2015 Winter Universiade: Canadian men’s hockey team comes together, prepares to take on world

CALGARY (Courtesy of Lance Doucet, University ofCalgary) – After months of evaluation, 23 of theCanada West conference’s best men’s hockey playersassembled in Calgary Saturday to form Team Canada and travel to the2015 Winter Universiade in Granada, Spain, where they hope todefend the FISU title.

VIDEO: http://youtu.be/jEV3f199PYo

Since 1997, Canada has been represented at the FISU Games inmen’s hockey by each of the three CIS leagues on a rotatingbasis. Canada West teams have medaled in all three appearances,capturing bronze in 1997 (Muju-Chonju, South Korea) and 2003(Tarvisio, Italy) as well as silver in 2009 (Harbin, China). TheCanadian squad from Atlantic University Sport claimed gold at themost recent Universiade, reaching the top step of the podium inTrentino, Italy in December 2013.

Led by Saskatchewan Huskies head coach Dave Adolph, the2015 team was selected out from the conference’s eightprograms based on performance during the 28-game season. Playerswere named to the roster in early December, but Saturday was thefirst chance for the coaching staff to see the entire team on thesame ice.

“The skill level in CIS is often underrated, butit was exemplified out there today. The guys were very competitivedespite being tired from games last night,” said Adolph, whorecently became the winningest coach in CIS men’s hockeyhistory. “This is a fast team, we are going to be using thesame template Hockey Canada has been using for the past number ofyears. We made sure we found kids that can play down ice. We alsohave three of the best goaltenders in thecountry.”

Filling the locker room usually reserved for the CalgaryDinos, five Calgary players opened the doors for new teammates theyusually go head-to-head with on a weekly basis, including sixskaters from their biggest rival, the Alberta GoldenBears.

“They are all good guys, what happens on the icestays on the ice,” explained Calgary team captain Kevin King.“It is pretty cool though, we will be teammates for the nextcouple of weeks and put aside the bad blood, then go back tobattling each other after.”

For most of the players, Saturday was also the firstchance to throw a Team Canada jersey over their head.

“It is every kid’s dreams to be able to puton that Canadian sweater, it is something I will alwaysremember,” shared Alberta’s T.J. Foster, who won theCanada West scoring crown with 42 points (18-24-42).

Following a team photo, the players switched into theirpractice jerseys and were put through the motions for the firsttime as a team. The coaching staff emphasized the need to cometogether fast and kept a number of lines and pairings together fromclub teams. Alberta’s Foster, Jordan Hickmott, and KruiseReddick all skated as one line, while the duos of Chris Collins– Elgin Pearce and Tyler Fiddler – Cody Cartier werekept together from Calgary and Mount Royal respectively. Two of thethree defensive units were also teammates from their Canada Westsquads.

Goaltenders Dalyn Flette (Mount Royal), Ryan Holfeld(Saskatchewan) and Kris Lazaruk (Calgary) all had the chance towork with Dinos goaltending coach Brad Kirkwood before taking partin drills with the rest of the skaters. Adolph expects to alternatetwo netminders until the medal round when a full-time starter willlikely be chosen.

“At the beginning of this season I had nointentions of being on this team, I did not think I was on theradar,” said Lazaruk. “It feels like icing on the cakefor my final season. It is going to be a special couple ofweeks.”

Along with goaltending, the team is yet to name acaptain for the tournament. Team Canada features three players whoare captain on their own team in King (Calgary), Reddick (Alberta)and Matthew Delahey (Saskatchewan).

Canada will begin the tournament a day ahead of theopening ceremonies when they take on South Korea on February 3.From there, the Red and White will get a day off before taking onSweden, followed by a power-house matchup with Russia to concludethe group stage.

All games can be seen live on the web at http://www.livefisu.tv/.

If all goes as planned, Canada will be playing on thefinal day and defending gold on February 14.

“The way it has worked the past couple of years,it has been Canada and Russia at the end in the gold medal game.For them to be in the same pool as us is a little unusual,”noted Adolph. “Our mindset is to get better every day and getto the medal round.”

