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Senior night success for Stingers hockey

(From left to right) Tyler Hylland, Phélix Martineau and Charles-Antoine Giguère Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

Both Stingers hockey teams came away with wins to close out last home games of regular season.

The Concordia Stingers men’s and women’s hockey teams both played their final home games of the regular season at the Ed Meagher Arena. With these being the final home games of the regular season, the graduating players of both Stingers teams were celebrated after their games.

After the men’s team took to the ice on Feb. 8, upcoming graduates, namely, forward Charles-Antoine Giguère, forward and assistant captain Tyler Hylland, andforward and captain Phélix Martineau, were commemorated. It was an emotional night for head coach Marc-André Elément. 

“The players gave so much time, energy and passion to our program, we always have to acknowledge that,” said Elément post game. “It is such a huge commitment to play hockey and be a student athlete, I am just so proud of them.”

If the Stingers wanted to head into the playoffs on a high note, they would have to beat the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes– the first-placed team in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division standings. 

The Stingers took command early. Forward Nicholas Girouard opened the scoring on a shot that beat Patriotes goaltender Alexis Gravel, Concordia a 1-0 lead just four minutes into the game. Nobody would find the back of the net until the early stages of the second period.

The Patriotes’ second-highest point-scorer, forward Conor Frenette, capitalized on the power play to knot the game at one goal apiece. Scoring opportunities would continue to come at a premium, as the high-powered offence of each team was held to just 14 shots a piece through two periods.

The defence of both sides had the game locked in a stalemate for the first 15 minutes of the third period. Finally, the Concordia broke through. Stingers forward Édouard Charron received a pass from defender Simon Lavigne and scored on a close-range shot past Gravel, opening up a 2-1 Concordia lead.

The Patriotes would pull their goalie and fire all they could at Stingers goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise, but it would not be enough. The Stingers held on to a 2-1 win and closed out their regular season by beating OUA’s top team in the East division.

The Stingers men’s team will return home to Ed Meagher Arena on Friday, Feb. 16 when they take on the the Queen’s University Gaels in game two of the OUA East quarterfinals. On Feb. 14, the Stingers took the first game of the best-of-three series by a score of 3-1. Concordia will look to close out the series this Friday at 7 p.m.

On Feb. 9, it was the Stingers women’s team’s turn to celebrate their seniors. The graduates include defender Sandrine Veillette, goaltender Madison Oakes, forward and assistant captain Justine Yelle, forward and assistant captain Rosalie Bégin-Cyr, as well as forward and captain Emmy Fecteau. After the game, head coach Julie Chu spoke on how much the graduates have meant to the team over the years.

(From left to right) Dave Singh, Julie Chu, Sandrine Veillette, Madison Oakes, Emmy Fecteau, Rosalie Bégin-Cyr Justine Yelle, Devon Thompson and Olivier Gervais
Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

“All of [the graduates] have had such a big impact on our team’s success and have helped turn the program into what it is today,” said Chu. “Every time you have a chance to honour people who have meant so much to our program, it’s very special and we are extremely grateful for their contributions.” That same success was put onto display early into their game against the Bishop’s University Gaiters.

Stingers’ top goal-scorer, forward Émilie Lussier, scored three goals in the first 14 minutes of the game to cap off a first period hat trick. Just one minute later, forward Jessymaude Drapeau added a goal of her own, opening a 4-0 Stingers lead and forcing the Gaitors to change goaltenders.

In the second period, the Stingers began to defend their lead rather than pressing on offence. The Gaitors got one goal back in the middle frame, but the Stingers were still in command of the game. Concordia owned a 30-11 shot advantage going into the third period.

Two minutes into the final period, forward Chloé Gendreau added a fifth goal for the Stingers as she split the Bishop’s defenders and scored on a beautiful backhand shot. The Gaitors would add a goal of their own, but the Stingers skated away with a win by a score of 5-2. Chu spoke about the team’s performance during this year’s senior night.

“We used our speed and we took care of the puck,” Chu explained. “Doing the little things right will always generate a lot of offense and also allow us to spend less time in the defensive zone. I think we did a lot of that tonight.”

The Stingers women’s team still has one regular season game remaining. They will play on the road against the Université de Montréal Carabins this Friday. After that, the quest is on to defend their RSEQ provincial title.

