FISU 2023 WUG Winter (Lake Placid)

[Drummer]

It was announced awhile back, but 2023 WUG-Winter (also referred to as Universiade) will be in Lake Placid from January 12-22.

12 Teams for the Men, 8 Teams for the Women

For the Men - two(2) pools of six with the top two teams advancing

There are four(4) rinks being used for the Men's and Women's events.

Men
- Roos House Athletic Centre at SUNY Canton, 115min from Lake Placid
- Cheel Campus Arena in Potsdam (home of Clarkson), 90min from Lake Placid

Women
- Maxcy Hall at SUNY (State University of New York) Potsdam, 90min from Lake Placid

Semi's and Finals
- Olympic Centre (home of Herb Brooks Area, Jack Shea Arena & USA Rink) in Lake Placid

Team Canada Schedule
G1 - 01/12 vs UKR (Roos House)
G2 - 01/13 vs SWE (Roos House)
G3 - 01/15 vs JPN (Roos House)
G4 - 01/17 vs LAT (Roos House)
G5 - 01/18 vs CZE (Roos House)

The other Pool includes HUN, SVK, GBR, KOR, KAZ and USA playing out of Cheel Campus Arena.

Semi's are on 01/21
Finals/Bronze are on 01/22

My guess - CAN & CZE and USA/SVK & KAZ as the top 2 in each pool. KAZ always has a stacked team - they will find some 4th line KHL guys and some Junior Red Stars to take a class or two. US Div III all-star teams haven't faired well at this event, but they're in an easy pool so should finish 2nd - if they don't it's because of SVK.

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[Hollywood3]

It was announced awhile back, but 2023 WUG-Winter (also referred to as Universiade) will be in Lake Placid from January 12-22.

12 Teams for the Men, 8 Teams for the Women

For the Men - two(2) pools of six with the top two teams advancing

There are four(4) rinks being used for the Men's and Women's events.

Men
- Roos House Athletic Centre at SUNY Canton, 115min from Lake Placid
- Cheel Campus Arena in Potsdam (home of Clarkson), 90min from Lake Placid

Women
- Maxcy Hall at SUNY (State University of New York) Potsdam, 90min from Lake Placid

Semi's and Finals
- Olympic Centre (home of Herb Brooks Area, Jack Shea Arena & USA Rink) in Lake Placid

Team Canada Schedule
G1 - 01/12 vs UKR (Roos House)
G2 - 01/13 vs SWE (Roos House)
G3 - 01/15 vs JPN (Roos House)
G4 - 01/17 vs LAT (Roos House)
G5 - 01/18 vs CZE (Roos House)

The other Pool includes HUN, SVK, GBR, KOR, KAZ and USA playing out of Cheel Campus Arena.

Semi's are on 01/21
Finals/Bronze are on 01/22

My guess - CAN & CZE and USA/SVK & KAZ as the top 2 in each pool. KAZ always has a stacked team - they will find some 4th line KHL guys and some Junior Red Stars to take a class or two. US Div III all-star teams haven't faired well at this event, but they're in an easy pool so should finish 2nd - if they don't it's because of SVK.

Before the last Universiade was cancelled, the USA was going to send the Northeastern Huskies (a Div 1 team), like the CIAU used to do with Alberta, Toronto, and Manitoba, back in the day. The USA used to be an all-star ACHA team. Without the Russians, the tournament should be a lot weaker. Kazakhstan is a Universiade power! Sweden was surprisingly weak.

LINK: Northeastern Hockey Programs Selected to Represent USA in World University Winter Games in Switzerland - Northeastern University Athletics

 

[JMCx4]

Doesn't seem like much of a draw for hockey fans as an event, unless there are players involved that are related to you or you know. But if you could swing an extended weekend in Lake Placid in late January - and you pray that the snow isn't too deep, restricting ground travel - watching hockey at the Olympic Center is a treat. Plus the area around it is beautiful.

 

[Aces89]

Team USA will be made up of players who play in the SUNYAC Div 3.

