WHISTLER, BC – Gardiner MacDougall of the UNB Reds has led the Canadian men’s hockey team to the FISU Winter Games gold medal before, last winning in 2013 at the Games in Trentino, Italy. While at that point, it was an AUS All-Star Team, he now leads a Canadian team with representation from all three conferences.
It’s not the first time MacDougall has led a U SPORTS All-Star team either, often taking the reigns for the annual U SPORTS vs Hockey Canada World Juniors Games each December. He also lifted two trophies last season with an AUS title with UNB and the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup as interim coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs.
Taking on the Lake Placid 2023 Games, however, presents the veteran head coach with a new task and a chance to win a FISU medal on North American soil for the first time in his career, leading a team featuring some of the most electrifying hockey players in Canadian university men’s hockey.
MacDougall sat down with 49 Sports’ Editor in Chief, Ben Steiner, to break down what fans can expect of Team Canada’s quest for gold at Lake Placid 2023.