2013-14 Manitoba Bisons/CIS Thread

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
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MANITOBA BISONS 2013-14

The Bisons got an early start to the recruiting announcements. Three forwards have been announced, two of whom were redshirts in 2012-13 (Aaron Lewadniuk, a centre, and Taylor Dickin, a left winger) and one was a late-season recruit (Jordan DePape, a right winger). That could be a complete forward line.

Lewadniuk's recruitment was announced in last year's pre-season. He is a former Winkler Flyer who finished his junior career with the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2009-10. In his final year of junior he racked up 37 goals and 49 assists for 86 points in 65 games. He then turned pro and had two seasons in the ECHL. After 17 goals in his rookie season his numbers tailed off as he played only 48 games with two different teams. As a redshirt he played senior hockey for the Carman Beavers of the SEMHL where he scored 15 goals and 30 assists in 20 games.

Dickin was also a redshirt in 2012-13. He graduated from junior hockey as a Selkirk Steeler following the 2009-10 season, with 40 goals and 52 assists in 62 games. He then went to the University of North Dakota for two seasons where he seldom played. So he came home, redshirted last year, and is now ready to go.

DePape had his junior career cut short with a shoulder injury. He seemed to be well on his way up the WHL pecking order. In 2009-10 he divided his season between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Kamloops Blazers. He had 17 goals and 20 assists in 57 games. In 2010-11 he improved, with 21 goals and 27 assists in 54 games. However, he then played only 31 games spread over the next two injury-plagued seasons.

Also, former Bison captain Mike Hellyer was voted the rookie of the year in the Central Hockey League. He played for the Quad City Mallards.

Links:
|> [DePape announcement] : [Elite Prospects Page]
|> [Lewadniuk announcement] : [Elite Prospects Page]
|> [Dickin announcement] : [Elite Prospects Page]
|> [Hellyer announcement] : [Elite Prospects Page]



OTHER NEWS

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The UBC Thunderbirds men's signed forward Greg Fraser and defenceman Wes Vannieuwenhuizen. Fraser is currently playing for the Nanaimo Clippers in the Western Canada Cup. Vannieuwenhuizen played for the Vancouver Giants.

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Dinos goaltender Dustin Butler dressed as backup for the Vancouver Canucks in a game against the Calgary Flames. He has used up his CIS eligibility.

Links:
|> [UBC announcement]
|> [Calgary's Butler Story]


--------------------------------------

CIS BOOKMARKS

Bookmark this post for the links you will need to follow CIS hockey. I will update this post throughout the season.

League Sites:
CIS Men's Hockey Site - Tw - FB
... sub-links : Standings : Schedule/Results : Playoffs : U-Cup
Canada West Men's Hockey Site - Tw - FB
... sub-links : Schedule/Results/Links : History and Records : Media Stats
OUA Men's Hockey Site - Tw - FB
AUS Men's Hockey Site - Tw - FB
... sub-links : Schedule/Results
ACAC Men's Hockey Site
BCIHL Site

Canada West Team Sites:
Alberta Golden Bears - Tw - FB
Calgary Dinos - Tw - FB
Lethbridge Pronghorns - Tw - FB
Manitoba Bisons - Tw - FB
Mount Royal Cougars - Tw - FB
Regina Cougars - Tw - FB
Saskatchewan Huskies - Tw - FB
UBC Thunderbirds - Tw - FB

Media Sites/Blogs:
SportsNet CIS Page - SNU
TSN CIS Page
CISblog.ca
Canadian University Press
Boxscore News
UNBHockeyFans.com
Hockey Scene - AUS
STUTommies.com
AcadiaAxemenHockey.com
RedmenHockey.com (McGill)

Online video/audio:
CanadaWest.tv - Stretch Internet link
CIS-SIC.tv
AUSTV.ca
SSN Canada
CITR.ca - UBC radio
Rock 94 FM - Lakehead away games
UMFM.com - occasional Bison games

Canada West stats and data:
CW LeagueStats - Standings
CW LeagueStats - Daily Schedule
CW LeagueStats - Rosters
CW LeagueStats - Skaters' Stats
CW LeagueStats - Goalies' Stats
CW LeagueStats - Team Schedules

Stats:
Elite Prospects : CIS Page - individual player stats on everybody
Internet Hockey Data Base (IHDB) : CWUAA Page - like Elite Prospects
Old Bison Site - Schedule/Results - with links to stories and summaries from 2004-05 to 2007-08
CIS Stats and Rosters - 2004-05 to 2008-09
CIS Stats - 2009-10 to 2012-13
CIS Schedule/Results - 2004-05 to 2008-09
CIS Schedule/Results - 2009-10 to 2012-13
CIS Playoff Schedule/Results - 2004-05 to 2008-09
CIS Playoff Schedule/Results - 2009-10 to 2011-12 ... 2013
AUS Schedule/Results - now has only 2012-13 season
AUS Archive
OUA LeagueStat
ACAC LeagueStat
Bob Adams' Archives - CIS hockey from 1995-96 to 2008-09
Wikia - University Cup - 1963-2013
Wikia - Canada West - 1973-2013
Wikia - GPAC - 1973-1985
Wikia - WIAA - 1963-1972
Wikia - WCIAU - 1919-1962
Wikia - OUA/QOAA - 1903-2013
Wikia - QUAA - 1972-1987
Wikia - OSLC - 1951-1971 (Ottawa St. Lawrence Conference)
Wikia - AUS - 1920-2013

AUS Team Sites:
Acadia Axemen
Dalhousie Tigers
Moncton Aigles Bleus- Google Translate
New Brunswick Varsity Reds
UPEI Panthers
St. Francis-Xavier X-men
Saint Mary's Huskies
St. Thomas Tommies

