David Johnston University Cup
| David Johnston University Cup | |
|---|---|
 The original U Sports University Cup | |
| First awarded | 1963 |
| Most recently played | 2018 |
| Current champions | Alberta Golden Bears |
| Current runners-up | St. Francis Xavier X-Men |
| Most titles | Alberta Golden Bears (16, 29.1% of all championships) |
| Website |
usports |
The David Johnston University Cup, formerly the U Sports University Cup, is a national collegiate sports award, presented annually to the champion of an eight-team tournament played by U Sports men's ice hockey. The Alberta Golden Bears are the current champions and have won the most championships with 16. On March 13, 2018, the cup was named after David Johnston, a former Governor General of Canada.[1]
History
The trophy was presented to U Sports, then known as the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU), for presentation to a national champion starting with the 1962–63 season, by Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada. These two schools, located in Kingston, had been the participants in the first organized interuniversity hockey game, played in Kingston in 1885.[2] The cup is meant to recognize the overall contribution made to the game of hockey by outstanding university players.
Recently, the David Johnston University Cup trophy has been modified after several repairs. The metal bowl is now of simpler design, and mounts more flush to the main wooden portion. The two handles that used to be attached to the bowl, and frequently broke off, were not included on the new bowl. A new black wooden ring was added to the bottom of the trophy in order to incorporate more winning school shields. An engraved metal shield, with diagonal stripes in the winning school's colours, is added to the trophyevery year.
The Major W.J. (Danny) McLeod award recognizes the contribution made to the University Cup by the Most Valuable Player. Major W.J. (Danny) McLeod, athletic director at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, directed the establishment of the CIAU in 1961. The CIAU changed its name to Canadian Interuniversity Sport in 2001, and most recently to the current U Sports in October 2016.
With the completion of the 2016–17 championship, 27 different teams have played in the national championship final (however Sir George Williams University merged with Loyola College in 1974 to create Concordia University, so it could be described as 26 different teams). In all, 17 different teams have won the national championship. The Toronto Varsity Blues hold the record of 5 consecutive championships, from 1969 through 1973.
Starting with the 2015 University Cup in Halifax, the U Sports championship expanded from six to eight teams and moved from a two-pool format to a single-elimination competition, including quarter-finals, semifinals and final (with a bronze medal game). The eight teams competing include the four regional conference champions (Canada West, OUA West, OUA East, AUS), one host, one assigned berth to Canada West (Canada West runner-up), one assigned berth to OUA (3rd place finisher), and one assigned berth to AUS (AUS runner-up).
On March 13, 2018, U Sports renamed the cup the David Johnston University Cup in honour of David Johnston, former Governor General of Canada.[1]
Champions
University Cup Final appearances
This table ranks appearances in the final championship game.
| Appearances | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Alberta Golden Bears | 16 | 5 | .762 |
| 13 | Toronto Varsity Blues | 10 | 3 | .769 |
| 12 | UNB Varsity Reds | 7 | 5 | .583 |
| 7 | Saskatchewan Huskies | 1 | 6 | .142 |
| 6 | UQTR Patriotes | 4 | 2 | .666 |
| 6 | Moncton Aigles Bleus | 4 | 2 | .666 |
| 6 | Saint Mary's Huskies | 1 | 5 | .167 |
| 5 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | 1 | 4 | .200 |
| 4 | Western Ontario Mustangs | 1 | 3 | .250 |
| 4 | Guelph Gryphons | 1 | 3 | .250 |
| 4 | Acadia Axemen | 2 | 2 | .500 |
| 3 | York Yeomen | 3 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 3 | Sir George Williams Georgians | 0 | 3 | .000 |
| 2 | Waterloo Warriors | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| 2 | Concordia Stingers | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| 2 | McGill Redmen | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| 2 | Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| 1 | UBC Thunderbirds | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | McMaster Marauders | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 1 | St. Dunstan's Saints | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Manitoba Bisons | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 1 | Laurentian Voyageurs | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Loyola Warriors | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Dalhousie Tigers | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Regina Cougars | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Lethbridge Pronghorns | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 1 | Lakehead Thunderwolves | 0 | 1 | .000 |
- Note 1: Sir George Williams University merged with Loyola College in 1974 to create Concordia University.
- Note 2: St. Dunstan's University merged with Prince of Wales College in 1969 to form the University of Prince Edward Island.
See also
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, the closest equivalent in the United States for men's college ice hockey
References
- 1 2 "U Sports men's hockey trophy named after former Governor-General David Johnston". Retrieved March 13, 2018 – via The Globe and Mail.
- ↑ "History". U SPORTS. Retrieved March 13, 2018.