Friday, October 3rd at 7pm

Axemen open up season on the road on Friday

Following an impressive 4-1 pre-season, the Acadia Axemen are ready to hit the ice this Friday in Charlottetown to face the UPEI Panthers in their regular season opener. The Panthers were responsible for Acadia’s only exhibition loss last Friday, a 7-1 defeat in Rustico, PEI.

We caught up with Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns, who shared his thoughts on the upcoming season: “Our team’s greatest strength right now is our commitment and unity. Early signs show a team that utilized the off-season, and it’s helped in our preparation for the start of the season. We’ve built a hard-working, high-character team that’s eager to prove its potential and what they believe they are capable of.”

The Axemen enter the 2024-25 season with plenty of optimism, beginning with a solid foundation in net, where AUS 1st Team All-Star and All-Rookie standout Thomas Couture leads the way.

Acadia also added depth between the pipes, recruiting MHL’s top goaltender Nicholas Sheehan to back up Couture. Brayden Peters continues to recover from surgery, and Jett Miller provides additional goaltending depth for the Axemen.

On defense, the Axemen have strengthened their blue line with the additions of Conor Shortall and Keagan Slaney. They join a dependable group of defencemen that includes Cam Whynot, Charlie Desroches, Tyler Deline, Orie Mainolfi, Brendan Tomilson, and Luke Zazula. Meanwhile, the team bid farewell to former Axemen Hudson Wilson and Morgan Nauss, both of whom graduated last year, and Merrick Rippon, who was forced to retire from competitive hockey due to injuries.

Coach Burns also expressed optimism about the forward group: “We’ve added more depth offensively, which will help us maintain pressure and play at a high pace. We might not be the highest-scoring team, but if we practice offensive play and stay healthy, this will help us without question.”

Up front, the Axemen have bolstered their lineup by adding centre Cam MacDonald for extra scoring punch, while Marc Boudreau brings size and grit. Kian Bell, who led the SJHL in scoring for two consecutive seasons, showcased his talent with three goals in the pre-season. Cam Wiebe adds further depth with his size and two-way play. The team will look to returning leaders Brady Burns and Bailey Peach to spearhead the offense, alongside Brendan Sellan, Liam Kidney, and Ethan Ernst. Cole Nagy, Zack Jones, and Peyton Hoyt will be relied on for their two-way contributions, while Corson Hopwo, Adam McMaster, and Brendan Mairs will be counted on to provide additional offensive support.

Reflecting on the pre-season, Coach Burns commented: “The AUS exhibition season is a good barometer for where your team stands. Teams will evolve and get better, and rosters will get altered throughout exhibition, but we feel confident in what we achieved. With back-to-back games coming up each weekend to start the season, so we felt it was important to do the same in our exhibition schedule to mirror that challenge. Overall, we liked what we saw and feel we accomplished a lot.”

What will the regular season hold for the Axemen? It all kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. You can catch the game live on AUStv.ca or tune in to AVR 97.7FM for Len Hawley’s pre-game show starting at 6:45 p.m. Don’t forget to follow @axemenhockey on X (formerly Twitter) for live in-game updates.

#GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards

Turner to Lead Axemen Goalies and Youth Goalie Programs

The Acadia Axemen have added Valley native, Daniel Turner to their coaching staff as their new goaltending coach. Turner, lives in Halls Harbour with his wife and two kids, and grew up in Kentville, and was the Head Coach of both the U15 and U18 Valley Wildcats between 2010-2015.

We asked Dan what drew him to the opportunity at Acadia, and what excites him about the role, he said, “ AUS hockey is one of the best hockey leagues in the country, so it’s a real honour to be part of the coaching staff. Acadia has 3 returning goalies and one new recruit this year, who all come with high praise from Burnsy. It’s a real strength for the program. I’m excited to work with the group and be their person to lean on throughout the year.”

