TORONTO, ON – A fan quickly made her way to the overarching perch above the ice at the Mattamy Athletic Centre moments after the UNB Reds secured the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship.
Waving a New Brunswick flag, she quickly caught the attention of Kade Landry. He snapped up the flag, wrapped it around his back, and returned to celebrate with his teammates as the Reds rushed onto the ice in the moments after securing back-to-back University Cups.
Brimming with New Brunswick and UNB pride, the former Maple Leaf Gardens could have very been mistaken for being in Fredericton instead of Toronto on Sunday, with red flowing through the bellows of the historic arena and streaming down the stands in the raised rink.
There’s a particular pride for UNB and the men’s hockey program — which defeated the UQTR Patriotes 4-0 in the U SPORTS Championship game on Sunday. It’s a support seldom seen in Canadian university sport, and one that isn’t mistakable with the sounds of cowbells ringing off the metal Gardens’ roof.
“It’s so special. We have 19 Ontario guys, and with Maple Leaf Gardens, we’ve all heard the stories from our parents—it’s the Mecca of the hockey world,” Landry said. “To be able to do it in Toronto with all the Ontario guys, as well as our fans, it’s a storybook ending, really.”
The victory smashed records for U SPORTS and UNB, which won its 47th game in a row, completing a perfect season, with 30 regular season wins, five non-conference wins, five AUS Playoff wins and three U CUP wins.
It marked the first perfect campaign since the 1962 McMaster Marlins went 12-0-0 and won the U CUP.
“It’s just incredible; I don’t think a person would dream this up in their wildest dreams; we know how competitive the AUS is, ” head coach Gardiner MacDougall said post-game. “This tournament, with how competitive it is, we’re just going off an exceptional group, and they’ve set new standards not only for our program but for U SPORTS.”
Playing his final game for the Reds, Brady Gilmour scored the opening goal of the game at the 7:52 mark of the first period, bursting up the wing and onto a breakaway after Austen Keating found the passing lane, allowing Gilmour to finish past UQTR’s Alexis Gravel.
While the Patriotes provided more pushback than UNB saw in a 4-0 win against Brock and a 7-0 victory over the TMU Bold, it wasn’t enough to sway the Reds, who got extra goals from Cody Morgan, Austen Keating and an empty net tally from Isaac Nurse.
“That’s an incredible group of guys. I can’t say enough good things about the whole group. It’s pretty surreal what we just did, and I don’t know if it’s gonna sink in quite yet, but we did something really special this year,” Gilmour said. “I’m just insanely proud of this group now.”
With the win, MacDougall further solidifies his status as one of the best coaches ever to coach U SPORTS. He now ties Tom Watt for the most University Cup wins with nine and extends his record for the most wins at the U Cup tournament with 37.
At the same time, the Reds also became just the second top seed in the current eight-team knockout format to win the tournament, joining the 2015 Alberta Golden Bears—and the first not to concede a goal throughout the tournament, on the back of Samuel Richard’s three shutouts.
Having over 100 practices throughout the season and relying on 20 returning players from the championship team that won in Charlottetown in 2023, the Reds took significant steps towards solidifying their dynasty with their fifth title in seven seasons.
While the 2007 U Cup-winning team and the back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 had been the highlights in the team’s history, the repeat titles and sixth straight AUS banner this season changed the picture and raised the standards for the Reds moving forward.
“They’re just such a family unit, it’s a special group,” MacDougall added. “The first word we talked about this year as a team was ‘love.’ We know it’s very difficult to go back-to-back. We’ve won a few championships here, and to do it again, it shows that love we have for the team and the game.”
A professional outlook from UNB
As one of the few U SPORTS schools that only rely on players who have played in the Canadian Hockey League, the program only brings in players with a desire to win and a hunger to pursue hockey beyond university.
Although some will learn that the professional levels aren’t where they want to go after UNB and hang up their skates, many turn pro just days after winning national championships.
Landry looked down and grabbed the UNB crest on his jersey. He knew his time at the Aitken Centre could very well be done.
“It’s my fourth year, and that was probably my last game wearing this jersey. To have the undefeated season and end with a national championship, it doesn’t feel real, and it hasn’t sunk in that this part might be over,” he said.
“Every day, it’s still the goal to get better and take a look at the pro game. I feel like my game is the best it’s ever been, and I’m excited to see what opportunities may be there.”
While the Reds celebrate into the night and get set for team traditions woven into the fabric of the program through the 10 national titles, the group will look a lot different with Landry, among others likely stepping away.
Still, there’s that unity and support for one another, with a major goal in mind, as the Reds look ahead to the 2024-25 season and the next step in continuing what now stands as a 47-game win streak.
Undefeated, with a perfect season and a record-smashing national title, might they be the best U SPORTS team ever? It’s hard to argue otherwise, but with standards raised, that’s where the bar sits for UNB hockey.
“When we get together on Sept. 1 every single year, this is what we want,” Gilmour added. “This is the goal. It’s not to win the regular season or the AUS; it’s to win this trophy, and it’s incredible the way we did it.“