Category: Team Stories

2021-22 Centennial Cup champion commits to Acadia

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome Brendan Mairs to the hockey program. Brendan, a 6’1” forward, hails from London, Ontario and describes himself as “a taller offensive forward who competes every night, while getting under the other team’s skin.”

He played a total of 5 years split between 2 Junior A leagues. His first 2 seasons he played in the GOJHL with the Strathroy Rockets from 2018-2020, where he scores 94 points in 98 regular season games.

In 2020, he headed west to Alberta to join the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL. In just over 2 seasons with the Bandits, he scored 52 points in 82 games. Mairs and the Bandits not only won the AJHL championship in 2021-22, but also a Centennial Cup Junior A National Championship.

After 10 games with the Bandits last season, Mairs was traded in October to the Drayton Valley Thunder where he registered 53 points in just 44 games and served as an assistant captain with the team. He wrapped up his AJHL career with a total of 105 points in 126 regular season games.

We asked Brendan why he chose Acadia for his next chapter on his journey, and he said, “I chose Acadia because of their history and continued success over the years; and for me, to be a part of a winning culture over the years to come, is what mainly attracted me here.”

Acadia Axemen head coach Darren Burns feels the Mairs addition plays well for his lineup saying, “Brendan is a player that we believe will thrive at the USports level. He is a very smart player, who shoots the puck well and plays a very dependable two way game, with a team first mentality. He spent two years playing for Axemen alumnus Taylor Makin and we have loved Makes reports on him. Brendan is a very eager and positive person. At the end of the day, he has spent two years of his junior career with the top Junior A team in the country and won a Centennial Cup National Championship. Adding players who have experienced the process of winning is always a huge asset.”

Stay tuned throughout the summer as the Axemen continue to round out their roster for the upcoming season, and as the season draws near, get your season tickets by visiting the Acadia Box Office, or purchase online at acadiau.universitytickets.com

Axemen add former Saint John Seadogs Captain

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome Days Corner, PEI’s Charlie Desroches to the hockey program. Desroches, a 5’10” defenceman, played 5 years in the QMJHL, all with the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Over the 5 years, Charlie suited up in 273 regular season games, scoring 145 points, along with 7 points in 15 playoff games.

We asked Charlie what made him choose Acadia, he said, “I chose Acadia University because it is the best opportunity for success both on and off the ice.”

In 2021-22, Desroches was a member of the Memorial Cup winning Sea Dogs, along with fellow recruits Brady Burns and Thomas Couture.

This past season Desroches was named the Captain of the Sea Dogs, this was also his best offensive season of his junior career, posting 35 points in 50 games.

We asked Charlie what Axemen fans can expect to see from him on the ice this fall, he said, “I’m a two way defenseman that moves the puck and can contribute offensively as well.”

Acadia Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns expressed his excitement on Desroches commitment saying, “We are so excited to be bringing Charlie to Acadia. We have followed him for many years, and he has been a player we wanted in our program for a long time. As a player he brings many different things to the table. He is extremely smart, sees the ice well and can score from the blue line and off the rush. He has the ability to quarterback the powerplay because he keeps the game simple. He also has the ability to play a shutdown role. His versatility in doing both was very evident in his junior career. What we admire most about Charlie is a quiet confidence and loyalty. He began his junior career with the belief that he could be a cornerstone in Saint John. He went somewhere and bought into a vision and belief, knowing there was a lot of hard work ahead. He wasn’t afraid to sacrifice to win a championship. Adding a player who is all bricks and mortar and has lifted the memorial cup can only help be infectious in our dressing room and on the ice.”

