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Belfast Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Former NHL drafted netminder joins Belfast Giants with sights set on continuing upward trajectory
The 25-year-old German-born Canadian joins Jackson Whistle on the roster for the team's double defence having moved from German side Adler Mannheim, giving head coach Adam Keefe a pair of outstanding goaltenders to select from. While Whistle has proven himself to be capable of carrying the team to an Elite League title, being named the Giants' MVP last season in helping them win a League and Challenge Cup double thanks to a superb .928 save percentage, Gravel comes in with an excellent reputation. The Berlin-born netminder was not only drafted in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Blackhawks but has won scores of individual awards during his career, including being named Outstanding Goaltender and to the First All-Star Team at the 2019 CHL Memorial Cup with the Halifax Mooseheads. As the Giants always look for during the off-season, Gravel also brings plenty of winning experience on the ice, too, having claimed gold with Canada at the 2018 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup and the 2022 University Cup with the University of Québec-Trois-Rivières. The latter of those achievements, coming in the first of three years with the Patriotes which saw him win silver in the University Cup in 2024, was accompanied by more individual recognition as Gravel was named the competition's Most Valuable Player, and he would rack up two more Second All-Star Team awards in his following two seasons. And he has since translated that into the professional sphere, returning to the full-time ranks last season – he had a brief stop with the Allen Americans in 2021 – with the ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears and excelled, putting up a .927 save percentage in 23 games and earning himself a brief loan spell with the AHL's Belleville Senators. His season would end in Mannheim, where he was signed to provide backup to now Dallas Stars goaltender Arno Tiefensee and veteran Felix Brückmann for the Deutsche Eishockey Liga Play-Offs, but he would make just two appearances for the Eagles. Now, however, he will look to win the battle for the starter's jersey out of training camp with Whistle ahead of their Champions League tilt, starting with a meeting with Finnish champions KalPa on August 28, but, regardless of who does come out on top, the Giants look very well-served at netminder. 'I'm really excited to be joining the Giants. I've heard great things about the club, the city, and especially the fanbase. Playing in Belfast is a great opportunity to continue developing my game and to compete for championships. I can't wait to get started,' commented Gravel. Keefe added: 'Alexis is a big young goalie with a bright future. He has played in some very big games throughout his career and has consistently risen to the challenge. He is an extremely competitive individual who wants to win. "He had a great first year pro last season, and we think he is only going to continue to get better. We are excited to bring him to Belfast.'
Ottawa Citizen
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Wildcats' MacDougall named Canadian Hockey League coach of the year
Gardiner MacDougall, whose seamless transition from coaching university hockey to the major junior ranks resulted in another championship for the Moncton Wildcats, was named the Brian Kilrea Trophy winner as Canadian Hockey League coach of the year Friday in Toronto. Article content In his first year behind the Wildcats' bench after retiring from 24 seasons as head coach at the University of New Brunswick Reds men's hockey team, MacDougall led the Wildcat to a franchise record campaign that resulted in a 53-9-2-0 regular-season record and a 16-3 slate en route to winning the Gilles Courteau Trophy as QMJHL champions in May. Article content Article content Article content The impressive credentials produced regular-season franchise records for most wins (53), most points (108), fewest regulation losses (9), fewest goals against (144), and best points percentage (.844). Article content Article content During his career at UNB, MacDougall's teams won nine University Cup titles, including back-to-back crowns in 2023 and 2024, the latter an undefeated season that culminated with the title in Toronto. He earned hi third U Sports men's hockey coach of the year for that remarkable accomplishment. Several months later, he retired from the UNB post and took over the Wildcats team. Article content He led the Cats to their first title since 2010 and advanced to the semifinal of the Memorial Cup in Rimouski. Article content The team's winning percentage was the eighth-best all-time in the QMJHL and 10th-best in the CHL since 2000. As all championship teams appears to accomplish, the Wildcats were staunch defensively, yielding the CHL-best defensive showing with a 2.25 goals-against average, which ranked fifth in QMJHL history. Article content Article content MacDougall is the third coach in CHL history to win the CHL coach of the year award in his first season, joining Craig Hartsburg (Guelph Storm, 1995) and Gerard Gallant (Saint John Sea Dogs in 2010). Article content In additional to his University Cup success, MacDougall also led the Sea Dogs to the 2022 Memorial Cup when the event was held at TD Station. Article content Two other Wildcats were finalists for national CHL awards. Article content Berkly Catton of the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL was named the sportsman of the year, a category in which Julius Sumpf of the Cats was a finalist. Newly named Wildcats captain Caleb Desnoyers was a finalist for the Top Prospect award, which went to Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters.
