2025-26 Manitoba Bisons/USports

Hollywood2

Electoral Member
Jul 3, 2023
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Preview: February 20-22, 2026: CWUAA QUARTER-FINALS



Live Links:
➤ Video: CanadaWest TV
➤ Hockey Tech Game Centre: Friday Saturday Sunday


Other Links:
➤ USports: Men’s Hockey Page Top 10
➤ CW: Home Page Season Schedule
➤ CW Hockey Tech: Daily Schedule
➤ CW Hockey Tech: Stats Schedule/Results/Links



ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS (11-13-4, 14-17-4, OHT35 #25)
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (19-7-2, 25-9-4, OHT35 #7)

Links:
➤ UofA (Saturday late): Bears close out regular season with 5-3 win at MacEwan (with boxscore)
➤ UofA: Team Website
➤ UofS: Team Website
➤ Huskie Fan: Bears-Huskies…another playoff series in a classic rivalry


In the CW criss-cross playoff format, the Banjo-Mutts, as the 2nd place team from the East Division, host the Evil Monkeys, the 3rd place team from the West Division. The winner of this series will then face UBC in the semi-final round.

Going into the season, there were high hopes in Saskatown. Although they had a respectable season, they never quite seemed to hit their stride. The Monkeys were hard to gauge, after being racked by NCAA defections. However, a sub-.500 season is hard to fathom. They only made the playoffs because of the CW’s split divisional format.

These teams played just once, on January 23-24, with Sask sweeping by scores of 7-4 and 6-2.

Sask is led by three of the top nine scorers in the CW, forwards Chantz Petruic (26 GP, 18 G, 18 A, 36 Pts), Dawson Holt (28 GP, 14 G, 22 A, 36 Pts), and Connor Roulette (28 GP, 15 G, 20 A, 35 Pts). Defenceman Landon Kosior was 17th (28 GP, 4 G, 25 A, 29 Pts). Forward Carter Stebbings also had a good season (27 GP, 13 G, 10 A, 23 Pts).

The conference had 7 players tied for 20th with 26 points, and three of those were Monkeys: Adam Hall (27 GP, 15 G, 11 A, 26 Pts), Justin Hall (22 GP, 9 G, 17 A, 26 Pts), and defenceman Dawson Davidson (27 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 26 Pts).

Goaltending is a question mark for both teams.

For Alberta, 4th year Ethan Kruger was their #1 goalie all season. I infer he was hurt on February 6th when he left a game against UBC and never did return. His career stats took a bit of a downturn this year, which reflects the team in front of him. This year’s numbers were around league average (7-6-3, 3.20 GAA, .891 S%). They now have to make do with two rookies, Drew Sim and Ethan Barwick.

For Saskatchewan, second semester addition Nolan Meier was handed the #1 position. His numbers were pretty good (6-2-0, 2.98 GAA, .889 S%) but not quite as good as Jordan Kooy (7-3-2, 2.86 GAA, .902 S%) and Bryan Thompson (6-2-0, 2.35 GAA, .916 S%).

All-in-all, the Mutts have to be considered a prohibitive favourite to win this series.



CALGARY DINOSAURS (19-8-1, 25-9-2, OHT35 #5)
MACEWAN GRIFFINS (12-11-5, 15-15-5, OHT35 #21)

Links:
➤ UofC: Team Website
➤ MacU: Team Website
➤ MacU: Three Stars: Simard, Rolph, Breitenbach earn honours
➤ MacU: Battle-tested Griffins at the top of their game as they face stingy, speedy, hard-working Dinos in first round


This series is odd in that MacEwan (as the 2nd place team in the West Division with 29 points) gets to host the series, even though Calgary (as the 3rd place team in the East Division with 39 points) was vastly superior. The winner of this series will face MRU in the semi-final round.

The Family Guys deserve credit for making the playoffs two years in a row now, but they really caught a break here. In the regular season, Calgary won both ends of the home-and-home 5-3 and 4-1 on the World Series weekend.

