The puck dropped on the 2014-15 edition of the CIS men’s hockey season with two teams jumping out to 4-0 starts in the Canada West division.
OUA competition got underway on Wednesday night with the defending Queen’s Cup champions Windsor doubling up Guelph, 4-2; while the AUS season gets started on Oct. 9.
Sportsnet takes a look at two burning questions for each division heading into this season.
Canada West
Does Alberta have what it takes to repeat as CIS champion?
The Golden Bears are coming off a thrilling win over host Saskatchewan to win the University Cup in March. With the addition of former Edmonton Oil King Stephane Legault who put up 22 points in 22 playoff games in 2012-13 before deciding to take a year off, their offence should be there. Not to mention they will have defenceman Jordan Rowley to quarterback the point. Rowley recently attended Edmonton Oilers training camp after a 2013-14 campaign that saw him named the Canada West top defenceman and CIS first-team all-Canadian.
Can Calgary’s offence be one of the best in the country?
Already we have seen that Calgary’s offence is on point again this season. In a pair of opening weekend wins against Manitoba, the Dinos put up 10 goals. The addition of Cain Franson, brother of Toronto Maple Leafs’ Cody Franson, won’t hurt. Cain had 63 points in 66 games last year for the WHLs Vancouver Giants and has already put up four points this season. With 2013-14 CIS goaltender of the year Jacob DeSerres back between the pipes, Calgary is a legitimate CIS champion contender.
OUA West
Can Windsor repeat as Queens Cup champs?
Kevin Hamlin’s Lancers have a lot of key pieces returning to their squad from last year. Leading scorer from last year, Spencer Pommelis and goaltender Parker Van Buskirk will be key points to their success, but they will also face tough competition in the West from team’s like Western and the always strong Lakehead Thunderwolves.
Can Western deal with the loses of Erlich and Unice?
The Mustangs were dealt a huge blow in the summer with the losses of CIS top scorer from last year Daniel Erlich and goaltender Josh Unice, who both turned professional. On top of that, Zach Harnden and Matt Clarke, the team’s other two leading scorers are gone. Offence may be harder to come by this season for Western but they were able to lock up former second round pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, Peter Delmas, in goal.
OUA East
Will UQTR need to get out to a hot start to be effective?
UQTR has been known to be a slow team out of the gate before turning it on in the second half of the year. Always a strong recruiter, don’t be surprised if you see the Patriotes back in the University Cup this season even if they do start out slow. With that said, McGill and their overall dynamic squad will be tough to stop.
Is this the year that Queens takes the next step?
Queen’s made a big improvement last year posting a 17-6-5 record to finish fourth in the OUA East. With Ottawa suspended for the season for an ongoing police investigation, Queen’s looks ready to take the next step. They have last years CIS Rookie of the Year in goaltender Kevin Bailie, and if they can improve on their 81 goals from a season ago, they’re in good hands.
AUS
Will Gardiner MacDougall and UNB contend for another CIS championship?
The Varsity Reds and MacDougall agreed on a five-year contract extension over the summer, which is a good sign for the team. One of the winningest coaches in CIS history, MacDougall was strong on his recruiting class again this year. Look for the Varsity Reds to return to the top of the AUS standings and return to the University Cup.
Can UPEI break out of the middle of the pack to take the division?
The Panthers have had trouble breaking loose from the middle of the pack in the AUS and getting past top programs such as UNB, Acadia and St. Mary’s. They return top defenceman Reggie Traccitto and forward Chris Desousa while also making a big splash by recruiting Islanders’ Darcy Ashley and Brent Andrews of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads. Ashley has been overshadowed by stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin for the last couple seasons, but could be an early candidate for CIS rookie of the year.
CIS Top 10
1. Alberta (-)
2. Calgary (-)
3. UNB (-)
4. Saskatchewan (-)
5. Acadia (-)
6. UQTR (-)
7. Carleton (-)
8. McGill (-)
9. Saint Mary’s (-)
10. Western (-)