By Eliza Nwaesei
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s hockey team and the Mount Royal Cougars will go head-to-head in a high-stakes quarterfinal matchup at the U Sports University Cup at TD Place Arena in Ottawa on March 20.
This game pits two strong programs against each other—TMU, a team that gained momentum late in the season and Mount Royal, a dominant force in Canada West (CW) throughout the year.
The TMU Bold, who finished the regular season with a 17-11 record—fought through an up-and-down year, but peaked when it mattered most. After a slow start they closed the regular season strong and carried that into the playoffs.
After securing a first-round bye as the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West’s top seed, TMU upset the Lakehead Thunderwolves in the quarterfinals before coming up victorious against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in a thrilling three-game subway series.
In the OUA Finals, the Bold were defeated 4-1 by the Concordia Stingers. Having lost in the provincial final for the second straight year, TMU head into the national championship with a sour, silver taste in their mouth.
This season, TMU has had balanced scoring, with multiple players stepping up offensively. Unlike last season, the Bold relied on plenty of names across the roster—six players had at least 20 points, compared to just four a year ago.
Following the Queen’s Cup loss, TMU had to “turn the page quickly” and change their focus to the national championship.
“You do your pre-scout quickly, you learn as much as you can about the other team as fast as you can and formulate a game plan,” said fourth-year forward and captain Chris Playfair after the loss against Concordia in the Queen’s Cup finals. “At the end of the day, it’s going to require all of us to step up.”
The Mount Royal Cougars, who finished the regular season with a 22-6 record, enter the University Cup as one of the most dangerous teams in CW, having been ranked fourth in U Sports before the playoffs began.
Leading the charge is third-year defenceman Clay Hanus, who finished as the top scorer in CW with 43 points—scoring 12 and assisting 31. With his influence on the ice, Hanus got selected as the 2025 U Sports Men’s Hockey Player of the Year and Defenceman of the Year. His ability to generate offence from the blue line makes him a major player on the ice that TMU will have to contain.
Beyond Hanus, more offensive firepower comes from third-year forward Connor Bouchard—who accumulated 37 points, with seven goals and 30 assists—and first-year forward Justin Lies—who was the leading goalscorer for the Cougars, netting 18 goals and supporting his team with 14 assists.
The Cougars finished their regular season with a first-round bye for the first time in program history, before facing the Alberta Golden Bears in the semifinals. The Cougars prevailed in a hard-fought series, advancing to the championship series against the Saskatchewan Huskies and securing a spot in the national tournament. Mount Royal forced a decisive Game 3 in the CW Final with a dramatic overtime win in Game 2, but ultimately fell short, finishing as conference runners-up.
The match-up presents a fascinating contrast in styles. Mount Royal is an offensive powerhouse while TMU thrives on its well-rounded depth and defence-first style. The Cougars have elite talent leading the way, but TMU’s balanced attack and ability to roll multiple lines has been a huge strength. The Bold aren’t reliant on just one star, making them unpredictable and tough to shut down.
This game could come down to TMU’s ability to neutralize Mount Royal’s top scorers while capitalizing on counterattacks. If the Bold can keep the game tight heading into the third, they have a real shot at an upset. If they can’t contain the Cougars’ attack, Mount Royal will taste victory once again and move on for a chance at a medal.
“You got to get excited for the opportunity that’s ahead of us,” said Playfair. “You can’t be scared walking into that tournament. You have to have a bit of swagger and be ready to take it to whoever you play.”
Puck-drop is set for 1 p.m. at TD Place.
With files from Keiran Gorsky
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