 

[AUS Fan]

Doesn't seem like much of a draw for hockey fans as an event, unless there are players involved that are related to you or you know. But if you could swing an extended weekend in Lake Placid in late January - and you pray that the snow isn't too deep, restricting ground travel - watching hockey at the Olympic Center is a treat. Plus the area around it is beautiful.

There's more than men's hockey. Women's hockey, curling, speed skating, alpine and nordic events. When I was in Turin in 2007 for FISU (with Team Canada hockey), I got to see some speed skating and curling plus did a little bit of tourism in the city. Slightly different from Lake Placid, all the events other than alpine were in the Olympic venues.

 

[RED ARMY EAST]

Team USA will be made up of players who play in the SUNYAC Div 3.

Last year it would have been Northeastern men and women Div 1.

 

[Campy]

There's more than men's hockey. Women's hockey, curling, speed skating, alpine and nordic events. When I was in Turin in 2007 for FISU (with Team Canada hockey), I got to see some speed skating and curling plus did a little bit of tourism in the city. Slightly different from Lake Placid, all the events other than alpine were in the Olympic venues.

The curling teams for Lake Placid were decided at a tournament in Ottawa in September. U of Alberta won for the women's team and Dalhousie Tigers won the men's berth.

 

[Rob]

I wonder if there will be a cap on how many players can be picked from a single team?

 

[AUS Fan]

The curling teams for Lake Placid were decided at a tournament in Ottawa in September. U of Alberta won for the women's team and Dalhousie Tigers won the men's berth.

I wonder if there will be a cap on how many players can be picked from a single team?

Not so much a cap, but there are a lot of good players in the rest of the country.
I'm thinking 3-4 UNB, a couple of SMU and UPEI, almost certain to have Hawel and Struthers.
So that's 8-9 from AUS. Can't ask for more than that.
Figure Gravel as starting goalie. Mount Royal has a couple of good players as does Ryerson. I don't follow the OUA but there has to be some guys there who can make the team. And don't forget Da Bears.
I'm sure Gards will try to stack the team with UNB guys but the other coaches have a say.

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

Also keep in mind there are a lot of factors in play….do guys want to miss that much school? are their schools willing to help with the cost?

 

[Rob]

Also keep in mind there are a lot of factors in play….do guys want to miss that much school? are their schools willing to help with the cost?

Good point. There may be players that say no.

Not so much a cap, but there are a lot of good players in the rest of the country.
I'm thinking 3-4 UNB, a couple of SMU and UPEI, almost certain to have Hawel and Struthers.
So that's 8-9 from AUS. Can't ask for more than that.
Figure Gravel as starting goalie. Mount Royal has a couple of good players as does Ryerson. I don't follow the OUA but there has to be some guys there who can make the team. And don't forget Da Bears.
I'm sure Gards will try to stack the team with UNB guys but the other coaches have a say.

Not sure you will see more than two from UNB. Their best players are rookies.

 

[AUS Fan]

Good point. There may be players that say no.


Not sure you will see more than two from UNB. Their best players are rookies.

Keating, Gilmour, McCormick. Possibly Landry.
Maksimovich and Lajeuness from UPEI.
MacPherson from SMU

A few thoughts from AUS.

 

[Campy]

I wonder if there will be a cap on how many players can be picked from a single team?

There is no break in the AUS schedule to accommodate any of the FISU event which is Jan 12-22/2023. Teams still play regular conference games both weekends of FISU so no one will be able to grab large numbers of players from any one squad to go to Lake Placid.

 

[JMCx4]

There is no break in the AUS schedule to accommodate any of the FISU event which is Jan 12-22/2023. Teams still play regular conference games both weekends of FISU so no one will be able to grab large numbers of players from any one squad to go to Lake Placid.

Sounds like an opportunity for some members here to lace 'em up.

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

Team USA will be made up of players who play in the SUNYAC Div 3.

That is not a high end division.

Doesn't seem like much of a draw for hockey fans as an event, unless there are players involved that are related to you or you know. But if you could swing an extended weekend in Lake Placid in late January - and you pray that the snow isn't too deep, restricting ground travel - watching hockey at the Olympic Center is a treat. Plus the area around it is beautiful.

SUNY Canton is just over an hour drive from Ottawa. Not far at all.
With its proximity to the OUA East, I suspect we'll see some representation from that Division.

