Roster turnover poses challenge, opportunity for 2022 U Sports hockey semifinalists

Forbes MacPherson didn't quite have his players' names down when he first walked into the locker room this season.

Head coach of the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers, MacPherson led the team to the U Sports Men's Hockey National Championship semifinal last season. Yet, the Panthers entered the 2023-24 season with a vastly different group.

Only five players remained from the team that ended 2022-23 — 18 new rookies were getting up to speed. 

"Learning names, that's been the toughest part. There's a lot of new faces, and names to learn, and new nicknames, so we've had some fun with it," MacPherson told CBC Sports, having helped the Panthers to a 1-1-0 record to open the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) season. 

"We were having a chuckle through the first few exhibition games. I'd be on the bench calling the wrong names or numbers of guys, but we've figured it out at this point for the start of the regular season."

As University Cup hosts last season, the Panthers had an automatic berth in the national tournament. They had spent the previous three seasons building a roster to contend for a 2023 national title.