Hockey

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Climate Change

Sustainability

Varsity

Subheadline

A growing number of Ontario rinks are moving away from gas-powered ice resurfacing machines since they can pollute indoor air

The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) has acquired an electric ice resurfacing machine for the Varsity Arena, a zero-emissions vehicle that will improve the quality of ice – and air.

Often referred to as “Zambonis” after Frank J. Zamboni, Jr., a block ice salesman who patented the technology in 1953, ice resurfacing machines maintain the skating surface by shaving the top layer of ice, washing the remaining ice and then spreading out an even layer of water that freezes between skate times.

But a growing number of rinks are now moving away from gas-powered Zambonis since they emit exhaust fumes that pollute indoor air.

“An electric Zamboni eliminates the source of indoor air pollution and reduces the ventilation requirements for the arena, which means energy savings and operational cost reductions for the facility,” says Ian Stephen, assistant facility manager at the Varsity Arena and Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

“It also provides a superior system of maintaining ice in the arena.”

U of T’s Varsity Arena joins an estimated quarter of the roughly 1,000 indoor rinks in Ontario now serviced by electric ice resurfacers following Health Canada’s 2021 recommendations to use electric resurfacers and edgers to improve air quality in arenas.

Ian Stephen, assistant facility manager at the Varsity and Goldring Centre, poses next to a newly purchased electric Zamboni (photo by Jill Clark)

The electric Zamboni also makes better ice by using laser beams, a technology first used in the construction industry to level ground. To set it up, the Varsity Arena rink pad had to be measured first without ice to factor in any high or low spots.

“With the laser mounted on a pole and the receiver on the Zamboni, the blade moves automatically to create the most level ice possible,” Stephen says.

Another new feature is so-called “fast ice,” which is created with misting jets on the back of the electric Zamboni.

“They mist water onto the ice as opposed to it dripping down and a flutter cloth just dragging the water and trying to fill in everything,” says Stephen. “The misting helps take some of the oxygen out of the water, which makes the ice harder when it freezes – so it also creates a better surface.”

While electric Zambonis are more expensive than the gas-powered models, they are expected to save on fuel and maintenance over their lifetimes.

“Think of all the savings on energy, water and time,” Stephens says.

In addition to the electric Zamboni, KPE has also replaced a pick-up truck that hauled equipment with an electric van – one of several environmentally conscious projects underway at the university.

Celebrating U of T's impact on hockey in Toronto

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 14:05:36 +0000

Celebrating U of T's impact on hockey in Toronto Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 02/01/2024 - 09:05

Topic

Sinai Health

Alumni

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Rotman Commerce

Toronto is a sports city – and hockey is close to its heart.

In a new video, members of the University of Toronto community reflect on how U of T’s Varsity Blues hockey program inspired the Toronto Maple Leafs – and how the future of hockey is diverse and inclusive.

“I’m excited about the future of hockey because I think we’ve never been in a better place – especially with the creation of a professional women’s league,” says Jayna Hefford, a five-time Olympic medallist in women’s hockey who is now senior vice-president of the Professional Women’s Hockey League and a former Varsity Blues Player.

“If we want Canada and hockey to thrive, we need as many people playing as we can.”

Cole Purboo, a fourth-year student at Rotman Commerce and captain of the Varsity Blues men’s hockey team, says he, too, believes the future of the game is one that is “more diverse and more accessible for more people.”

The video also explores how the Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport at U of T and Sinai Health is shaping the future of athletics and ensuring that sports are for everyone.

“We saw an opportunity to encourage engagement, drive performance and accelerate recovery through groundbreaking and globally recognized research,” says Larry Tanenbaum, philanthropist and chair of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, “allowing athletes of all levels and ability to reach their maximum potential.”

Interviews in this video include:

Larry Tanenbaum, chair of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, philanthropist behind the U of T Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport at U of T and Sinai Health
Bruce Kidd, professor emeritus, sport and public policy, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education
Cole Purboo, fourth-year student at Rotman Commerce, Varsity Blues men’s hockey team Captain
Jayna Hefford, senior vice-president hockey operations for the Professional Women’s Hockey League, Varsity Blues Women’s Hockey 1996-97

‘I didn’t have time to be anxious’: Varsity Blues player Jett Alexander on playing with the Maple Leafs

mattimar — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 02:02:54 +0000

‘I didn’t have time to be anxious’: Varsity Blues player Jett Alexander on playing with the Maple Leafs

mattimar Wed, 04/12/2023 - 22:02

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Jett Alexander, a third-year U of T student and goalie for the Varsity Blues, warms up for the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to playing in an NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens (photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Undergraduate Students

Jett Alexander planned to spend last Saturday studying, running errands and watching the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Montreal Canadiens on TV.

Instead, the Varsity Blues goalie – and third-year University of Toronto student in the Faculty of Arts & Science – found himself sitting on the Leafs’ bench when the puck dropped, having been called on as a back-up goaltender for the NHL team. He had signed a one-day amateur tryout contract with the Maple Leafs a few hours earlier.

“It’s pretty crazy – you watch these guys on television and then you’re sitting next to them in the change room,” he says, noting that his family was watching from inside a packed Scotiabank Arena.

Alexander, who previously served as a back-up goalie for the Colorado Avalanche, says he was not expecting to be called on to play in the final 70 seconds of the game.

“I didn’t really have too much time to be anxious because it all happened so quickly.”

U of T News spoke to Alexander about his NHL ice time, his pre-game ritual and what he’s learned from being a Varsity Blues player.

Walk me through what happened on Saturday. How did that moment on the ice feel?

It was a normal Saturday when I woke up. I was going to study, run some errands and watch the game at home or with my buddies. Suddenly, I got a phone call from [Maple Leafs] management and they told me to grab my equipment and head to the rink. It all happened really quickly. Luckily, there was just enough time to get my parents and girlfriend there.

I was getting ready in the same locker room as the rest of the team. It’s pretty crazy – you watch these guys on television and then you’re sitting next to them in the change room.

Being in a locker room around teammates and friends my entire life, you get comfortable with that camaraderie, the jokes and the goofiness. Then you see it at an NHL level and realize it’s the same. They like to have fun, but they also take it very seriously and they’re very professional.

Sitting on the bench was so special. The players use iPads on the bench to watch their shift so they can make quick adjustments to their play. At the Varsity games, our coaching staff usually watch video in between periods or after the game.

[Maple Leafs Head Coach] Sheldon Keefe comes down the bench and he’s like, “Get in there, Jett.” I hop over the boards, get my helmet on and get in the net. I didn’t really have too much time to be anxious because it all happened so quickly. I tried to soak it all in after the game.

What is your pre-game ritual?

I wasn’t starting, so when I’m starting it’s a bit different and more detailed. I get to the rink early, get a good amount of stretching in, listen to music and get ready for about 20 minutes before I go on the ice for warmup.

I didn’t want to get in anyone’s way or mess up their pre-game routine, so I was trying to find that balance on Saturday.

How did your family react to the news?

They were just like, “No way – you're kidding, right?”

Since I was able to get out there for the last minute, I just feel really lucky and grateful that I got to enjoy that with them there. It means way more that I had my family there.

My dad is a Habs fan, but I’m sure he was a Leafs fan for the night. A Montreal versus Toronto game on a Saturday – it doesn’t get any bigger than that. That rivalry has been around for decades and it’s pretty cool that’s the game I got to be a part of.

Auston Matthews, left, and goalie Ilya Samsonov, middle, congratulate Jett Alexander, right, on his first NHL game (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

How did being on the Varsity Blues team prepare you for this opportunity? What has sports taught you?

At this point, I can’t imagine my life without sports. Being on the Varsity team has kept me motivated and wanting more from hockey. It’s taught me organizational skills and time management – just striving to be the best you can be in the classroom and on the ice.

Getting the opportunity to come to U of T is a privilege. It’s given me this connection to the Leafs. Being part of the emergency goalie rotation, much like my old [Varsity Blues] goalie partner, Alex Bishop, is pretty great. He’s one of my best buddies, so it’s cool getting to share that experience with him.

You have to make your schedule at the beginning of the year for both semesters around what your practice times will be. Our games are typically on Friday and Saturday and they’re usually around 7 p.m. You have to plan your days and your weekends accordingly. You’re a student first, so getting good grades is important. After class, I’m usually on the rink or in the gym. It makes for a busy time throughout the hockey season, which is from September until early March.

It also teaches you how to be a good teammate and how to work well with each other. I think something that hockey players typically have is an abundance of that team-first mentality. It gives you an appreciation for the work that other people put into it as well. It takes everyone involved to make the ship run.

It’s taught me my biggest life lessons and it’s a huge privilege to be where I am.

Varsity Blues goalie Jett Alexander makes his NHL debut: Toronto Star

mattimar — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 15:56:59 +0000

Varsity Blues goalie Jett Alexander makes his NHL debut: Toronto Star

mattimar Mon, 04/10/2023 - 11:56

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Varsity Blues goalie Jett Alexander warms up after being called up by the Toronto Maple Leafs during a game against the Montreal Canadiens (photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Current Sudents

Sports

Varsity Blues player Jett Alexander says it was a “dream come true” to make his NHL debut as a Toronto Maple Leafs goalie on Saturday night, the Toronto Star reports.

Alexander, a student in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts & Science and goaltender on the Varsity Blues men’s hockey team, was called on to play in the last minute of the Leafs' 7-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens after signing a one-day amateur tryout contract with the Leafs to back up goaltender Ilya Samsonov.

“Being from this market and obviously being a Leafs fan for a very long time, it’s pretty special when you get to put that jersey on and just be out there,” Alexander told the Toronto Star. “Sitting on the bench, just kind of taking it all in, was a dream come true.”

Alexander serves as an emergency backup goalie in the NHL, but was not expecting to be called on at the end of the Leafs game.

“It was a pretty cool way to end the game and something I can have under my belt forever,” he said.

According to the Star, Alexander is keeping the Leafs jersey he wore that night – and likely framing it.

'A team sport': Hayley Wickenheiser on why she pursued a career in emergency medicine

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 17:24:07 +0000

'A team sport': Hayley Wickenheiser on why she pursued a career in emergency medicine

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 03/08/2023 - 12:24

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Hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, is in her second year of residency in U of T's department of family and community medicine (photo courtesy of Hayley Wickenheiser)

Alisa Kim

Topic

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

International Women's Day

After a storied hockey career that included being inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Hayley Wickenheiser is now pursuing another childhood dream: becoming a doctor.

She traces her interest in the medical field to her youth, when one of her friends was badly injured after being hit by a truck.

“There were 30 kids in our neighbourhood and we’d go as a pack to check on her,” says Wickenheiser, a four-time Olympic gold medallist who is in her second year of residency in the department of family and community medicine (DFCM) in the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

“I remember the doctors and nurses being very kind. We were little and they made it less scary for us. It was at that point that I got a real interest in medicine.”

Wickenheiser was named to the Canadian women’s national ice hockey team at the age of 15, but despite being focused on the sport during her young adulthood, she felt a pull toward medicine.

“I always knew I needed a life after hockey and thought that would be a good one,” says Wickenheiser, who is training to become an emergency medicine physician.

Wickenheiser will begin her enhanced skill year in emergency medicine in the department of family and community medicine in July 2023.

Wickenheiser says she chose to do her residency in the department because she would learn about a wide breadth of topics and undergo generalist training, allowing for maximum flexibility in her career.

While fewer graduating medical students rank family medicine as their first choice when applying to residency, Wickenheiser says she is very happy with her decision.

“Family medicine is touted as less 'sexy' than specialist training, but I think it's the best kept secret in medicine and one of the most underrated routes to choose,” she says. “I have zero regrets about choosing DFCM – it's been amazing. From awesome professional development to preceptor teaching, it's really a choose-your-own-adventure at times. I like that.”

Gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser celebrates at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics (photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

After announcing her retirement from hockey in 2017, Wickenheiser began medical school at the University of Calgary. The transition was eased by years of preparation. For close to a decade before her retirement, Wickenheiser shadowed an emergency department doctor who helped her realize her affinity for the specialty. “I don’t do well sitting all day long,” she says.

She is quick to rattle off the things that drew her to emergency medicine: “Every patient encounter is different. You have to think quickly, work in a team and be very good under pressure. It feels very much like a team sport.”

Widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time, Wickenheiser thought she would be done with the sport when she began her studies. “Then the Toronto Maple Leafs called a few months into medical school,” she says.

Now an assistant general manager for the Leafs, Wickenheiser oversees 11 staff members and is responsible for the development of not only the franchise players, but of prospects and players from the Toronto Marlies and affiliate Newfoundland Growlers.

“My job is to make sure it’s a high-functioning department where we’re helping the players both on and off the ice to maximize their potential and get them prepared to be successful NHL players – if they already are a successful NHL player, then help them find that one per cent here and there that can elevate their game,” she says.