NOTES: In Trentino just 13 months ago, the AUSall-stars captured gold by defeating Kazakhstan 6-2 in the finalfollowing a 2-1 nail-biter over two-time defending champion Russiain the semi-final. The powerful Russian lineup included 11 playerswith KHL experience, nine of them skating in the league at the timeof the FISU tournament... In 14 all-time appearances at theUniversiade tourney, the Canucks have tallied an impressive 13medals, including four gold, three silver and six bronze. Inaddition to the titles won by AUS stars in 2013 and 2007 (Turin,Italy), the red and white was crowned in 1991 in Sapporo, Japan,while represented by the senior national squad, and in 1981 inJaca, Spain, when the University of Alberta Golden Bears wore themaple leaf uniform... Canada (2013, 2007) and Russia (2011, 2009,2005, 2003) have combined to win the last six FISU tourneys...Eleven countries will compete for gold in Andalusia. Canada joinsRussia, Sweden, and South Korea in Pool B, while a three-team PoolC consists of Kazakhstan, Japan, and the United States. The hostSpanish join Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and China in Pool A. Thetop two finishers from each pool and the two best third-place teamswill advance to the quarterfinals...

Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/winter/2015/index

Granada 2015 website: http://www.granada2015.org/en/

TEAM CANADAROSTER

Name - University - Hometown

Goaltenders
Dalyn Flette - Mount Royal - Edmonton, Alta.
Ryan Holfeld - Saskatchewan - Leroy, Sask.
Kris Lazaruk - Calgary - Edmonton, Alta.

Defencemen
Jesse Craige - Alberta -Edmonton, Alta.
Kodie Curran - Calgary - Calgary, Alta.
Matthew Delahey - Saskatchewan - Moose Jaw, Sask.
Neil Manning - UBC - Nanaimo, B.C.
Kendall McFaull - Saskatchewan - Rosetown, Sask.
Luke Paulsen - Manitoba - Winnipeg, Man.
Jordan Rowley - Alberta - Edmonton, Alta.

Forwards
Cody Cartier – Mount Royal - Sylvan Lake, Alta.
Chris Collins - Calgary - Calgary, Alta.
Jordan DePape - Manitoba - Winnipeg, Man.
Tyler Fiddler - Mount Royal - Prince Albert, Sask.
T.J. Foster - Alberta - Slave Lake, Alta.
Cody Fowlie - Regina - Airdrie, Alta.
Jordan Hickmott - Alberta - Mission, B.C.
Kevin King - Calgary - Calgary, Alta.
Levko Koper - Alberta - Edmonton, Alta.
Mitchell Maxwell - Lethbridge - Magrath, Alta.
Craig McCallum - Saskatchewan - Canoe Lake, Sask.
Elgin Pearce - Calgary - Port Coquitlam, B.C.
Kruise Reddick - Alberta - Manor, Sask.

Staff

Team Leader: Todd Johnson (University of Regina)
Head Coach: Dave Adolph (University of Saskatchewan)
Associate Coach: Mark Howell (University of Calgary)
Associate Coach: Mike Sirant (University of Manitoba)
Video Coach: Spiros Anastas (University of Lethbridge)
Equipment/Athletic Therapy: Chris Linder (University ofCalgary)
Equipment/Athletic Therapy: T.J. Mussbacher (University ofAlberta)

TEAM CANADATOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (all times local / 6 hours ahead ofEST)

Tuesday, Feb. 3 (17:00): Canada vs. South Korea
Thursday, Feb. 5 (17:00): Canada vs. Sweden
Saturday, Feb. 7 (17:00): Canada vs. Russia
Wednesday, Feb. 11 (TBD): Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 13 (TBD): Semi-finals
Saturday, Feb. 14 (12:00): Bronze
Saturday, Feb. 14 (16:00): Final

About theWinter Universiade

The Winter Universiade is a biennial international multi-sportevent open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participantsmust be full-time students at a post-secondary institution(university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from apost-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.

The Granada Universiade will feature nine compulsory sports andone optional sport. Compulsory sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, icehockey, curling, nordic skiing, short track speed skating, figureskating, synchronized skating, snowboarding. Optional sport:freestyle skiing.

NOTE: Biathlon and nordic skiing will take place in StrbskePleso and Osrblie, Slovakia from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1, prior to thestart of the Games in Granada.

Official website: www.granada2015.org

About CanadianInteruniversity Sport

Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body ofuniversity sport in Canada. Every year, over 11,500student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and fourregional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12different sports. CIS also provides high performance internationalopportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and SummerUniversiades, as well as numerous world university championships.For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CIS_SIC

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