CW Coaches Poll: Griffins voted to place ninth in 2025-26
Canada West Communications
The calendar has turned to October, which means a new season of Canada West women's hockey is set to begin.
The Griffins will need to earn their respect this season after being voted to finish ninth out of nine teams in Canada West in the conference's annual coach's poll.
MacEwan kicks off the season vs. UBC on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (3 p.m., both Downtown Community Arena, Canada West TV).
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UBC was voted first in the annual poll with four first-place votes from opposing coaches.
The conference's Edmonton based programs will join the West Division this season, with Alberta and MacEwan joining UBC and Trinity Western. Calgary and Mount Royal head to the East Division, joining Manitoba, Regina and Saskatchewan.
The top three teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.
The regular season runs through Feb. 14, with the Canada West Final scheduled to begin March 6.
The 2026 U SPORTS nationals will once again be hosted by the University of Waterloo Warriors from March 19-22.
Stream every game on Canada West TV
Fans can catch all the action on CanadaWest.TV - Powered by BioSteel, which now allows fans to watch games on their mobile devices with Apple and Android apps, as well as popular Connected TV apps like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku.
2025-26 CW WHKY PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL
Team - Points (First-place votes)
UBC Thunderbirds - 67 (4)
Alberta Pandas - 59 (1)
Mount Royal Cougars - 56 (2)
Trinity Western Spartans - 49
Calgary Dinos - 48 (2)
Manitoba Bisons - 39
Regina Cougars - 35
Saskatchewan Huskies - 27
MacEwan Griffins - 16
MacEwan Griffins Team Preview
Coaches Poll Rank: #9
Team Outlook: With a strong veteran core, is this the year the Griffins finally take the next step and land a playoff spot? They've come close since joining Canada West in 2021 but haven't yet cleared that hurdle. As always, their success will come from outworking teams, strong defensive play, terrific goaltending and being opportunistic on their chances in the offensive zone.
From the coach: "Success will stem from our ability to consistently elevate our competitiveness through playing a connected game all 200 feet of the ice for the full 60 minutes. Our team has demonstrated a commitment to growth together, which has our elevated our confidence and trust in one another and produced an environment that is conducive to accountability towards higher standards." - Chris Leeming
Key Performer: Sydney Olsen
Defence | 5th Year | Edmonton, Alta.
Veteran two-way defenceman Sydney Olsen is back wearing the 'C' again in her final season with the Griffins. She provides steady, rock-solid play in all situations and is also able to contribute offensively, leading all Griffins' returning defensemen in points last season. Four of her seven points came on the power play in 2024-25, while she is equally adept at strong defensive play in her own zone. Olsen's leadership will anchor a MacEwan blue line, which includes three rookies in 2025-26.
