WHKY: Pandas tabbed as conference favourites

VANCOUVER - The two-time defending Canada West champion Alberta Pandas are the coaches' pick as the team to beat once again in 2021-22.

Alberta finished atop the annual preseason coaches poll with 57 points and four first-place votes. After winning their 14th Canada West banner in 2019-20, the Pandas return to the ice for the start of the regular season on Friday night.

Hot on the Pandas' heels are 2019-20 silver medalists, the Mount Royal Cougars. The Cougars picked up 56 points in the poll along with four first-place votes.

UBC (53 points) and Saskatchewan (37 points) complete the top four coming in at third and fourth respectively, with UBC picking up the final first-place vote.

Manitoba (35 points) finished fifth in the poll followed by Calgary (31 points) and Regina (29 points).

Rounding out the poll are a pair of new Canada West teams. The MacEwan Griffins (17 points) and Trinity Western Spartans (9 points) make their long awaited debuts after being approved as hockey members in May of 2019.

The 2021-22 season opens this weekend with a full slate of games Friday night, with only the Saskatchewan Huskies idle in Week 1. For a complete look at the conference schedule, click here.

Every women's hockey game will once again be available exclusively this season on Canada West TV Presented by Co-op. You can purchase your all-access, or sport pass by clicking here.

To read more about all nine conference teams, visit CanadaWest.org for the conference's complete team-by-team preview.

2021 CW WHKY PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Team - Points (First-place votes)

NOTE: Coaches ranked all opponents 1-8. First-place votes worth 8 pts., second-place worth 7 pts. etc.