Men’s Hockey News

TORONTO – For the eighth time since 2015, a team of U SPORTS men’s hockey all-stars will be facing members of Canada’s National Junior Team Selection camp as a part of its preparation for the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship.

U SPORTS has selected players exclusively from the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference to represent the All-Star team and face Team Canada’s hopefuls in a pair of games at the Avenir Centre in Moncton on Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. AT and Dec. 12 at 12 p.m. AT.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.avenircentre.com.

The U SPORTS squad is loaded with firepower, as the Top 10 AUS scorers have all made the roster, with every player scoring at a greater than a point-per-game clip. The team will be led by AUS leading scorer Liam Hawel from the STFX X-Men, who has posted 27 points in 18 games this season (12-15-27). The former Soo Greyhound and Kitchener Ranger also played seven games for the Laval Rocket of the AHL in the 2020-21 season before joining the X-Men for the 21-22 campaign where he scored 18 goals and added 19 assists. 

The U SPORTS defence is led by UPEI Panthers blueliner Matthew Brassard. The former Barrie Colt and Niagara Ice Dog is the leading point-getter amongst rearguards in Canadian university men’s hockey with 23 points in 18 games (3-20-23). Legendary UNB head coach Gardiner MacDougall, who will also oversee the U SPORTS entry at the upcoming FISU Winter World University Games in Lake Placid, New York, will guide the All-Star team with six members of his UNB REDS, including fourth year forward Brady Gilmore (3-16-19).

“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 Atlantic Canada,” said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, Chief Sport Officer of U SPORTS. “We are honoured to be invited annually to the selection camp, while simultaneously showcasing some of the best talent Canadian university hockey has to offer. We greatly appreciate Hockey Canada’s support in hosting some of Canada’s top university players.”

Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team has faced various U SPORTS competition on a regular basis since 1988. U SPORTS began its current All-Star team format in 2015 and in seven previous camps has a 6-6-1 record.

U SPORTS MEN’S HOCKEY ALL-STAR ROSTER 

Name / Nom 

Pos 

Hometown / Ville natale 

Yr/Année 

Team/Équipe 

Jonah Capriotti 

Mount Hope, ON 

2nd 

UPEI 

Matthew Welsh 

Halifax, NS 

3rd 

Saint Mary’s 

Noah Carroll 

Strathroy, ON 

5th 

UNB 

Adam McCormick 

Woodstock, NB 

2nd 

UNB 

Yann-Felix Lapointe 

Granby, QC 

2nd  

Moncton 

Justin MacPherson 

Richmond Hill, ON 

2nd 

Saint Mary’s 

Matthew Brassard 

Barrie, ON 

4th 

UPEI 

Ross MacDougall 

St. Stephen, NB 

4th  

UNB 

Luke Zazula 

Langley, BC 

2nd  

Acadia 

Vincent Deslauriers 

Ste. Anne-des-Plains, QC 

5th  

Moncton 

TJ Shea 

Tignish, UPEI 

4th 

UPEI 

Kyle Maksimovich 

Hamilton, ON 

4th 

UPEI 

Troy Lajeunesse 

Dokis, ON 

5th 

UPEI 

Mika Cyr (INJ) 

*will not play 

Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska, NB 

2nd 

Moncton 

Nathael Roy 

St-Redempteur, QC 

2nd 

Moncton 

Matthew Struthers 

London, ON 

2nd 

STFX 

Liam Hawel 

Kanata, ON 

2nd 

STFX 

Austen Keating 

Kitchener, ON 

3rd 

UNB 

Brady Gilmour 

Cobourg, ON 

4th 

UNB 

Jason Willms 

Kitchener, ON 

3rd 

UNB 

Shaun Miller 

Cole Harbour, NS 

3rd 

Dalhousie 

Andrew Coxhead  

Fall River, NS 

2nd  

Saint Mary’s 

Jacob Hudson 

Antigonish, NS 

2nd  

STFX 

TEAM STAFF 

Gardiner MacDougall 

Head Coach 

UNB 

Forbes MacPherson 

Assistant Coach 

UPEI 

Derek Cormier 

Assistant Coach 

Moncton 

Tyler Naugler 

Assistant Coach 

SMU 

Christopher Becker 

Equipment Manager 

UNB 

Jordan Lamontagne 

Equipment Manager 

Moncton