WHKY: Quarterfinal Preview
Bisons host Spartans, Regina visits Mount Royal this weekend
Article by Brian Swane, special to CW
Feb. 19, 2025 - The 2025 Canada West women’s hockey playoffs get underway this weekend with a slightly different twist on a familiar format.
Beginning this postseason, the second-place team in each division will host the third-place team from the other division in a best-of-three quarterfinal series. Previously teams were seeded based on the overall standings.
The result is a couple of rare matchups in the opening round of the 2025 playoffs, as the Trinity Western Spartans visit the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg while the Regina Cougars travel to Calgary to battle the Mount Royal Cougars.
Manitoba and Trinity Western have never met in the postseason before. In fact, this is just the second time that the Spartans qualified for the playoffs since making their Canada West debut in 2021-22. The Bisons, meanwhile, are hosting a playoff series for the first time since 2019.
The playoff history between the two Cougars is almost just as short, consisting of just two games: a quarter-final sweep for Mount Royal over Regina in 2020. Regina is returning to the postseason after a two year absence, while this is the seventh straight season that Mount Royal has advanced to the playoffs.
Quarterfinal winners will go on to play either the three-time defending champion UBC Thunderbirds or the Alberta Pandas in Canada West semifinal series next week.
Catch all the playoff action at Canada West TV - Powered by BioSteel.
Mount Royal Cougars vs Regina Cougars at Flames Community Arenas in Calgary
- Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Friday, Feb. 21 – 7 p.m. MT
- Game 2 – Saturday, Feb. 22 – 5 p.m. MT
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Sunday, Feb. 23 – 5 p.m. MT
- Regular season head-to-head:
- Feb. 7: Mount Royal 3 at Regina 2
- Feb. 8: Mount Royal 3 at Regina 2 (OT)
- Mount Royal facts & stats
- Season record: 18-10, 41 points (2nd West Division)
- Head Coach: Scott Rivett (13th year)
- Season leaders: Forward Aliya Jomha (25 points), goaltender Kaitlyn Ross (12 wins)
- Canada West Championships: 0
- Regina facts & stats
- Season record: 11-17, 27 points (3rd East Division)
- Interim Head Coach: Brandy West-McMaster (1st year)
- Season leaders: Forward Paige Hubbard and defence Jules Stokes (11 points), goaltender Natalie Williamson (6 wins)
- Canada West Championships: 1 (2001)
Manitoba Bisons vs Trinity Western Spartans at Wayne Fleming Arena in Winnipeg
- Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Friday, Feb. 21 – 7 p.m. CT
- Game 2 – Saturday, Feb. 22 – 7 p.m. CT
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Sunday, Feb. 23 – 5 p.m. CT
- Regular season head-to-head:
- Jan. 10: Manitoba 4 at Trinity Western 1
- Jan. 11: Manitoba 2 at Trinity Western 3 (SO)
- Manitoba facts & stats
- Season record: 15-13, 32 points (2nd East Division)
- Interim Head Coach: Jordy Zacharias (2nd year)
- Season leaders: Forward Aimee Patrick (21 points), goaltender Emily Shippam (10 wins)
- Canada West Championships: 3 (2009, 2011, 2018)
- Trinity Western facts & stats
- Season record: 14-14, 30 points (3rd West Division)
- Head Coach: Peter Hay (2nd year)
- Season leaders: Forward Kyra McDonald (18 points), goaltender Kate Fawcett (9 wins)
- Canada West Championships: 0