WHKY: T-Birds top coaches poll

Oct. 3, 2024 – Let's drop the puck! A new Canada West women’s hockey season begins Friday night.

Coming off their third straight conference championship, the UBC Thunderbirds have once again topped the pre-season coaches poll. The Thunderbirds defeated the Alberta Pandas in last year's CW Final, earning a 4-2 victory in a winner-take-all Game 3.

UBC will be led by dynamic fifth year forward Mackenzie Kordic, coming off a breakout season where she led the conference in both goals and points.

“We are very excited about our team this season," says UBC head coach Graham Thomas. "The Canada West conference is always very strong and competitive. We're looking forward to building from last year and hope to compete at the standards we hold ourselves to as a program.”

A veteran Alberta Pandas team will look to return to the CW Final, and are excited to welcome Howie Draper back behind the bench after spending last season at the helm of PWHL New York. The Pandas are loaded with five fifth-year players, including star forward Madison Willan, who led the team with 20 points last season and has racked up 89 points in 99 career games.

“With a number of our team now in their fifth year of eligibility, we expect to see a strong showing this season," says Draper. "The team has been trending in a positive direction over the past few seasons, and the experience throughout our line up gives reason for optimism.”

Two Calgary rivals rounded out the top four of the poll. Mount Royal finished third and will look to sophomore forward Jerzey Watteyne to help lead a younger roster this season. The Lafleche, Sask. product scored 10 points for the Cougars last year and was named to the Canada West All-Rookie Team.

Meanwhile, Calgary will look to take another step forward after pushing UBC to the brink in last year's semifinals. They'll be led by third year forward Sydney Mercier, the 2022-23 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, who put up a solid 22 point season last year.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan should be in the thick of the playoff hunt, placing fifth and sixth in the coaches poll, respectively. Regina, Trinity Western and MacEwan rounded out the poll and will be hungry to prove they can push for a playoff spot.

The regular season runs through Feb. 15, with the Canada West Final scheduled to begin March 7.

Fans can catch all the action on CanadaWest.TV, which now allows fans to watch games on popular Connected TV apps like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku. Regular season sport passes are available for $39.99.

U SPORTS nationals will be hosted by the University of Waterloo Warriors from March 20-23, 2025.

For the complete Canada West women’s hockey schedule, click here.

To view CW women's hockey history and records, click here.

2024-25 CW WHKY PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL 

Team - Points (First-place votes)

UBC Thunderbirds

2024-25 Coaches Poll Rank: #1

From the coach: “We are very excited about our team this season, the Canada West Conference is always very strong and competitive. We're looking forward to building from last year and hope to compete at the standards we hold ourselves to as a program.” - Head Coach Graham Thomas

Key Performer: Mackenzie Kordic
​Forward
​5th Year
​Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.

Returning for her final Canada West season, Kordic is coming off a breakout season in which she led the entire conference in both goals and points. Named a First Team Canada West All-Star and a Second Team All-Canadian, Kordic helped lead the Thunderbirds to their third consecutive conference banner.

Alberta Pandas

2024-25 Coaches Poll Rank: #2

From the coach: “With a number of our team now in their fifth year of eligibility, we expect to see a strong showing in the 2024-25 season. The team has been trending in a positive direction over the past few seasons, and the experience throughout our line up gives reason for optimism.” - Head Coach Howie Draper

Key Performer: Madison Willan
​Forward
​5th Year
​Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.

Expectations are extremely high for the Pandas Hockey team this season as they return 20 student-athletes and their head coach, Howie Draper. The Pandas are loaded with five fifth-year players, including star forward Madison Willan. Willan led the team with 20 points last season, and has racked up 89 points in 99 career games. ​
​​
​Willan and the Pandas are in prime position to extend their record for conference and national titles in 2025.

Mount Royal Cougars

2024-25 Coaches Poll Rank: #3

From the coach: "We have a relatively young group again, but we are hoping to build on the experience and positive steps we took as a group last year. The depth we have as a group in all positions is something we feel will be a strength for us and will help push us all and make a difference as the season moves along.” - Head Coach Scott Rivett

Key Performer: Jerzey Watteyne
​Forward
​2nd Year
​Hometown: Lafleche, Sask.

Joining the Cougars last season, Watteyne's rookie season proved very impactful. Watteyne scored 10 points for the Cougars and was named to the Canada West All-Rookie Team. With a few forwards graduating last year, Watteyne is set to play a more pivotal role on the team and looks to enter the conversation as an All-Star.

