2025-26 Manitoba Bisons/USports

[Hollywood2]

Preview: March 19-21, 2026: UNIVERSITY CUP & ACAC

The final weekend preview of the year is upon us. All we have left is the 8 teams at the U-Cup, and the two in the ACAC final. Here are the links:

Links:
➤ USports: University Cup Page
➤ USports: Update: Colton Smith named Co-rookie of the Year in Men’s Hockey
➤ USports: National honour caps standout season for Concordia captain Simon Lavigne
➤ USports: Moncton’s Mika Cyr named U SPORTS men’s hockey Player of the Year
➤ USports: Saskatchewan named top dogs in men’s hockey
➤ USports: U SPORTS Men's Hockey Results
➤ CBC: YouTube Page : CBC Gem : CBC.ca

MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS (20-6-2, 2-3-0, 26-11-2, OHT35 #4)
WINDSOR LANCERS (18-7-3, 4-1-0, 22-12-3, OHT35 #17)

Links:
➤ CBC: YouTube Livestream
➤ MRU: Players Bench Athlete of the Week: Mar 3 - Mar 9
➤ MRU: MHKY: Cougars return to the national stage at the U SPORTS University Cup
➤ CTV: ‘The biggest stage in Canada’: MRU Cougars have sights set on men’s national hockey title
➤ Windsor: U SPORTS Championship Preview: Men's Hockey Quarterfinal

After a late season surge got the Bluegars firts place in the CW East, they were less than world-beaters in the playoffs. They narrowly beat their crosstown rivals from Bedrock U, then were handled by the Banjo-Mutts in the final. Windsor had a fairly consistent season. The quality of the OUA West is questionable. There were no East-West interlocking games in the OUA this year, until the Queen’s Cup. Windsor had a close loss to UQTR, and TMU had a close loss to Queen’s. So maybe this whole division is under-rated.

SAINT MARY’S HUSKIES (16-10-4, 0-2-0, 18-13-4, OHT35 #11)
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (19-7-2, 6-0-0, 31-9-4, OHT35 #7)

Links:
➤ CBC: YouTube Livestream
➤ UofS: CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Canada West Champion Huskies Head to Halifax in Pursuit of U-Cup Title
➤ UofS: Conner Roulette Named Clare Drake Award Recipient as U SPORTS Rookie of the Year; Kosior Recognized as All-Canadian
➤ CW: Saskatchewan goaltender Nolan Maier named WHL Grad of the Month
➤ Huskie Fan: University Cup preparations
➤ Huskie Fan: Huskies are top seed for University Cup
➤ Huskie Fan: Roulette named U SPORTS men’s hockey rookie of the year
➤ Huskie Fan: Live Audio
➤ SMU: Host Huskies draw No. 8 seed at U SPORTS Men's Hockey National Championship
➤ SMU: Reid Valade named U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian

The Huskies v Huskies match-up should prompt the Halifax City Council to shelter all fire hydrants. The SMUskies are in as host, and lost out in the AUS quarter-finals. They are the lowly #8 seed. However, in the OHT35 I had them very close to Sask all season.

MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS (19-9-2, 4-2-0, 26-13-2, OHT35 #9)
U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES (20-5-3, 5-1-0, 28-7-3, OHT35 #3)

Links:
➤ CBC: YouTube Livestream
➤ Moncton: The Blue Eagles turn to the U SPORTS National Championship
➤ Moncton: Mika Cyr named U SPORTS Player of the Year in Men’s Hockey
➤ Moncton: Blue Eagles ready to take on challenge at the National Championship in Halifax
➤ UQTR: Team Website

This is a battle of the French. The Eggs appear better than the typical #2 seed from the AUS this year. UQTR is a perennial qualifier.

QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS (14-13-1, 6-2-0, 31-18-2, OHT35 #13)
NEW BRUNSWICK REDS (20-9-1, 5-1-0, 30-11-2, OHT35 #6)

Links:
➤ CBC: YouTube Livestream
➤ Queen’s: Team Website
➤ UNB: REDS No. 2 Seed At U CUP

The other three quarter-finals have a clever moniker, blue v blue, husky v husky, French v French. This one has nothing going for it. Queen’s were a fringe playoff team, only qualifyin on the last day of the regular season by eating Nipissing. Then they caught fire, winning the OUA bronze game. The Squirrels are a traditional power, humbled in the early going. But they rallied to finish 1st in the AUS and won 5-of-6 playoff games.


COMPLETE SCHEDULE

Thu Mar 19 Mount Royal v Windsor 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Thu Mar 19 Saint Mary’s v Saskatchewan 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Fri Mar 20 Moncton v UQTR 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Fri Mar 20 Queen’s v New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Thursday Winners 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Friday Winners 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Sun Mar 22 Bronze Game 9:00 am ADT/7:00 am CDT
Sun Mar 22 Queen’s v New Brunswick 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT


OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

This is a best-of-five series, which SAIT leads 2-0.

Next Up:
Fri Mar 20 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly 7:00 MDT/8:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Red Deer Poly at S.A.I.T. 7:15 MDT/8:15 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 22 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly 5:00 MDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

 

[Hollywood2]

March 19, 2026: QUARTER-FINALS BEGIN

Tournament Links:
➤ USports: Tournament Main Page
➤ USports: U SPORTS Men's Hockey Results
➤ CBC: YouTube Page (links to livestreams & replays)

MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 3
WINDSOR LANCERS 4

Links:
➤ USports: Lancers edge Cougars to advance to University Cup semifinal
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ USports: Summary (PDF)
➤ MRU: MHKY: Cougars' season comes to an end with loss to Lancers in national quarterfinal (with boxscore)
➤ UofW: Men's hockey knocks off Cougars in U SPORTS quarterfinal (with boxscore)

Through two periods this game was tied 1-1, and the Bluegars held a 23-11 lead in shots on goal. It seemed that it was just a matter of time before they would break through. However, the Lancers scored two goals 11 seconds apart early in the 3rd. Try as they might, the Bluegars could not overcome the deficit. In the end, they outshot the Lancers 41-20. This game was reminiscent of the semi-final series the Bluegars had with Calgary where they dominated play but were always tight on the scoreboard.

SAINT MARY’S HUSKIES 4
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES 3
(in overtime)

Links:
➤ USports: Saint Mary’s outlasts Saskatchewan in overtime dogfight
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ USports: Summary (PDF)
➤ UofS: Huskies' Season Comes to a Close With Overtime Loss to Saint Mary's in U Cup Quarterfinal (with boxscore)
➤ Huskie Fan: Huskies eliminated at University Cup
➤ SMU: Ritchie's OT winner lifts SMU to semifinal over Saskatchewan in U CUP dogfight : RP @AUS (with boxscore)

The Banjo-Mutts have patented the overtime game at the U-Cup. It seems to happen every year they qualify. Although the Mutts came out strong, the SMUskies gradually took over the play as the 1st period wore on. 15 minutes into the 2nd period, and the SMUskies were up 3-0 and the game looked over. However, the Sask trainers must have found a secret supply of Granny’s moonshine. The Banjo-Mutts rallied and tied the game, and could have even taken the lead. The shot clock tells the tale. The SMUskies were up 22-16 after two periods (after Sask’s late period rally), but in the 3rd the shots were 14-4 for the Banjo-Mutts. The overtime was very much back and forth, and was decided before the 3-on-3 segment would have taken place. The SMUskies have at times been much better than an 8th seed this season. They could slide their way into the championship game, which would certainly boost attendance.


NEXT UP
Fri Mar 20 Moncton v UQTR 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Fri Mar 20 Queen’s v New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Windsor v Saint Mary’s 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Friday Winners 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Sun Mar 22 Bronze Game 9:00 am ADT/7:00 am CDT
Sun Mar 22 Gold Game 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT