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The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s hockey team is heading into the 2024-25 regular season with high expectations after a standout pre-season.
The team plays their first game on Friday, Oct. 4, in what promises to be an intense opener against the Carleton University Ravens in Ottawa.
After taking home an OUA silver medal last season and finishing fourth at the U Sports Cup on home ice, the Bold are looking to build on that momentum.
Despite losing key contributors like leading scorer Kyle Bollers and standout defenceman Aaron Hyman, the Bold have reloaded their roster with exciting new recruits and strong returning players.
“There’s a big turnover from last year’s roster, but we still have plenty of solid pieces and veterans that know what it takes to have success in this league,” said Michael Fine, the team’s assistant coach.
Fine himself is a former team captain and star player on the TMU Bold, with extensive experience playing in both the OUA and European leagues before joining the coaching staff in 2021.
“It will take the first-year players some time to learn how we operate and what is expected, but the team is adjusting well,” said Fine. “Both Jaden Condotta and Jaden Raad have come back motivated to take another step forward this season and have looked good in pre-season.”
Condotta and Raad are both defensive players entering their second year with the team.
New forward additions from the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Julian Fantino and Jordan D’Intino, have already made a mark in the pre-season. Meanwhile, the Bold’s defensive backbone remains intact with goalie Kai Edmonds, who was named an OUA second-team all-star last season.
“So far during the pre-season, I’ve seen our team grow and gel together greatly,” said returning defenceman Evan Brand, a towering member of the Bold’s lineup.
“Right now we’ve done a great job defensively in our structure all over the ice, being able to read other teams’ plays and use our systems to defend at a high rate and not allow many high-danger changes.”
Brand, a Toronto native, is entering his third year with the team following a successful five-year career in the OHL, where he played for the Kingston Frontenacs and Mississauga Steelheads.
“Being in my third year with the team has allowed me to step up in more of a leadership role, which I take great pride in,” said Brand. “I just want to continue communicating with the younger guys, ensuring everything’s going smoothly, setting an example in practice and games with my work ethic and making sure we stick together through tough things.”
The TMU Bold men’s hockey team is entering the regular season after several key pre-season wins, including a 3-2 victory over the Brock Badgers during their homecoming game on Sept. 19.
“The biggest takeaways from pre-season are that, once again, we have a hard-working group of guys who are motivated to win,” said Fine. “Every game our structure as a team continues to improve, and you can see the guys buying into the systems we are teaching and becoming more comfortable.”
Friday’s opener will be a crucial early test and set the tone for this year’s regular season. The team is eager to make another deep playoff run, with an eye on the OUA title and a return to the U Sports Cup.
The penalty kill unit will be a top focus for the team as they head into the regular season. Head Coach Johnny Duco has led the Bold to earn the top penalty kill unit in the country in 2 out of the last 3 years, making it one of the team’s biggest assets.
“The power play looked good in pre-season, clicking at around 25 per cent, which is where we would like to be — continuing to dial in on the special teams will be important for this group,” said Fine. “We want to be a tough team to play against, and for us, it starts every day in practice. We want to practice like we play, and hopefully that pays off come game time.”
While tonight’s game is too far for most students to attend, the team’s fans are ready to pack the MAC next week, when the Bold play their first game of the regular season on home ice.
“I was never really into hockey before I started going to school here,” said TMU student Eva Serb, who will be in attendance for the Oct. 9 home opener against the University of Toronto.
“But it’s different when you’re watching people you know and when it’s for your school. The stakes feel higher, and there’s more of a reason to care about who wins and loses,” she said.
Fans who don’t want to miss the Oct. 4 game can watch it live on OUA TV at 7 p.m.
Reporter, On The Record, Fall 2024.