Over the past number of years, Turner has strived to increase his expertise through attending a number of world class training events, including:

• The Roger Neilsen coaching clinic (3x) in Windsor, Ontario
• Participated in the NHL mentorship program in 2022-23
• 2023 NHL coaching conference in Nashville
• 2024 East Coast Goaltending Convention.

Acadia Axemen Head Coach on the addition of Turner to his staff,  “It is very exciting for our program to bring Dan onto our staff. He is an extremely passionate person who intensely studies the position.

To have someone like this who grew up in the Valley makes it a great fit. He knows the importance of the relationship between our team and community. He will be an excellent role model and mentor for our university goalies. At the same time he will have a great impact on our youth goalies in the community. He’s someone that always wants to challenge himself and learn more.”

In terms of what he will bring to the table as the Axemen goalie coach, Turner said, “Goaltending can be a lonely position. Most people in hockey would agree it’s like a different language compared to forward or defencemen. It’s nice for the goalies to have someone on staff they know they can lean on. Someone that can run goalie specific practices each week and an advocate for the group. I hope to fulfill that role for each of our goalies.”

Alberta native transfers from University of Alberta to Acadia

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome forward Cameron Wiebe to the hockey program.

Wiebe comes to Acadia after transferring from the University of Alberta, where he played the past two season with the Golden Bears. The 6’2” forward from Fairview, Alberta, will add size and depth up front for the Axemen. In 21 regular season games over the past 2 years with U of A, he added 6 points. In 2022-23, he also saw action in 2 games at the University Cup tournament.

Cam says he is looking forward to attending Acadia University and suiting up for the Axemen, “I’m excited to make connections with the kinesiology professors and learn from them as well as our Strength & Conditioning Coach. And as for playing for the Axemen, I’m excited to build a strong brotherhood with my teammates and hit the ice with them.”

Prior to playing USports action, in 2018-19 and 2019-20, he suited up for the U18 AAA Grand Prairie Storm. The following season he signed with the Fairview Flyers of the NWJHL, but they did not play regular season games in ‘20-‘21 due to the pandemic. He then moved on to the CapJHL where he notched 27 points in 24 games with Beverly Warriors in 21-22.

Acadia Axemen head coach Darren Burns likes his latest addition to his roster, “Cam will be a strong addition to our program for many reasons. He played for a team that has high standards and a program that has success. He’s played in a UCup so these experiences alone are a big asset.

He is a big kid who skates well for his size and will be a strong addition down low in the offensive zone. The AUS is a big body league and you can never have enough size. I really like his passion for the game and stepping into our program as a third-year player simply adds experience.”

As for Wiebe, he says Axemen fans can expect this from his game, “I play a hard, fast game, so fans can expect big hits, hard forechecking, and a heavy shot from me.”

The Axemen have now announced 7 new recruits for the upcoming season, including Wiebe, and fellow forwards Cam MacDonald, Marc Boudreau, Kian Bell, defensemen Conor Shortall and Keagan Slaney, and netminder Nicholas Sheehan.

The Axemen season is fast approaching, and the excitement is building for Acadia hockey! #GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards

Cape Breton Eagles forward from Hammonds Plains, NS to join Acadia

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia native Cam MacDonald to the hockey program.

The 6’1” forward was drafted in the 2021 NHL Entry draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 5^th round, 160^th overall, and in committing to Acadia, he will reunite with his former Saint John Sea Dogs teammates Brady Burns, Charlie Desroches, and Thomas Couture, who won a Memorial Cup together in 2021-22.

We asked Cam what made him chose Acadia for his next chapter, he said, “I chose Acadia because they had a good group of people and players that I’ve played with over the years, with good schooling and it is closer to my hometown. The good recruiting class (by the Axemen) last season for winning games later on down the road was intriguing.

MacDonald began his QMJHL career with the Saint John Sea Dogs in 2020-21, where he scored 17 points in 30 regular season games, and then adding 5 points in 6 playoff games including 4 goals.

In 2021-22 he notched 34 points in 67 regular season games and another 3 points in 4 games at the Memorial Cup tournament.

