canadawest.hockeytech.com/stats/schedule

CALGARY DINOSAURS 2
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 6
(MRU leads series 1-0)

Quick Summary
Calg: J. Poole (15:15 1st) , S. Strange (18:52 2nd)
MRU: T. Komzak (05:29 1st) , M. Ladyman (16:39 1st) , B. Stevenson (01:17 2nd) , T. Patton (09:12 2nd) , V. Watterodt (17:24 3rd) , J. Tarzwell (19:21 3rd)
Goal: Calg: Tetachuk (27 shots, 23 saves), MRU: Farkas (24 shots, 22 saves)

The Bluegars came out strong from the opening faceoff and looked like they could run the Dinos out of the rink. In the 1st period the shots were 13-5 but the score was just 2-1 for MRU. The Bluegars built up a 4-1 lead in the 2nd period, but Bedrock U would not give up. The scoreline is a bit misleading because MRU had two empty-net goals at the end of the 3rd.

Also, this game was a sell-out, albeit at the tiny Flames Community Arena which only holds 500 people.

SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES 3
U.B.C. THUNDERBIRDS 2
(Sask leads series 1-0)

Quick Summary
Sask: C. Roulette (12:54 2nd) , C. Roulette (02:15 3rd) , E. Regnier (07:54 3rd)
UBC: C. Douglas (09:49 3rd) , S. Atkinson (16:37 3rd)
Goal: Sask: Maier (33 shots, 31 saves), UBC: Mirwald (22 shots, 19 saves)

This was a really good game. It started at the same time as the Jets v Ducks game, so it was my second game. The Banjo-Mutts built a 3-0 lead but two goals in the last half of the 3rd period made for a tense ending. I expect that every game in this series will be tight, and no result would surprise me.

NEXT UP

Sat Feb 28 Calgary at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Saskatchewan at UBC 7:00 PST/9:00 CST
Sun Mar 1 Calgary at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/8:00 CST *if necessary
Sun Mar 1 Saskatchewan at UBC 7:00 PST/9:00 CST *if necessary

OUT EAST

OUA:
U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 5
OTTAWA GEEGEES 1
(UQTR wins series 2-0)

Last year, the Gee Gees were a surprise national champ as host team. This was no surprise to me. UQTR is the perennial powerhouse in the OUA.

CONCORDIA STINGERS 1
QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS 2
(Queen’s wins series 2-0)

With series wins over McGill and now Concordia, Queen’s can go for the Quebec Triple Crown in the OUA East final against UQTR. That seemed highly unlikely a couple of weeks ago. This means that all three OUA series in which two games have been played were sweeps.

Next Up:
Sat Feb 28 Toronto Metropolitan at Brock 4:00 EST/3:00 CST
Sun Mar 01 Brock at Toronto Metropolitan 6:15 EST/5:15 CST *if necessary

AUS

U.P.E.I. PANTHERS 1
NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 4
(UNB leads series 1-0)

Looks like a bit of a yawner, by the stats at least. The Squirrels are coasting now. I can now make my annual rant against the AUS playing a best-of-five semi-final round. Five games in 8 days is absolutely ridiculous for student athletes.

ACADIA AXEMEN 1
MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 3

The Cajuns outshot the Eggs 27-19, so a potential reversal in game 2 is a possibility.

Next Up:
Sat Feb 28 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Tue Mar 03 New Brunswick at U.P.E.I. 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Tue Mar 03 Moncton at Acadia 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Wed Mar 04 New Brunswick at U.P.E.I. 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Wed Mar 04 Moncton at Acadia 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Fri Mar 06 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Fri Mar 06 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary

OUT WEST

ACAC

CONCORDIA-EDMONTON THUNDER 2
N.A.I.T. OOKS 3
(in overtime)
(NAIT leads series 1-0)

This is the ACAC’s version of the Battle of Edmontown. NAIT was in the big pile of five teams (after Red Deer Poly and SAIT) until they had a late-season surge to be comfortable in 3rd place. The goaltenders must have been sharp. The shots were 38-35 favouring the Ooks.