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Five ex-Hockey Canada players charged with sexual assault

Graphic by Florence Yee

Five members of the 2018 Hockey Canada World Junior Championship team were charged with sexual assault.

Content warning: This article discusses the ongoing investigation of a sexual assault case

Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart and Alex Formenton were all charged with one count of sexual assault. McLeod is also charged with one count of being party to the offence.

The assault allegedly occurred in London, Ontario, during the night of June 18th to 19th, 2018, after players from the 2018 Hockey Canada World Junior Championship team attended a Hockey Canada gala.

The victim provided a statement to the London Police Service in the days following the alleged assault, said Det. Sgt. Katherine Dann in a press conference on Feb. 5. However, the investigation was closed in February 2019 without charges being pressed. The investigation was then reopened in July 2022. On Jan. 30, 2024, the five players were charged with one count of sexual assault.

The next court date for this trial is set for April 30, after a procedural hearing was held on Feb. 5.

Apology from the London Police Chief

On Feb. 5, after the procedural hearing, the London Police Service hosted a press conference about the sexual assault case. During the press conference, London Police Chief Thai Truong apologized for the length of the investigation: “I want to extend on behalf of the London Police Service my sincerest apology to the victim and her family for the amount of time that it has taken to reach this point.” 

Police Chief Truong has also acknowledged the victim’s actions during the investigation. “I want to recognize the victim for her courage and incredible strength throughout,” he said during the press conference.

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Stingers hockey takes the ice for Pride Weekend!

The Stingers celebrating a goal. Photo credit: Concordia Athletics

The teams take two out of a possible four points against Ottawa as playoffs draw closer.

The Ed Meagher Arena was home to the first annual Pride Weekend on Feb. 3 and 4. Organized iIn partnership with Queer Concordia, Pride Weekend is an event that is very important for the Stingers’ organization. 

“For our team, we always talk about creating an inclusive environment,” said Stingers women’s hockey head coach Julie Chu. “Whether it’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or your ethnicity, it is about coming to a place where everybody can figure out who they are in a safe and welcoming environment.” 

With the festivities underway, the Stingers’ men’s hockey team kicked off the busy weekend of action as they faced off against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.

The two teams played tight defense through the first thirty minutes of the game as the physicality kept scoring opportunities to a minimum. Mid-way through the second period, the Gee-Gees finally opened the scoring on a shot that beat goaltender Jordan Naylor. Despite the momentum shifting to the road team, the Stingers struck back seconds later. Stingers’ forward Mathieu Bizier beat Ottawa goaltender Franky Lapenna to cap a dominant shift in the Gee-Gees’ zone, tying the game 1-1.

As the third period began, the intensity between the two teams continued. A big collision along the boards resulted in a power play that Ottawa would take advantage of in a big way. Two goals in a matter of seconds put the Gee-Gees up 3-1 with 10 minutes remaining. Yet, the Stingers would respond again.

A power play opportunity for the Stingers saw forward Tyler Hylland find the back of the net with eight minutes remaining, shifting the momentum back on the home side.

However, a slew of shots and another power play opportunity were not enough for the Stingers to pull even, and Ottawa escaped with a 3-2 victory on the road.

“I found tonight was kind of a playoff game,” Stingers’ head coach Marc-André Elément shared post game. “It’s going to be those types of games in the playoffs and I think we just need to learn from games like [tonight] and get better.”

The Stingers men’s hockey team will wrap up their regular season on Feb. 8 against the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

Stingers Defender Kyle Havlena sporting pride tape on his stick blade.
Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

As Pride Weekend continued, it was time for the Stingers women’s hockey team to take to the ice for their game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees. It did not take long for the Stingers to get on the board first.

Defender Sandrine Veillette found a seam that beat the Ottawa goaltender six minutes into the game, giving the Stingers a 1-0 lead early. Four minutes later, defender Alexandra-Anne Boyer extended the Stingers’ lead on the power play making it a 2-0 game.

The Gee-Gees would get a goal back late in the first period, but forward Rosalie Bégin-Cyr would respond with a goal of her own to regain the two-goal cushion.

Chippy play and staunch goaltending was the story for the majority of the second and third periods. While the teams had a total of 10 power plays in the final 40 minutes of the game, the defenders stood their ground and kept each team off the scoreboard in key moments of the game.