Acadia continues to re-tool their roster for the upcoming season, having now recruited 2 forwards, 2 defensemen, and 2 goalies. As the excitement builds, don’t forget to purchase your Axemen season tickets either by calling the Acadia box office, or purchase online at acadiau.universitytickets.com

Axemen legend to take the stage at the Acadia Celebrity Hockey Dinner on June 22nd

Earlier this June, the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame announced its 2023 inductee class to be celebrated for outstanding contributions to Nova Scotia sport; and one of those inductees, near and dear to our heart, was the 1992-93 Acadia Axemen hockey team. Induction Night 2023 will take place on Saturday, November 25 at 7pm, at the Lighthouse Arts Centre in Halifax.

On Thursday, June 22^nd, Acadia Axemen legend, CIAU champion, and Hockey Honour Role member Norm Batherson will take the stage at the Acadia Celebrity Hockey Dinner to speak on the historic announcement, and reflect on the success of the ’92-’93 team.

One of the most dominant university hockey teams to ever play in this country, the Axemen became the first Nova Scotia school to ever win the CIAU University Cup National Hockey Championship, steamrolling the University of Toronto 12-1 on March 21, 1993. Axemen players received 10 awards of MVP or All-Star at either the conference or national level during the season, and four of these were awarded to Nova Scotia-born members of the team. Coach Tom Coolen was named CIAU Coach of the Year and captain George Dupont was named a CIAU All-Canadian.

The championship win was a culmination of growth from the previous two seasons as the Axemen had finished in 3rd place in the AUAA in 1990-91, and vaulted to a 18-4-2 record in 1991-92, easily laying claim to the Kelly Division title. They were ranked #1 in the nation, unbeaten at home, and capped the year by nabbing Acadia’s first AUAA championship in 43 years. The Axemen would make it all the way to the CIAU finals, facing off against the Alberta Golden Bears. In a see-saw battle that wasn’t decided until the final period, the Golden Bears prevailed by a 5-2 score. A loss the Axemen would remember on route to their 1992-93 CIAU finals victory.

Batherson would move on to a long and successful professional career following the national championship win, joining the Ottawa Senators’ organization playing for their affiliate and later the Prince Edward Island Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 1994, Batherson joined the Washington Capitals’ organization and played for the Portland Pirates in the AHL from 1994 until 1998, with a stint with the Fort Wayne Komets in the 1997–98 season. In 1996, Batherson was a member of their Calder Cup finalist team, scoring 11 goals and 19 points in 24 playoff games. In all, Batherson played 259 games in the AHL, scoring 65 goals and 111 assists.

In 1998, he moved to Germany where he played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), playing for 8 seasons before retiring in 2006. In his final season, he was a member of the Tigers’ German Cup championship. Norm retired as the league’s all-time scorer.

Current Acadia Axemen Head Coach and National Championship teammate of Batherson, Darren Burns, reflected on having Norm speak at the Dinner saying, “We are extremely excited that we will be able to have Normie on stage to represent the ’93 national championship team. Norm is an Acadia legend and had a tremendous hockey career. As an Axemen, he was an unbelievable hockey player who was always dominate, but he was an even better teammate. He set the highest of standards for performance, and treated every team member with the utmost respect. He was what you want a player to be on and off the ice.”

For tickets to the Acadia Celebrity Hockey Dinner taking place on June 22nd, and to hear Norm speak, visit the Acadia Box office or visit acadiau.universitytickets.com

Induction to take place at the Celebrity Hockey Dinner on June 22nd

The Acadia Axemen will add three more legendary names to their Acadia Hockey Honour Roll in the coming weeks. It was announced today that Acadia alumnus and former Axemen captain Paul McFarland, and former assistant coaches Jim Midgley & Troy Ryan will be inducted during the Axemen Celebrity Hockey Dinner on June 22^nd.

McFarland played for the Axemen for four seasons from 2006-2010, Captaining the team for 3 seasons. In 2019, the Axemen would introduce an annual award in Paul’s name, the Paul McFarland Captain in the Community Award, to recognize a player for demonstrating leadership qualities in the combination of academics, athletics, and involvement in the community.

In 2020, Paul was awarded the Outstanding Young Alumni award from the Acadia Alumni Association.

Paul is currently the assistant coach of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, after previously holding the same position with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers.

