Preview: Season Starts with Bisons in Bedrock
CANADA WEST SET TO START!
MANITOBA BISONS (0-0-0, 5-1-0, OHT36 #-, 4th in 2014)
CALGARY DINOSAURS (0-0-0, 4-2-1, OHT36 #-, 2nd in 2014)
Friday, September 26th, 8:00 MDT, 7:00 CDT @ Calgary
Saturday, September 27th, 7:00 MDT, 6:00 CDT @ Calgary
Live Links:
:. [Live Stats Friday] : [Live Stats Saturday] : [LeagueStat Daily]
:. [no live audio or video]
Manitoba Links:
:. [U of M Season Preview] : [U of M Roster]
:. [LS Stats] : [LS Schedule/Results]
:. [Twitter] : [Facebook]
:. [Dustin Bruyere - IHDB]
Calgary Links:
:. [U of C Season Preview] : [U of C Walchuk Story]
:. [LS Stats] : [LS Schedule/Results]
:. [Twitter] : [Facebook]
Other Links:
:. [CW Season Preview] : [CW Coaches' Poll]
:. [CIS Site] : [Schedule/Results/Links] : [Standings]
:. [CW Site] : [Schedule/Results/Links]
:. [Every Link Re: CIS Hockey]
So far, the LeagueStat roster page has not been updated. This prevents me from doing an arrivals/departures pre-season story on the conference. It also makes handicapping the league a challenge. The CW site links do provide a coaches' poll and a pre-season story on each team, so that would be a good place to start.
As a result, this post is one part season preview and one part weekend preview.
The Bison roster page was just updated to 2014-15 today. Even from earlier this morning, two new names (who did not play in Toronto) have vanished. One new name is Dustin Bruyere, from the Selkirk Steelers. He will wear #22. Darren Bestland (the former #22) is not listed. So his inclusion in Toronto must have been in error. In any event, this is what I have compiled:
FORWARDS:
RETURNING:
Jory Coates
Brendan Rowinski
Jesse Paradis
Dylan Kelly
Aaron Lewadniuk
Taylor Dickin
Jordan DePape
ARRIVALS:
Chad Robinson
Warren Callis
Brett Dudar
Joel Schreyer
Justin Augert
Shaq Merasty
Colin Mospanchuk
Dustin Bruyere
DEPARTURES:
Craig Scott
Austin Lauder
Ian Duval
Paul Ciarelli
Jon Gaudet
Luke Cain
Justin Delabozik
SYNOPSIS:
Duval was one of the best players in the CIS and will be tough to replace. Cain and Ciarelli formed the basis of an effective checking 3rd line. Otherwise the departures are 4th and 5th liners. Five of the top six forwards are back. I am anxious to see what the arrivals actually look like on ice. On paper, they are an upgrade. Merasty has been sizzling in the pre-season and could be a Duval. Robinson is highly touted. The others should at least equal those they replaced.
DEFENCE:
RETURNING:
Lee Christensen
Luke Paulsen
Brock Sutherland
Kyle Rous
ARRIVALS:
Channing Bresciani
Josh Elmes
Reid Gow
Rene Hunter
DEPARTURES:
Dane Crowley
Pierre Landry
Jeremy Schappert
Darren Bestland
Travis Bobbee
SYNOPSIS:
Until last year, Crowley and Schappert were typically rewarded as two of the top four defencemen in the CWUAA in post-season all-star selections. That is pure blue chip and hard to replace. Bobbee was also a team top 4 calibre player. That's a load of talent to lose. However, Schappert missed most of last season. A few years back the Bisons had 10 defencemen and for the bulk of the season formed a 4th line of defencemen playing up front. For some reason, they have a pipeline to solid blueliners. Gow was one of the best offensive defencemen in the WHL last year. Hunter is a highly-touted defensive type from the Wheaties. They should be regulars. Bresciani and Elmes are Junior A/US Major grads and apparently had a load of ice time in Toronto.
GOALTENDERS:
RETURNING:
Deven Dubyk
ARRIVALS:
Byron Spriggs
Brendan Jensen
DEPARTURES:
Joe Caligiuri
Joey Rewucki
SYNOPSIS:
Caligiuri held off a challenge from Dubyk to win back the #1 spot last year. Since Steve Christie left there have been close battles in the Bison goal. In 2011-12 Caligiuri started over Jesse Deckert. Then in 2012-13 Deckert won the battle. I am not sure what to expect. Traditionally, a good Junior A prospect has to play a year or two as 3rd string if he wants to move up. That could be the plan for Spriggs, who played brilliantly for the Blues in the MJHL. Jensen and Dubyk each had shut-outs against Toronto and I would not be surprised to see each get a start against Bedrock.
I hope to get enough information on Calgary to break down their arrivals and departures. Their exihibiton roster at LeagueStat listed 29 players, and I don't think they will all make the team. Right now, there are some known major departures:
Taylor Stefishen F
Giffen Nyren D
Cory Pritz D
Brett Bartman D
That's a top 3 forward and 3 top 4 defencemen.