In 2022-23, Cam was named an assistant captain with SeaDogs, where he played 27 games to start the season, scoring 29 points in 27 games, before being traded to the Gatineau Olympiques, where he added 27 points in 31 games. Over the course of the season, he scored a career best 56 points in 58 games, including 29 goals.

This past season he moved on to the Cape Breton Eagles, where he scored 19 goals, and 48 points in 63 games. He was heavily counted upon by the Eagles for scoring in their playoff drive and the Hammonds Plains native did not disappoint, as he put up 13 points in 13 games, as the Eagles surprised many with 3rd round playoff appearance. Cam was teammates in Cape Breton this season with fellow Axemen recruit Conor Shortall. MacDonald also participated in the training camp for the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes last September.

For his QMJHL career, in 218 regular season games he scored 73 goals and 155 points. In 24 playoff games he had 11 goals and 16 points.

Coach Darren Burns sees the commitment of MacDonald as a strong addition to the forward group saying, “Cam is a player that can make a team better in so many ways. On the ice, he has the smarts to play the power play, he’s a very sound penalty killer, great on faceoffs and plays the game hard and tough. His versatility and willingness to do whatever is best for his team has been on display his whole junior career.

We have watched him be a key piece of a memorial cup winner in Saint John, a go-to player who produced on a rebuilding team, and it’s no secret he was a driving force in Cape Breton’s run this past year.

You win with guys like Cam because they have no ego and are all heart. We are ecstatic to be able to bring him into our program.”

As for what fans can expect to see from him on the ice this fall in an Axemen jersey, Cam said, “I play a 200 foot game whether it’s offensively, working down low, off the rush, defensively winning face-offs, or play in the D zone. I like to pride myself on playing powerplay and penalty kill as well, whatever is needed.”

Acadia has now announced six recruiting commitments for the fall with MacDonald joining Eagles teammate, defenceman Conor Shortall, defenceman Keagan Slaney, forwards Marc Boudreau & Kian Bell, and netminder Nicholas Sheehan. Stay tuned for more announcements in the weeks ahead!

#GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards

Axemen add SJHL’s two time leading scorer

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome forward Kian Bell to the hockey program.

Bell, standing at 5’11” hailing from Fall River, NS, has been the top scorer in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) the past two seasons with the Battlefords North Stars. In 2022-23 Bell and his North Stars were the Canterra Seeds Cup SJHL champions, and represented the SJHL at the Centennial Cup where they would advance to the tournament final, losing 4-0 to the Brooks Bandits. Kian had 7 points in 6 games in the national tournament.

We asked Bell what made him choose Acadia, he said “I chose Acadia because I love the town of Wolfville and the campus. I know that Acadia historically has one of the best hockey programs in the country, and is also a great school academically, so to me it seems like a perfect fit.”

He began his junior career in 2020-21, after being called up from the Steele Subaru’s U18 where he had 45 points in 27 games, he suited up for the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Eagles, with 2 points in 9 games. He was named the NSU18MHL Most Valuable Player for the season of 2020-21.

In 2021-22 he would spend the full season in the QMJHL with the Eagles, registering 14 points in 55 games. The following season he joined Battlefords of the SJHL and would register a league best 102 points in 51 games, including 54 goals. Bell would be named the SJHL’s Player of the Year and League MVP. Kian would begin the 2023-24 season in the WHL with the Edmonton Oil Kings, where he had 1 goal in 8 games, before re-joining the North Stars where he would score 94 points in just 41 games and was named a finalist for the CJHL’s most valuable player.

Acadia Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns likes what Bell brings to his squad, saying, “Throughout our conversations with Kian there were a couple of key things that continued to be evident; how much he wanted to be at Acadia and how much he loves hockey. Obviously, these are crucial components of what you look for in a player. His past has shown that offence is a big part of his game and this is an area where we wanted to improve. We feel once he gets acclimatized to our league he can be a player who can provide offence to our lineup.”

As for Bell, he describes his play as “…a creative, pass first offensive player, who likes to shoot the puck as well, but also as a player who can be relied on in all situations, all over the ice.”