Her workday varies depending on her clinical responsibilities, but generally she wakes up early and heads to the rink for a workout because of her duties with the Leafs. If she is doing a family medicine rotation, then she will work an afternoon or evening clinic. If she is doing a hospital-based shift that runs from 8 a.m. until late afternoon, she says she adapts her schedule accordingly.

Wickenheiser says the parallels between sport and medicine are striking.

“Everything I learned in hockey, I use every day,” she says. “Medicine is a team game. You’ve got to think on your feet. You’ve got to handle stress. You’ve got to be physically at your best.”

She also says that using constructive criticism to enhance performance is another common theme.

“In medicine, you’re being told what you need to improve on all the time. Being able to handle that in a productive way is very important to your development as a physician.”

There is, she adds, a big difference between these two worlds when it comes to self-care and wellness. “As an athlete, you’re celebrated for taking care of your body. In medicine, sometimes it feels like that should be the last thing you should be doing as a physician taking care of everyone else. I think it’s counterintuitive. It’s something I think medicine has to get a lot better at.”

When asked what motivates her to stay on a difficult path, Wickenheiser, who grew up on a farm in rural Saskatchewan, says hard work is part of her identity.

“I don’t think of myself as overly smart or special in any way, but one thing I hang my hat on as an athlete and what I do in medicine is that I’m confident I can outwork just about anyone. It’s the one thing I know I can control in my life even when there are other things happening that I can’t. You can always control your effort.”

U of T grad's collection of Black hockey players' cards part of NHL history tour

geoff.vendeville — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 13:34:20 +0000

U of T grad's collection of Black hockey players' cards part of NHL history tour

geoff.vendeville Thu, 03/31/2022 - 09:34

Cutline

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education graduate Dean Barnes compiled a hockey card collection featuring 100 Black players that is part of the NHL Black Hockey History Tour (photo courtesy of Dean Barnes)

Topic

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

For University of Toronto graduate Dean Barnes, a hockey card collection that began as a pandemic hobby took on new significance after the murder of George Floyd and subsequent calls for justice.
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education alumnus initially intended to complete a card set with a Wayne Gretzky rookie card but shifted his focus to collecting cards of Black NHL players.

Barnes, a superintendent of education at Halton District School Board, says he chose to collect Black hockey players' cards to highlight players who have arguably not received due recognition.

“When I started collecting, I recognized the availability of buying the cards and was deeply inspired to purchase more and more cards to add to the collection,” said Barnes, who earned his doctorate with OISE’s department of curriculum, teaching and learning in 2014. “The driving force, as I got into it, was to amplify and recognize players who should be celebrated for such an accomplishment that may not have been highlighted before – the significance of playing at least one NHL game.”

The collection includes a card for Willie O'Ree, who became the first Black NHL player when he made his debut for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens in 1958. It also includes Hockey Hall of Famers Grant Fuhr (goalkeeper during the Edmonton Oilers' glory years in the 1980s) and Jarome Iginla, as well as lesser known names such as winger Bill Riley (Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets) and Alton White, the only Black player who featured in the now-defunct World Hockey Association.

Darren Lowe, a U of T alumnus and longtime former U of T Varsity Blues Men’s hockey coach who played for Canada’s Olympic Team and the Pittsburgh Penguins (in the 1983-84 season), is also in the collection.

The public will get a chance to view Barnes's collection as part of the NHL's Black Hockey History Tour. The cards will be on display at Maple Leaf Square (15 York Street) before the Maple Leafs-Jets game today, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. It will also be shown at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

As an undergraduate, Barnes played for the University of Waterloo hockey team in the 1989-90 season. Here, he is pictured at an alumni hockey game at the former Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton.

Barnes built up his collection quickly, starting by cross-referencing lists of Black players with listings of cards on eBay. Some players featured so briefly in the league that Barnes had to get creative. For Val James, the first American-born Black NHL player, he commissioned an independent card manufacturer in P.E.I. to make a playing card.

Barnes's two daughters also helped build a website for the collection and publicized it on social media.

After the NHL cast a spotlight on Barnes' collection, he's heard from past and present hockey players who have offered to contribute. He's now interested in expanding the collection to focus on Black players’ contributions to Canadian junior hockey leagues and U.S. college hockey.

“I'm an educator and I wanted to share this important history with others and create an opportunity for people to learn more about these players,” said Barnes.

Barnes played hockey at the University of Waterloo during the 1989-90 season before beginning his doctoral studies at OISE and working as an administrator.