OUA-West Team Sites:
Brock Badgers
Guelph Gryphons
Lakehead Thunderwolves
Laurier Golden Hawks
Ryerson Rams
Toronto Varsity Blues
Waterloo Warriors - Tw - FB
Western Ontario Mustangs
Windsor Lancers
York Lions

OUA-East Team Sites:
Carleton Ravens
Laurentian Voyageurs
Nipissing Lakers
Ottawa Geegees
Queen's Golden Gaels
RMC Palladins
UOIT Ridgebacks

RSEQ (OUA-East) Team Sites:
Concordia Stingers
McGill Redmen
UQTR Patriotes

ACAC Team Sites:
Augustana Vikings
Briercrest Clippers
Concordia Thunder
Keyano Huskies
MacEwan Griffins
NAIT Ooks
Portage Voyageurs
Red Deer Kings
SAIT Trojans

BCIHL Team Sites:
Eastern Washington Eagles
Selkirk Saints
Simon Fraser Clan - Tw
Thompson Rivers Wolfpack
Trinity Western Spartans
Victoria Vikings

Threads:
OHT34 2009-10
OHT34 2010-11
OHT34 2011-12
OHT35 2012-13
CIS Playoff Formats
Manitoba Bisons 2007-08
Manitoba Bisons 2008-09
Manitoba Bisons 2009-10
Manitoba Bisons 2010-11
Manitoba Bisons 2011-12
Manitoba Bisons 2012-13

May 1st - Laurentian and Red Deer added, OUA realignment reflected.
May 12th - Added Waterloo's FB and Twitter.
June 23rd - York's and McGill's new links added.
August 3rd - CIS site updated to 2013-14 links.
August 10th - RMC's new link.
September 6th - Updated Alberta's Twitter and Manitoba's work-in-progress new site.
September 13th - Added SportsNet and TSN links, CW links updated.
October 6th - CW LeagueStat links go to 2013-14 regualr season.
November 1st - New Alberta link.
November 20th - Added CIS-SIC.tv.
January 21st - New UNB link.
February 10th - The Wikia links that cover to 2013 now reflect this.
February 18th - New UOIT link.
 
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Ched

Fueled by Passion
Jun 21, 2010
149
0
thanks Hollywood for starting up a new thread. Your stuff is always excellent and this thread gets me ready for each new Bison season.
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
Thanks, gents. BTW, anybody with new links to add to the bookmarks should send me a private message and I will add or amend the link.
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
Off-Ice Stuff

While there has been no Bison-specific news, there have been some off-ice developments which may end up affecting men's hockey.

C.W. EXPANSION

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The CW has announced that the UBCO Heat now have full member status and that the MacEwan University Griffons (formerly MacEwan College) now have probationary status.

Once a school has probationary status it can be taken as "just a matter of time" before they get full status. So the CW now has 17 schools. Debate rages as to whether this is too many. I suspect that in basketball at least there may be a need for two levels. But football has just 6, hockey 8, and most of those with volleyball teams are legitimate national contenders.

From the press release:

The UBC Okanagan Heat were originally granted probationary status at a vote held in May 2010 and began participation with Canada West in the sports of men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball in September 2011 and will be adding soccer in time for the 2014-15 season. For the MacEwan University Griffins, league play will begin in September 2014 in the sports of men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer and cross country.

UBCO do not have a hockey team, even in the BCIHL. FWIW, I would sooner see places like this get into the BCIHL and develop that as a second tier college/university league, alongside the ACAC. That way hockey's u-brand gets a boost, and the CW level of play is not diluted.

Will MacEwan one day aspire to leave the ACAC for the CW in hockey? On the one hand, it would give the Evil Monkeys a cross-town rival. But MacEwan has never been one of the ACAC's powerhouse teams. When Mount Royal College morphed into Mount Royal University and moved from the ACAC to the CW they at least had a hockey team with a track record of success at the ACAC level. MacEwan is coming off consecutive 6th place finishes, and those were an improvement over the 8th place finishes which preceded. The Alberta hockey market is crowded with 4 CW teams and (with Red Deer coming back) 9 ACAC teams (albeit Briercrest is located in Saskatchewan).

On balance, I would much prefer that MacEwan stay put (in hockey, that is). If they could consistently challenge NAIT and SAIT and be a good pre-season opponent that would be good enough for me.

Links:
|> [CW announcement re UBCO and MacEwan]
|> [Edmonton Journal]
|> [ACAC LeagueStat Standings]


CIS/SPORTSNET TV DEAL

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First, Rogers' acquisition of The Score was just confirmed a couple weeks ago. Therefore, Sportsnet and The Score will gradually become more of a combo deal.

Here's the gist of the deal:

Canadian Interuniversity Sport and Sportsnet announced Wednesday a six-year agreement for the multiplatform rights to an all-encompassing portfolio of university sports across television, online and mobile.

The agreement, which begins this season and runs through the 2018-19 academic year, features expanded coverage of men’s and women’s CIS sport, headlined by the Vanier Cup and also including the following marquee events: Football national semifinals (Mitchell Bowl and Uteck Bowl), women’s and men’s hockey championships, women’s and men’s basketball championships, and much more.

Sportsnet’s The Score will be one of the main hubs of CIS coverage, continuing its strong tradition of broadcasting university sports and amateur athletics, which began in 2002. Coverage for the 2013-14 season features 13 events, beginning with football this fall. Broadcast details will be announced in the coming weeks.

What will this mean to men's hockey? My hope is that there will be increased coverage of the regional championships, and maybe even regular season play. Could a Saturday afternoon game of the week on The Score happen?

If this were to happen, there would be demand for format changes. It is hard to sell rights to game 3 of a series which may well end with game 2. The Score showed the OUA basketball final four. IMO, if u-hockey wants to make a dent they need to be able to sell similar events from all regions. The CW already has a "final four" format tournament in basketball and volleyball. IMO, hockey will have to follow suit if it wants enhanced TV coverage.