As the clock ran down, Stingers goaltender Arianne Leblanc earned her ninth of the season while the team improved to a perfect 22-0-0 regular season record.

Coach Chu shared post game what the win means to the team. “For sure we have things coming out of each game that we want to work on and get better at in the next week. We will make sure that we keep focusing on one game at a time and make the most of every opportunity.”

It is another big win for the Stingers as it concludes a festive weekend of events.

The Stingers women’s hockey team will continue their sensational regular season campaign on Feb. 9 when they face off against the Bishop’s University Gaiters. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

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No surprises for the Canadiens through 49 games

Graphic by Alexa Hawsworth

The Montreal Canadiens are where they should be in the standings after the season’s unofficial first half.

The all-star break has arrived, and the Canadiens currently sit in seventh in the Atlantic division and 26th in the NHL with a 20-21-8 record through 49 games. The Habs held a 20-25-4 record through 49 games in 2022-23. Injuries have been feasting on the team, as has been the case for the past several seasons.

Promising centre Kirby Dach tore his ACL in the second game of the season and is expected to miss the entire season. Centre Alex Newhook sustained a high ankle sprain in December and was slated to miss 10-12 weeks. Centre Christian Dvorak and defenceman Chris Wideman have also missed significant time.

Nevertheless, the Canadiens have persevered and look rather similar to the 2022-23 team in several categories. The team’s 2.78 goal-per-game pace through 49 games in 2023-24 mirrors its 2.83 goals per game clip from last season.

According to NaturalStatTrick’s expected goals model—how many goals a goaltender should allow based on the quality of shots that they face—Habs goaltender Samuel Montembeault is having another solid season. He has saved 7.76 goals above expected over the course of the season according to the model, meaning the average goalie would allow roughly eight more goals than Montembeault has this season. He is already approaching his 2022-23 performance, where he finished with 8.3 goals saved above expected in 40 games.

As they did in 2022-23, young players continue to lead the team. Captain Nick Suzuki (24) is the team’s leading scorer with 42 points in 49 games. He notched a career-high 66 points last season and is currently on a slightly better pace at 70 points over 82 games.

Winger Cole Caufield (23) is the team’s leading goal scorer with 17. It’s a step down from his 26 goals in 46 games last season, where his unfortunate injury likely prevented him from becoming the franchise’s first 40-goal scorer in 31 years. However, he has touched twine more often as of late, scoring six goals in his past eight games.

One reason for the 2023-24 Canadiens to be cautious is the 2022-23 team’s second-half collapse, going 11-18-2 record in their final 31 games following the all-star break. But this iteration of the Habs could look much different soon with the Mar. 8 trade deadline rapidly approaching. Centre Sean Monahan, defenseman Mike Matheson, and goaltender Jake Allen have all been heavily involved in trade rumours. With the team well outside of playoff contention, general manager Kent Hughes and his colleagues could be looking to get valuable returns for those players.

Right now the Habs would hold the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft. Barring any major turnaround, they should not shift more than one or two places in the overall standings down the home stretch.

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Old-time foes meet in 2024 Corey Cup

Alexander Katerinakis and Stingers hoist the Corey Cup in the 2022-2023 season. Photo credit: Concordia Athletics

The McGill Redbirds and the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey teams will meet on Jan. 31 for the 36th annual Corey Cup game.

Since 1988, the trophy has been given to the winner of one regular season game between McGill and Concordia. The games have been played on both Mcgill and Concordia’s campuses, as well as the historic Montreal Forum and Bell Centre. With the rivalry for what’s at stake, the excitement to win this game never seems to fade.

Looking back at the history of the event, McGill won 19 of the matchups while Concordia won 12. The Stingers hoisted the trophy in the past two Corey Cup matchups.

In 2024, there will be an additional layer of drama and competitiveness. Not only will the historic cup be up for grabs, but also a ticket to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s hockey playoffs.

As of Jan. 28, a slim four points separate first place in the OUA East division from fourth. It could be the difference between hosting a playoff series or playing on the road. The Redbirds currently sit in first place with a 18-5-2 record while the Stingers sit in fourth, four points behind the Redbirds at 16-7-2.

The Redbirds and Stingers are coming in as two of the hottest teams in the OUA East division. With eight wins in their last 10 games, McGill has sprung up four seeds into the top spot of the division since returning from the Christmas break. Winners of seven of their last 10 games, Concordia has made noise as well. They have maintained a top four position in the division all season, and are safely in the race for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It will be a dogfight to see which teams come out on top in the tightly-contested division.

This game will also be the rubber match of the season series between the two teams. The Stingers won their first regular season game of the year when they beat McGill on Oct. 5, while the Redbirds got their revenge with a 1-0 shutout of the Stingers on Nov. 23. It will be the only game this season where the two teams meet at Ed Meagher Arena, unless a potential playoff rematch is in the cards come February.

The 2024 edition of the Corey Cup game appears to have all the ingredients of a barn-burner. As the regular season winds down and the two rivals meet one final time, the atmosphere at Ed Meagher Arena should be electric.

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Stingers hockey teams split their weekend games as playoffs near

The women's hockey Stingers celebrate against the Bishop's Gaiters Photo credit to Concordia Athletics

Men’s team drops defensive duel while women’s team continues its winning ways.

Ed Meagher Arena was home to a busy weekend of Stingers hockey. The men’s hockey team faced off against the Queen’s University Gaels on Jan. 20. Winners of their last six matches, the men’s hockey team sat in second place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division standings coming into the game.

Prior to puck drop, only two points separated the top spot in the division from fourth. Queen’s came in five points behind the Stingers, making this contest highly anticipated.

The first period kicked off with a Queen’s penalty that saw Concordia earn their first power play opportunity of the game. As the Stingers maintained possession in the Queen’s defensive zone, forward Vincent Nardonne found defender Simon Lavigne who fired a shot by Gaels’ goaltender Christian Purboo, making it 1-0 Concordia.

Not long after the Stingers tally, Queen’s forward Dalton Duhart, who is currently third in USports for points scored, tied the game 1-1.

As the second period got underway, the physicality between the two teams was increasing as the penalty minutes were adding up. Despite earning a four-minute double-minor power play late in the second frame, the Stingers could not capitalize. They finished the period with 19 shots but Purboo stood tall. Defensively, the Stingers kept high-danger opportunities to the outside of the Queen’s attacking zone, keeping shots away from their own goaltender Jordan Naylor. Neither team would find the back of the net in the second period.

The final frame got off to a quick start. The opportunistic Gaels team buried their second goal of the game coming just two minutes into the period. Shortly after, the Stingers earned an extended five-on-three power play with a chance to tie the game. More chances, but Queen’s made the timely saves, killing the penalty and gaining back the momentum. 

Gabriel Proulx (right) and Dalton Duhart (left) battle for the puck behind the net.
Photo Credited to Concordia Athletics

Stingers’ head coach Marc-André Élément discussed the team’s power play struggles postgame. “You have to give [Queen’s] credit,” Élément said. “They blocked a lot of shots and we will take a look at the video to see where we could improve. They did a good job and we need to execute a little bit better.”

The Stingers continued to claw away with chances in the offensive zone but could not buy a goal. The Gaels added an insurance marker and took the game by a final score of 3-1.

The lack of scoring seen in the men’s game was thrown out the window when the women’s game took place the following day.

The Stingers women’s hockey team faced off against the Bishop’s Gaiters on Jan. 21 in hopes of keeping their undefeated record alive. Concordia entered the game with a perfect 17-0-0 record, atop the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) division standings and the USports women’s hockey rankings for yet another week.

The first period got off to an action-filled start. Stingers forward Émilie Lavoie got the scoring started with a breakaway goal put top shelf behind Gaiters’ netminder Erika Gagnon. In the next five minutes of play, Bishop’s scored back to back goals to get a lead of their own, but this would be short-lived as well.

Just nine seconds after the Bishop’s go-ahead goal, Stingers defender Léonie Philbert scored to get the momentum back on the home side. Forward Rosalie Bégin-Cyr followed this up with a wrist-shot goal, giving the Stingers a 3-2 lead after the first period.

With frustration building for the Gaiters in the second frame, the penalty minutes continued to add up. The Stingers saw themselves on five power plays in the period, three of which they would score on. Both teams traded even-strength goals, resulting in a 7-3 score after 40 minutes of play.

