The State of College/University Hockey in Canada

Hollywood3

Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
May 12, 2007
6,441
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Sometimes in summer we can find time to divert our attention to the philosophical. Well, I have been updating Wikia pages this spring and got to thinking of what a presence hockey once had at universities and colleges. It seemed everybody had a proper team back then, and not just a beer league ensemble that plays in the Wednesday night Group D division.

While these leagues are not a step on the path to the pros, they did establish a base of dedicated hockey people amongst society's leaders in all fields. In my view, this is a trend which Hockey Canada would be wise to address. The CIS has no mandate beyond its own membership, and neither does the CCAA. In fact, the CCAA has washed its hands of hockey.

Also, many decent hockey players have no chance to play while at school. When one takes into account the number of grass-roots players in hockey compared to other sports, it is obvious that hockey is the most difficult in which to make a team. Basketball is played everywhere. In fact, volleyball and indoor soccer are played almost everywhere as well.

With these odds, can we be assured that teens will continue to be drawn to hockey? This is an issue for Hockey Canada to address, in conjucntion with the CIS and CCAA.

Step One is to go across the country and see just what we have.

BritishColumbia.gif

BRITISH COLUMBIA
CIS (1): U.B.C.
BCIHL (4): Trinity Western and Victoria (CWUAA), Selkirk (PWAA), and Simon Fraser (NCAA)
Former BCIHL (4): U.N.B.C., Fraser Valley, Thompson Rivers, Okanagan College ¶
Others:
From PWAA (8): Camosun, Capilano, C.O.T.R., Columbia, Douglas, Langara, Quest, V.I.U.
From CWUAA (1): U.B.C.O.

Alberta.gif

ALBERTA
CIS (4): Alberta, Calgary, Lethbridge, Mount Royal
ACAC (7): Augustana, N.A.I.T., MacEwan, Red Deer, S.A.I.T., Portage College,
Former ACAC (1): Keyano
Other ACAC (7): Ambrose, Grande Prairie, King's, Lakeland, Lethbridge College, Medicine Hat, Olds

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SASKATCHEWAN
CIS (2): Regina, Saskatchewan
ACAC (1): Briercrest
Others: none

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MANITOBA
CIS (1): Manitoba
MCAC: none
Former CIS (2): Brandon, Winnipeg
Former MCAC (5): Assiniboine, C.M.U., Providence, Saint Boniface, Steinbach Bible College ¶
Other MCAC (1): Red River College

Ontario.gif

ONTARIO
CIS (17): Brock, Carleton, Guelph, Lakehead, Laurentian, Laurier, Nipissing, Ottawa, Queen's, R.M.C., Ryerson, Toronto, U.O.I.T., Waterloo, W. Ontario, Windsor, York
OCAA: none
Former OUA (2): McMaster, Trent
Former leagues (2): Osgoode Hall ¶, Lasalle ¶
Former OCAA (13): St. Clair, Humber, Seneca, Fleming, Conestoga, Cambrian, Sheridan, Georgian, Sault, Niagara, Algonquin, Durham, St. Lawrence
Other OUA (1): Algoma
Other OCAA (11): Boreal, Canadore, Centennial, Cite Coll., Confederation, Fanshawe, George Brown, Lambton, Loyalist, Mohawk, Redeemer

Quebec.gif

QUEBEC
CIS (3): Concordia, McGill, U.Q.T.R.
College (6): Lafleche, Lionel-Groulx, Alma Jeannois, Dawson, Champlain-Lennoxville, Saint-Hyacinthe
CEGEP (6): Sorel-Tracy, A-Laurendeau, Champlain-StL, Sainte-Foy, Saint-Laurent, Thetford
Former CIS (6): Bishop's, Laval, Montreal, Sherbrooke, CMRSJ ¶, UQAC ¶
Other CIS (1): UQAM

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NEW BRUNSWICK
CIS (2): Moncton, New Brunswick
ACAA: none
Former CIS (2): Mount Allison, St. Thomas
Other ACAA (2): Crandall, UNBSJ

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NOVA SCOTIA
CIS (4): Acadia, Dalhousie, St. FX, Saint Mary's
ACAA: none
Former CIS (3): Cape Breton, King's College, N.S. Tech ¶
Other ACAA (3): Dalhousie-Ag., Sainte-Anne, Mount St. Vincent

PEI.gif

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
CIS (1): U.P.E.I.
ACAA: none
Former ACAA: Holland College

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NEWFOUNDLAND
CIS: none
ACAA: none
Former CIS (1): M.U.N.

