TORONTO, ON – U SPORTS announced the roster for the 2023 U SPORTS All-Star men’s hockey team on Tuesday, a squad which will face Hockey Canada’s World Junior Championship Selection Camp. 

22 players will suit up for the select team, led by Queen’s Gaels head coach Brett Gibson and assistant coaches from Calgary, McGill and RMC in head coaches Mark Howell, Dave Urquhart and Richard Lim. 

11 players from Team Canada’s gold medal-winning group at the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games find themselves back on a select team, while four schools, including UNB, Calgary, Alberta and Queen’s, send a maximum of three players to the all-star team. 

Headlining the roster are some of the top scorers in the country, with OUA leaders Dalton Duhart (Queen’s) and Simon LaFrance (UQTR) cracking the team, alongside AUS leaders Austen Keating (UNB), Brady Gilmour (UNB) and Matthew Struthers (StFX). Meanwhile, none of the top three scorers in Canada West found their way onto the team. 

On the backend, standout defencemen Adam McCormick, Noah King (Calgary), Jacob Paquette (Queen’s), Scott Walford (McGill), Dylan Plouffe (Alberta) and Gunner Kinniburgh (Saskatchewan) take the reigns, with Connor Ungar (Brock) and Kai Edmonds (TMU) acting as practice goalies.

Hockey Canada goaltenders play for U SPORTS in the two-game showcase. 

“What I’ve done with my staff is we tried to select the best team that we can put forward to challenge the Canadian World Junior camp,” head coach Brett Gibson told 49 Sports. “I feel that’s the obligation we have is to challenge them to try to give them some adversity before they get to [the World Juniors].”

For some years, the emphasis has been on selecting an “all-star” team of players, often relying on top scorers. Hockey Canada advised U SPORTS to provide the most significant challenge possible in preparing the World Junior players. 

The games will take place at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ont. on Dec. 12-13, and fans can purchase their tickets HERE. 

FULL ROSTER

FORWARDS

Maxim Grondin – Ottawa

Dalton Duhart – Queen’s

Jonathan Yantsis – Queen’s

Andrew Coxhead – SMU

Matthew Struthers – StFX

Eric Florchuk – Alberta

Josh Prokop – Alberta

Sasha Mutala – UBC

Riley Stotts – Calgary

Jake Gricius – Calgary

Brady Gilmour – UNB

Austen Keating – UNB

Simon LaFrance – UQTR

DEFENCE

Simon Lavigne – Concordia

Scott Walford – McGill

Jacob Paquette – Queen’s

Dylan Plouffe – Alberta

Noah King – Calgary

Adam McCormick – UNB

Gunner Kinnuburgh – Saskatchewan

Goaltenders (Training only)

Connor Ungar – Brock

Kai Edmonds – TMU