And what about the on-line and mobile options mentioned in the press release? Could those somehow be dovetailed with the CW and AUS on-line video services? And could it pull together the various services used in Ontario and Quebec?

Links:
|> [CIS announcement] : reposted at [CW Site] and [U of M Site]
|> [Yahoo Story]
 
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Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
News Update

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So far there are trickles of news floating around about possible pre-season games and recruits for other teams. However, all is quiet in Bison-land. I don't suspect that the Bisons will land a lot of new players. From last year's roster they lose 5th year forwards Tyler Dittmer and Tyler Feakes and graduating forwards Matt Lowry and Del Cowan. They have already announced three new recruits up front. The team has no anticipated departures on defence. 5th year goaltender Jesse Deckert will be gone. A possible replacement would be Mark Friesen, WHL grad and 3rd string goaltender from 2011-12. I am sure they would never turn away a possible upgrade at any position, though.

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Winnipeg-Jets-New-Logo_normal.jpg

In a feel-good story, former Jet Brett McLean is going to be an assistant coach at Waterloo. He was forced to retire due to a brush with death arising from a heart ailment.

Links:
|> [CIS story] with [CTV News Video]


Regina-50x50condensed.jpg

The Banjocats have announced their first two recruits, forward Cody Fowlie from the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL and defenceman Brody Luhning from the Battlefords North Stars of the SJHL. They need several more defencemen. Last year's team had to use forwards back there all the time.

Links:
|> [U of R release]
|> [Kelowna story]


MRU-50x50.jpg

The New Kittens on the Block have a "Meet Your Cougars" segment this off-season. I was hoping it would feature mid-40s women. Instead they talked to Eric Galbraith.

Link:
|> [Meet Your Cougars]


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Across the Town of Bedrock there were stories about Bracken Kearns cracking the NHL.
By age 30, most Canada West hockey graduates are in Europe, have moved on to coaching or are making good use of their university degree if they haven't met that ultimate goal of getting to the National Hockey League.

Not so for Bracken Kearns, a former captain with the University of Calgary Dinos (2001-05), who made his NHL with the Florida Panthers a few months after hitting the big 3-0 and now, 18 months later, has managed to crack the playoff lineup as a centre with the San Jose Sharks.

Links:
|> [U of C Story] also at [CW Story]


UBC-50x50condensed.jpg

The Tweety-Birds took the lead in announced new recruits with the confirmation of defenceman Brandon Underwood from Red Deer (WHL). I believe he is the first native of American California to go to British California.

Link:
|> [UBC story]


CIS-2009-condensed.gif

While there is no news on the CIS front, there is a 10 page pdf stats sheet which is worth a download. And there is more discussion on the SportsNet TV deal. This coming season will see 13 CIS games on the network, including 3 men's hockey games. The linked stories describe those as "semi-finals" and the final. Not sure if that implies a format change to the tournament to actually introduce semi-finals. We'll have to wait and see.

Links:
|> [CIS pdf stats page]
|> TV stories: [Maclean's] : [The Gauntlet] : [CIS Blog]
 

Drummer

Better Red than Dead
Mar 20, 2009
1,688
182
Freddy Beach, NB
www.vredshockey.com
CIS-2009-condensed.gif

This coming season will see 13 CIS games on the network, including 3 men's hockey games. The linked stories describe those as "semi-finals" and the final. Not sure if that implies a format change to the tournament to actually introduce semi-finals. We'll have to wait and see.

Yes - Dave Adolph hinted to that in an interview at the end of the tournament. That each pool would advance two teams to the Semi-finals. This also resulted in the tournament starting earlier (Tuesday), the logic being most teams miss the week anyways.

I also think the CIS is trying to avoid the chance of that crazy shoot-out tie breaker and 'you lose, but still advance' or 'you win, but someone else advances'.

Upside for host - you could possible get 4 games
Downside for host - you don't advance at all and you have higher expenses
 
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Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
Yes - Dave Adolph hinted to that in an interview at the end of the tournament. That each pool would advance two teams to the Semi-finals. This also resulted in the tournament starting earlier (Tuesday), the logic being most teams miss the week anyways.

I also think the CIS is trying to avoid the chance of that crazy shoot-out tie breaker and 'you lose, but still advance' or 'you win, but someone else advances'.

Upside for host - you could possible get 4 games
Downside for host - you don't advance at all and you have higher expenses

I have always preferred the option of an 8-team knockout tournament, just like the other sports have. Much more TV-friendly and no chance of a zany tie-breaker.

Keep in mind that when all 3 teams go 1-1, the current zany tie-breaker decided which one team advanced. In future, the zany tie-breaker would decide which two teams advance. Hence the addition of a semi-final round does not address the potential for a zany tie-breaker.

One thing not brought up yet is the potential for multi-platform broadcasts on SportsNet, i.e. on-line viewing and radio.
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
Christie back, Paulsen added

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The best way to ensure that a recruiting announcement will be made is to post that there is no news, I guess. Shortly after my May 31st post in this thread came news that former goaltender Steve Christie is back as a coach, whilst Luke Paulsen is joining as a defenceman.

