By Kyla Pugen

After ending 2025 on a high note with a six game win streak, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s hockey team is back to work. The calendar has turned to 2026, but their goal remains the same: dominance in the Ontario University Athletics Western conference. 

The Bold successfully carried the momentum into the new year on Thursday night, defeating the York University Lions 6-1 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).

For the nation’s 10th ranked team among U Sports, the victory was a definite statement of intent. Coming off the holiday break, the Bold looked refreshed, energized and ready to set the tone from the opening puck drop. 

“I’m really pleased with the way the guys came back,” said Bold head coach Johnny Duco. “Practices have been good, it’s been a lot of energy, high level of execution and just a really good vibe around the group.”

Possibly one of the biggest stories of the night was the return of key contributors first-year forward Carter MacAdams, along with third-year defensemen Jack Budd, both of whom were injured at the end of 2025. MacAdams has maintained a point-per-game pace this season and didn’t miss a beat in his return to the top six. 

“It was great to be back,” said MacAdams. “Obviously, it took a couple shifts to get my legs back under me but I’m playing with good players and they’re making the game easy for me.”

These returns provided an immediate spark to the game, but it was the special teams units that truly dictated the pace. Capitalizing on an early man-advantage, third year forward Daniil Grigorev opened the scoring with an important power play goal.

Fourth- year forward Will Portokalis followed that goal with his own shortly after, doubling the Bold’s lead on another man-advantage. This unit initiated a dominant stretch for TMU who spent the majority of the period in the offensive zone.

“That top unit is pretty deadly,” MacAdams said regarding the power play. 

“I thought the power play was really good, I thought the penalty kill was sharp,” noted Duco. “It’s nice to see the special teams’ work we’ve put in over the last couple weeks pay off.”

The Bold’s control of the game continued as first- year forward Gavin Grundner found the back of the net after battling for the puck, extending the lead to 3-0. Grundner, who now has 13 points on the season, noted that “when you’re playing with other players that are making plays, you can be in the right area at the right time and the points will come.”

Although first- year York forward Ryder Ringor managed to sneak one home with two minutes left in the period, the Bold never wavered, largely thanks to fourth- year goaltender Kai Edmonds. 

“Edmonds was really sharp in there. When he’s as sharp as he was today early on in games, you feel pretty confident as a coach,” said Duco. 

In the second period, fourth- year forward and Bold cCaptain Connor Bowie, restored the three-goal cushion, showing why he wears the ‘C’ by finding the back of the net. “It’s always good to be chipping in offensively and stack a couple goals,” said Bowie. “It just felt good to get one early.”

The final frame was all about physicality. As the Bold continued to ramp up the scoring, with goals from fifth- year forward Brock McLeod and first- year forward Marko Djordjevic, frustrations boiled over. Nearing the end of the contest, the MAC erupted as a full-line brawl broke out. 

According to Grundner, the late-game chippiness was no surprise. “That seems to be the theme there…[York] likes to get mad and take penalties,’ Grundner said. “Team-wise we stay together… we back each other up and we’re all brothers in there.” 

Coach Duco echoed that statement, praising his team for “towing the line” between defending each other and maintaining focus. With a healthy lineup and a seven-game win streak, the Bold have established a powerful foundation for the second half of their season.

“It’s huge to start the new year the right way, get our group confident and get everybody rolling in the right direction,” Bowie concluded. “We wanted to make sure we have a game to build off for the rest of the year.”

Overall, this 6-1 victory was a masterclass in special teams, proving that TMU can win both the scoreboard battle and the physical one.

UP NEXT: TMU hosts city rivals the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Jan. 8 at the MAC. Puck-drop is set for 6:15 p.m.