Ottawa Citizen
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
MacDougall named QMJHL coach of the year
Article content Gardiner MacDougall's championship pedigree proved a major factor when the Moncton Wildcats hired him as head coach last spring to guide the QMJHL team. Article content With the former University of New Brunswick leader behind the bench, the Wildcats embarked on a magical record-breaking run, one that produced the franchise's third QMJHL title and one that came within two games of winning the Memorial Cup. Article content Article content Article content For his excellence, MacDougall, a nine-time University Cup champion, won the Ron Lapointe Trophy as the QMJHL coach of the year Thursday during a ceremony in Quebec as part of the 2025 QMJHL Golden Pucks Awards. Article content Article content Under MacDougall's guidance, the Wildcats established a franchise record season with a 53-9-2-0 mark before winning four playoff series with a dominating 16-3 slate, also a franchise best. Article content The team's .844 winning percentage set a new standard in Moncton, a factor of the team's league-best offence (294 goals for), defence, (144 goals against), penalty-killing units (86.4) and of course, MacDougall's expertise and powerful motivating style. Joining MacDougall was Wildcats forward Caleb Desnoyers, who won the Michael Bossy Trophy as the league's best professional prospect. Desnoyers, who was named most valuable player in the QMJHL playoffs, is at the NHL Combine in Buffalo, in preparation for the NHL draft, where he is expected to be a high first-round pick. Article content Article content The 18-year-old forward produced 84 points to sit fifth in regular-season scoring and added 30 more in the post season before recording a goal and an assist at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski. Article content Desnoyers was also a finalist for the most valuable player award, which went to Jonathan Fauchon of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Article content Former Wildcat Jacob Steinman won the Patrick Roy Trophy as goaltender of the year. He split the season with Moncton and the Halifax Mooseheads, joining the Nova Scotia based squad in a high-profile deal at the January trade deadline. Article content Steinman, who played two and a half seasons with Moncton, sported a 29-16-4-1 record with Moncton and Halifax and finished second in the QMJHL in goals against average (2.41) and save percentage (.923).
CBC
24-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Gee-Gees beat Stingers to claim University Cup men's hockey championship
The host Ottawa Gee-Gees scored twice in the first period, added another in the second and then held off a late rally for a 3-2 victory over the Concordia Stingers in Sunday's championship final of the U Sports University Cup at TD Place. Vincent Labelle, Bradley Chenier and Luka Verreault scored for the Gee-Gees, who entered the eight-team men's hockey tournament as the lowest seed. Mitch Martin pitched in with two assists. U Sports changes rule, removing 1-year wait for former pro hockey players Sean Larochelle and Mathieu Bizier scored for the third-seeded Stingers, who outshot the Gee-Gees 33-14, but had trouble solving Gee-Gees' netminder Franky Lapenna until the final three minutes. The Gee-Gees edged the Toronto Metropolitan Bold 4-3 in Saturday's semifinals, while the Stingers blanked the Saskatchewan Huskies 3-0 in the other semifinal. WATCH | Lapenna helps Ottawa top Concordia in men's gold-medal game: 1 hour ago Duration 1:39 Franky Lapenna made a beautiful paddle stop on his way to a 29-save championship game victory. The Ottawa Gee-Gees down Concordia to win their first University Cup. Huskies beat Bold for men's bronze The Saskatchewan Huskies knocked off the Toronto Metropolitan Bold 4-1 on Sunday in the bronze-medal final. Vince Loschiavo scored twice for the Huskies, while Justin Ball and Landon Kosior netted singles. Kevin Gursoy scored for the Bold, who trailed 2-1 after the second period. The Huskies outshot the Bold 24-18 and went 2-for-5 on the power play. The Bold were 1-for-8 on the power play.
CBC
22-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Rothesay parents support hockey-playing kids — sometimes in different cities at same time
Krista McCallum's 2 university-age children played in different cities at national competitions this week Caption: The McCallum family from Rothesay does whatever they can to have someone in the stands cheering on their kids, who all play hockey. (James West/UNB Athletics) Krista McCallum knows what it means to be a hockey mom. With three children in the sport, including two who play high-level university hockey, it isn't unusual for her and her husband to have to go in separate directions to cheer their kids on at tournaments. The same thing happened this week. On Thursday, both her daughter, Cassie, goaltender for the University of New Brunswick Reds women's hockey team, and her son Kale, who plays defence for the UNB men's hockey team, were playing in national tournaments in different cities. "It's really an incredible feeling to see both of them not only pursuing their passion but doing it at this level, representing UNB on a national stage," McCallum said. "We're just really proud of how dedicated they are and how committed they are — on and off the ice. "They've managed to get this far and we're going to be there to support them." Cassie was attending the U Sports Women's Hockey Championship in Waterloo while her brother Kale headed to the University Cup in Ottawa. This meant the Rothesay parents had to split their support, with McCallum going to Ottawa and her husband heading to Waterloo. Meanwhile, their other son, Cohen, was in the playoffs with the Amherst Jr. A Ramblers, part of the Maritime Junior Hockey League. McCallum said the family has always been big into hockey, with her brother playing when he was younger and her husband loving the game, too. When the kids were young, they would play hockey together, and Kale was the one who got Cassie interested in goaltending. "Kale dressed her up with street pads on both arms and both legs, and he put a life jacket on her … and a helmet and gave her the lid of our garbage can and put her in net and started throwing balls at her," McCallum said. To fuel the kids' love of hockey, the family had a rink in the backyard that her husband would flood at 3 a.m. every night during the winter. But the commitment always felt worth it to see the kids happy. "We travelled a lot from rink to rink and definitely had fewer vacations than some of our friends … because we were always paying for hockey and hockey fees and whatever," said McCallum. "But it was what they loved, and we loved watching them pursue something that they were so committed to."
