Category: Team Stories

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RICHMOND HILL, ON (U SPORTS) – A total of 102 student-athletes will represent Canada at the 30th FISU Winter Universiade, held from December 11-21 in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Axemen hockey standouts Logan Flodell and Garrett McFadden are included in the FISU Games Team Canada Roster. Flodell was named the AUS Most Valuable Hockey Player in 2019-20, while McFadden was on the 2018-19 AUS All-Rookie team and was named to the 2019-20 second-team AUS All-Star squad.

“This is a very well-deserved opportunity for both Logan and Garrett. They have been outstanding players in our program and we are very excited they have earned the opportunity to take part in this prestigious international event. They both have bright professional futures and this will be a great chance to showcase themselves while representing Canada,” said Acadia head coach Darren Burns.

U SPORTS announced on Tuesday that nine teams from seven sports will travel to Switzerland to take part in the event, originally scheduled for January 2021. Canada will compete in ice hockey (W & M), curling (W & M), alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, snowboarding and short track speed skating. This is the first FISU Universiade since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, some 144 people will be exhibiting the Maple Leaf in and around Lucerne, including coaches and mission staff. The complete list is available below.

“We are thrilled to have this exceptional group of student-athletes, coaches, and staff heading to Switzerland for what is sure to be an outstanding experience”, said Ben Matchett, Team Canada’s Chef de Mission. “It is always an honour to wear your nation’s colours, and we know that Team Canada will represent our country with pride at Lucerne 2021.”

“While we’re all excited to get back to sport and experience all that the Winter Universiade has to offer in a beautiful part of the world, our first priority will always be the health and safety of the Canadian delegation,” added Matchett. “FISU and the Lucerne organizing committee have put in place stringent protocols to ensure the safety of participants including mandatory vaccination and testing, and we know we all have a responsibility to keep ourselves and each other safe and healthy.”

This is the first time in nearly 50 years that the FISU Winter Universiade will be held in Switzerland, as the 1962 competition took place in Villars. In 2019, Canada won five medals in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, including one gold, two silver and two bronze. The best Canadian medal count was in Belluno, Italy in 1985 (18 medals; 5 gold, 5 silver, 8 bronze).

The Lucerne 2021 Opening Ceremony will take place on December 11 at 7:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. EST, 10:30 a.m. PST). However, curling and ice hockey matches will occur in the days leading up to the official opening.

“We are very proud of every student-athlete and staff member representing Team Canada at the 2021 FISU Winter Universiade,” said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, Chief Sport Officer at U SPORTS. “I applaud them all for their diligence and patience as we waited for these games to arrive after an 11-month delay. The entire Mission team and coaching staff are working very hard to provide the student-athletes the best possible and safest experience in Switzerland. I wish them all good luck in their final preparation.”

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Axemen add Enfield, NS forward to program

The Acadia Axemen hockey program are proud to announce the commitment of Liam Kidney to the program starting in the 2022-23 season.

We asked Liam why Acadia was his University of choice and what Axemen fans can expect from his game in the Fall, he said, “Acadia is an amazing school with a second to none reputation for being one of the best post secondary schools in Canada. And second the great development and reputation Acadia sports has in developing players and the amazing community support your receive playing for Acadia. It was a really simple choice.”

I would say I am a hard hitting forward, who can be relied on in any situation. Both in the offensive zone and defensive zone, on the power play and penalty kill. A player that works hard in any situation and does what it takes to win.”

Kidney, from Enfield, NS, is a 6’0” forward who is currently in his fifth season in the QMJHL. He had 28 points in 38 games last year with the Cape Breton Eagles, his third full season in the QMJHL, as his first season he was called up for 5 games with Cape Breton. Coming into the current season he had career totals of 24 goals and 38 assists in 139 major junior games. Liam is currently playing with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and at the time of the article he has notched 3 goals in 8 games. He is playing in Bathurst alongside his younger brother Riley, who was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2nd round of this past year’s NHL entry draft.

Acadia Head Coach Darren Burns is excited to add Kidney to next year’s lineup saying, “Liam is going to be a tailor made AUS hockey player. We are extremely familiar with this player as he has played with our spring program at various ages. His grit, speed, and relentless work ethic will be an excellent addition for us. He is a natural born leader who doesn’t know the word quit. We believe he will be a player that will surprise many in this league because of commitment. He is a 200-foot player, who will lead and do whatever it takes to make his team successful.”

The Axemen also announced this week the committment of Bailey Peach to the program for the Fall of 2022, as the team gets an early jump on recruiting.

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Falmouth native to join the program for Fall 2022

The Acadia Axemen are proud to announce the commitment of Falmouth, NS native Bailey Peach to the Acadia hockey program beginning in the fall of the 2022-23 season.

We asked Bailey why he chose Acadia, he responded saying, “Committing to Acadia to be an Acadia Axemen just felt right, I wanted to have the opportunity to continue my hockey career on a competitive AUS hockey team. I spent many years attending the Acadia Axemen skills camps as a young player and I want to be able to give back to the community.  I’ve been coached by Burnsy in Minor Hockey and his leadership and compassion to improve players is the best you can ask for.”

Acadia Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns is looking forward to having the Falmouth native in the lineup next fall saying, “We are very excited to have Bailey joining our program in September. To have a player of Bailey’s caliber join Acadia, after playing in our minor hockey association, is tremendous. We are very familiar with Bailey as a person and he has always had an excellent attitude since a young age. He is an extremely intelligent player who can score goals with a lot of offensive upside. His vision and his thinking are at a very high level. He will no doubt be a player who displays a high intelligence level and we feel he will adapt quickly to this league.”

The 5’10” forward started his major junior career with the Sherbrooke Phoenix after being selected 11th overall at the 2017 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft. He played three-and-a-half seasons in Sherbrooke, Que., before being traded to the Charlottetown Islanders in December 2020.

With a difficult season and a half for all junior players due to the Covid-19 pandemic, last spring Peach had a goal and three assists in eight playoff games to help the Islanders make it to the deciding game of the semifinals before losing to the eventual champion Victoriaville Tigres.

Bailey’s top junior season to date was in 2019-20 where he scored 19 goals and 46 points in 52 games with Sherbrooke. His career totals in the QMJHL were 107 points in 184 regular season games.

This fall, with Charlottetown already icing the maximum three 20 year olds on their roster, Bailey joined the Victoria Royals of the WHL as an overager.  At the time of writing this article, Peach is having a strong campaign on the west coast, already with 9 points in 12 games.

When we asked Peach about his style of play and what fans can expect from him next fall, he said, “I look forward to meeting all the Acadia fans as they are a big part of the game. Fans can expect me to bring a strong work ethic, positivity, high energy and passion to the team. I am a strong two-way forward that can bring offence and also take care of the defensive zone. Also, I’m excited for the opportunity to bring my game back home to the East Coast next Fall!”