 

[AUS Fan]

That is not a high end division.


SUNY Canton is just over an hour drive from Ottawa. Not far at all.
With its proximity to the OUA East, I suspect we'll see some representation from that Division.

In 2007 the US team was Div 3. Hard working team. TC won 5-0.

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

In 2007 the US team was Div 3. Hard working team. TC won 5-0.

They will work their tails off but they will have zero high end skill.

 

[Drummer]

Last year it would have been Northeastern men and women Div 1.

Yes - a D1 school would have been an exciting change. A whole lot more competitive for sure.

The current plan, from a Press Release I read, is "to field a competitive men's team comprised of the top DIII players from across the country"

Here are the coaches/staff for Team USA; Matt Loen (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) & Mark Taylor (Hobart College) with Asst. Coaches; Mike Szkozinki (Lawrence University), Jack Ceglarski (Middlebury College), Joel Stoneham (Hobart College) and General Manager Bill Beaney (Team USA).

 

[AUS Fan]

Yes - a D1 school would have been an exciting change. A whole lot more competitive for sure.

The current plan, from a Press Release I read, is "to field a competitive men's team comprised of the top DIII players from across the country"

Here are the coaches/staff for Team USA; Matt Loen (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) & Mark Taylor (Hobart College) with Asst. Coaches; Mike Szkozinki (Lawrence University), Jack Ceglarski (Middlebury College), Joel Stoneham (Hobart College) and General Manager Bill Beaney (Team USA).

A D1 school would cetainly change the landscape.
But like all other years D1 players are going to the WJC.
Also taking off almost 2 weeks in the 2nd half of their season isn't possible.

There is no break in the AUS schedule to accommodate any of the FISU event which is Jan 12-22/2023. Teams still play regular conference games both weekends of FISU so no one will be able to grab large numbers of players from any one squad to go to Lake Placid.

In 2007 we had 4 UNB, 4 UdeM, 4 STU, 3 SMU, 3 ACA, 2 SFX and 1 each from DAL and UPEI.
5 teams lost a number of pretty good talent. With a CIS team the impact on some teams will be less but I could still see more than a couple of UNB guys going.

 

[Drummer]

In 2007 we had 4 UNB, 4 UdeM, 4 STU, 3 SMU, 3 ACA, 2 SFX and 1 each from DAL and UPEI.
5 teams lost a number of pretty good talent. With a CIS team the impact on some teams will be less but I could still see more than a couple of UNB guys going.

2001 - late February - UNB was 3-1-0 without (3) - Chiarello, McArthur & Minard
2007 - mid-January - UNB was 3-2-0 without (4) Friesen, Boyce, Hennigar & Sinclair
2013 - mid-December - no real impact as it was the 1st term exam period

So - giving up 1 or 2 players is likely not going to have a huge impact (there will be an impact, but maybe a win is less or a coin-flip game becomes a loss). The impact for the AUS (other than for UNB) is UPEI, UdeM, SMU and SFX are 2pts behind each other. Imagine UdeM without Montpetit or UPEI without Brassard for 4 games? That could hurt a lot.

 

[RED ARMY EAST]

2001 - late February - UNB was 3-1-0 without (3) - Chiarello, McArthur & Minard
2007 - mid-January - UNB was 3-2-0 without (4) Friesen, Boyce, Hennigar & Sinclair
2013 - mid-December - no real impact as it was the 1st term exam period

So - giving up 1 or 2 players is likely not going to have a huge impact (there will be an impact, but maybe a win is less or a coin-flip game becomes a loss). The impact for the AUS (other than for UNB) is UPEI, UdeM, SMU and SFX are 2pts behind each other. Imagine UdeM without Montpetit or UPEI without Brassard for 4 games? That could hurt a lot.

UPEI are hosting, it's the rest of the pack, excluding UNB that could have playoff impacts.

 

[AUS Fan]

UPEI are hosting, it's the rest of the pack, excluding UNB that could have playoff impacts.

There are no "playoff impacts". 6 teams will make the playoffs, DAL won't.
You don't have to win every game. The players deserve to go if they're selected.