For Robbie Holmes, the 2024-25 season with the Mount Royal Cougars was a testament to perseverance, resilience, and an unrelenting will to win. The veteran forward, who had endured three consecutive years of playoff heartbreak, finally helped his team break through to the Canada West Finals. And while the Cougars fell just short of a championship, Holmes and his teammates now turn their attention to the U SPORTS National Championship—an opportunity to make history.

Holmes' path to MRU was a mix of familiarity and opportunity. "I think coming to MRU was a little bit like familiarity with being from Alberta, being close to home, as well as it being a smaller school," he said. "Talking to Bert, too, really helped. He was super chill with me and upfront on expectations."

Holmes had a strong season on the ice, tallying 11 goals and 7 assists in just 19 games. However, his journey was far from smooth. After an offseason surgery, Holmes was eager for a healthy year, but fate had other plans. Early in the season, he was sidelined by an illness that forced him to miss four weeks, causing significant weight loss and a challenging road to recovery. "All the guys on our team are very supportive. I don't know what I'd do without them." Holmes reflected on his time away from the team.

Holmes spent December regaining his strength and conditioning. "Thankfully, in December we had a month off. It gave me some time to get back into shape and get my lungs back," he explained. "I gained some more weight, especially with my game. I play a pretty heavy game down low in the corners. There's a lot expected from me physicality-wise. It was a challenge to get back to that."

Despite the setbacks, Holmes returned to form just in time for the playoffs, where he played a crucial role in one of MRU's most memorable victories—defeating the University of Alberta in the Canada West semifinals. "Looking back on it and getting through the semifinals against U of A, who's a really fast, skilled team, it was one of the best series I think we've ever played in," he said. "Just the grit and determination from guys, resilience. Losing that 6-0 game on Saturday and coming back Sunday in a do-or-die game and leaving it all out there."

When the final buzzer sounded in Game 3 of the semifinals, securing MRU's place in the Canada West Finals, the emotions were overwhelming. "It was a sigh of relief. It felt like so much weight just dropped off your shoulders," Holmes said. "I remember Kyle (Walker) coming to the bench after Tarzi (Josh Tarzwell) scored the empty netter and just came and gave me a big hug. Just the amount of joy seen from all the players was really special."

The Cougars then faced the University of Saskatchewan in the Finals, a series that was both physically and emotionally exhausting. Holmes recalled the intensity of the battle. "We were super confident throughout the whole weekend. Even that first game when we were up 3-0 and ended up slipping away from us there at the end. We just thought that we were always going to be the better team and that's what we thought with any team we played against."

Playing in a hostile environment with a championship on the line, MRU fell just short. "The atmosphere there too, going to U of S in that rink, it was electric," Holmes said. "You have the crowd cheering against you… it was pretty hostile. We kind of embraced it all and we gave it everything we got on that Sunday. It was a mix of emotions. Just really proud of the group and all the guys, but at the same time, it stung a lot."

Despite the loss, Holmes and his teammates are using the experience as motivation for the upcoming U SPORTS Championship. "I think Clay said it best—maybe this is what's supposed to happen. Maybe there's a higher purpose for us going into Nationals," he said. "We're just really confident. We're just going to go game by game and get through the first one and then go from there."

Holmes' leadership extends beyond his personal challenges; he has always admired the grit of his teammates. "Looking at the U of S weekend, how physical it was—guys like Kurtis Smythe, our defenseman, Remy Aquilon, Kyle Walker, all those guys were taking beatings and just kept getting back up and playing as hard as they could. It was inspiring for everybody else to do the same thing."

Now, with the one-and-done format of Nationals looming, Holmes understands the urgency. "It's definitely going to be different. I think the mentality is our backs against the wall. We've just got to leave it out every game and see what happens. You can't save anything because you never know if it's going to be your last one."

Holmes has seen it all during his time at MRU—playoff disappointments, injuries, personal struggles, and hard-fought victories. But he believes this year's team has something special. "I think it still has to be that Game 3 against U of A, finally breaking through. The happiness from everybody in the locker room, celebrating with the guys. Also hearing from previous alumni and guys I've played with how happy they were to see us finally get through."

With one last shot at a championship on the national stage, Holmes and the Cougars are ready to prove themselves. "We're still confident and we have a lot of energy going into it," he said. "Now, it's about leaving everything on the ice."

The Cougars men's hockey team will take on the TMU Bold this upcoming Thursday at 11 AM MT in the quarterfinals of the 2025 U SPORTS BioSteel University Cup.

You can catch the game live on CBC or CBC Gem