Regarding Paulsen:
“I am excited to receive a commitment from Luke Paulsen to join the Bison Men’s Hockey program. Luke brings an excellent hockey resume to the Bisons having played for the WHL’s Kootenay Ice and the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues,†commented Sirant. “Luke is a very talented defenceman with excellent mobility and puck skills, plus great vision to adapt at moving the puck up ice to his forwards. He is also solid in his defensive responsibilities and an excellent teammate.â€

Paulsen, 20 (turning 21 on Sept. 28/13), played the 2012-13 season with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) Winnipeg Blues. The 6’0â€, 172 lbs. forward accumulated 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 19 regular season games with the Blues. Prior to Winnipeg, the Winnipeg native played three seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Kootenay Ice and part of the team that won the WHL Championship in 2010-11 season. In three WHL seasons, he scored in 36 points (5g, 31a) with 52 penalty minutes in 147 regular season games plus added one assist in 19 WHL playoff games. He was also part of the Winnipeg Wild’s AAA Provincial Midget Championship team in the 2008-09 season

I checked out the Blues' site and Paulsen was not on the team at the end of the year. It looks like he is one of those players coming back from injury, of which the Bisons have had seevral in the last few years. In any event, he had three solid seasons in the WHL in Kootenay.

Christie's past accomplishments are extolled in the threads from prior years. The release summarizes them thusly:
Christie, 28, comes back to Manitoba as a coach after a very successful CIS career by completing five seasons (2006-07 to 2010-11) with the Bisons and earned a major accolade being named as the inaugural CIS Men’s Hockey Goaltender of the Year honours in the 2009-10 season.

Christie served as the Bisons starting goaltender for his final three seasons and compiled an overall conference regular season record during the five seasons of 46-37-0 with eight shutouts at Manitoba. His best season came in 2009-10 when in addition to the CIS major award and was selected as CIS First Team All-Canadian and Canada West First Team All-Star at the goaltender position while helping to lead the Bisons to the 2010 CIS National Championship Tournament berth for the first time since 2004-05.

“I am excited to be back with the Bison Hockey program. It did so much for me as a player and I am looking forward to being apart of it from a coaching aspect now, “ stated Christie. “To see what this program has accomplished over the past recent years is a real reflection of the quality of players and coaches U of Manitoba produces every year. The program is respected nationally and players want to be apart of that. It was an easy decision when Coach Sirant asked me to join the coaching staff.â€

Christie had played in the SPHL with the Pensacola Ice Flyers the last two years, and in 2011-12 was loaned for a period to the Tulsa Oilers of the CHL for their playoff run. It seems two years of minor pro is usually the end-point for CIS grads. After that it is Europe or time to utilize that degree.

Links:
|> [U of M story]
|> [ChrisD Blog]
|> [Luke Paulsen Elite Prospects Page]
|> [Steve Christie Elite Prospects Page]
|> [Winnipeg Blues Roster Page]
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
Schedule Announced, Rumours Abound

CW-condensed-nowords.jpg

The new schedule is here! The new schedule is here!

The Bisons open with home series against the Evil Monkeys, followed by the Mangy Banjo-Mutts. A four game winning streak streak to start the season would sure serve them in good stead. There are many quirks to the schedule, including two bye weeks (WTF?) and no home games between November 16th and January 10th.

And when would the games against NCAA teams happen? Manitoba at North Dakota on Oct. 6 is on the UND schedule. That would be stupid. I would much rather those occur during bye weeks, but I doubt it.

Now we should be getting the non-conference/exhibition schedules.

Here's the Bisons' schedule:
Oct. 4-5 Alberta at Manitoba
Oct. 11-12 Saskatchewan at Manitoba
Oct. 18-19 Manitoba at Mount Royal
Oct. 25-26 Calgary at Manitoba
Nov. 1-2 bye
Nov. 8-9 Manitoba at Regina
Nov. 15-16 Lethbridge at Manitoba
Nov. 22-23 Manitoba at UBC
Nov. 29-30 Manitoba at Alberta
Jan. 3-4 Manitoba at Saskatchewan
Jan. 10-11 Mount Royal at Manitoba
Jan. 17-18 Manitoba at Calgary
Jan. 24-25 bye
Jan. 31-Feb. 1 Regina at Manitoba
Feb. 7-8 Manitoba at Lethbridge
Feb. 14-15 UBC at Manitoba

Links:
|> [CW Story]
|> [pdf schedule]
|> [UND Schedule]


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The Bisons have no new recruitment announcemements. But the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix fueled the speculation with a story about Saskatoon Blades' captain Brenden Walker. He is attending the Phoenix Coyotes' camp without a contract, and would like an AHL deal. It seems the prevailing wisdom is that the wise move is to use your WHL scholarship unless you get at least an AHL deal signed, and Walker seems to be on board with that concept.
If Walker fails to latch on to a pro team, he does have a backup plan.

"If nothing works out, I might just go to school," Walker said. "Right now, my goal is to play in the AHL. If that doesn't work out, then we'll figure it out after.

"Right now, I'm just going to work hard at making it to the next level."

He said the University of Manitoba and University of Saskatchewan would top his list of possible schools, should it come to that.

"Those two are both great decisions - good hunting and good people there in Saskatchewan, so the U of S would be a great place to go, and Manitoba is my hometown, so that would be a lot of fun, too. That would be a hard decision," he said.

Links:
|> [Saskatoon Star-Phoenix Story]


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The STU Pids have been rocked by the resignation of coach Troy Ryan. They have been amongst the CIS's most consistent losers in recent years, aided and abetted by their tough AUS schedule. Even their blogger has thrown in the towel!

Links:
|> [STU Story]
|> [STUTommies.com Story]
|> [CIS Blog Story]


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Normally, basketball news would not get into this thread. But the CW has announced that in 2014-15 they will have 11 teams in one division and 6 in the other. The division of 6 will include CW newcomers the TRU WolfPack, UBC-Okanagan Heat, UNBC Timberwolves, Fraser Valley Cascades, Mount Royal Cougars and Grant MacEwan Griffins. All of the big traditional schools will play in the 11 team division. The divisions will not play an interlocking schedule.

Why do I point this out? This is tiering by any other name.

Could this have applicability to the OUA? Let the speculation begin.

