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Guelph’s Aagaard headlines roster for 2019 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey All-Star Series

U SPORTS Staff

Mikkel Aagaard, Guelph Gryphons

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Former Denmark World Junior captain Mikkel Aagaard headlines the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey All-Stars roster announced Tuesday, set to compete at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection camp in Oakville, Ont., from Dec. 9-12.

Aagard, who led the Danish squad to an eighth-place finish at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship held in Montreal and Toronto, has represented his country at six world championships at various levels since 2012. The third-year Guelph Gryphon is currently tied for eighth in U SPORTS scoring this season with 12 goals and 24 points.

Besides Aagaard, the roster features seven returning players with All-Star Series and FISU Winter Universiade experience, along with former U SPORTS major award winners, All-Canadians and All-Rookies.

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Mark Simposon, UNB Reds

This will mark the fifth straight year the U SPORTS All-Stars have faced off against Canada’s National Junior Team Prospects, who are vying for roster spots at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship being held in Ostrava and Trinec, Czech Republic from Dec. 26, 2019 – Jan. 5, 2020.

“This is an excellent opportunity for U SPORTS to show our continued support for Hockey Canada in helping them best prepare the Canadian World Junior Team for the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic,” said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, Chief Sport Officer of U SPORTS. “We are honoured to be invited annually to the Sport Chek Selection Camp, while simultaneously showcasing some of the best talent Canadian university hockey has to offer.”

As previously announced, this year’s event will feature a two-game series at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, home of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s (OJHL) Oakville Blades, with games scheduled for Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT and Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. Tickets are available at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets, starting at $15 plus fees.

Gardiner MacDougall, head coach of the UNB Reds, will serve as the team’s bench boss, after being an assistant coach with the 2018 U SPORTS All-Stars. MacDougall will be joined by 2016 U SPORTS All-Star head coach Brett Gibson of the Queen’s Gaels, 2018 All-Star assistant Todd Johnson of the Regina Cougars and Western Mustangs head coach Clarke Singer. 

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Gardiner MacDougall, UNB Reds

“It is an outstanding lifetime opportunity and a real privilege, when you look at the outstanding coaches across our country, to get a chance to lead an amazing group of student-athletes,” said MacDougall. “Last year’s experience in Victoria was one of the top experiences I’ve enjoyed as a coach at the U SPORTS level.”

As the official outfitter of the U SPORTS Men’s and Women’s Hockey All-Star Teams, Kobe Sportswear will provide all players with on-ice uniforms, which debuted at the Hockey Canada Summer Showcase in August.

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Colin Shirley, Saskatchewan Huskies

The team will also pay tribute to former general manager Graham Sirman, who tragically passed away last month, by wearing GS the GM helmet decals throughout the series.

Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team has faced various U SPORTS competition on a regular basis since 1988. Since a U SPORTS national all-star team began participating in December 2015, U SPORTS holds a 5-3-1 record.

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Nikolas Brouillard, McGill University

U SPORTS MEN’S HOCKEY ALL-STAR ROSTER

No. Name University Hometown Elig. HT WT Program

Goaltenders
31 Jonathan Reinhart Windsor Cambridge, Ont. 3 6-1 185 Business
33 Sébastien Auger* UQTR St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Que. 5 5-11 165 Physical & Health Ed.

Defencemen
4 Clayton Kirichenko Alberta Sherwood Park, Alta. 3 6-1 196 Kinesiology, Sport, & Rec.
8 Ryan Rehill Alberta Edmonton, Alta. 4 6-3 215 Education
15 Tristan Pomerleau UNB Riviere-du-Loup, Que. 3 5-10 201 Business Admin.
16 Nikolas Brouillard* McGill St. Hilaire, Que. 4 5-11 168 Physical & Health Ed.
22 Matt Murphy* UNB Fredericton, N.B. 4 6-2 207 Business Admin.
51 Josh Burnside Carleton Brampton, Ont. 4 5-11 189 Communications
77 Nick Welsh Saint Mary's Halifax, N.S. 2 5-10 183 Commerce

Forwards

9 Mikkel Aagaard Guelph Frederikshavn, Demark 3 5-11 188 Accounting
10 Tyler Boland UNB St. John’s, N.L. 3 6-0 177 Recreation & Sport Studies
11 Collin Shirley* Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Sask. 3 6-2 195 Business
12 Stephen Johnson Saint Mary's Moncton, N.B. 4 5-10 172 Commerce
13 Steven Owre Alberta Rocklin, Calif. 3 5-11 168 Arts
19 Bryson Cianfrone StFX Stoney Creek, Ont. 4 5-9 188 Business Admin
21 Kris Bennett* UNB Brampton, Ont. 3 5-11 190 Recreation & Sport Studies
24 Mark Simpson* UNB Rothesay, N.B. 4 6-6 190 Computer Science
26 Cole Sanford* Alberta Coldstream, B.C. 4 5-9 168 Native Studies
36 Trevor Cox Alberta Surrey, B.C. 4 5-8 170 Native Studies
61 Grayson Pawlenchuk Alberta Edmonton, Alta. 2 5-11 188 Business
74 Ryley Lindgren Mount Royal East St. Paul, Man. 2 6-0 185 Arts
91 Mathew Santos Ryerson Toronto, Ont. 3 6-1 215 Geographic Analysis

TEAM STAFF

Position Name Affiliation Season
Head Coach Gardiner MacDougall* UNB 20th
Assistant Coach Clarke Singer Western 17th
Brett Gibson* Queen’s 14th
Todd Johnson* Regina 8th
General Manager Peter Hellstrom Laurentian 19th
Team Leader Robert Godfrey Mount Royal 9th
Equipment Manager Trevor Black* Waterloo 11th
Therapist Jason Kaszycki Western 1st
Video Coach Brendan Riggin Western 5th

*Returning player or staff