The U-B-C women and defending Calgary men topped the respective Canada West Hockey Conference coaches polls with the season to start Thursday.

Both U of S teams were fourth in voting points with neither receiving a first place vote. The Huskie men open their season Thursday in Winnipeg against Manitoba while the Saskatchewan women are home at Merlis Belsher Place Friday and Saturday against the Bisons. Following are the news releases from the Canada West Conference…..

WHKY: UBC favoured in bid for CW three-peat

T-Birds top pre-season coaches poll; defending national champion MRU ranked second

27 September 2023 – A new Canada West women’s hockey season begins Friday night with no shortage of intriguing storylines.

UBC has once again topped the pre-season coaches poll coming off their second consecutive CW championship last year. Defending national champion Mount Royal University were ranked second in the poll, one point ahead of third place Alberta.

The road to the CW crown still runs through Vancouver as the T-Birds return a dynamic offence, led by fourth-year forward Chanreet Bassi, who was second in conference scoring with 28 points last season.

Meanwhile, MRU will hang a banner in their home opener after an incredible national championship win last March. The Cougars fell to the T-Birds in a tight CW final last season, but went on a magical run as the eighth seed at nationals to claim the first U SPORTS championship in their school history.

Cougars head coach Scott Rivett will count on fourth year goaltender Kaitlyn Ross to provide another season of big stops, as she returns after posting a .935 save percentage and a 22-11 record last season.

Another storyline to watch is how two storied programs will fare with new coaches at the helm, after it was recently announced that Alberta’s Howie Draper and Calgary’s Carla MacLeod accepted head coaching positions with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).

The regular season runs through Feb. 10, with the Canada West Final scheduled to begin March 1.

All eyes will then turn to Saskatoon from March 14-17, 2024, as the University of Saskatchewan prepares to host the U SPORTS national championship. A veteran Huskies squad, who ranked fourth in the pre-season coaches poll, will look to defend home ice and make a run of their own at the event.

For the complete Canada West women’s hockey schedule, click here.

For a full team by team preview, click here.

2023-24 CW WHKY PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL

Team – Points (First-place votes)

UBC Thunderbirds – 72 (8)
Mount Royal Cougars – 60
Alberta Pandas – 59 (1)
Saskatchewan Huskies – 49
Calgary Dinos- 47
Manitoba Bisons – 39
Trinity Western Spartans – 27
Regina Cougars – 22
MacEwan Griffins – 20

MHKY: Calgary tops coaches poll

Dinos favoured after claiming first CW crown since 1996; rival Alberta ranked close behind

27 September 2023 – The Calgary Dinos roared to their first Canada West championship in 27 years last season, winning an epic conference final against the arch rival Alberta Golden Bears.

Those two clubs promise to be in the thick of things again this season, as they top the 2023-24 CW pre-season coaches poll.

The Dinos took top spot in the ranking after garnering six first-place votes, followed close behind by the Golden Bears who picked up two first-place votes of their own. UBC came in third, while Saskatchewan rounded out the top four.

All eyes will be on Calgary after a program record 25-win season, which included an incredible 23-game win streak. Dinos head coach Mark Howell believes his team has what it takes to repeat, saying the club will return the nucleus of last year’s championship squad while also inserting recruits that should be able to contribute right away. The Dinos will be led by third-year forward Riley Stotts, coming off a 36 point season – fourth most in Canada West.

Alberta will look to navigate some roster turnover in their attempt to knock off their provincial rivals. The Golden Bears return leading scorer Josh Prokop, the former Calgary Hitmen product who racked up a team leading 18 goals and 37 points in 28 games last season. His 124 shots, four game-winning goals, and seven powerplay goals were all tops in Canada West.

On the west coast, UBC’s Sasha Mutala will look to lead the Thunderbirds back to CW glory. The hometown Vancouver product led the Thunderbirds in assists (25) and points (35), the first T-Bird rookie to do so in eight years.

The action gets underway Thursday with MacEwan visiting Calgary and Manitoba hosting Saskatchewan. Other opening weekend series include Regina taking on Mount Royal, whlie Alberta travels west to take on UBC.

For the complete Canada West men’s hockey schedule, click here.

2023-24 CW MHKY PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL

Team – Points (First-place votes)