Links:
|> [CW Story] reposted at [U of M Site]
|> [Kamloops News - Announcement Story] : [Kamloops News - Follow-up Analysis]


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The Calgary Dinos have not announced anything, but the West Kelowna Warriors claim that forward Daniel Gayle has been recruited. Now, he has a scholarship to go there but that does not mean he will play there. This happened when an MJHL player won a scholarship to the U of M and Elite Prospects took this as confirmation that the player had been recruited. Not always so. We'll find out, I guess.

Links:
|> [Warriors' Story]
 

AdamMcg83

Registered User
Oct 12, 2011
564
122
www.twitter.com
CW-condensed-nowords.jpg

Normally, basketball news would not get into this thread. But the CW has announced that in 2014-15 they will have 11 teams in one division and 6 in the other. The division of 6 will include CW newcomers the TRU WolfPack, UBC-Okanagan Heat, UNBC Timberwolves, Fraser Valley Cascades, Mount Royal Cougars and Grant MacEwan Griffins. All of the big traditional schools will play in the 11 team division. The divisions will not play an interlocking schedule.

Why do I point this out? This is tiering by any other name.

Could this have applicability to the OUA? Let the speculation begin.

Links:
|> [CW Story] reposted at [U of M Site]
|> [Kamloops News - Announcement Story] : [Kamloops News - Follow-up Analysis]

I can't see this ever flying in the OUA, simply because there aren't enough clearly dominant and clearly doormat teams. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I *think* the idea for CW basketball is to give the new have-nots time to grow, play eachother, and get playoff-seasoned. There are simply not enough of those teams in OUA hockey.

There's actually more parity than one might think in OUA hockey, specifically in the OUA West. Over the last decade, 8 of the 9 OUA west teams have made a division final (only UOIT hasn't - and they've only been around 6 of those 10 yrs). 6 OUA west teams have won the division in that time. In the East, it's a little more top-heavy - UQTR and McGill have met in the east final 7 of the last 10 years. But other east teams are coming on strong (the two Ottawa schools and maybe Nippissing), so it won't be long until we see our first all-Ontario Queen's Cup game since 2004.

Unless one of the two-tiered divisions are going to have only four teams (RMC, Concordia, UOIT, Laurentian), then I don't think this would work.
 

SP Saskatuned

Registered User
Aug 2, 2011
92
4
Saskatoon, SASK.
(QUOTE: Hollywood) "Normally, basketball news would not get into this thread. But the CW has announced that in 2014-15 they will have 11 teams in one division and 6 in the other. The division of 6 will include CW newcomers the TRU WolfPack, UBC-Okanagan Heat, UNBC Timberwolves, Fraser Valley Cascades, Mount Royal Cougars and Grant MacEwan Griffins. All of the big traditional schools will play in the 11 team division. The divisions will not play an interlocking schedule. Why do I point this out? This is tiering by any other name.Could this have applicability to the OUA? Let the speculation begin."

I can't see this ever flying in the OUA, simply because there aren't enough clearly dominant and clearly doormat teams. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I *think* the idea for CW basketball is to give the new have-nots time to grow, play eachother, and get playoff-seasoned. There are simply not enough of those teams in OUA hockey.

There's actually more parity than one might think in OUA hockey, specifically in the OUA West. Over the last decade, 8 of the 9 OUA west teams have made a division final (only UOIT hasn't - and they've only been around 6 of those 10 yrs). 6 OUA west teams have won the division in that time. In the East, it's a little more top-heavy - UQTR and McGill have met in the east final 7 of the last 10 years. But other east teams are coming on strong (the two Ottawa schools and maybe Nippissing), so it won't be long until we see our first all-Ontario Queen's Cup game since 2004.

Unless one of the two-tiered divisions are going to have only four teams (RMC, Concordia, UOIT, Laurentian), then I don't think this would work.

Just one hole in your tiering theory, Fraser Valley is definitely not a Tier II basketball school for either the men or women.
But I'm talking about their basketball programs, not the institution itself.
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
News update and exhibition announcements

CW-condensed-nowords.jpg

There are loads of stories about team schedules from around the CW. I have supplied the links but really there is nothing really thought-provoking in them. They basically just say when the home side starts the season.

Now we need to look for the exhibition schedule which will come out in dribs and drabs. Regina is the CW leader in schedule announcements and from them we get these:
Sept 13 2:00 Saskatchewan at Regina
Sept 14 12:00 Lethbridge at Regina
Sept 15 1:30 Alberta at Regina
Sept 20 2:30 Regina at Manitoba
Sept 21 2:30 Regina at Manitoba

And the Lakehead schedule page gives us these:
Oct 4 7:30 UPEI at Lakehead
Oct 5 7:30 UPEI at Lakehead
Oct 7 7:05 Lakehead at Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs
Nov 1 7:30 Alberta at Lakehead
Nov 2 7:30 Alberta at Lakehead
Dec 27 7:30 Laurentian at Lakehead
Dec 28 7:30 Laurentian at Lakehead

Stay tuned!

Links:
|> [Regina Leader-Post] : [U of R Story]
|> [U of C Story] : [U of L Story]
|> [UBC Story] : [U of A Story]
|> [U of S Story] : [ChrisD Story]
|> [Regina Schedule] : [Lakehead Schedule]


Bisons-50px.gif

While there has been no news on the Bison recruiting front, a couple of former Bisons hit the papers. Calin Wild is on the national ball hockey team. (I wonder if Alex Burrows still plays that.) And Matt Lowry is considering his pro options, and in fact has a farm on the go as well.

Links:
|> [WFP: Lowry Story]
|> [WFP: Calin Wild Story]


dalhousie-50x50.jpg

Remember last season's investigation at Dal-lousy? Well, it may well be coming to a merciful end. From the CBC:
Neither Dalhousie nor CIS director Tom Huisman would talk about what the investigation found.

