UNB Reds complete perfect season, successfully defending their crown as national champions

It has been a season to remember for the University of New Brunswick men’s hockey team, and now it will never be forgotten.

The UNB Reds capped off an undefeated 2023-24 campaign Sunday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto with a 4-0 win in the University Cup Finals against Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes. While there have been undefeated seasons before in men’s U Sports hockey, it has never been accomplished during a 30-game regular season.

“You never go into a season thinking you are never going to lose,” says freshman forward Sean McGurn. “So tonight it is special that we got it done and I am just so happy.”

“We get together Sept. 1 and this is our goal,” says veteran Brady Gilmour, who was also named tournament MVP. “It’s not to win the regular season, its not to win the AUS championship, it’s to lift that trophy at the end of the day.”

“This is the reason you come to UNB,” says Andrew Keating, who netted a goal and added a pair of assists in the final victory. “You come here to be in these moments and play in these games.”

The team went a combined 43-0 this year between exhibition play, the regular season, AUS playoffs, and U Cup this past weekend. The team is riding a 47-game winning streak dating back to March 7, 2023.

It’s the 10th national title for the program, and ninth under legendary head coach Gardiner MacDougall. He calls the past seven months a fairy tale ride, and credits the players for the team’s success.

“It’s always about the players first and what a group,” praises Gardiner on his team’s historic performance. “There is high standards here at UNB hockey and they’ve raised the standards, and they’ve raised the standards of university hockey in Canada.”

The records accomplished by the club this season are plenty, but the most impressive stat may be the fact the team didn’t allow a single goal against the nation’s best. In their three University Cup games, the Reds outscored their opponents 15-0.

Before this weekend, no team had ever not allowed a goal in tournament history.

“I think the fact that you play three games at a high elite national championship tournament and don’t give up any goals, that’s a new standard that is for sure,” MacDougall chuckles.

Despite being more than 1,300 kilometres from their home rink in Fredericton, no team (outside of the host Toronto Metropolitan) had more fan support then the perfect Reds.

They credit the crowd for propelling them over the finish line.

“To see all the residents of Fredericton, all the alumni come out, that just shows how tight knit of a group it is here in Fredericton when you play for UNB athletics,” beams Keating.

The team capping off their perfect season had many around Fredericton buzzing to start the work week, including on campus at UNB.

“I think it is sick that they won nationals,” says student Ahmed Menesi, who believes they are the greatest team ever seen in men’s U Sports hockey. “I’m not a big hockey guy myself but still think it is pretty cool.”

““I saw all of my friend’s social media that the Reds won,” says fellow student Kuenga Penjor, who agrees they are the best the country has seen. “Last night it proved it.”

The team is set to arrive back in Fredericton late Monday night just before 1 a.m.

While the club will certainly undergo some off-season changes, the expectations for the next campaign haven’t changed.

“We don’t recruit players to UNB to be underdogs,” MacDougall says. “And they are well aware when they step into our program that comes with the territory.”

No team in men’s U Sports hockey has won three straight national championships since the Alberta Golden Bears did so from 1978-1980.

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