TMU hosts men’s hockey national championship March 14-17
TMU Bold’s Kyle Bollers battles to keep the puck in a recent game against the Laurier Golden Hawks. (Photo: Josh Kim)
Come cheer on the TMU Bold men’s hockey team as TMU hosts the U SPORTS men’s hockey national championship at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) – with the Bold’s first game a do-or-die matchup on March 14 at 7 p.m.
Adding to the excitement – it’s the first time in 27 years that the championship tournament is being held in Toronto – and will be right here at TMU.
The MAC – which is the former Maple Leaf Gardens – is considered a “cathedral” of hockey – with the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup 11 times between 1932-1967 while playing at the arena.
“We humbly say we have arguably the best facility in the country, and to have our counterparts come in and see it for themselves, along with our first-class university in the heart of downtown Toronto, and then the history that comes from being in the former Maple Leaf Gardens – it’s amazing,” said head coach Johnny Duco.
“It’s a tremendous honour for us to be hosting,” he noted.
Home crowd advantage
The home crowd advantage could be a key ingredient for the Bold. Duco hopes the stands will be full of TMU fans when the team faces off in their first match at 7 p.m. on March 14.
“We hope to see lots of students and community members come and cheer us on. Hopefully we’ll have a terrific atmosphere and the players can draw from that energy,” Duco said.
Making it more intense – the first game is an elimination round. Plus, for 12 graduating players on the Bold – it’s their last chance to fight for gold.
“We're a really motivated group, and we've got a lot of veteran players that are really hungry for this. We strongly feel that that's a recipe for success,” said Duco.
‘Best secret’
The head coach also says the tournament is an exciting chance to take in high calibre hockey.
“It often gets talked about by NHL scouts as the best secret in North American hockey. It’s high level, it’s fast-paced, it’s competitive,” Duco said.
He also points out that many former Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Western Hockey League (WHL) and other former professional hockey players are now studying at universities across Canada and lacing up for varsity teams.
“What makes it special is that they’re playing because they love the game. They love representing their university and their community and they’re really excited to do it,” he said.
Elijah Roberts in action in a recent game with the TMU Bold. Roberts is also co-host of Soul On Ice: The Podcast. (Photo: Josh Kim)
Championship tournament runs March 14-17
The top eight teams from across Canada will be battling it out for first place in U SPORTS starting March 14, with the final game set for March 17.
Official tournament seeding and matchups will be announced on March 10.
Teams include: TMU, Brock University, McGill University, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, University of New Brunswick, Université de Moncton, the University of Calgary and the University of British Columbia.
“Hopefully we can pull off the first men's hockey national championship in our program,” Duco said. “That's what our sights are set on – and any support we can pick up we will greatly appreciate.”
For tickets, please visit: U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship 2024 (external link) . Groups of 10 or more receive a 25% off discount.
Plus: Pack the MAC for the Queen’s Cup OUA finals on March 9
TMU fans can also cheer on the TMU Bold men’s hockey team in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Queen’s Cup championship game on Saturday, March 9 at 6:15 p.m. at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
TMU students can enter for free. Purchase tickets for faculty, staff, alumni and the community online (external link) , with discounted prices for youth, alumni and large groups.
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