U Sports University Cup
The U Sports University Cup is awarded annually to the U Sports men's ice hockey champions. The current champion is the UNB Varsity Reds.
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. The cup is meant to recognize the overall contribution made to the game of hockey by outstanding university players.
Recently the 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 University Cup every 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 2015–16 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.
With the completion of the 2015–16 championship, the Alberta Golden Bears have won the most national championships, 15 wins in 20 appearances, followed by the Toronto Varsity Blues, with 10 wins in 13 appearances. The UNB Varsity Reds have 6 championships in 11 appearances, while the Moncton Aigles Bleus and the UQTR Patriotes are next, with 4 national championship wins each.
The Toronto Varsity Blues hold the record of 5 consecutive championships, from 1969 through 1973.
Starting with the 2015 University Cup in Halifax, the CIS championship expanded from six to eight teams and moved from a two pool-play 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 association champions (Canada West, OUA West, OUA East, AUS), one host, one assigned berth to Canada West, one assigned berth to OUA, and one assigned berth to AUS. The new format will be re-evaluated after a two-year period.[1]
The host for the 2017 and 2018 U Sports University Cups is the University of New Brunswick. All matches will take place on campus at the Aitken University Centre.
Champions
University Cup Final appearances
This table ranks appearances in the final championship game.
| Appearances | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 |  Alberta Golden Bears |
15 | 5 | .750 |
| 13 |  Toronto Varsity Blues |
10 | 3 | .769 |
| 11 |  UNB Varsity Reds |
6 | 5 | .545 |
| 6 |  UQTR Patriotes |
4 | 2 | .666 |
| 6 | Moncton Aigles Bleus |
4 | 2 | .666 |
| 6 |  Saint Mary's Huskies |
1 | 5 | .167 |
| 6 |  Saskatchewan Huskies |
1 | 5 | .167 |
| 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 |
| 3 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men |
1 | 2 | .333 |
| 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.