Season Preview: New captain Simard leads deep, physical, talented Griffins into new campaign
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
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Team Stats
UBC
| Game Statistics | MacEwan University | UBC |
|---|---|---|
| PowerPlays | 0 for 2 | 1 for 2 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties (min) | 3 (6) | 3 (6) |
| Shots on Goal | 14 | 29 |
| Face Offs Won | 0 | 0 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – It's simultaneously the place where their greatest high of the 2024-25 season happened, followed by their biggest low.
The MacEwan Griffins men's hockey team will visit the UBC Thunderbirds this weekend to kick off the 2025-26 campaign at the exact spot where it ended last February when the T-Birds won a hard-fought best-of-three quarter-final series over the Griffins.
MacEwan took Game 1, though, in thrilling overtime fashion – the program's first Canada West playoff win – so there are plenty of good memories, too.
OT MAGIC!
— MacEwan Griffins Men's Hockey (@GriffinsMHKY) February 22, 2025
Loeden Schaufler makes history, scoring the overtime winner to lift the @MacEwanGriffins to their first @USPORTS_Hockey playoff win - 3-2 over the defending @CanadaWest champion @ubctbirds in Game 1 of their QF series in #YVR. #GriffNation pic.twitter.com/lVvR7s7ldb
"(UBC) is always going to be good, so we're going to have to bring our best or we're not going to like the outcome we're going to get," said forward Sam Simard. "They ended our season last year, and I think I can speak for everyone that played on the team last year we have some unfinished business there."
MacEwan will open the season on Friday at UBC (8 p.m. MT) and also play them Saturday (4 p.m. MT, both Canada West TV).
Simard replaces graduated senior Sean Comrie as the Griffins' captain in 2025-26, as voted by his teammates. Vincent Scott, Carter Chorney and Brendan Boyle will wear As.
"It means the world," said Simard, who has previously worn a C for his Okotoks U18AAA team and the AJHL's Drumheller Dragons. "Just knowing that my teammates chose me and saw me as a suitable fit for this role means the world to me.
"Obviously, my goal is to not affect how I act and how I play and just take it as a badge of honour so I can lead the boys into war and show there's nothing I'm not willing to do for them. It's huge, it's super meaningful."
He plans to take pieces from two previous Griffins captains he's had here – Kole Gable in 2023-24 and Comrie in 2024-25.
"Both were so important in shaping who I am as a person but also as a hockey player," he said. "Kole Gable, hands down not only the greatest teammate I've ever had, he was the greatest leader I've ever had in the hockey dressing room and all aspects of life. He knew how to make sure people felt included at the rink, and outside of the rink he's always checking up on you. The social aspect of Kole that he had as a leader, I admire and I hope I can do even half the things that he did.
"With Sean, he was kind of like your silent killer. He wasn't as vocal, but when he did speak you listened because he didn't speak very often. He let a lot of his play do the talking.
"So, I'm hoping to embody both aspects of our former captains here in that I can be a great person, great teammate and work as hard as I can like Kole did. Also, sometimes nothing needs to be said. Sometimes no words are better than lots. That's what Sean was very, very good at. So much to learn from those two, for sure."
The Griffins are a different team from the one that lost out to UBC last season, but they also have plenty of returners who learned from the experience.
"I thought we ended the year with our best foot forward last year and the style of play that we played helped us be pretty successful," said head coach Zack Dailey. "So, this year, we looked to add compete level, physicality and skating. I think we did a good job with the guys that we brought in that are going to help our style of play."
Chief among the new additions is rookie netminder Zac Onyskiw, who was not only the AJHL's MVP and top goaltender, but he also won the prestigious Canadian Junior Hockey League MVP honour after a historic season with the Whitecourt Wolverines where he broke the AJHL's save percentage record.
M��| SIGNED@GriffinsMHKY solidifies crease corps by adding @TheAJHL record-setting goalie & MVP Zac Onyskiw of the @WolverinesJrA, who is returning home to #YEG for his @USPORTS_Hockey career.
— MacEwan Griffins (@MacEwanGriffins) May 7, 2025
Welcome to @MacEwanU!
�� Melissa Baker#GriffNation
STORY➡️https://t.co/7ESSMqIWl7 pic.twitter.com/U9Mf87brII
"That was a big add for us," said Dailey. "Always looking to make more competition. Competition brings out the best in people and he's someone who's going to push our returning goalies to be at their best and they're going to push him to be at his best. I think he's someone who can step in and play right away and help out right away, so we're excited to have him with our group."
He joins veterans Eric Ward and Carson Ironside in the battle for minutes this season.
On defence, the Griffins experienced a huge turnover as three of their top defencemen from 2024-25 graduated (Comrie, Hunter Donohoe and Loeden Schaufler).
Among their big additions there were NCAA veteran Brett Bamber and highly-touted Keaton Dowhaniuk – who joins his brother Logan on the Griffins – after a lengthy WHL career.
M��| SIGNED
— MacEwan Griffins (@MacEwanGriffins) June 10, 2025
After 96 games of NCAA Div. 1 experience over 3 seasons with @aicathletics & @UAASeawolves, @RaidersAAA & @DVThunder product Brett Bamber is returning home to play for @GriffinsMHKY.
Welcome to @MacEwanU!#GriffNation
�� UAA Athletics
STORY➡️https://t.co/lz7CnWdMSl pic.twitter.com/yaKpzPJWp4
"In practice we've been looking really good," Dailey said of his revamped defence, which also includes returners Carson Haynes, Brody Tallman, Jack Parker and Tyson Kowaluk, along with rookies Dylan Bidyk and Harrison Aldridge. "We haven't skated with our full group yet, so we're seeing how people fit together.
"I've been impressed with our guys. I think our skating has been quite good. We are very mobile. That physicality, we've added a couple guys who can play that way. Definitely adding Brett Bamber for his puck moving and powerplay abilities is something that's going to help us as well."
Up front, the Griffins boast perhaps their deepest lineup since entering Canada West, led by returners Kadyn Chabot, Ethan Sundar, Chorney, Scott, Boyle, Simard and Caden Cabana.
M��| SIGNED
— MacEwan Griffins (@MacEwanGriffins) August 18, 2025
Late recruiting window breaks nicely for @GriffinsMHKY as former @TheWHL F Dwayne Jean Jr., who finished junior by leading @Chiefs_Hockey to @BCHockeyLeague finals, joins the fold.
Welcome to @MacEwanU!#GriffNation
�� Darren Francis
STORY➡️https://t.co/6S9Vw6LKGv pic.twitter.com/zQKmYHjbYF
Exciting rookie Dwayne Jean Jr. is showing he'll be one to watch, while Blake Eastman is recovered from the injury that cost him his rookie season in 2024-25.
"In previous years, maybe we had a set 13 who would play every night," said Dailey. "This year, we have 15 guys that are capable of playing and only 12 can play, so it's a good problem to have. There's a bunch of competition not only to get into the lineup but to be on the top lines.
"I think competition really brings out the best in people," he added. "When you get comfortable, you take your foot off the gas a little bit. In our situation, if guys get comfortable people are going to replace them."
All of that is a template for a Griffins team that has a chance to climb the highest rung on the ladder in their young Canada West history. They've won a playoff game, so the next step is winning a playoff series.
"I really, really believe that," said Simard of being ready to take the next step. "I'm very confident in the group that we have. On paper, we look quite different due to a lot of the graduating players that we did have last year, but I'm very confident in the younger guys that we have coming in and they've all bought into the idea that we have.
"I'm very keen for the opportunity to make a splash this year and I think everyone is. The next step is a very reasonable and very attainable goal for us this year."