Under the tutelage of faculty Kathy Bickmore, Tara Goldstein and Lance McCready – his PhD supervisors – Barnes’ dissertation focused on the potential of restorative peacemaking circles. That doctoral work signalled commitments to justice issues that he brought to his role as an administrator, particularly as a principal, and while leading a welcome centre for newcomers and international students, says David Montemurro, Barnes’ colleague on OISE’s teacher education advisory committee.

“Throughout these connections, I have really appreciated his affable, kindly and clear commitments to creating concrete strategies to support students,” says Montemurro, an associate professor, teaching stream in the department of curriculum, teaching and learning.

Keen to maintain connections with OISE, Barnes reached out to Montemurro with an idea to create an innovative high school credit to promote post-secondary pathways for racialized and Indigenous students. “This led to his support of the master of teaching program’s Access Pathways for Black Educators initiative, where the high school credit has become an outreach opportunity with U of T Mississauga, and the Halton, Peel and Toronto school boards,” Montemurro says.

“Dean has been a longstanding advocate for marginalized students disproportionally impacted by negative experiences in schools, and brings a consistent, caring and critical eye to building opportunities for their success.”

Barnes says he hopes the exhibit teaches people about the long history of Black players in the NHL. “When I have shared [my card collection] with people, whether they're a person of colour or not, there's been a bit of an a-ha moment like, ‘Well, I actually didn't know there were that many players who played,’” he says, noting the need for more representation in hockey from the pros on down.

“Ultimately, I am hoping my card collection will raise awareness and encourage future conversations about the importance of diversity, inclusion and acceptance, in the game of hockey at all levels – from minor hockey though to the pro levels.”

Outburst by Blackhawks exec highlights need to challenge culture of abuse in sport: U of T's Simon Darnell

geoff.vendeville — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 16:53:06 +0000

Outburst by Blackhawks exec highlights need to challenge culture of abuse in sport: U of T's Simon Darnell

geoff.vendeville Tue, 02/08/2022 - 11:53

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(Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Centre for Sport Policy Studies

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Chicago Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz has been critized for his angry outburst at a town hall meeting last week, berating reporters for asking about the organization's response to a sexual assault scandal.

Simon Darnell

Wirtz cut off the team's CEO, his son Danny, while he was answering a reporter's questions, and said: “What we're going to do today is our business... I think you should get onto the next subject.”

“We're not looking back on 2010, we're looking forward. And we're not going to talk about 2010," he added, referring to a law firm report published last fall that documented failures made by the Blackhawks after their former player, Kyle Beach, reported he was sexually assaulted by a coach during their 2010 Stanley Cup run.

Wirtz later apologized to fans and the media for his behaviour at the town hall, saying he had “crossed the line.”

Simon Darnell, an associate professor in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and the director of the Centre for Sport Policy Studies, recently shared his thoughts on the NHL controversy.

What did you think of Rocky Wirtz’s outburst?

Like most people, I was shocked and then kind of disgusted. It seemed, on first blush, that the Blackhawks were going to use the press conference to assure people that the team was committed to making sure that the kind of abuse endured by Kyle Beach would never happen again and that there was, at the very least, a structure in place to ensure that players can come forward if they suffer any kind of abuse – or know of any – while serving as members of the team. And it appears that Danny Wirtz and team President [of Business Operations] Jaime Faulkner were prepared to answer those questions, though we will never know for sure now since they were shut down by Rocky Wirtz. So, to have the owner of the team interject and shut down the discussion at such a crucial time for the rebuilding of this team and the rebuilding of confidence in this issue within the NHL, was really shocking and deeply troubling.

It served to dismiss the pain and suffering of Kyle Beach, and really the pain of many other athletes and people who have suffered abuse. Wirtz was effectively making a claim that the issue is somehow now over and done with. In reality, the only person who gets to decide that this issue is closed, or that there is nothing left to discuss, is Kyle Beach himself. In the meantime, the ethical and organizational responsibility lies with Wirtz and the Blackhawks to ensure that this never happens again on their watch, and to keep the conversation going so people are aware of this issue and of the need for vigilance and change. So, I really did feel a sense of cruelty in his attempt to shut down even a modicum of continued discussion on the topic.

What did you make of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s response after he came to Wirtz's defence and said his comments were borne of frustration?

