25 CHL alumni lead UNB to their 10th national title as the Reds win the 2024 U SPORTS University Cup

Of the 78 players who are leaving the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship with a medal, 72 CHL graduates were among those to help their university to a podium finish

On Sunday, 25 CHL alumni helped the No.1-seeded University of New Brunswick (UNB) Reds to a record 10th national title, as UNB defeated the No.2-seeded Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes 4-0 to take home the 2024 U SPORTS University Cup. OHL alumnus and Reds forward Austen Keating (Ottawa 67’s/OHL) recorded three points (1G-2A) during Sunday’s final, while goalie and QMJHL alum Samuel Richard (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies/QMJHL) made 23 saves for his third straight shutout of the tournament.

UNB centreman Brady Gilmour (Saginaw Spirit/OHL) was named the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship MVP after he finished in a tie for first among all U CUP scorers with seven points (1G-6A). UQTR forward Simon Lafrance (Val-d’Or Foreurs/Victoriaville Tigres/QMJHL) was the only other skater with seven points (2G-5A) at the tournament. Gilmour, Lafrance, and Keating were named tournament all-stars alongside defenceman Kale McCallum (Saint John Sea Dogs/Val-d’Or Foreurs/QMJHL) of UNB, blueliner Scott Walford (Saskatoon Blades/Victoria Royals/WHL) of McGill University and UNB netminder Richard.

The Reds, whose entire 25-man roster featured CHL alumni, went a perfect 38-0 by winning every game they played during the regular season, AUS playoffs, and the 2024 U SPORTS University Cup. Ultimately, UNB is just the second school in the history of the U CUP to win the national title after a perfect season, following McMaster University who accomplished the feat in 1963. In addition to their complete roster of CHL graduates, UNB was led by former Saint John Sea Dogs bench boss and 2022 Memorial Cup champion Gardiner MacDougall, who won his ninth national title on Sunday and extended his record to 37 tournament wins at the U CUP as the Reds’ head coach.

Meanwhile, yesterday before the championship game, the No.6-seeded McGill University Redbirds won their fifth bronze medal in school history thanks to a 3-2 victory over the No.4-seeded Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold in the bronze medal game. QMJHL alumnus and Redbirds forward Brandon Frattaroli (Gatineau Olympiques/Québec Remparts/Baie-Comeau Drakkar/QMJHL) scored twice, including the game-winner, while WHL alumnus Scott Walford added a pair of assists to help McGill University and its 23 CHL alumni to their third-place finish at this year’s tournament.

Among the 78 players rostered on the three universities who earned a medal on Sunday, 72 of them were CHL graduates, including 24 found on the UQTR Patriotes’ roster.

Out of the 221 players listed on the eight participating teams competing at the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship, there were 182 CHL alumni who accounted for over 80% of the players partaking in the tournament. Among the alumni from the CHL participating in the event, there were 78 graduates from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), 57 from the Western Hockey League (WHL), and 47 who hail from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

The CHL remains the number one supplier of talent to U SPORTS. In total, over 950 CHL graduates are enrolled in post-secondary institutions across North America, including many who have continued their playing careers in U SPORTS programs in Canada.  The CHL and its member leagues also are one of the largest providers of scholarships in Canada with almost 10 million dollars being fed into the education system on behalf of current and graduate players of the CHL.

Complete list of 72 CHL Alumni who won a medal at the 2024 U SPORTS University Cup in Toronto
Players are listed alongside the CHL club they’ve played the most games with

GOLD – University of New Brunswick (UNB) Reds (25)

Griffen Outhouse (Victoria/WHL), Samuel Richard (Rouyn-Noranda/QMJHL), Tanner Somers (Acedie-Bathurst/QMJHL), Colton Kamerrer (Sarnia/OHL), Patrick Kyte (Halifax/QMJHL), Kade Landry (Hamilton/OHL), Kale McCallum (Val-d’Or/QMJHL), Adam McCormick (Cape Breton/QMJHL), Samuel McGinley (Swift Current/WHL), Justin Nolet (Kitchener/OHL), Nicolas Savoie (Québec/QMJHL), Camaryn Baber (Saginaw/OHL), Nick Blagden (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL), Macauley Carson (Sudbury/OHL), Benjamin Corbeil (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL), Brady Gilmour (Saginaw/OHL), Austen Keating (Ottawa/OHL), Sam King (Charlottetown/QMJHL), Cole Mackay (Soo/OHL), Sean McGurn (London/OHL), Cody Morgan (Flint/OHL), Isaac Nurse (Hamilton/OHL), Mike Petizian (Kitchener/OHL), Emmett Sproule (Erie/OHL), Jason Willms (Barrie/OHL)

SILVER – Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes (24)

Alexis Gravel (Halifax/QMJHL), William Grimard (Cape Breton/QMJHL), Charles-Antoine Lavallée (Shawinigan/QMJHL), Édouard Cournoyer (Québec/QMJHL), Jérémy Fontaine (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL), Kaylen Gauthier (Drummondville/QMJHL), Mavrick Gauthier (Val-d’Or/QMJHL), Jordan Lepage (Rimouski/QMJHL), David Noël (Val-d’Or/QMJHL), Loris Rafanomezantsoa (Shawinigan/QMJHL), Charles Beaudoin (Shawinigan/QMJHL), William Dumoulin (Rimouski/QMJHL), Conor Frenette (Victoriaville/QMJHL), Zachary Gravel (Québec/QMJHL), Samuel L’Italien (Acadie-Bathurst/QMJHL), Félix Lafrance (Cape Breton/QMJHL), Simon Lafrance (Victoriaville/QMJHL), Jérémy Martin (Shawinigan/QMJHL), Vincent Milot-Ouellet (Gatineau/QMJHL), Anthony Munroe Boucher (Sherbrooke/QMJHL), Pier-Olivier Roy (Québec/QMJHL), Félix Sabourin-Lauzon (Victoriaville/QMJHL), Ludovic Soucy (Rimouski/QMJHL), William Veillette (Shawinigan/QMJHL)

BRONZE – McGill University Redbirds (23)

Fabio Iacobo (Victoriaville Tigres/QMJHL), Alexis Shank (Chicoutimi/QMJHL), Thomas Belzile (Rouyn-Noranda/QMJHL), Alex Blanchard (Sherbrooke/QMJHL), Maxime Blanchard (Sherbrooke/QMJHL), Taylor Ford (Halifax/QMJHL), Nicolas Pavan (Moncton/QMJHL), Mitchell Prowse (Victoria/WHL), Scott Walford (Victoria/WHL), Mikisiw Awashish (Baie-Comeau/QMJHL), Caiden Daley (Brandon/WHL), Charles-Antoine Dumont (Drummondville/QMJHL), Xavier Fortin (Baie-Comeau/QMJHL), Brandon Frattaroli (Baie-Comeau/QMJHL), Alexandre Gagnon (Victoriaville/QMJHL), Mathieu Gagnon (Rouyn-Noranda/QMJHL), Zach Gallant (Peterborough/OHL), Stéphane Huard (Sherbrooke/QMJHL), Alex Plamondon (Shawinigan/QMJHL), William Poirier (Drummondville/QMJHL), William Rouleau (Rouyn-Noranda/QMJHL), Félix-Antoine Tourigny (Ottawa/OHL), Eric Uba (Flint/OHL)

(PHOTO CREDIT: CURTIS MARTIN)