The Axemen continue to fill out their roster for the upcoming season, as Bell joins fellow recruits, goalie Nicholas Sheehan, defencemen Conor Shortall and Keagan Slaney, along with forward Marc Boudreau. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks!

#GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards

Former Mississauga Steelheads forward to join Acadia

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome forward Marc Boudreau to the hockey program. Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Boudreau was an assistant captain this past season with the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL.

We asked Marc about committing to Acadia for his next chapter on and off the ice, he said, “What made me want to pick Acadia is the unique experience it offers! There’s not many places in USports that offer what Acadia offers! The small town university setting, a well supported hockey program, and a great school. That’s why I picked Acadia.”

The 6’2″ winger broke into the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds back in 2019-20, playing in 59 games adding 12 points in his rookie campaign. With the 2020-21 season cancelled due to the pandemic, he returned to the Soo in 2021-22, scoring 10 points in 32 games before being moved to the Sudbury Wolves where he would add another 22 points in 39 games. In 2022-23, he put up 28 points in 67 games with the Wolves, before moving to Mississauga where he scored 23 points in 64 games this past season.

Acadia Axemen head coach Darren Burns likes the style of play Boudreau brings to the lineup, saying, “Marc is a very important piece for our program. We have graduated a couple of big bodies who were a strong physical presence for us. He is a very tough player who skates well and plays a very rugged style. He plays with an edge and plays with energy and a vibration to his game.

We really liked what he brought to a very young but successful Mississauga team this past season. We believe that he is a big skilled player who has the smarts and the attributes to play with offensive players.

He will go to the net to help create offence and is very dominant down below the circles in the offensive zone. We feel he has a huge upside to continue to progress at the AUS level.”

As for Boudreau, he says, “Fans can expect a big power forward who can provide offensively, play physical, and provide a 200 foot game.”

Boudreau, joins a recruiting class that includes goaltender Nicholas Sheehan and defencemen Conor Shortall and Keagan Slaney. Stay tuned for more updates!

#GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards

Axemen add physical defenceman to lineup

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome Airdrie, Alberta native Keagan Slaney to the hockey program. The 5’9” 185lbs defenceman played five seasons in the WHL, with this past season with the Regina Pats.

We asked Keagan, what made him choose Acadia for his schooling and his next chapter in his hockey career, he said, “Since I have grown up in Alberta, I have always wanted to experience life on the other side of the country. Finally being given the opportunity to decide for myself where I get to play, I knew right away I was going to lean towards somewhere out east. All the knowledge I had about Acadia made it very clear that this was a top quality school, for both hockey and academics, which made the decision pretty easy. With that I also get the bonus of being closer to my extended family as they live in Newfoundland.”

Slaney was originally drafted into the WHL in 2018 in the 1st round, 20th overall by the Edmonton Oil Kings. After his season with Edge School Prep, he would go on to finish that season with the Oil Kings playing in 5 regular season games.

He would earn a regular spot on the Oil Kings blue line in 2019-20, playing in 48 games, prior to the pandemic, and then 20 games in the shortened 2020-21 season.

In 2021-22, after 5 games with the Oil Kings, he was dealt to the Calgary Hitmen, which was essentially like going home for the Airdrie native. He would go on to play 37 games with the Hitmen that season, before suiting up in 60 games in 2022-23 putting up a career-high, 5 goals and 13 points and 94 PIMs, and wearing an ‘A’ as an assistant captain for the team.

He was picked up by the Regina Pats in 2023-24, where he would play in 62 games, scoring 11 points and adding 57 PIMs.

For his junior career in the WHL, Slaney played in 237 regular season games, notching 45 points and adding 314 PIMs.

Acadia Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns is pleased to add Slaney to his defence corps saying, “Keagan is a player we feel will bring energy and grit to our lineup. He’s a good skater who makes a good first pass and likes to be physical. We feel he is a player who will make the opposition aware of when he’s on the ice and be able to bring a competitive daily edge to practice. He is well regarded as a teammate and a player who will look after his teammates. He will definitely add to a couple of key intangibles that we want to make sure are a staple for our team this coming season.”