The Dinos got off to an incredible start last year (19-0-1). They were unable to keep up the pace down the stretch and fell behind Alberta. The Bisons had a tough start, mostly because they could not generate offence. By the playoffs the Bisons had risen to Calgary's level. When they met in the semi-final round, Calgary won the deciding game in overtime.
The Bisons' weakest performances in the pre-season were the 3rd games in 3 nights (or afternoons, as it happened). Otherwise they did very well, in fact better than last year's pre-season. With all their games being on the road so far, I have not seen them first-hand.
What's the outlook for these teams? The Dinos are a consenus 2nd, but I believe they could knock off the Monkeys, or even fall as far as 3rd due to their blue-line losses. The Bisons are likely to fall into the 3rd-6th range. I suspect both Calgary and Alberta will fall back a bit. For somebody to challenge them it would take a better-than-hoped-for kind of season from new recruits.
For this weekend, there should be overtime in least one game. We should expect to see DeSerres/Lazaruk split the games in Calgary's end and Dubyk/Jensen to likewise for Manitoba. Otherwise, just too bad this is not on CanadaWest.tv.
ELSEWHERE:
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS (0-0-0, 5-0-0, OHT36 #-, 5th in 2014)
LETHBRIDGE PRONGHORNS (0-0-0, 2-4-0, OHT36 #-, 8th in 2014)
Links:
:. [Video: CanadaWest.tv]
:. [MRU Preview Story] : [U of L Preview Story]
These teams have the honour of opening the CIS regular season. MRU had a nice pre-season, beating Calgary and sweeping Lakehead. Still, they could finish anywhere from 4th to 7th. Lethbridge showed some signs of life last year. In fact, on the final weekend they swept MRU! I suspect they will win more games but still finish 8th. Their only pre-season wins were against Portage College from the ACAC.
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (0-0-0, 2-1-2, OHT36 #-, 3rd in 2014)
REGINA COUGARS (0-0-0, 2-6-0, OHT36 #-, 7th in 2014)
Links:
:. [Video: CanadaWest.tv]
:. [U of R Preview Story] : [U of S Preview Story]
The Battle of Banjoland! The age-old canine v feline rivalry will once again be fought out in a home-and-home hockey series. Both sides are perplexing. Sask looked really bad early on, the gathered steam after the mid-point. Just when they seemed ready to mount a challenge, they lost at home to UBC in the quarter-finals. After a prolonged period in the Saskatoon dog pound they emerged to win their pool at the University Cup and get to the final game. They look like they are not quite a contender, but will never be an easy mark either. They could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th.
Meanwhile, Regina was very much in the thick of the playoff race to the end, only to be pipped by UBC at the finish line. They over-achieved in 2012-13 and perhaps they overdrew their karma account. They have had poor pre-season results. Still, anything from 5th to 7th is possible.
ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS (0-0-0, 4-3-0, OHT36 #-, 1st in 2014)
UBC THUNDERBIRDS (0-0-0, 3-1-0, OHT36 #-, 6th in 2014)
Links:
:. [Video: CanadaWest.tv]
:. [UBC Preview Story] : [Repost at CW]
This is another semi-final rematch from a year ago. UBC are expected to have a large core of returnees. Will they be better just on that basis? Perhaps. But UBC usually find ways to disappoint. They would really love to make the Big Four in the CW a Big Five. They did beat Alberta in pre-season. That came right after Alberta lost to Augustana of the ACAC. The Monkeys rallied to win 4 straight, two of those in OT. This was not a typical pre-season for the Monkeys. I don't think they will repeat last year's record, but even finishing 2nd would be a surprise. As for UBC, I will still them as a #4 to #7 team until they show otherwise.
For late-night viewing, check CanadaWest.tv for this series. UBC had been audio only in the past.
OUT EAST:
Note: All are non-conference games.
Wed Sep 24 Moncton 3 Acadia 2
Wed Sep 24 Toronto 4 York 3
Thu Sep 25 Queen's at Western Ontario
Thu Sep 25 Waterloo v Concordia (at London)
Fri Sep 26 Concordia at Western Ontario
Fri Sep 26 Queen's v Waterloo (at London)
Fri Sep 26 Laurentian at Lakehead
Fri Sep 26 Ryerson at York (York Tournament)
Fri Sep 26 St. Thomas at McGill
Fri Sep 26 Dalhousie v Acadia (at Liverpool)
Fri Sep 26 Moncton at New Brunswick
Fri Sep 26 St. Francis Xavier v Saint Mary's (at North Sydney)
Sat Sep 27 Guelph at Nipissing
Sat Sep 27 Laurentian at Lakehead
Sat Sep 27 Ryerson v Toronto (York Tournament)
Sat Sep 27 Windsor at UOIT
Sat Sep 27 New Brunswick at UPEI (not listed by UNB)
Sat Sep 27 St. Thomas at McGill
Sun Sep 28 Guelph at Nipissing
Sun Sep 28 Toronto at York (York Tournament)
Sun Sep 28 St. Thomas at UQTR