“Most of our infractions or compliance issues are related primarily to eligibility issues. This one being an athletic scholarship and awards and benefits issue in itself makes it a bit more complicated,” Huisman said.

Dalhousie University has promised to make that report public.

So far the university has refused to confirm whether the Tiger's team manager and former head coach, Peter Belliveau, was let go last fall because of the alleged infractions.

Links:
|> [Halifax Chronicle-Herald Story]
|> [CBC Story]


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In the town of Bedrock, they release a story on grad Brock Nixon, who like Lowry is weighing pro options. But instead of farming his calling is in the teaching field. Hopefully, he will help bail out flooded basements first. Good luck with the flood, people of Calgary. I await word on any damage to Dino sport facilities.

The logo has also been altered at the U of C site. I don't know what they will have on their jerseys.

Links:
|> [U of C Story]


Lakehead-50x50-1.jpg

So, what in the heck is going on down in T-Bay? So, it has now been a few years since they had the Bisons visit for Christmas, fair enough. But this year they are bringing in the reborn Laurentian Voyageurs, a team already on their conference schedule. Is this a sign that they might need a softer touch for some Christmas spirit? I would think that hosting PEI and Alberta in the fall would appeal to their fans. We'll see if Laurentian will draw.

On the ice they have lost more quality players. Here's the latest from from TB Newswatch:
It appears the Matt Caria and Alex Dupuis era is over at Lakehead University.

The names of both players have disappeared from the team's roster on the Thunderwolves hockey website.

Inside sources have confirmed Dupuis, the Wolves No. 1 goalie, has decided to go pro after four seasons.

Caria, the oft-suspended star forward, also has one more year of CIS eligibility remaining.

Thunderwolves coach Bill McDonald is out of town and not available for comment. Earlier this week Lakehead hockey officials announced the departure of forward Luke Judson after one season.

Judson is leaving to play for the San Francisco Bulls of the ECHL. If Caria is indeed gone, it would mean the Wolves will start the 2013-14 campaign with just one of their top six point-getters from a year ago, forward Mike Hammond.
Links:
|> [TB Newswatch Story]
 
Last edited:

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
A Sparse Update

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It has been a long time with no news on the Bison front. But at least there is some alumni news. Former captain Mike Hellyer has signed an ECHL-AHL deal. His deal is with the Bakersfield Condors, who are affiliated with the Iowa Wild. He was CHL rookie-of-the-year with Quad Cities last season.

Links:
|> [Brandon Sun]


Alberta-50px.jpg


Clare Drake, the former head organ grinder at the University of Saudi Alberta, has been appointed to the Order of Canada. I'm sure he'd rather have a large bunch of bananas but this is still a pretty good honour.

Also, defencemen Ben Lindemulder and Barron Von Smith, will attend the training camp of the Edmontown Greasers. Apparently The Barron has been working on his claw hold.

Links:
|> Drake story: [at CW] : [at U of A]
|> Greaser story: [at U of A]


ClareDrakeCoaching_350.jpg

Is the "GB" hat logo better than the monkey?

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YAWN! No news, but two links to the same story with a different title for each.

Links:
|> [Halifax Chronicle-Herald Story] : [Other Halifax Chronicle-Herald Story]


UBC-50x50condensed.jpg

The Thunderbirds recruited a Thunderbird. Luke Lockhart will shift from Seattle of the WHL to UBC of the CW this year. Check the link for his bio. He is a former captain and seems like a "2 way", i.e. low scoring, centre.

Links:
|> [UBC Story]


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imagesqtbnANd9GcTcPxVcI5k9RDBSoKlgKGfJUtqlNQhTZ9C_zRgoI_sidwC22FUU.jpg

I had seen that York is making a new year's trip to Arizona. I found a story about the ASU Sun Devils. They are in the ACHA but have played NCAA and CIS teams before. The ACHA really sucks. Iowa State came to play the Bisons and they were in way over their heads. I was afraid they'd get hurt! It seems ASU have some desire to make a decent hockey program there. But how can they operate in the shadow of the Arizona Coyotes?!?!?!

Links:
|> [House of Sparky Story]
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
July 19: Bison Exhibition Schedule Confirmed

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Toronto-50x50-1.jpg

The Bison schedule page has been updated and the big surprise is that the Toronto Blahs will leave the Big Lemon for a trip to the U of M. Here is the full pre-season schedule:
Aug. 26 Bison Hockey European Tour TBA
Sep. 13 v Calgary at Regina tournament
Sep. 14 v Alberta at Regina tournament
Sep. 20 v Regina (2:00pm at Max Bell)
Sep. 21 v Regina (2:00pm at Max Bell)
Sep. 28 v Toronto (7:00pm at Max Bell)
Sep. 29 v Toronto (1:00pm at Max Bell)
Oct. 6 @ North Dakota (7:07pm at Grand Forks)

There is no information out there about this year's Euro tour. I thought it was going to be next year, actually.

The UND game follows the Bison home-opener weekend against the Evil Monkeys. I just wonder why the Bisons wouldn't have shifted the Alberta series to the bye week (November 1-2) like UBC and Lethbridge did.

The Bison schedule is quite peculiar. The Regina exhibition series starts on Friday afternoon. Ugh. That home series is then followed by three more home weekends, including the best series of the season, i.e. the ones against the Primates and the Mangy Mutts.