As for what to look for from Keagan this fall, he says, “I think Axemen fans can expect a very solid defensive game from me. I’ve always liked to play a physical game and make it difficult for the other teams offensive players to enter the defensive zone. I have always and will continue to prioritize my position of defence, but I am hoping to have the opportunity to contribute a little bit more offensively than I have my previous years in the WHL. I’ve been taking some big strides on my skill work this summer and am really looking forward to being apart of the Axemen’s success this season.”

Slaney joins 2 previous announced new recruits for Acadia, defenceman Conor Shortall and goaltender Nicholas Sheehan. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more announcements! #GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards

Acadia netminder continues to rehab injured knee

On November 4^th of this past season, 1^st year Axemen goaltender Brayden Peters, was off to an impressive start to the season, playing in his 5th regular season game, after going 2 and 2 in his first 4 games of the season, when one play changed his trajectory for the year. The Axemen were hosting the Dalhousie Tigers in Wolfville, when midway through the 2^nd period, Peters made a highlight reel save, but tore his ACL and fractured his tibilar plateau in his left knee on the play.

Peters, a Business Administration major, described the moment saying, “It was a bit of a scramble in front of the net when the puck went to an open player back door. I slid to my left and extended my leg straight to try to get over in time, but I caught the heel of my skate on the post and didn’t slip off either in front of the post or into the net like it normally does. My body continued overtop of my knee and I felt a big pop behind my kneecap and had a wave of pain rush into my knee. It was just an unlucky injury, I probably did the same play 10+ times in practice, but this time my leg didn’t slip off the post and led to the injury.”

Prior to attending Acadia, Brayden had an impressive junior career in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen going 64-58-9 in 138 regular season games over 5 years and took part in the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche prospect camp last September.

Due to the seriousness of the injury, surgery was necessary on February 8^th in Yarmouth. He said, “The surgery went really good. I had my mom fly out from Alberta to help for the first week of recovery. So far, the ACL graft has been feeling really good and progressing on schedule. Now it’s a bit of a waiting game until the graft is able to fuse properly. The main thing for me now is to make sure I stay focused on my rehab timeline and make sure I don’t push it too far and cause any setbacks.”

It is a long road to recovery for the Axemen netminder, saying, “the first three months of rehab were mainly focused on retraining my left leg to get all my range of motion and balance back. Over the summer it will mainly be focused on jogging and running again and getting used to putting force into my knee again. So hopefully, by the time we come back together as a team I will be able to get on the ice and skate around, at that time we’ll be able to judge more accurately when I can get back in the net and join team practices. But my return date is still up in the air. Generally, it will be between 10-12 months of recovery post-surgery.”

Acadia Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns has nothing but praise for his netminder and his determination to return to action, saying “You hate to see any kid go through an injury and the process of getting back to playing like Petey has had to do. First things first, he is an incredible human and his attitude through all this has been outstanding. He is an excellent role model of team first and perseverance.

Our team will benefit from having first year players come in and see his dedication to the game. He’s an outstanding goalie who will no doubt play a huge role in the success of our program. His passion for making this team better through recruiting other players here and his day-to-day approach creates positive energy in our building.”

Despite the injury, the Taber, Alberta native has been happy with his time in the Valley, saying, “My experience here in Wolfville has been amazing. Everyone in the community and at the school have been incredibly welcoming and really made my adjustment moving out here from Alberta as easy as possible. It’s been a year of new and unexpected challenges, but I’m happy I’ve been able to experience it and grow from it out here.”

Peters concluded saying, “I just want to say thank you to the Axemen fans for all your support for both myself and for the team. It was awesome getting to talk to a bunch of you in the stands after I got injured and the support from everyone was amazing. I’m excited to see all of you at the rink again next year and excited to see what we can accomplish as a team.”

Story by Chris Richards