Seven OHL Alumni win U SPORTS University Cup with University of Ottawa Gee-Gees

Of the 87 players who are leaving the 2025 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship with a medal, 70 CHL graduates were among those to help their university to a podium finish

On Sunday, 23 CHL alumni helped the No.8-seeded University of Ottawa to a historic first national title, as the Gee-Gees defeated the No.3-seeded Concordia University Stingers 3-2 to take home the 2025 U SPORTS University Cup at TD Place in Ottawa. CHL alumni Vincent Labelle (Moncton Wildcats/QMJHL), Bradley Chenier (North Bay Battalion/Sudbury Wolves/OHL), and Luka Verreault (Rimouski Océanic/QMJHL) tallied the goals for the Gee-Gees during Sunday’s final, while CHL graduate Francesco Lapenna (Val-d’Or Foreurs / Drummondville Voltigeurs / Charlottetown Islanders / Gatineau Olympiques / QMJHL) was named the Player of the Game after making 31 saves to clinch the upset victory for Ottawa.

Gee-Gees goaltender Lapenna, who capped off his QMJHL career playing across the Ottawa River for the Gatineau Olympiques, was named the 2025 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship MVP. Lapenna registered 30-plus saves in all three of his appearances at the 2025 U CUP, holding a 2.14 goals-against average and a tournament-best .936 save percentage. As the tournament MVP, Lapenna was one of six CHL alumni to be selected to the tournament all-star team, joining forwards Dawson Holt (Vancouver Giants /Regina Pats/WHL), Mathieu Bizier (Rimouski Océanic/Gatineau Olympiques/QMJHL), Marc-Antoine Séguin (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies/Chicoutimi Saguenéens/Baie-Comeau Drakkar/QMJHL), along with defencemen Simon Lavigne (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada/QMJHL) and Joseph Ianniello (Saint John Sea Dogs/QMJHL).

By winning the national title on Sunday, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees became the first eighth-seed to ever win the David Johnston University Cup. In addition to Lapenna’s stellar play, the Gee-Gees were led up front by Labelle (Moncton Wildcats/QMJHL) and Mitch Martin (Kitchener Rangers/OHL), who both led the team in scoring with five points (2G-3A) during the 2025 U SPORTS University Cup. In addition to their roster of 23 CHL alumni, the Gee-Gees were guided by head coach Patrick Grandmaître, who played five seasons in the QMJHL from 1995-2000 with the Victoriaville Tigres and the Québec Remparts – serving as a captain for both clubs.

Meanwhile, before the championship game, the No.2-seeded University of Saskatchewan Huskies won their fifth bronze medal in school history thanks to a 4-1 victory over the No.4-seeded Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold in the bronze medal game. WHL alumnus and Huskies forward Vince Loschiavo (Kootenay ICE/Moose Jaw Warriors/Edmonton Oil Kings/WHL) scored twice, while WHL graduate Landon Kosior (Prince Albert Raiders/WHL) was credited with the game-winner and added an assist to help provide the University of Saskatchewan with its first national medal since 2018.

Among the 87 players rostered on the three universities who earned a medal on Sunday, 70 of them were CHL graduates, including 24 on the Concordia University roster.

Out of the 223 players listed on the eight participating teams competing at the 2025 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship, there were 176 CHL alumni who accounted for close to 80% of the players partaking in the tournament. Among the alumni from the CHL participating in the event, there were 80 graduates from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), 49 from the Western Hockey League (WHL), and 47 who hail from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

The CHL and its Member Leagues (WHL, OHL & QMJHL) are committed to the academic development of its athletes, investing roughly $10 million annually on the education of current and former players, a group that includes the 176 CHL alumni who competed at the 2025 University Cup. The CHL also remains the number one supplier of talent to U SPORTS. Just last season, over 950 CHL graduates were enrolled in post-secondary institutions across North America, including many who continued their playing careers in U SPORTS programs in Canada.