Calgary Dinos

2024-25 Coaches Poll Rank: #4

From the coach: “After losing some key pieces last season, there will be a lot of opportunities for players to step up this year. We have seen a lot of growth with our players, we are looking forward to seeing the same this season. Our group is excited to build off of the success from the second half of last season.” - Head Coach Josh Gosling

Key Performer: Sydney Mercier
​Forward
​3rd Year
​Hometown: Saskatoon, Sask.

After finishing as one of the top point scorers in Canada West her first two seasons, it's safe to say fans know who Sydney Mercier is by now. The 2022-23 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year is now set to be one of the leaders of a young Dinos squad heading into the 2024-25 campaign. Mercier has finished each of her first two seasons with 22 points and will certainly be leaned on once again this season.

Manitoba Bisons

2024-25 Coaches Poll Rank: #5

From the coach: “Our team is shifting into a new identity this season with so many changes and will look at consistent growth over the season to get us in the best spot we can for the post season. Our key to success this season is having consistency up and down our lineup.” - Interim Head Coach Jordy Zacharias

Key Performer: Dana Goertzen
​Forward
​3rd Year
​Hometown: Winnipeg, Man.

Forward Dana Goertzen enters her third season as a proven scorer at the U SPORTS level. Strong on her stick and tough to beat in the offensive zone, Goertzen led the Bisons with seven goals last year, and will be instrumental to the team's success in five on five and special teams.

Saskatchewan Huskies

2024-25 Coaches Poll Rank: #6

From the coach: “After hosting a national championship, we are a healthy mixture of very young and inexperienced and veteran throughout our lineup. There's been lots of teaching during training camp and we expect that will continue into the regular season. With the departure of come key players in all positions, it'll be exciting to see players take advantage of the opportunities in our lineup.” - Head Coach Steve Kook

Key Performer: Colby Wilson
​Goaltender
​4th Year
​Hometown: Fort St. James, B.C.

Following the departure of the 2023-24 CW Player of the Year Camryn Drever, Colby Wilson will see plenty of opportunities to start in 2024-25. Wilson has worked behind Drever for the past three seasons and has now earned the right to be a top the Huskie depth chart. Coaches are excited to see what she can do with the opportunity.

Regina Cougars

2024-25 Coaches Poll Rank: #7

From the coach: “The University of Regina Cougar women's hockey team will bring their biggest effort to each shift. They will limit opponent's time and space with a quick forecheck and dig deep for a strong back check. Only half of the Cougar defence are returning players and will look to the new players to step up immediately and play a key role with the assistance of solid goaltending. The Cougars experienced front end will be a constant threat and need to put pucks in the back of the net!” - Interim Head Coach Brandy West-McMaster

Key Performer: Paige Hubbard
​Forward
​5th Year
​Hometown: Brandon, Man.

One of just two fifth-year players on Regina's roster, Paige Hubbard scored a career-high six goals and led the Cougars in both assists (11) and points (17) last season. Hubbard is again expected to play a major role in the team's offence this season and has done exactly that over the past three weekends, scoring five goals in the team's six non-conference games in September.

Trinity Western Spartans

2024-25 Coaches Poll Rank: #8

From the coach: “We are a young team with nine new players but we will be faster and more competitive than last year with a healthy culture and buy in. It will be important for us to play as a team and develop every day to see how far we go with a very strong rookie class of players that will make our depth stronger.” - Head Coach Peter Hay

Key Performer: Kate Fawcett
​Goaltender
​4th Year
​Hometown: Tottenham, Ont.

Kate is a veteran goalie with experience that allows her to be a calming presence as Trinity Western's all time winningest goalie in their short three year history in U SPORTS play. Although TWU has a losing record during that span, Kates goals against average is very respectable and a leader in Canada West. ​

MacEwan Griffins

2024-25 Coaches Poll Rank: #9

From the coach: “Being consistent with making the choice to play our game, and not let other team's dictate the terms of the competition. This means taking an approach of playing a style of hockey that will bring you success at the most difficult time of the year. Being bought into the culture we are establishing off the ice will contribute to any on ice success that we get to share as a team.” - Head Coach Chris Leeming

Key Performer: Brianna Sank
​Goaltender
​5th Year
​Hometown: Ardrossan, Alta.

In her final season of eligibility, Sank will be looking to put an exclamation mark on a fantastic career for the Griffins.The former Esso Cup-winning goaltender for the St. Albert Slash is now a veteran of university play, displaying composure between the pipes that acts as a stabilizer and momentum builder for the Griffins. As MacEwan pursues its first Canada West playoff appearance since joining the league in 2021, Sank will be the backbone of their efforts, demonstrating the standard of play needed at this level.