Jim Midgley, was an assistant coach with the Axemen from 2003-2007, he would spend 4 seasons with the Axemen under Head Coach Darren Burns, highlighted by back-to-back 1^st place AUS finishes in 2004-05 & 2005-06, and winning the AUS championship in 2005-06, earning a birth in the UCup tournament.

Midgley went on to win the Memorial Cup as an assistant coach with the Halifax Mooseheads, before taking over as Head Coach of the team for the 2017-18 season. The past two seasons, he served as an assistant coach in the NHL, with the New York Rangers with PEI’s Gerard Gallant as the Head Coach.

Troy Ryan, was an assistant coach at Acadia from 2001-2003. The Axemen were in rebuilding mode and Troy was essential in nurturing the young team to learn and grow despite missing the playoffs. He would spend 2 seasons with Acadia before moving on to become a head coach and general manager in the Junior A, Maritime Hockey League.

Ryan has been the Head Coach of the Women’s National Team since 2021, leading Team Canada to back-to-back gold medal finishes at the 2021 and 2022 World Women’s Hockey championships. His Team Canada team won the gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.

In April of this year, the Canadian women’s team finished just short in its bid for a third-straight IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medal, falling to their arch rival, the United States.

This past May, Troy was an assistant coach with Hockey Canada’s Men’s World Championship gold medal winning team. Troy also serves as the Head Coach of the Dalhousie women’s hockey team.

Acadia Head Coach Darren Burns welcomed the announcement of the 3 inductees to the Honour Roll saying, “This is an extremely special event for the Acadia Hockey Program. The Acadia Hockey Honour Roll is a very prestigious part of our program. There are so many people who have given so much to Acadia and have continued to be exceptional contributors to the game, across the globe, when they leave Acadia. Inducting Troy, Jim, and Paul into the Acadia Hockey Honour Roll at the Acadia Celebrity Hockey Dinner makes it that much more special. These three individuals have had a tremendous impact on not just Acadia Hockey and the Acadia Community, they have also coached at the highest levels in the world. When you achieve this, you positively impact so many along the way. Bringing them back to the Annapolis Valley and to our arena is going to make for a very special day.”

The Acadia Celebrity Hockey Dinner takes place on Thursday, June 22^nd at 7pm, with headlining celebrity Guy Carbonneau. For tickets, please contact the Acadia box office, or visit acadiau.universitytickets.com

Acadia receives a commitment from OHL offensive blueliner

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome Flint Firebirds alumnus Tyler Deline to the program. The 5’10” defenceman from Peterborough, Ontario is a left shot, who put up 82 points in 171 regular season games in the OHL, including 144 PIMs, and was a +21 over his time in Flint. He also added 10 points in 22 career playoff games.

We asked Tyler why he chose Acadia University & the Axemen, and he said, “I felt like Acadia was the best place for me to become a better player on the ice and academically in the classroom as well.”

After making his OHL debut in the 2018-19 season, he played in his 1^st full year with the Flint Firebirds in 2019-20 where he had 6 points in 43 games; the 2020-21 season was cancelled in the OHL due to the pandemic. In 2021-22, Deline returned to Flint with additional offensive punch putting up 38 points in 61 games, and another 9 in 15 post season games. This past season he remained consistent with 37 points in 58 games and was a +16.

Acadia Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns sees the addition of Deline as a boost to the team’s backend saying, “Tyler is an excellent addition to our back end heading into next year. We believe he has very strong offensive instincts and makes smart passes coming out of his end and on the powerplay. He combines a very intelligent poised skill set, with good vision, and also has the grit that is needed to succeed in our league. In our conversations with him it was very evident that he is a low maintenance kid who loves the game. We want to add players who want to get better, will bring an offensive game, and love hockey. He checks these boxes.

Deline described a glimpse of what we can expect this fall from him saying, “Axemen fans can expect a defenseman who likes to create offence and plays with lots of passion and grit.”