The Stingers changed their game plan in the final period, sitting back on their offensive forecheck and maintaining solid defensive play. The Gaiters were held to just four shots in the third period, earning the Stingers the 7-3 victory on home ice.

Despite splitting the two games over the weekend, both Stingers teams sit in good positions with the playoffs around the corner. The men’s team will go on the road for the next two games and return home for their final three. They hit the ice next on Jan. 25 against the Royal Military College Paladins. Meanwhile, the women’s team sits peacefully atop their division in the RSEQ with seven regular season games remaining. They will face off against the Carleton Ravens in their next game on Jan. 26.

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The PWHL era of hockey has begun

Graphic by Maggie Zeng @Maggie.Draws.Stuff

The new league continues to break barriers for women’s hockey just days into its start.

When the puck was dropped for the first time on Jan. 1 in Toronto, it was apparent that the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) was bound for success.

In the span of just four months, the league has been built from the ground up. In September, each team took part in the first PWHL draft where rosters began to take shape. Fans had their first glance at what each roster would look like, sparking interest and ticket sales through the fall months. By November, teams had finalized their rosters and prepared for training camp. Once the calendar flipped to 2024, the time for teams to take to the ice was finally here.

The inaugural game saw Toronto host New York at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. The game reached a historic viewership, gathering 2.9 million views through its coverage on CBC, Sportsnet, and TSN. On top of this, Minnesota hosted Montreal on Jan. 6 in front of 13,316 fans, a new record for a professional women’s hockey game.

Locally, Montreal played their franchise’s first home game on Jan. 13. The game took place at the sold-out Verdun Auditorium in front of 3,245 fans. The large crowd at the historic venue made for an electrifying home opener. With names like Ann-Renee Desbiens, Erin Ambrose, and superstar forward Marie-Philip Poulin, it should be no surprise that Montreal’s passionate fan base is ready for a second professional hockey team. The team will split the remainder of its home games this season by playing at the Verdun Auditorium and Place Bell in Laval. 

All of the milestones this new league has already accomplished is an outstanding sign of what is yet to come. It is sometimes tough to gauge how a brand new league is doing in terms of interest from the first week of its existence. In the case of the PWHL, there is no debate that fans are ecstatic to see the action and talent this league has to offer.

As the season progresses, the PWHL will undoubtedly continue to display the skills and talent of its star players. For the first time outside of non-league tournaments, we are seeing a best-on-best professional women’s hockey league. It is the beginning of a new era— an era that is truly exciting for the players, the cities, and the fans of women’s hockey.

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Stingers’ associate head coach Caroline Ouellette inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame

Women's Stingers hockey team from the bench. Credit: David J. Beaudoin

The four-time Olympic gold medalist became the 10th woman to get the call from the Hall.

On Nov. 13, the annual Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held. In the Hall are about 300 legendary players and 115 builders who helped grow the game of hockey. During the 2023 meeting of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee on June 21, Caroline Ouellette’s nomination was a no-brainer despite it being only her second year on the ballot.

The road to this point for Ouellette was never an easy one. The player shared in her acceptance speech that when she was growing up, it took her two years to convince her parents to allow her to play hockey. Once she was able to convince her mom to help her buy her first pair of skates at the age of nine, Ouellette played on different all-boys teams until she was 17.

“I heard about every possible type of name-calling,” Ouellette shared during the speech. “These challenges helped me develop a deeper appreciation of how lucky I was to play hockey when so many women around my age couldn’t have the same opportunity,” she said. 

Ouellette got her first taste of professional hockey in 1995 when she joined Team Quebec during the Canada Winter Games. She won her first gold medal in 1997, playing for Team Quebec at the National Women’s Under-18 Championship.

After putting up a whopping 60 points in 27 games in the 1998-99 season for the Montreal Wingstar of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), Ouellette played in her first of 12 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships. She would go on to win six gold medals and six silver medals in World Championships, ranking eighth all-time with 68 points in 59 games played.

In 2000, Concordia University got introduced to the hockey phenom. In her short time playing for the Stingers, Ouellette put up 19 points in just seven games. Oullette moved on to play three seasons for University of Minnesota-Duluth, where she also became the team’s captain for two seasons. Luckily for the Stingers, Ouellette would be back with the team in the future.

