CHL Grads Win CIS Championship
By Aaron Bell
The University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds claimed the Canadian University hockey championship on Sunday with a 4-0 win over the McGill Redmen in the championship game of the University Cup on home ice in Fredericton, N.B.
The Reds, who claimed their fourth championship and third in the past five years, were the top seeded team in the six-team tournament.
“We played extremely well tonight,” said captain Kyle Bailey, who played four seasons in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks and Lethbridge Hurricanes. “It’s unbelievable. We couldn’t have planned this any better.”
The Reds opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over the University of Calgary Dinos on Thursday and then earned a trip into the championship game with a 4-0 win over the University of Western Mustangs on Saturday.
“It was outstanding,” said 11-year UNB head coach Gardiner MacDougall. “I couldn’t have asked for our team to play any better. It’s a dream come true to win it at home.”
St. John’s Fog Devils graduate Luke Gallant, who scored the opening goal in the championship game, was named the tournament MVP and was one of five UNB players named to the All-Tournament Team.
Netminder Travis Fullerton, a graduate of the Saint John Sea Dogs, defenceman Jonathan Harty (Everett Silvertips) and forwards Bailey and Chris Culligan (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles) were also named to the All-Tournament Team along with McGill forward Maxime Langelier-Parent (Gatineau Olympiques).
“It’s unreal,” Fullerton said. “The crowd was unbelievable. The guys played great. I’m so excited right now.”
107 players that played in the University Cup were graduates of the Canadian Hockey League and are on scholarship from their CHL teams.
Scholarship Programs throughout the CHL are funded by the member clubs of the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. One year of college or university tuition and books is offered for each year of CHL play. In 2009/10 $4.45 million in scholarships was awarded to more than 1,000 players.
For more information about the scholarship programs and education policies in each of the three regional leagues as well as the recently launched CHL Champions Program please visit www.chl.ca.
University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds – 21 CHL Grads
Travis Fullerton – Saint John
Marc-Antoine Desnoyers – Rouyn-Noranda/Acadie-Bathurst/Drummondville
Luke Gallant – Rouyn-Noranda/Moncton
Spencer Corcoran – Cape Breton
Nick MacNeil – Cape Breton
Jordan Clendenning – Acadie-Bathurst/Cape Breton
Nick Layton – St. John’s/Montreal
Joshua Hepditch – Moncton
Ryan Seymour – Acadie-Bathurst/Halifax
Chris Culligan – Cape Breton
Jeff Lee – Edmonton
Jonathan Harty –Everett
Ben Wright –Lethbridge
Daine Todd –Medicine Hat
Kyle Bailey –Portland/Lethbridge
Bretton Stamler –Seattle
Derek Yeomans –AB – Seattle
Taylor Procyshen – Tri-City
Hunter Tremblay – Barrie
Luke Lynes – Brampton
Ben Shutron – Kingston/Kitchener/Windsor