Deline joins an impressive recruiting class for Acadia, with netminders Thomas Couture & Brayden Peters, and forwards Brady Burns & Ethan Ernst.

Stay tuned for more commitment announcements in the coming weeks as the Axemen continue to round out their roster for the upcoming season. And remember to get your Acadia Axemen hockey season ticket package at the Acadia Box Office, or online at https://acadiau.universitytickets.com/

#GoAcadiaGo

Axemen add former Calgary Hitmen netminder to program.

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome goaltender Brayden Peters to the program. The 6’1” native of Taber, Alberta played his junior career in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen, playing a total of 138 regular season games, posting a 2.95 goals against average, a .904 save percentage, with 7 shutouts and a 64-58-9 record.

We asked Brayden, why he chose Acadia University, and he said, “When I went out to visit the town and to tour the school I was really impressed with the culture out there and how genuine and nice the people were to me in my day, exploring the area. It really made me feel welcome from the start and made Wolfville a place I could see myself living and enjoying for the next 4 years.”

In his 1^st full season with the Hitmen in 2019-20, he played in 35 games, with a 2.76 GAA, and .902 SV%, with a 17-15-2 record. The 2020-21 season was the Covid shortened season, where he went 6-6-1.

In 2021-22, in 47 games, he had a 2.98 GAA .906 SV% , 3 SO and 21-23-3 record. And this past season he had another strong season in 41 games, posting a 2.84 GAA, .909 SV% , 3 SO and 19-14-3 record.

Prior to joining the Hitmen, as a member of the Lethbridge Hurricanes U18 AAA team, he was named the league’s top goaltender, with an AMHL best goals against average of 1.22, and best save percentage at .944.

Acadia Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns is pleased with the addition of Peters saying, “This addition is a big boost for our program. Brayden has been a strong major junior hockey goalie with a tremendous work ethic. He is a very well-respected teammate and known as a player who works extremely hard every day. He is a student of the game and his passion for the game is evident in every conversation. His team-first attitude will no doubt strengthen us both in the dressing room and on the ice.”

We asked Peters about the upcoming season and his style of play and he said, “I think Axemen fans can expect me to come in and be a consistent goalie and know what they can expect from me night in, night out. I want to go in and do everything I can to give our team a chance to win every night no matter how it happens, having success as a team is my ultimate goal. I would describe myself as an athletic goalie, putting myself into a position to make the first save and battling for everything after that. I like to think I’m pretty composed and keep calm under pressure and coming in as a first year goalie I think that will benefit myself and hopefully lead to a successful season for everyone.”

Brayden Peters is the second goalie recruited by the Axemen this off season, joining highly touted Thomas Couture. The Axemen have also added a pair of forwards in Ethan Ernst and Port Williams’ Brady Burns.

Stay tuned for more recruitment announcements, and with the excitement building for the upcoming season, get your season tickets today either at the Acadia Box Office or online at acadiau.universitytickets.com

Saint John SeaDogs’ all-time leading scorer joins the Axemen

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome Port Williams native Brady Burns to the hockey program. Brady has played the last 5 seasons with the Saint John SeaDogs, of the QMJHL, where he became their franchise all time leader in goals and points this season.

Over his QMJHL career he amassed 258 points, including 116 goals, in 290 regular season games, along with 9 points in 16 playoff games.

We asked Brady what Axemen fans could expect from him on the ice this fall, he said, “Fans can expect a hard working forward, who has good skill and touch around the net, and is excited to play a fast Acadia Axemen style of game.”

Prior to joining the Sea Dogs, Burns played his minor hockey in the Valley, including his 1^st year of NSMBHL when he suited up for the Valley (Kings Mutual) Wildcats, before moving on in 2016-17 to play with the Notre Dame Hounds U15 Prep. The next season in 2017-18 he returned to the Valley and played a year of NSMMHL with the Valley Wildcats scoring 39 points in 26 games.