Links:
|> [Bison Schedule Page]
|> [USCHO Schedule - NCAA Exhibition Games]


dinos-2013-50x50.jpg

In the Town of Bedrock they had a press release announcing their recruiting class. Here's the list:
Tyler Moir • 6'1" 205 Ibs. • Forward • Waterloo (OUA)/Wheeling (ECHL)
Daniel Gibb • 6'3" 218 Ibs. • Defence • Prince George (WHL)
Davis Vandane • 6'4" 215 Ibs. • Defence • Prince Albert (WHL)
Danny Gayle • 6'1" 185 Ibs. • Left Wing • West Kelowna (BCHL)
Brett Printz • 6'2" 201 Ibs. • Forward • Grande Prairie (AJHL)
Drydn Dow • 5'9" 170 Ibs. • Defence • Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Chris Collins • 6'0" 185 Ibs. • Centre • Okotoks Oilers (AJHL)
Chance Lund • 6'5" 223 Ibs. • Left Wing • Swift Current (WHL)

Links:
|> [U of C Press Release]


MRU-50x50.jpg

Across the Town of Bedrock the New Kittens on the Block appear to have a recruit. They have not made an announcement, but the West Kelowna Warriors have announced that defenseman Brett Zarazun is off to greener pastures.

Links:
|> [West Kelowna Warriors Press Release]


STU-50x50.gif

The STU Pids announced their new coach, Patrick Powers. Good luck! He formerly played for the Pids. Anything above 8th in the 8 team AUS would be a great success for the new coach.

Links:
|> [STUTommies.com Story]
|> [Hockey Scene Story]


StFX-50x50.jpg
SMU-2012-condensed.jpg

The St. F-X Jeremies and the SMUchies are going to make a joint bid for the 2015 and 2016 U-Cups. The CIS distributes tournament bids in two year blocks now. After Banjoland hosts in 2014 it is time for the tournament to move on. All things being equal, 15-16 should be OUA years. But so far there are no bids from Ontariariaro.

The quirky part of this is that Dalhousie an SMU are the Halifax schools. So how did the Jeremies get in?

Bid proposals must be submitted by Sept. 20th.

Links:
|> [Chronicle-Herald Story]
|> [NG News Story]
 
Last edited:

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
UBC Announces Schedule

UBC-50x50condensed.jpg
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There is no news in Bisonland. However, out in British California the Tweety-Birds have updated their schedule. Their only exhibitions are the Alaska double-header (previously announced through the NCAA) and now they will also play the Simon Fraser Clown on September 27 (at UBC) and September 28 (at Burnaby).

So, will the Clown's goaltender make the 40-50 saves necessary to make one of these games close?

Links:
|> [UBC Schedule]


Lethbridge-50pxw.jpg

The H0rny Ones have yet to make an announcement. But the Dauphin Kings have said that Guillaume Naud, a Franco-Ukrainian!, is off to Lethbridge. He had 88 points in 60 regular season games and 24 points in 18 playoff games. While absolutely nobody can translate gaudy Junior A numbers into CW numbers, he should be a welcome addition to the offensively-challenged `Horns.

Links:
|> [Dauphin Press Release]
|> [MJHL Press Release]
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
July 28: Euro Tour Taking Shape

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The Bisons have not thus far made an announcement regarding their European tour. However the first details have trickled out of Europe. Beware that my links use "Google Translate" so when read it often sounds a little funny. (Still, getting a free on-line translation is still pretty nice.)

The Hockey Time site at the links has a "translate" button and I used that to find that the Bisons start with a tournament in Collabo, Northern Italy. The first round goes on August 31st and the Bisons play Bremerhaven in the 1st game, with SV Renon Ritten Sport facing HC Neumarkt Egna Wild Goose in the 2nd game. On September 1st the losers play for 3rd place in the opener and the winners play for the title in the nightcap.

HC Neumarkt Egna are from Northern Italy, where they speak predominantly German. Hence the cities there often have two names. They play in the Inter-National League (INL), which is based in Austria and has teams from surrounding countries.

SV Renon Ritten Sport are also from Northern Italy and hosted a tournament won by the Bisons in 2011. They play in the Italian Serie A, which is now down to 5 teams. Other teams (like frequent champion HC Bolzano) have been allowed to leave for other leagues, whilst others have either folded or moved someplace where I cannot locate them.

Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven are not specifically listed in the Hockey Time link. They only refer to the opponent as "Bremerhaven" and as a "Ger4", i.e. 4th tier German team. However, the only listing I have for a Bremerhaven team is the Fischtown Pinguins, who play in the German DEL 2nd division. The Bisons defeated them (and Ritten) back in 2011. So this team is not confirmed as yet.

I hope to get much more on this trip as the week unfolds.

Links:
|> [Hockey Time - Exhibition Schedule for several Italian and other teams]
|> [Hockey Time - Ritten Story]
|> [HC Neumarkt Egna Wild Goose Team Website (translated)]
|> [Eurhockey.com on INL] : [and on HC Neumarkt Egna]
|> [SV Renon Ritten Sport Team Website (translated)]
|> [Eurhockey.com on Italian Serie A] : [and on SV Renon Ritten Sport]
|> [Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven Team Website (translated)]
|> [Eurohockey.com on DEL2] : [and on Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven]


UBC-50x50condensed.jpg

The Tweety-Birds have announced that Wheat King grad Nick Buonassisi has committed to them. He is a small forward coming off a 14 goal season last year.

Links:
|> [UBC Story]


Sask-green-50x50-1.jpg

The Mangy Ones announced that Mike Bossy and Brian Trottier are coming to speak at their luncheon. So long as they use words they'll go over great. Heck, Sask would be happy if they (like the locals) stood up and howled then drank from the toilet.

Links:
|> [U of S Story]
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
July 31: Euro News, and more

Bisons-50px.gif
ritten-renon-circle-50x50-1.jpg

Although there is still nothing on the U of M Site, I have found a few pertinent stories on the team and their tour opponents.

First up, rookie of the year James Henry is not returning to school and instead will play for the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL. So no Euro tour for him.

