Six AUS athletes named to Team Canada in FISU men's hockey

(U SPORTS) Two years after a thrilling gold-medal performance in Men's Hockey at the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games in Lake Placid, New York, Team Canada is ready to chase gold once again. 

Today, U SPORTS announced the 23 student-athletes who will wear the maple leaf in Men's hockey at the 2025 Games in Torino, Italy. 

The team will also serve as the 2024 U SPORTS Selects, an all-star squad of student-athletes, competing against Hockey Canada's World Junior hopefuls, who are vying for a roster spot on at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Led by two-time U SPORTS Coach of the Year, Mark Howell (University of Calgary Dinos), the roster is comprised of five players from the Canada West conference, 12 from the OUA, and six from the AUS.  

"The coaching staff is extremely excited about the group of athletes we have put together, who will represent Team Canada at the upcoming 2025 FISU Games in Torino, Italy in January," said Howell. "We have worked diligently to assemble a team that will play a fast, skilled and relentless style of hockey.  As always there are some extremely difficult decisions when you are evaluating the top players across the country.  Yet, it was our mission to put together the best team and not just a collection of players.  For a competition like this, you need to be able to play a variety of styles and need players who are talented yet can also check and have a high hockey IQ.  We are excited to start our journey next week in Ottawa as we play Canada's National Junior Team."  

The 32nd edition of the FISU Games is set for January 13-23, with the men's hockey event running from January 12-22. The preliminary round will be played in Pinerolo, before moving to Torino's PalaTazzoli for the medal round. 

This is also the 10th time since 2015 that a team of U SPORTS men's hockey all-stars will be facing off against members of Canada's National Junior Team Selection camp, competing in a two-game series at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario from Dec. 10-13.   

Canada's roster features a trio of 2024 U SPORTS All-Canadians, including Kale McCallum (University of New Brunswick), Colson Gengenbach (University of Calgary), and Jake Lee (University of British Columbia). 

McCallum is one of three members of the reigning U SPORTS champion UNB Reds, joined by winger Benjamin Corbeil and goaltender Samuel Richard.

The sole returner from the 2023 gold medal winning roster is Toronto Metropolitan University netminder Kai Edmonds, who was the winning goaltender in Canada's 7-2 victory over the United States in the championship game.

"It's a huge accomplishment to be selected to the team once again," said Edmonds. "It's such a well-run event with the best players across U SPORTS as well as a great coaching staff around you. They really help prepare get the best out of everyone and it's an honour to wear the maple leaf. Growing up watching all team Canada hockey tournaments it's always something I've dreamed of and having the opportunity to do that a second time now is a privilege and I'm grateful for that opportunity. " 

The roster will be bolstered by Concordia University Simon Lavigne, who leads all U SPORTS defenders in scoring, with 11 goals in 16 games. U SPORTS-leading goal-scorer Nolan Hutcheson (Queen's University) will be joined up front by Corbeil, who paces all skaters in assists with 18 in 16 games. UNB's Richard leads all U SPORTS goaltenders in wins with 12, and GAA with 1.29.

Team Canada will open its schedule on Saturday, January 11th at against South Korea.  

ROSTER 
(*Atlantic conference athletes in bold.)

Mathieu Bizier
Forward
Levis, Quebec 
Concordia University 

Connor Bowie 
Forward 
Fort St. John, BC 
Toronto Metropolitan University  

Charlie Callaghan 
Defence 
Toronto, Ontario 
St. Francis Xavier University  

Benjamin Corbeil 
Forward 
Granby, Quebec 
University of New Brunswick  

Jack Duff 
Defence
Kingston, Ontario 
Queen's University 

Kai Edmonds 
Goaltender 
Ottawa, Ontario 
Toronto Metropolitan University  

Conor Frenette 
Forward 
Gatineau, Quebec
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Mathieu Gagnon 
Forward 
Gatineau, Quebec 
McGill University 

Colson Gengenbach 
Forward 
Edmonton, Alberta 
University of Calgary
 
Kurtis Henry 
Defence
Garden River First Nations, Ontario 
University of Prince Edward Island 

Mikael Huchette 
Forward 
Beloeil, Quebec 
Concordia University 

Samuel Huo 
Forward
Richmond, BC 
University of British Columbia

Nolan Hutcheson 
Forward 
Kingston, Ontario 
Queen's University 

Liam Keeler
Forward
Edmonton, Alberta
University of Saskatchewan

Francesco Lapenna 
Goaltender
Laval, Quebec 
University of Ottawa

Simon Lavigne 
Defence 
Blainville, Quebec 
Concordia University  

Jake Lee
Defence
Sherwood Park, Alberta
University of British Columbia 

Sasha Mutala
Forward
Vancouver, BC
University of British Columbia

Kale McCallum 
Defence
Rothesay, New Brunswick 
University of New Brunsick 

Kaleb Pearson 
Forward 
St. Marys, Ontario 
University of Prince Edward Island  

Loris Rafanomezantsoa 
Defence 
Trois-Rivieres, Quebec 
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Samuel Richard 
Goaltender
St. Catherine, Quebec
University of New Brunswick 

William Rouleau
Forward
St. Basile de Portneuf, Quebec
McGill University 

Source: U SPORTS Communications