TORONTO, ON – With less than a month remaining until the OUA Queen’s Cup Playoffs get underway, not only are playoff races becoming important, but also how programs are rounding into form as they approach the most critical point of their season. 

While a solid start to a campaign can help ease the pressure come the end, few teams would want to go into the playoffs on a losing streak. If you want to start a winning streak, that time starts now. 

As men’s and women’s hockey teams ramp up the intensity heading into the final few weeks of action, here’s what 49 Sports learned in the latest week of OUA hockey.

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\MHKY: Nipissing an outside contender with Harrison Caines

The Nipissing Lakers men’s hockey program won just four games in the 2022-23 season, yet they’ve looked exceptional through 2023-24 and are in a prime position to return to the playoffs after missing out last season. 

While this weekend’s two losses to the McGill Redbirds and UQTR Patriotes hit them in the standings, cross-conference dropped points by the TMU Bold and Toronto Varsity Blues kept them within solid contention for a top playoff seed. 

Although many of the Nipissing players have brought their game to new heights through the first three-quarters of the season, none have more so than third-year forward Harrison Caines, who has blasted through his previous career high of 17 points, scoring 31 in just 23 games. 

Despite often racking up multiple games against teams outside of the playoff picture, Caines has been a dynamic and versatile piece for the Lakers and has developed into one of the top players in the OUA, alongside teammate Charles Farmer, who has 27 points this season, beating his career high of 10 from last season. 

With elevated performances throughout the roster and a league-average goaltending tandem of rookie Reece Proulx and Zach Roy, the Lakers are in prime position to make a Cinderella run to and through the 2024 OUA Queen’s Cup Playoffs, starting with a pair of home games this weekend against the U CUP host TMU Bold. 

MHKY: Guelph and Lakehead split proves positive for Laurier

With the playoff race heating up in the OUA West, the battle for the final place in the post-season is the most intriguing. While the Brock Badgers have nearly secured the top seed, and TMU and Toronto battle for the second spot, the final berth is wide open and no clearer after the latest weekend. 

Headlined by Thursday’s Frosty Mug in front of nearly 5,000 fans, the Guelph Gryphons and Laurier Golden Hawks split a two-game set in the latest round of action, keeping Guelph above the playoff bar by one point. However, their split could prove critical to the Laurier Golden Hawks, who remain just two points out of the final spot and could have been four or more points short after the weekend. 

Guelph may have gotten lucky in the Frosty Mug, scoring five times on 14 shots, and the game played out more expectedly on Friday with Lakehead prevailing 2-0, having been the better teams throughout the two-game set. However, both are well away from having any security in the post-season. 

This weekend, Guelph looks to win a single game against the Windsor Lancers, where a win could vault them to fifth place. Meanwhile, the Thunderwolves face a testing two-game weekend against the OUA East second seed uOttawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton Ravens. For Laurier, games against the Waterloo Warriors and Western Mustangs, two teams outside the playoffs, are critical points to secure.