In the 2018 QMJHL Entry draft, Saint John picked Burns in the 2^nd round, 29^th overall. He joined the SeaDogs as a 16 year old the next fall, putting up 29 points in 65 games.

The 2021-22 season proved to be a magical one for Brady and the SeaDogs, winning the Memorial Cup  on home ice in Saint John. Fellow Axemen recruit for the upcoming season, Thomas Couture, was also a member of the MEM Cup winning team. This past season was Burns’ best offensively, as he recorded 71 points in just 61 games, including a QMJHL personal best 33 goals.

Coach Darren Burns sees the addition of the former Saint John sniper as an important piece to the lineup moving forward saying, “We are excited to add Brady to our program. We feel he fits what we need to help us build for the upcoming season. He brings many intangibles we want in our lineup. His passion for the game is at an extremely high level. He’s grown up watching this league, so he is aware of what he needs to improve on, in his game, to make the jump to the AUS. We want players that are loyal and understand commitment, and we feel he can bring that here to Acadia. We like the fact that he went to Saint John and targeted the SeaDogs and the QMJHL as the place he wanted to be at a very young age. He was part of a group that experienced a special time there. He has also benefited from the experience of the struggles of a rebuild, with success, as the team finished the year exceeding expectations. The passion for hockey is second to none in Saint John, and playing for a prestigious program like the Sea dogs has pressure and expectations with it. We want these types of players, who are accustomed to playing where hockey is high profile and there is pressure to win.”

We asked what it meant to him to be playing for Acadia, in front of the Valley fans again, Brady said, “Playing at home, in the Valley, is very exciting for me; to get the chance to come home after a long time away and play in front of fans, that I grew up watching games with, is a surreal feeling as a local player.”

Brady Burns becomes the 3rd member of an impressive recruiting trio announced thus far by the Axemen, along with goaltender Thomas Couture and forward Ethan Ernst. More commitments are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as the Axemen look to build their roster for the upcoming season.

A reminder that Acadia Axemen hockey season tickets are available for purchase both at the Acadia Box office, or online at acadiau.universitytickets.com! Get yours today and join in for the excitement for the 2023-24 season.

Atlantic Hockey Group & Axemen Hockey run Spring programs in Wolfville for over 15 years

The Atlantic Hockey Group and Axemen Hockey program are in the midst of completing another spring season in a partnership that was created over 15 years ago and continues to run stronger than ever.

“It’s been very special to say the least,” says Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns. “To watch this grow over the years and see how it has been such a positive partnership is tremendous.”

The idea for the local program came about when a few local families started to join spring hockey teams in Halifax, as it was the closest team in the Atlantic Hockey Group program.

“I had a parent in our local minor hockey system say, wouldn’t it be great if we could run something like this out of Acadia and I walked away from the conversation, saying why don’t we run something like this out of Acadia?” The newly formed Acadia Minor Hockey Association was growing quickly and this program took off in a flash. “It basically came down to making sure our kids in the Annapolis Valley have the same opportunities that kids have all over the country,” Burns said.

Thousands of people come to the Andrew H. McCain Arena over the course of the spring, as the rink is active every evening with practices, along with games on the weekends. “The benefits of this program branch out in so many different areas. First and foremost, it gives the kids an affordable option to play six to eight more weeks of hockey. Secondly, Valley families save hundreds of dollars because they avoid the costs of travelling and practice here in Wolfville. This allows kids the opportunity to not be in a vehicle as much, spend more time at home, freeing up time for playing other sports which is important. It gives kids the opportunity to make new friends and develop their skills, but more importantly develop and build their relationships. For coaches, it is an opportunity for development for them as well. It’s a program we are very proud of; Charlie Bourgeois and the Atlantic Hockey Group are first class, and their product is affordable. When you partner with a group like this you feel very good about what you are doing. He is an excellent hockey person and a great leader in the community.”

