Cougars to face the best of Canada West in early test

The U of R Summer Challenge will constitute a serious challenge for the University of Regina Cougars men’s hockey team.

Regina is to play three games during the pre-season tournament at the Co-operators Centre, with one contest against each of the Saskatchewan Huskies (today, 7 p.m.), Calgary Dinos (Friday, 5 p.m.) and Alberta Golden Bears (Saturday, 12:30 p.m.).

Those teams finished first (Alberta), second (Calgary) and third (Saskatchewan) in the 2013-14 regular-season standings. The Cougars finished seventh.

“With me setting up the tournament, I can decide who we play,” Regina head coach Todd Johnson said with a grin Wednesday. “It’s no accident that we’re playing Saskatchewan, Calgary and Alberta. I want to play them early and see where we are.”

The second annual tournament is to feature seven of Canada West’s eight teams, with only the Mount Royal Cougars opting not to attend. Six of the teams will play three games, while the Lethbridge Pronghorns will play two.

Initially, the tournament was to be used as part of the selection process for the team which is to represent Canada in the 2015 Winter Universiade — an event Johnson is to attend as the Canadian team leader.

While those initial plans have fallen apart, the Challenge still will serve a purpose.

“It’s a good showcase,” Johnson said.

“Having almost all of the teams under one roof is a positive and it shows the league positively.”

Regina defeated the Briercrest Bible College Clippers 5-2 in an exhibition game Tuesday in Caronport, but the Cougars’ three previous games could have a larger impact on the team’s fortunes this season.

Johnson, who played professionally in Germany for four seasons, took the Cougars to his old stomping grounds for 10 days in late August. The team played three exhibition games against pro teams and lost all three.

“One of the biggest things I got from it was how fit those teams were,” said Johnson, whose university squad faced clubs based in Ravensburg and GarmischPartenkirchen in Germany and Thurgau in Switzerland. “They played at the same level from start to finish and that was the difference in the games.

“That changed my focus a little bit. We’ve been doing a lot more cardio and, as a result, we’ve got a few injuries right now. But we’ll be better in the long term.”

The style of play the Cougars experienced overseas also could help them against Canada West teams.

Johnson wanted his players to see how quickly pros move the puck in space in hopes that habit would stick with the Cougars.

“By the end, we were moving the puck just as well as them,” Johnson said.

“Garmisch was the best team we played and that was our best game by far (despite losing 4-3).”

The trip also gave the Cougars a chance to see the sites — the Hofbrauhaus beer hall in Munich reportedly was a favourite — and get to know each other outside of their usual setting.

“The biggest thing (to gain from the trip) is chemistry, especially when you’ve got a lot of young guys coming in,” said veteran defenceman Jordan Reeve.

“We got a chance to build chemistry before anyone else (in Canada West) had the opportunity.

“It was a different style of hockey, but we were still two weeks ahead of everybody else. Developing that on-ice chemistry will be huge.”

Johnson admitted the Cougars have gone through an adjustment period since returning to Canadian ice surfaces, but he still wants to see some aspects of the European game from his team.

“That’s what I’m looking for this weekend,” he said.

“I want us to play at as fast a pace as we can.”