'He is UNB': Gardiner MacDougall's Reds legacy driven by passion, making a difference

Around two weeks ago, Gardiner McDougall, head coach of the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Reds men's hockey team, received a phone call from Scott Salmon, senior vice president of high performance and hockey operations at Hockey Canada.

The Bedeque, P.E.I., native began coaching UNB in the 2000-01 season, helping build a winning culture founded on energy, enthusiasm and love. Following the 2023-24 University Cup — which saw UNB cap off a perfect season where the Reds didn't concede a single contest while claiming back-to-back national titles — Salmond reached out to see if MacDougall had an interest in coaching Canada's men's U-18 team at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship in Finland.

After consulting his wife, checking in on family plans and subsequent phone calls with Benoit Roy, senior manager of hockey operations, MacDougall pounced on the "lifetime opportunity."

"Your life can sometimes change with a phone call," MacDougall told CBC Sports. "It's an unbelievable opportunity, an honour to coach the National Under-18 program and represent a duty to your country and try to get the most out of your group at the world championships in Finland." 

WATCH | MacDougall's UNB finishes flawless season

The U-18 world championship will kick off on April 25 and run through May 5, giving MacDougall a chance to leave a lasting mark on the future of Canadian hockey.

MacDougall's Team Canada begins its journey for gold at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship against Sweden on Thursday. Captained by Porter Martone of Peterborough, Ont., the Canadian crew takes to the ice at noon ET, 9 a.m. PT.

"The big thing is to get better every day," MacDougall said. "The ultimate goal for Team Canada is to win a gold medal, but we will