BRIERCREST CLIPPERS 9
PORTAGE VOYAGEURS 1
(Briercrest leads series 1-0)

This series should be a toss-up, so the margin shocks me. The Voyageurs held a 17-6 lead on the shot clock after one period, yet trailed 1-0. Then it was all Briercrest. They scored five goals in the 2nd period and the route was on. These teams were at one time the doormats of the ACAC. Briercrest turned around their program a few years ago, and this is Portage’s first playoff series in a long time. It would be nice if it were to go three games.

BCIHL
Fri Feb 27 Simon Fraser 1 Victoria 4
Fri Feb 27 Okanagan 4 Logan Lake 3
Sat Feb 28 Simon Fraser at Vancouver Island 7:15 PST
Sat Feb 28 Logan Lake at Okanagan 5:30 PST
(end of regular season)

Non-Conference Games
Fri Feb 27 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) 3 Stonehill College 9
Sat Feb 28 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) at Stonehill College 7:00 EST/6:00 CST

BCIHL NEWS

Simon Fraser is in the news on two fronts. The good news … they are hosting the BCIHL championship tournament starting March 5th. The bad news … their touring independent NCAA2 team is folding due to the request by the school to enter the CW, and the decision of school admins to ditch the team. Here’s a quote from the announcement by the Burnaby Mountain Hockey Alumni Society, which sponsored the independent team project:

As a club, 100% of the SFU Hockey operating budget is funded independent of institutional funding. …

When SFU announced it would depart the NCAA and pursue USports membership in November, we submitted a proposal that men’s and women’s hockey be included in SFU’s Canada West application, having already proven the Non-Conference team’s ability to compete against USports opponents. Unfortunately the university did not accept our proposal, and following this decision our student-athletes and coaching staff have begun to pursue opportunities at other NCAA and USports programs.

So it seems that this group was willing to fund a run for inclusion in the NCAA, but not to fund a run for USports. It is hard to tell exactly what the admins at SFU are trying to do, having first left USports for the NCAA, then folding their football program, and then apparently abandoning a team in progress.

The BCIHL will once again be using a tournament format for their championship. It is 5-team modified page system similar to that used in the Brier and other curling events. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th place teams have to walk through unbeaten, whereas the 1st and 2nd place teams have two lives to reach the sudden-death final.

February 25, 2026: OUA STARTS DIVISION SEMI-FINALS

OUT EAST

OUA

BROCK BADGERS 2
TORONTO METROPOLITAN BOLD 6
(TMU leads series 1-0)

This was decisive, after Brock surprised Lakehead in the opening round.

GUELPH GRYPHONS 2
WINDSOR LANCERS 5
(Windsor leads series 1-0)

The powerplays were clicking here. Guelph was 2-for-8, Windsor was 3-for-9. The OUA West favourites have it together, so it seems.

OTTAWA GEEGEES 1
U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 4
(UQTR leads series 1-0)

The Patriotes drew more than 1,000 fans for this one. Outside of Thunder Bay, that’s pretty good for a Wednesday night in the OUA.

QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS 3
CONCORDIA STINGERS 2
(Concordia leads series 1-0)

The Queens have been a late season surprise. They beat Nipissing on the last day of the season in a game for a playoff berth, and followed with an upset win over McGill. This was the only close game, and only upset, of the evening.

Next Up
Thu Feb 26 Windsor at Guelph 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Fri Feb 27 U.Q.T.R. at Ottawa 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Fri Feb 27 Concordia at Queen’s 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Sat Feb 28 Toronto Metropolitan at Brock 4:00 EST/3:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Guelph at Windsor 7:30 EST/6:300 CST *if necessary
Sun Mar 01 Queen’s at Concordia 2:00 EST/1:00 CST *if necessary
Sun Mar 01 Brock at Toronto Metropolitan 6:15 EST/5:15 CST *if necessary
Sun Mar 01 Ottawa at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EST/6:00 CST *if necessary

AUS

Next Up
Fri Feb 27 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Fri Feb 27 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST