Dinos, Cougars ready for Crowchild Classic

One of the premiere events on the Canada West calendar returns on Wednesday, as the University of Calgary Dinos and Mount Royal Cougars renew their rivalry on Scotiabank Saddledome ice.

It’s the 10^th edition of the Crowchild Classic, a yearly celebration of university sport in Calgary which is widely regarded as the most anticipated game of the season for both schools. The event holds multiple U SPORTS hockey attendance records and another large crowd is expected this year.

The hockey doubleheader begins with men’s game at 4:30 p.m., followed by the women’s match at 7:15 p.m. It’s the second time the women’s game will be played second since the event began alternating start times in 2020.

Tickets are still available for purchase here with net proceeds from the $5 admission fee returning to the two campuses for investment into mental health initiatives.

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MHKY: Can Bouchard be stopped?

There’s plenty on the line in both men’s and women’s contests as the Canada West hockey season enters the stretch drive.

The men’s contest features two of the top five ranked teams in the country, with the defending Canada West champion Dinos (19-4-0-1) holding down the #2 spot and the Cougars (17-5-0-0) sitting at #5 in the latest U SPORTS rankings.

It’s also a proverbial four-point game in the CW standings. MRU trails second place Calgary by just five points, with the Cougars holding two games in hand. The Dinos are hunting down home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, trailing first place UBC by a single point.

The Cougars enter the game on an absolute heater, looking to extend a nine-game win streak that has been powered by sophomore forward Connor Bouchard. The former Tri-City Americans star has been unstoppable this season, tallying an eye-popping 48 points in 20 games - a figure that leads the conference in scoring by a whopping 18 points. He enters the Crowchild Classic looking to extend a 19-game point streak.

The game will feature three of the conference’s leading point getters. Calgary’s Colson Gengenbach sits second in CW scoring with 30 points and is coming off a hat trick in last year's Crowchild Classic, while MRU defenseman Clayton Hanus is third with 29 points.

The two teams split a weekend series back in October. Calgary won last year’s Crowchild Classic 4-2, and holds a 5-4 lead in the all-time Crowchild Classic series. 

WHKY: Defending champion Cougars look to extend streak

Defending U SPORTS national champion Mount Royal (18-4-0-0) are enjoying another strong season, sitting #2 in the latest U SPORTS rankings. They enter the Crowchild Classic on a five-game win streak, bolstered by the tremendous depth featured throughout their lineup. Ten Cougars have already reached double digits in points, led by 20 points from defenceman Emma Bergesen.

The Cougars currently sit in third place in the CW standings, trailing second place Alberta by just two points.

Calgary (9-13-2-0) sits in fifth place and are looking to tighten their grip on a Canada West playoff spot. The Dinos sport a number of dangerous offensive weapons and have already pulled off impressive victories against strong sides including UBC and Saskatchewan.

Elizabeth Lang and Courtney Kollman both rank inside the top five in conference scoring for the Dinos with 23 and 22 points, respectively. This year's Crowchild Classic will be extra special for Kollman, as she will be switching benches. After helping lead the Cougars to a national title a season ago, the fifth-year forward is playing her final season of eligibility in the Scarlet & Gold after transferring to continue her education.

Last year’s Crowchild Classic was a tight defensive affair, with the Cougars prevailing 1-0 in a shootout. Calgary holds a 6-3 lead all-time in the Crowchild Classic series. 

Watch on CanadaWest.TV

Fans can watch today’s contests on CanadaWest.TV. Telus subscribers can also watch the games for free as part of the “Telus CW Game of the Week” on Optik TV, Channel 1997.