“This program is an excellent eye opener for so many to see what Acadia University is about as well,” Axemen Associate Coach Kris MacDonald says, “It’s pretty neat, as I am fortunate enough to work in the School of Kinesiology and numerous times, I’ve had a student say that they first came to Acadia when they played spring hockey here many years ago.

I personally love being at the rink or downtown on the weekends seeing all the energy. People get to see what Acadia and the town of Wolfville have to offer. The building is open during the day, so university students can play shinny hockey, there are public skates that continue, and parent-tot skates. Any time the arena and building can stay open everyone wins.”

“We are very fortunate to have this partnership with Atlantic Hockey Group”, added MacDonald, “we have been so closely intertwined with our community for decades; with so many local businesses supporting our celebrity hockey dinners, golf tournaments, sending their children to our hockey camps, and consistently being Axemen hockey season ticket holders; so it’s nice to see our local businesses benefit when people are in the Valley for our events, putting money back into the Valley economy, eating at their eateries and coffee shops, people from outside the Valley come to shop here all the time. It is cyclical for sure, it’s an opportunity for businesses to get something in return for their support of Acadia Axemen hockey and it’s no secret that the corporate sector of the Annapolis Valley is heavily relied upon by our program.”

The spring hockey programs also provide spin off jobs at the arena where many local youths continue to find employment by officiating the games and working the time clock, so it’s a great bonus for them as well.

Coach Burns concluded saying, “the Atlantic Hockey Group has been a long-established business and it benefits so many, it’s been around for a long time just like the Axemen Hockey program, so it’s easy to understand why we have strong synergy together.

At the end of the day, it checks so many positive boxes; our youth get more physical activity, Wolfville and Valley businesses benefit, and it exposes so many to our exceptional institution at Acadia University. Our hockey camps and our partnership with Atlantic Hockey Group is a big piece of our overall hockey program and we are very proud of what we’ve built and look forward to many more years creating opportunities and great experiences.”

WHL alumnus Ethan Ernst commits to Acadia

The Acadia Axemen are proud to welcome Weyburn, Saskatchewan’s Ethan Ernst to the hockey program this fall.

The 5’11” forward is a WHL alumnus of 5 years, spending his first three seasons with the Kelowna Rockets, which included the pandemic season in 2020-21.  He then moved on to the Tri-City Americans for his last 2 years where he had 24 points in 61 games in 2021-22 and a breakout offensive year last season with 63 points, including 32 goals in just 62 games; earning him the nod as the Tri-City Americans Offensive Player of the Year on the season. For his WHL career he played in 245 regular season games, notching 112 points.

Ernst decided on Acadia saying, “When Acadia reached out to me late in the season, I knew it was one of the top schools for me because of both the hockey and the education.  There was also a bit of a connection having played hockey previously with Brady Burns, so I knew a little bit about the school already. Once I got the opportunity to see the university and some of the guys showed me around the community, I knew it would be a great fit for me.”

Prior to his time in the WHL, Ethan won the Telus Cup Gold Medal with the Notre Dame Hounds U18 AAA in 2017-18.

He describes himself on the ice as “an offensive player who sees the ice well and can make plays; and this past season I found a scoring touch, which I’m hoping I can bring to this team next year.”

Coach Burns is very happy with the addition of Ernst saying, “We are very excited about adding Ethan to our team. We have followed him since his bantam season with the Notre Dame Hounds in Saskatchewan. Our familiarity with him as a person and a player makes this a perfect fit. We know his commitment as a player who loves the game. His integrity and work ethic growing up in Saskatchewan is something we value. He knows hard work and what is needed for a program to succeed. On the ice, his ability to shoot and create plays will translate very well in the AUS. He showed this past season that he will be a huge addition to our powerplay. His offensive instincts will be a huge asset for our program, and we look forward to helping him reach his goals here at Acadia.”

Ernst joins goaltender Thomas Couture as the announced recruits thus far for the Axemen for the upcoming season. Stay tuned for more announcements of new players committing to Acadia in the coming weeks!

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