Complete list of 70 CHL Alumni who won a medal at the 2025 U SPORTS University Cup in Ottawa
Players are listed alongside the CHL club they’ve played the most games with

GOLD – University of Ottawa Gee Gees (23)

Francesco Lapenna (Gatineau/QMJHL), Jean-Philippe Tourigny (Rouyn-Noranda/QMJHL), Brendon Clavelle (Charlottetown/QMJHL), Cam Gauvreau (Peterborough/OHL), David Lafrance (Halifax/QMJHL), Jacob LeGuerrier (Soo/OHL), Vincent Maisonneuve (Gatineau/QMJHL), Anson McMaster (Winnipeg/WHL), Peter Stratis (Sudbury/OHL), Andrew Belchamber (Baie-Comeau/QMJHL), Alexis Bonefon (Shawinigan/QMJHL), Tommy Bouchard (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL), Bradley Chenier (North Bay/OHL), Mathieu Desgagnés (Acadie-Bathurst/QMJHL), Zacharie Giroux (Flint/OHL), Max Grondin (Saginaw/OHL), Nicolas Kingsbury-Fournier (Acadie-Bathurst/QMJHL), Vincent Labelle (Moncton/QMJHL), Mitchell Martin (Kitchener/OHL), Anthony Poulin (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL), Charles-Antoine Roy (Gatineau/QMJHL), Marc-Antoine Séguin (Chicoutimi/QMJHL), Luka Verreault (Rimouski/QMJHL)

SILVER – Concordia University Stingers (24)

Nikolas Hurtubise (Victoriaville/QMJHL), Brady James (Halifax/QMJHL), Félix Allard (Rouyn-Noranda/QMJHL), Édouard Carrier (Victoriaville/ QMJHL), Vincent Frédette (Chicoutimi/QMJHL), Kyle Havlena (Cape Breton/QMJHL), Christopher Inniss (Rimouski/QMJHL), Sean Larochelle (Victoriaville/QMJHL), Simon Lavigne (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL), Nathan Lavoie (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL), Daniel Agostino (Québec/QMJHL), Julien Anctil (Sherbrooke/QMJHL), Mathieu Bizier (Gatineau/QMJHL), Isiah Campbell (Cape Breton/QMJHL), Édouard Charron (Drummondville/QMJHL), Loïck Daigle (Victoriaville/QMJHL), Émile Gadoury (Gatineau/QMJHL), Alexander Gaudio (Rimouski/QMJHL), Nicholas Girouard (Drummondville/QMJHL), Mikael Huchette (Québec/QMJHL), Alexandre Nadeau (Victoriaville/QMJHL), Gabriel Proulx (Cape Breton/QMJHL), Blake Richardson (Blainville-Boisbriand/QMJHL), Charles Savoie (Québec/QMJHL)

BRONZE – University of Saskatchewan Huskies (23)

Ethan Chadwick (Saskatoon/WHL), Jordan Kooy (London/OHL), Roddy Ross (Seattle/WHL), Logan Bairos (Kamloops/WHL), Parker Gavlas (Edmonton/WHL), Mac Gross (Spokane/WHL), Cole Jordan (Moose Jaw/WHL), Landon Kosior (Prince Albert/WHL), Ty Prefontaine (Lethbridge/WHL), Ethan Regnier (Swift Current/WHL), Rhett Rhinehart (Prince George/WHL), Chase Bertholet (Spokane/WHL), Ashton Ferster (Kamloops/WHL), Cade Hayes (Spokane/WHL), Dawson Holt (Vancouver/WHL), Liam Keeler (Edmonton/WHL), Vince Loschiavo (Kootenay/WHL), Raphael Pelletier (Swift Current/WHL), Josh Pillar (Kamloops/WHL), Cohner Saleski (Swift Current/WHL), Keaton Sorensen (Prince Albert/WHL), Carter Stebbings (Swift Current/WHL), Trevor Wong (Saskatoon/WHL)