Guelph’s Aagaard headlines roster for 2019 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey All-Star Series

Toronto (via U SPORTS) – Former Denmark World Junior captain Mikkel Aagaard headlines the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey All-Stars roster announced Tuesday, set to compete at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection camp in Oakville, Ont., from Dec. 9-12.

Aagard, who led the Danish squad to an eighth-place finish at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship held in Montreal and Toronto, has represented his country at six world championships at various levels since 2012. The third-year Guelph captain is currently tied for eighth in U SPORTS scoring this season with 12 goals and 24 points.

Besides Aagaard, the roster features seven returning players with All-Star Series and FISU Winter Universiade experience, along with former U SPORTS major award winners, All-Canadians and All-Rookies.

This will mark the fifth straight year the U SPORTS All-Stars have faced off against Canada’s National Junior Team Prospects, who are vying for roster spots at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship being held in Ostrava and Trinec, Czech Republic from Dec. 26, 2019 – Jan. 5, 2020.

“This is an excellent opportunity for U SPORTS to show our continued support for Hockey Canada in helping them best prepare the Canadian World Junior Team for the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic,” said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, Chief Sport Officer of U SPORTS. “We are honoured to be invited annually to the Sport Chek Selection Camp, while simultaneously showcasing some of the best talent Canadian university hockey has to offer.”

As previously announced, this year’s event will feature a two-game series at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, home of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s (OJHL) Oakville Blades, with games scheduled for Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT and Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. Tickets are available at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets, starting at $15 plus fees.

Gardiner MacDougall, head coach of the UNB Reds, will serve as the team’s bench boss, after being an assistant coach with the 2018 U SPORTS All-Stars. MacDougall will be joined by 2016 U SPORTS All-Star head coach Brett Gibson of the Queen’s Gaels, 2018 All-Star assistant Todd Johnson of the Regina Cougars and Western Mustangs head coach Clarke Singer, who served as general manager of Team Canada’s roster at the 2019 FISU Winter Universiade.  

“It is an outstanding lifetime opportunity and a real privilege, when you look at the outstanding coaches across our country, to get a chance to lead an amazing group of student-athletes,” said MacDougall. “Last year’s experience in Victoria was one of the top experiences I’ve enjoyed as a coach at the U SPORTS level.”

As the official outfitter of the U SPORTS Men’s and Women’s Hockey All-Star Teams, Kobe Sportswear will provide all players with on-ice uniforms, which debuted at the Hockey Canada Summer Showcase in August.

The team will also pay tribute to former general manager Graham Sirman, who tragically passed away last month, by wearing GS the GM helmet decals throughout the series.

Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team has faced various U SPORTS competition on a regular basis since 1988. Since a U SPORTS national all-star team began participating in December 2015, U SPORTS holds a 5-3-1 record.

U SPORTS MEN’S HOCKEY ALL-STAR ROSTER

TEAM STAFF

*Returning player or staff