A look at the season ahead for the U SPORTS national championship hosts

TORONTO - With the honour of hosting the U SPORTS national championship this year, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's hockey team looks to fulfill a dream they've had for the past number of years; to win the provincial Queen's Cup, the national David Johnston Cup, and make their mark in university hockey history.

It's been quite the journey for the men's hockey team, from earning OUA honours to adding new recruits, but the team is ready to hit the ice for the regular season and give it all they've got going into nationals.

"We're excited about the upcoming year. The opportunity to host the national championship, we feel that over the last number of years, we've earned this opportunity to be the hosts," said head coach, Johnny Duco. This season will be Duco's eighth year coaching the team.

Being a new season, the stakes are higher for the team. Going into his second year with the Bold, goalie Kai Edmonds knows that there's a target on their backs.

"It's a comfort but also a target; we've got a target on our backs. People know that we're going to be the national hosts so we're going to have to come out and prove ourselves every game so that's what we're looking to do is take it game by game and our goal is to win the OUA first," said Edmonds.

In the past few years, the team has fallen short of claiming a title. For some players like newly-named captain Chris Playfair, he's ready for the team to make a comeback.

"We know what's at stake this year with hosting nationals, so really, my goals are all just kind of towards that, and it's winning the Queen's Cup. First of all, that's definitely a huge goal. My first year we got close, when we lost in the semis to Brock. You know, I've kind of had a bitter taste about it all since that game, so that's a huge goal for me is to win the Queen's Cup," said the captain.

Fired up to claim the title this season, the squad felt the energy roar through the Mattamy Athletic Centre during their homecoming game against the McGill Redbirds on Sept. 22. It was like nothing they had experienced before.

"It was like a buzz to be honest," said Edmonds.

Hailing from British Columbia, forward Connor Bowie is determined to make every game feel like homecoming.

"There was so much energy in there. And, obviously, we feed off that too, and it's pretty incredible. And we just want to get like anything close to replicating that night at our games, because it was pretty cool," said the second-year forward.

While the team hasn't been able to win a title previously, they're confident in the depth and range of players they have this year.

"We're a little bit fitter, we're a little bit more veteran and we're definitely deeper in terms of the pool of talent and the actual numbers we have on the team. You know, we feel we're well positioned to go on a long run and have a deep season here," said Duco.

Coming off an exhibition series on the road in New Brunswick, the team lost both the games against the defending national champion University of New Brunswick Reds but were able to build strong relationships and learn about their own strategies.

"We definitely would have liked to get a win, but UNB is definitely a great team. And I think we've learned what we have to do to improve and to be better as a team," said Edmonds.

"We've been struggling in the second period...so if we could bring up our tempo on the second periods a little bit, we have the first periods and the third periods covered, but we're struggling in the middle of the game right now, so we just cleaned that up a little bit," added Bowie in what the team will improve on this season.

With a common goal, the squad is ready to put in the work and skate until they reach them.

"In terms of the team dynamic, I think we have a really tight knit group. You know, the other thing that I really noticed is everyone's on the same page in terms of, you know, putting our head down and going to work and also enjoying each other's time and company, when we are at the rink, or even outside of the rink," said Playfair.

Looking to the future, nothing is holding this team back. They're ready to use the past as a learning experience and defend at home.

On and off the ice, the hype surrounding one of the most important seasons for the team is in clear view.

"I have to say there's a bit of a buzz in the locker room for sure. Everybody's really excited, myself personally, just really intrigued to see where we can go with this group. We have a really special group this year," said Bowie.

"I think this year is going to be unlike any year [for a] TMU hockey season in a while, and it's a pretty special group. So I think we can do some pretty special things," he added.

The team is looking to pack the MAC when they face the Windsor Lancers in a home game to open the season on Friday, October 6. The puck drops at 6 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#34 Connor Bowie: F; 6' 3"; 2

#27 Kai Edmonds: G; 6' 3"; 2

#14 Chris Playfair: F; 6' 1"; 3

Players Mentioned

#34 Connor Bowie
: 6' 3"; 2
: F

#27 Kai Edmonds
: 6' 3"; 2
: G

#14 Chris Playfair
: 6' 1"; 3
: F

Players Mentioned

#34 Connor Bowie

#27 Kai Edmonds

#14 Chris Playfair

Players Mentioned

#34 Connor Bowie

#27 Kai Edmonds

#14 Chris Playfair