At one point, the Dinos were having a Yabba Dabba Doo time, leading the CW and flirting with a #1 ranking nation-wide. However, in pre-season most observers had their doubts about this team, only to see them exceed those expectations from the pre-season to the Christmas break.

The Dinos are heavily reliant on Adam Kydd, 2nd in CW scoring (28 GP, 8 G, 33 A, 41 Pts). Fellow forwards Hayden Pakkala (28 GP, 15 G, 11 A, 26 Pts), Jake Poole (26 GP, 11 G, 13 A, 24 Pts), and Gavin Schmidt (28 GP, 8 G, 13 A, 21 Pts) also had good seasons, and defenceman Sean Strange (28 GP, 4 G, 19 A, 23 Pts) was 6th amongst blueliners in the CW.

Meanwhile, MacEwan has fewer players of renown. Kadyn Chabot (27 GP, 18 G, 17 A, 35 Pts) was frequently given awards and recognition all season. Other major contributors were Sam Simard (28 GP, 12 G, 16 A, 28 Pts), Ethan Sundar (27 GP, 10 G, 15 A, 25 Pts), and Vincent Scott (22 GP, 8 G, 14 A, 22 Pts).

The Bedrock Boys have more reliable goaltending. The duo of Carl Tetachuk and Carl Stankowski could be the CW’s best duo, and have been for four years. (Stankowski is in his 5th season.)

For The Family Guys, Eric Ward was the #1, then Zac Onyskiw assumed that role, but down the stretch former #3 Carson Ironside started the last three games. I don’t know if there are injury issues, and don’t know what to expect.


COMPLETE SCHEDULE

Fri Feb 20 Alberta at Saskatchewan 7:00 CST
Fri Feb 20 Calgary at MacEwan 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sat Feb 21 Alberta at Saskatchewan 7:00 CST
Sat Feb 21 Calgary at MacEwan 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sun Feb 22 Alberta at Saskatchewan 6:00 CST *if necessary
Sun Feb 22 Calgary at MacEwan 7:00 MST/8:00 CST *if necessary


OUT EAST


Fri Feb 20 Ontario Tech at Ottawa 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Fri Feb 20 Brock at Lakehead 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Fri Feb 20 McGill at Queen’s 7:30 EST/6:30 CST

Sat Feb 21 Ontario Tech at Ottawa 3:00 EST/2:00 CST *if necessary
Sat Feb 21 Brock at Lakehead 7:00 EST/6:00 CST *if necessary
Sat Feb 21 Laurier at Guelph 7:30 EST/6:30 CST

Sun Feb 22 Queen’s at McGill 3:00 EST/2:00 CST *if necessary
Sun Feb 22 Guelph at Laurier 6:30 EST/7:30 CST *if necessary



Fri Feb 20 Saint Mary’s at UPEI 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Fri Feb 20 Acadia at St. FX 7:00 AST/5:00 CST

Sun Feb 22 UPEI at Saint Mary’s 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Sun Feb 22 St. FX at Acadia 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary

Links:
➤ OUA: Daily Schedule
➤ AUS: Playoff Schedule & Results



OUT WEST


Fri Feb 20 Briercrest College at N.A.I.T. 6:00 MST/7:00 CST
Fri Feb 20 Red Deer Poly at S.A.I.T. 6:45 MST/7:45 CST
Fri Feb 20 Concordia-Edmonton at Portage College 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sat Feb 21 Briercrest College at N.A.I.T. 2:00 MST/3:00 CST
Sat Feb 21 Portage College at Concordia-Edmonton 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sat Feb 21 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
(End of ACAC regular season.)


Fri Feb 20 Logan Lake at Victoria 7:30 PST/9:30 CST
Sat Feb 21 Logan Lake at Vancouver Island 7:15 PST/9:15 CST
Sat Feb 21 Simon Fraser at Okanagan 5:30 PST/7:30 CST

Links:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results
➤ BCIHL: Schedule & Results
➤ BCIHL: YouTube Channel