Ouellette played in the Winter Olympic Games four times between 2002 and 2014. She became the only ice hockey player to this date to win gold in all four Olympics she took part in. Ouellette put up 26 points in 20 career Olympic games played, cementing her legacy as one of the best international ice hockey players the sport has ever seen.

Having played in her last World Championship in 2015, Oullette played three more years of professional hockey for Les Canadiennes de Montréal in the city where it all began. She rejoined the Stingers as an assistant coach in 2016.

Coaching stints with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, International Canadian teams, and the Concordia Stingers have made up her ongoing career. She is currently the associate coach for the Stingers alongside partner and head coach Julie Chu, and the two have led the team to back-to-back national championship final appearances, including a gold-win in 2022.

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Another successful weekend for Stingers hockey!

The (W) hockey Stingers celebrate with pink stick tape. Photo credit: Concordia Athletics

Both Stingers hockey teams are back in the win column, combined 3-0-0 record over the weekend.

It was an eventful weekend at Ed Meagher Arena—the home for the latest Stingers hockey homestand and the 2023 Pink in the Rink weekend.

For the third time in their program’s history, the Stingers hosted the Pink in the Rink event which consisted of a bake sale, an auction filled with prizes, and the women’s team sporting limited-time pink jerseys. All proceeds raised were donated to the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.

Head coach Julie Chu spoke on what it meant for the team to take part in an event like this for such a good cause. “When we get a chance to run events for positive change, that’s what we want to do and we take a lot of pride in that,” she said. “With everything that we put into it, we also wanted to make sure that when it came down to being great on the ice, we were able to do so.” 

The Stingers women’s team kicked off the action with their game against the Bishop’s Gaiters on Nov. 17. Prior to the opening face-off, a ceremonial puck drop took place to honour breast cancer survivors—a beautiful way to begin the weekend.

Concordia came out of the gate hemming the Gaiters in their defensive zone, outshooting them 10-0 in the first half of the opening frame. Eleven minutes in, the Stingers got rewarded with the first goal of the game off a mid-slot deflection by forward Émilie Lussier.

The Gaiters knotted it up five minutes later, but the Stingers responded with a goal of their own. This one came from forward Émilie Lavoie, bringing the score to 2-1.

The second period of the game consisted of a similar outcome. Concordia scored three unanswered goals to open a 5-1 lead towards the end of the period. The Gaiters closed the gap to 5-2, but the Stingers added another three goals in the third, securing the big 8-2 victory. 

Lussier, Lavoie, and forward Caroline Moquin-Joubert all scored multiple goals and brought momentum into their second game the following day.

After a quick turnaround, the Stingers hit the ice against the Carleton Ravens on Nov. 18. The game had a slow start compared to the day prior—the Ravens and Stingers tied at one after 20 minutes of play. The two teams exchanged goals to open the second period, followed by the Stingers’ third power play goal of the game, making the score 3-2 in favour of the home team.

In the third, the Stingers ran away with the game. Three more goals, including a hat trick from forward Jessymaude Drapeau, topped off another victory for Concordia. 

“We stuck with it. We wanted to make sure that we stayed to our habits and kept our mindset in a good spot even if we were in a tight game,”  coach Chu expressed postgame. 

The team has now improved to a perfect 10-0-0 on the season, holding first place in the RSEQ standings as well as on the U Sports’ women’s hockey power rankings list.

The Stingers men’s team then took to the ice for the second leg of the day. This game was a big one for the Stingers as they had lost four out of their last five games after starting the year 6-1-0. They faced off against Ontario University Athletics West Division opponent Lakehead Thunderwolves. The first period saw the Stingers firing on all cylinders.

A deflection by captain and forward Phélix Martineau off a seeing-eye shot from defenseman Simon Lavigne saw the Stingers jump in front of the Thunderwolves 1-0. One minute later, Stingers forward Loïck Daigle found the puck on his stick all alone in the slot and fired it past the Lakehead goaltender making it 2-0. The Stingers went on to add two more goals before the intermission, leading 4-0 after the first period.

After Lakehead got on the board early in the second period, Stingers forward Isiah Campbell responded by scoring two goals to extend the Concordia lead to 6-1 going into the third period. Despite conceding a late goal, Stingers forward Mathieu Bizier added two third-period goals to cap the 8-2 statement win. Head coach Marc-André Élément spoke postgame about his team’s victorious effort.