In some ways I was even more disappointed and angry with Bettman than with Wirtz. Really, Bettman gave Wirtz a pass which sends a strong message that from the NHL’s perspective, this isn’t a big deal, or certainly not one that people in positions of authority within the league have any real responsibility towards or interest in. It was a really strong example and reminder, at least to me, that Bettman works for the owners, and not the other way around. His loyalty is obviously to protecting the owners more than the players and to ensure that profits are maximized even at the expense of the human beings involved. That professional sports in North America have always operated this way doesn’t make it any easier to process when we see it happen again.

What message does this send to the world of hockey?

I think this all sends a terrible message to the sport of hockey because it says that despite all of the ongoing efforts to make the sport safer and more inclusive, when it comes to the highest levels of authority within the richest, most prestigious league in the world, there is still a real resistance to naming the problem, which in turn puts in jeopardy the changes needed to make the game more inviting and healthier. I think all of us who care deeply about this sport should remind ourselves that Gary Bettman and the NHL owners are not the stewards of hockey. They are the overlords of a cartel that just so happens to control, through a monopsony, the labour of the world’s best hockey players.

What are the implications for safe sport?

This whole mess speaks to the ongoing work still to be done to ensure the rights of athletes and all participants in sport, and to challenge the cultures of sport that enable abuse and silence those who call for change. This is at the core of the work we do in the Centre for Sport Policy Studies. It also is, I am proud to say, a central research thread across the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. Our students and alumni, like Joseph Gurgis and Erin Willson, who just became the President of AthletesCan, are leading the way here. And we need to back them up with our resources and our courage, because we clearly cannot rely on the leaders of professional sport to do this work, to seek the reforms or to make the changes that we need in sport so that no one else has to suffer.

Varsity Blues goalie serves as Colorado Avalanche’s emergency back-up: Hockey News

mattimar — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 17:02:39 +0000

Varsity Blues goalie serves as Colorado Avalanche’s emergency back-up: Hockey News

mattimar Thu, 12/02/2021 - 12:02

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U of T student Jett Alexander, who served as a back-up goalie for the Colorado Avalanche, stretches during the warm-up prior to action against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena (photo by Claus Andersen via Getty Images)

Topic

The University of Toronto’s Jett Alexander marked an exciting milestone this week.

The Varsity Blues goaltender and second-year student in the Faculty of Arts & Science served as the emergency backup goalie to the Colorado Avalanche’s Jonas Johansson – the second time in two months a Varsity Blues goalie has been called on by the NHL.

The 22-year-old was added to the lineup last minute after an upper-body injury sidelined goalie Darcy Kuemper. In a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, Johansson was called on to start with Alexander as his emergency backup goalie.

Alexander joined U of T last season and shares the net with Varsity Blues goalie Alex Bishop, who practised and served as the Leafs’ backup goalie in October.

'Pretty surreal': Varsity Blues goalie serves as Maple Leafs' back-up

geoff.vendeville — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 17:59:16 +0000

'Pretty surreal': Varsity Blues goalie serves as Maple Leafs' back-up

geoff.vendeville Mon, 10/18/2021 - 13:59

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U of T's Alex Bishop watches during the warm-up prior to serving as a back-up goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena (photo by Claus Andersen via Getty Images)

Topic

City & Culture

Rotman Commerce

Undergraduate Students

Division of University Advancement

Until this weekend, Alex Bishop's mind was on his upcoming midterms this week.

But on Saturday, the third-year Rotman Commerce student and goalie with the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues got an unexpected call: to serve as an emergency backup to the Toronto Maple Leafs' Jack Campbell.

The 24-year-old signed an amateur tryout contract with his favourite hockey team and faced shots from star player Auston Matthews during the morning skate. While Bishop was not called on to play against the Ottawa Senators, he told reporters it was a memorable night.

“It was pretty surreal,” Bishop said. “You never really notice the flash of the cameras until you get out there. It’s pretty distracting, but it was cool.”

See more in Sports Illustrated

'Food for thought': U of T's Black History Month Luncheon goes virtual, features NHL exec

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 15:56:38 +0000

'Food for thought': U of T's Black History Month Luncheon goes virtual, features NHL exec

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 02/08/2021 - 10:56

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Co-founder Glen Boothe says a virtual format means there will be more time for discussion at this year's Black History Month Luncheon, which will feature senior NHL executive Kimberly Davis as a guest speaker (photo by Veronica Zaretski)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

City & Culture

Black History Month

Hart House