SEASON PREVIEW: Men’s hockey ready for new challenge in 2021-22

Old rivals await the Gee-Gees at the start of the 2021-22 season. The Garnet and Grey will host the Carleton Ravens on Thursday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. before travelling to Montreal to face-off against the McGill Redbirds Saturday evening. 

There is nowhere to hide this season for a program that welcomes 18 new players. The OUA's division realignment will see the Gee-Gees in the Far-East division with Carleton, Concordia, McGill, and UQTR. In a 20-game schedule, ending in February, the Garnet and Grey will have to lean on veteran leadership. 

"It's going to be crucial," said Gee-Gees head coach Pat Grandmaitre. "There will be no nights off this year, and we will have to stay focused on our task." 

"Each game will be like a playoff game. We will have to keep our emotions in check and play our game." 

Grandmaitre will look to five returning players from the Gee-Gees 2019-20 season that saw the program make the National Championships for the first time since 2003-04. 

Yvan Mongo, who was named Gee-Gees captain in November 2020, will be at the centre of this message. The Gatineau, Que., native begins his third year with the Garnet and Grey and has appeared in 54 games, notching 38 points across two seasons. 

"Most of the guys were here last year so they already know the mentality and the winning culture we have as Gee-Gees," said Mongo. "All the rookies were eager to get going and the fact that our coaching staff recruits good people above all else makes my job as captain a lot easier." 

"I think we can expect tons of speed, passion, and resiliency from this group. We had a good training camp, and the guys are in good shape, so I expect that we will be playing with a high pace," said Mongo.

The injection of youth in this Gee-Gees team has not altered expectations. The Garnet and Grey come into this season ranked ninth by the U SPORTS national rankings, tied with Carleton. The two Ottawa teams are the only ones from the Far-East division to appear on the national rankings to start the season. The teams played two hard-fought preseason games splitting them a game apiece. The rookies led the way in those matches with Mathieu Desgagnés scoring twice in the Gee-Gees 3-1 on Oct. 16.

"I am really excited to get my career going with the Gee-Gees and I want to do everything I can to help this team win," said Desgagnés.

The former captain of the Acadie-Bathurst Titans, Desgagnés is coming off a sensational season in the QMJHL which saw him finish fifth in points, with 52, and fourth in goals. The Verdun, Que., native will be one of the 18 rookies this season looking to make an impact and push this team towards playoff hockey.

"Everyone is really close and impatiently waiting for that first game," he said. "The biggest thing for us is to focus on our team and how we can improve every day. We want to build a team that can go far in the playoffs."

Leading the Gee-Gees forward again this year is head coach, Pat Grandmaitre - his sixth year with the program and still yet to post a losing record. Joining him are assistant coaches Patrick White, who has been with the team since 2019, and Paul Stoykewych, who joined the bench staff in June 2021. 

Stoykewych, a Winnipeg native, joins the team to work hands-on with the defencemen. Not a stranger to U Sports hockey, Stoykewych was the assistant coach of the Western Mustangs in the 2019-20 season. He also worked at Manitoba-based RINK Training Centre as a skills development coach and program coordinator. Between 2014 and 2018, Stoykewych was a defenceman for the Western Michigan University Broncos of the NCAA.

Tickets for Thursday's game and all uOttawa varsity events must be purchased beforehand at tickets.geegees.ca. Fans planning on attending an event are encouraged to read the Tickets and Gameday Information document, which includes pertinent health and safety measures. The document can be found HERE.

Thursday's game will be streamed live HERE.