Isiah Campbell vs. Lakehead
Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

“Tonight we played well—we managed the puck properly and that’s why we had success,” Élément said. “There were some guys on our team who scored some big goals tonight that will translate with them continuing to produce offensively, hopefully [this win] will motivate them to keep trending in the right direction going into the winter break.”

Three well-earned wins and a fundraiser for a great cause were the highlights of a very successful weekend for the Stingers hockey community. The teams will be back in action this week with the men’s team playing at McGill on Nov. 23 and the women’s team at the Université de Montréal Carabins on Nov. 24.

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Stingers hockey is off to a great start (again)

Faceoff Photo Credit: David J. Beaudoin

Women’s team leads their division in points while men’s team trails division lead by just one point.

It is certainly an encouraging start to a season when both hockey teams in a school’s program are winning out the gate. The Concordia Stingers have done just that. While we haven’t reached the halfway point in the regular season, the men’s hockey team trails the tightly-contested Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Men’s Hockey East Division standings by a single point. On an even higher note, the women’s hockey team leads the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) hockey standings by four points. This is on top of remaining undefeated this season.

The Stingers’ women’s hockey team has been nothing short of impressive in the early going of their regular season campaign. Following a loss in the Theresa Humes Cup championship game on Oct. 1, the team won eight straight games, including six in league play. 

With wins against division rivals like the Université de Montréal Carabins, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, and most recently the Bishop Gaiters, the Stingers have shown how they could compete and be successful against any team in their division. Stingers head coach Julie Chu spoke on how proud she is of the team’s hard work and success. “We have found a way to win differently in all [our] games, and that’s what I’m really proud of,” shared Chu following a 6-1 win against the Gee-Gees on Nov. 3. 

While the start was a victorious one, Chu wants to make sure nobody gets ahead of themselves with it only being November. “We always come out of every game with ‘this is what we did well’ and ‘this is what we need to do better,’” she explains. “It’s always our mentality, and regardless of being undefeated and winning five games so far, it’s a long season, and where we actually want to play our best hockey is at the end of the season.”

The Stingers’ women’s team will look to keep the win streak going when they play next at McGill on Nov. 10.

The men’s team has a lot to be proud about to this point as well. Despite dropping their last two games to the East division-leading Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes, the Stingers began the season with a 6-1-0 record.

This season, the OUA expanded the amount of teams that each university plays. The East division now plays against the West in league play, which only makes the competition tougher.

That being said, the Stingers handled the change well. Concordia earned at least one point against the top two teams in the West division, beating the second place Toronto Varsity Blues 4-3 on Oct. 20 and losing in overtime to the first place Brock Badgers 3-2 on Oct. 28.

Defensemen Christopher Inniss takes a slap shot
Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

Goaltender Jordan Naylor split the games as starter with teammate Nikolas Hurtubise as the men’s team tried to find a consistent starting netminder after Jonathan Lemieux left in the offseason on a professional contract. To this point, Naylor is second amongst all OUA goaltenders in goals against average (1.98) and tied for fourth in save percentage (0.923).

Also high up on the leaderboard is Stingers’ right winger Charles-Antoine Paiement. He is currently tied for third place amongst leading goal scorers in the entire OUA.

The Stingers’ men’s team will be back in action on Nov. 10 when they travel to face the Western University Mustangs.

As the season progresses for both the women’s and men’s hockey teams, the competition will only continue to increase. But if the Stingers continue to improve on what they have already accomplished, both teams are bound to have success this season.

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Hockey Sports

Concordia Stingers takes on the Ivy League

Stingers celebrate a goal. Photo courtesy of Arianne Bergeron.

Stingers women’s hockey beats Harvard Crimson and Dartmouth Big Green 5-1 and 4-1 respectively.

It is not every day that the Concordia Stingers get to face off against an Ivy League opponent. On Oct. 14–15, the Stingers women’s hockey team got to take on two of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 universities to start the 2023-24 season.

Following their victory against the McGill Redbirds to open the regular season on Oct. 12, the Stingers travelled south to the Bright-Landry Hockey Center in Boston, Massachusetts to take on the Harvard Crimson in an exhibition game for the two teams. It was the Crimson’s third game of the season, following a win against  McGill in an exhibition on Oct. 6 and a loss against Dartmouth College on Oct. 13. The Stingers jumped out to a lead and never looked back, winning their first exhibition game of the weekend 5-1.

