UNB Reds look to maintain dynasty as University Cup men's hockey championship returns

Two years after the U Sports men's hockey championship was abruptly cancelled in the beginnings of the pandemic, Canada's eight best university teams head to Acadia University and Wolfville, N.S., looking to win the David Johnston University Cup. 

In addition to Acadia, the tournament features New Brunswick (UNB), St. Francis Xavier (St.FX), Brock, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Ryerson, Alberta and the University of British Columbia (UBC).  

Outside of Acadia, which qualified as host, and Ryerson, which won the third-place game in Ontario, each team reached the final of their respective conference.

Alberta enters the tournament as the top-seeded team, taking on an Acadia team that missed the AUS playoffs and sit in the eighth seed. Meanwhile, No. 2 UNB takes on No. 7 Ryerson, No. 3 UQTR face No. 6 UBC, and No. 4 St.FX test themselves against No. 5 Brock.

The tournament runs March 31- April 3, streaming live on CBC Gem and CBC Sports' website.

The UNB Reds are the clear favourites heading into the national championship. Despite losing two star players, Tyler Boland and Nicolas Guay, to American Hockey League teams midway through the season, the 2021-22 AUS champions are rolling into nationals. 

Their head coach, Gardiner MacDougall, enters the tournament with more than 500 regular-season and playoff wins with UNB, alongside seven national championships. But while he's looking to add an eighth to his resume, it has been a year unlike any other for the Reds. 

"This is a very different group  they're writing a book that's never been written here at UNB," MacDougall told CBC Sports of a COVID disrupted AUS season. "There's a tremendous atmosphere in the group and a tremendous work ethic."

The matchups for the