¶ no longer in an athletic conference

Step two is figuring out what we need to get back some of those 37 schools who used to operate teams.

IMO, we need two things: A funding source and an economical starting point. What is painfully obvious is that we desperately miss the second tier leagues which existed in the past. Not so long ago the OCAA was a multi-divisional league. The CCAA held a national championship for regional winners.

So what would be a reasonable goal in each province?

BRITISH COLUMBIA
A new program in the CWUAA would be extremely expensive. IMO the BCIHL is the way to go. It has stabilized at 5 teams (one from the USA). There are currently 4 CIS schools in B.C. without hockey teams. There are a host of colleges who have never had teams as far as I can tell. I would say that an 8-team BCIHL is a reasonable goal.

ALBERTA
Alberta has done great. One could argue that it should be easier for ACAC teams to move up to the CWUAA. Maybe so. I don't mind seeing some strong college-level programs gunning for a CCAA title. Getting Keyano back would be nice, otherwise Alberta can stay as-is.

SASKATCHEWAN
There are colleges in Sask, but they don't have sports programs. This makes any progress impossible in Banjoland.

MANITOBA
The MCAC started a few years ago with a goal to get into the CCAA. It would be nice if they could do so with a new hockey league chasing a new national title.

There have been periodic rumours of a return of hockey to Brandon or Winnipeg. I have my doubts. Why not go a much cheaper route? The MCAC folded its hockey league because Assiniboine and CMU were the only solid teams. Red River never entered the MCAC, although back in the 70s they had a team in an intermediate league. Brandon and Winnipeg have used this level to start volleyball and soccer programs. Why not hockey? If 4 of the 5 schools get going, they have 4 close-by North Dakota junior colleges and ACHA teams playimg independent schedules. The potential for a BCIHL equivalent is right there. The whole thing could operate 4 teams on the budget of one CWUAA team.

ONTARIO
The OUA has done a great job getting 17 of 20 schools to ice teams. McMaster should be targetted because the city of Hamilton is too large to be without a team at the upper levels. What is really sad is the disintegration of the college league in the OCAA. It was reduced to a 6 team league when it folded in 2004. The St. Clair Saints played on as an independent team and then in Senior AAA before giving up. There are loads of potential teams for a revived league. IMO, the goal should be an 8 team 2nd tier league. With McMaster in the OUA, there would be potential for teams at Trent, Algoma, and 24 OCAA schools.

QUEBEC
The College/CEGEP league seems just fine. 6 of the 12 are called CEGEP and I don't know about the rest. Anyhow, no need to intervene here. I do wonder about the league's calibre since they never play CIS teams. But what will be will be. The big thing is getting teams back at Laval and Montreal. Maybe even Bishop's and/or Sherbrooke. Montreal is a huge university and has a women's team. And Quebec City is way too big to be absent from top tier university hockey. And if the OUA is too much for Bishop's, maybe they could join the Atlantic 2nd tier league.

NEW BRUNSWICK
NOVA SCOTIA
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
NEWFOUNDLAND
I put the whole Atlantic region together. I don't see there being a school ready for the AUS. So keep it at 7 teams and fill the gap with a revived 2nd tier league. Between Mount Allison, St. Thomas, Crandall, UNBSJ, Cape Breton, King's College, Dalhousie-Ag., Sainte-Anne, Mount St. Vincent, Holland College, and M.U.N. all they need is 6 out of 11 to get going. Holland College was trying to make a go of it in the PEI Junior B league until last year. What they need is a college league. I suspect others would be in the same boat. And perhaps Bishop's could come aboard.

So what is the target?

At the top tier, all we would add is McMaster, Laval, and Montreal. And maybe Sherbrooke.

The big change would be the 2nd tier where 3 leagues would be added.

How? Through a joint venture between Hockey Canada, the CIS, and CCAA. A co-ordinated approach between all levels would make sponsorships happen. An individual school can only join what is out there. A large-scale national operation would give those schools something into which they could fit a program. The whole thing would generate about 24 new teams, with 20-21 being lower budget colleges. That would cost $5 million. If Hockey Canada and the sponsors could cover enough of that to make the program work, this would be a success.
 
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