Not only was it a special trip for the players, it was for head coach Julie Chu as well. Chu, who played at Harvard University between 2002–2007, was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame on Oct. 14. This is an amazing and well-deserved accomplishment for Chu, who helped lead the Crimson to two Ivy League Championships in 2003 and 2005, as well as leading the entire NCAA scoring during the 2007 season.

As the team concluded the eventful day in Boston, they travelled up to Thompson Arena in Hanover, New Hampshire for their next game against the Big Green. The Dartmouth College team had been coming off the winner against Assumption University and Harvard University, repping a 2-0-0 record coming into the exhibition with Concordia.

The Stingers extended their lead again and kept the momentum rolling, as Concordia skated to another win, this time by a score of 4-1.

This was an impressive road trip to the United States for a team who has proven to be a top team in Canada. Facing off against Division 1 schools is always a tough task, and to win both games while only surrendering two goals is a statement.

The Stingers women’s hockey team will return to home ice on Oct. 29 when they will face off against city rival Carabins de l’Université de Montréal. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m.

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Hockey Sports

The puck has officially dropped for the Stingers’ preseason

Stingers' Captain Phélix Martineau closes in on the puck. Credit: Liam Mahoney / Concordia Athletics

Concordia Stingers Men’s Hockey split their first two preseason games, winning 2-1 and losing 5-4

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team hosted two non-conference preseason hockey games against the Saint Mary’s Huskies on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16.

This marked the first time that Saint Mary’s and Concordia have faced off against each other in preseason play. The Huskies are coming off a successful season in 2022–23—one that was very similar to the Stingers’. Both teams qualified for the U Sports University Cup in Prince Edward Island in March 2023, with the Stingers at rank six and the Huskies at rank seven.

These two games also featured Concordia’s new goaltenders, Nikolas Hurtubise and Kevyn Brassard. With two of their three goaltenders leaving after the 2022-23 season, the Stingers will now have to adjust to a new goalie tandem. This includes the loss of last season’s starting netminder Jonathan Lemieux who signed with the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League. 

“We liked what we saw out of [Hurtubise and Brassard] but it’s an adjustment,” said head coach Marc-André Élément. “They played junior last year and now they’re at a higher level. We are going to continue our evaluation through the preseason, but I’m happy with what we saw this weekend.”

A scoreless contest persisted through the first 30 minutes of game one. Huskies defenseman Cameron Pound opened the scoring in the second period with a wrist shot beating Hurtubise. Concordia finally got on the board in the third period after solid defence and goaltending on both sides had kept the scoresheet relatively empty. 

Stingers defenseman Nathan Lavoie netted his first goal of the preseason with 15 minutes remaining, tying the game at one. However, the Stingers could not capitalise on their late power play, causing the game to be sent into overtime.

A short 14 seconds into overtime, Stingers forward and captain Phélix Martineau put the game to rest on a gorgeous individual effort. The 2-1 Stingers win was a fitting way to start off the preseason on home ice.

Game two on Sept. 16 had a very different feel than the first. As a result of having played each other the day prior, the first period saw a much faster pace with more goals scored.

The Stingers got off to a quick 2-0 lead with goals from Martineau and forward Isiah Campbell. This was followed by the Huskies retaliating with two goals of their own, making it a 2-2 contest.

In the second period, the Stingers retook the lead on a goal from alternate captain Tyler Hylland. This did not last long, however, as the Huskies scored three unanswered goals, bringing the score to 5-3.

As the clock favoured Saint Mary’s and their lead in the third period, the Stingers got a goal in with only two minutes to go. A last-ditch effort saw the Stingers come within inches of tying the game as the puck snuck in behind the Huskies’ goaltender, but could not find the back of the net. The team fell just short and game two ended at 5-4.

Despite the result, coach Élément was pleased with the resilience and leadership shown by his team in the final minutes. “The guys, when they are on the ice, they want to produce and they want to have success. Our leadership group is amazing, so for sure they are going to step up at big moments and get results,” he said.

The Stingers will continue their preseason with one more game versus McGill on Sept. 30. Concordia will kick off their regular season schedule with two games on the road against McGill and Carleton, and will return for their home opener against Ontario Tech on Oct. 11. 

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