Meanwhile, Italy's top league has undergone a name change and is now to be known as "Elite A". As "Series A" last year it had 10 teams, Bolzano jumped to an Austrian league. And a few days ago only five teams were listed at Eurohockey.com. Well the deadline to come up with cash was July 30th at noon, and 8 teams answered the bell.

There was also off-ice drama in Germany. The second tier league was suing the governing body over various issues. In the end that has been settled and it will continue under the name "DEL2". There was no doubt that the 12 teams would be participating. What was at issue is whether they would still use the name. It appears all is well now.

So we should now be getting more news about team exhibition schedules. Most (3 of 5) Bison opponents in 2011 were from DEL2.

The Ritten team has signed some Canadian talent. Levi Nelson once played for Swift Current in the WHL and then played in the AHL (mostly for Providence), ECHL, and Germany. Matt Siddall was a 2004 Atlanta Thrashers draft pick and has since made stops throughout the minors and Europe, including the Fife Flyers when they returned to Britain's top league in 2011. Since 2006, they have also employed Dalhousie grad Dan Tudin. He played for Ottawa in the OHL before he went on to Dal, then bounced around the minors. He is now also eligible for Italy's national team.

Ritten is also re-acquiring another Italian national team veteran, Luca Ansoldi. This will be his 3rd stint with Ritten. The team has yet to confirm the signing in their website.

Links:
:. [ECHL Story on Henry]
:. [SportNews.bz Story on Elite A] :. [(translated)]
:. [EisHockey-24.de Story on DEL2] :. [(translated)]
:. [Ritten Sport Story on Nelson] :. [(translated)] :. [Elite Prospects Stats]
:. [Ritten Sport Story on Siddall] :. [(translated)] :. [Elite Prospects Stats]
:. [Ritten Sport Story on Tudin] :. [(translated)] :. [Elite Prospects Stats]
:. [SportNews.bz Story on Ansoldi (translated)] :. [Elite Prospects Stats]


Trinity-2010-50px.jpg

Trinity Western (BCIHL) had two players on an AIA team which toured Latvia. The players were Brad Bakken and Josh Stephenson. They were joined by coaches Barret Kropf and Chris Wiens. I recall Athletes-in-Action having some good basketball teams many years ago.

Links:
|> [BCIHL Story]
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
How bad does Henry leaving hurt the team?

They have recruited pretty much all forwards this year so we'll have to see. They will once again have one of, if not the best, defence corps in the CIS. They basically need a new 2nd line. Of course, we have to wait until the players actually show up at school throughout this month. It is not uncommon across the CIS to have a player decide to keep his summer job and forego the degree.
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
Aug 1: Bisons to face Star Bulls

Bisons-50px.gif
rosenheimstarbulls-50x50c.jpg

I have looked high and low through the websites of the DEL2 teams. Most, but not all, have exhibition schedules posted. One such team is the Rosenheim Star Bulls, and the Bisons will open against them on Tuesday, August 27th.

The Bisons also started their 2011 tour with a game against Rosenheim before going into a tournament in Ritten. The Bisons won 5-4 in a shoot-out, after making a comeback from a 1-4 deficit.

There are not any players of note on the Bulls' roster. They have four imports, one each from Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Canada. The Canadian is Tyler McNeely. He is a BC boy who graduated from Northeastern (NCAA) before embarking on an AHL/ECHL career. Last season he played mostly for the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) where he scored 13 goals and 31 assists in 41 games. Hr also had 8 points in 27 games with Lake Erie (AHL).

Meanwhile, only Manitoba, Alberta, Regina, and UBC have their pre-season schedules up. And nobody has a new roster page.

Links:
:. [Rosenheim Team Website] :. [(translated)]
:. [Elite Prospects on McNeely]
:. [Post on 2011 game]
 

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
941
Aug. 5: Hodge Podge of Euro News

Bisons-50px.gif
CIS-2009-condensed.gif

Hockey news is always down to a trickle on the August long weekend, and this year is no exception. But a few stories have popped up, mostly about off-ice matters.

The Bison all-sport pass stays at $60 for adults and $30 for students. However, the pass does NOT include football this year. Those tickets are $15/$8 per game due to the new campus stadium.

There are no new stories on the CW or CIS sites. However, the CIS site has replaced the 2012-13 schedule and standings links with 2013-14 links. Neither site has a composite schedule with exhibition games.

As for following the Bisons whilst on tour, I have links for Eurohockey.com's exhibition game schedule and a pre-season standings page. Thus far they list the Aug. 31st game, but not the Aug. 27th game nor any others. The link may be a source for future updates.

Links:
:. [Bison Tickets]
:. [CIS schedule] :. [CIS standings]
:. [Eurockey.com schedule page] :. [Standings page]


hc-neumakt-egna-wildgoorse-50x50.jpg
rosenheimstarbulls-50x50c.jpg

Hockey-News.info has a story on the Neumarkt Egna Wild Geese. I have a link for the translation as well. They start training in mid-August and their first game will be against Ritten in the semi-final opposite the Bisons. The story also has their pre-season schedule and ticket information. If you can afford the airfare. You could watch the Gooses for only €150!

Another Bison opponent, the Rosenheim Star Bulls, are featured at EisHockeyNews.de. They have signed Shawn Weller, an AHL/ECHL vet. He scored 12 goals in 67 games for the Manitoba Moose in 2010-11. The Jets also signed him to AHL deals with the St. John's Ice Caps for 41 games in 2011-12 and for 3 games in 2012-13.

After the settlement of law suits affecting German pro hockey, there were rumours that some DEL2 teams were being denied licences. This appears to be BS. All sides are accounted for.

Links:
:. [Hockey-News.info story on Neumarkt] :. [(translated)]
:. [Eishockeynews.de story on Rosenheim] :. [(translated)]
:. [Shawn Weller at Elte Prospects]
:. [Eishockeynews.de story on licencing] :. [(translated)]
 

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