They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the 2025–26 season for the Mount Royal University Cougars men’s hockey team gave us plenty to say. From the highs, the lows, and the behind the scenes moments that are caught on camera, the following gallery tells the story of a season that will never be forgotten. 

1. Oct 3 - “Singleton Silences Saskatchewan.”  Cougars' rookie Bowden Singleton hits the fly by line in front of a packed Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatchewan.

2. Oct 4 - “Simmer Saves the Day.”  Riley Sims sprawls to keep the Cougars in it. Sims had to be sharp to lead MRU to their first series win of the young season.

3. Oct 25 - “Teague Takes Over in Overtime.”  Teague Patton caps off a 4-goal comeback over the Manitoba Bisons on the road. 

4. Nov 21- “Locked in.”  Ethan Buenaventura battled through plenty of traffic between the pipes for the Cougars, resulting in a Canada West All Rookie Team nod.

5. Nov 21 - “On the Same Page.”  Cougars connect 9 times in a blowout win over TWU; a win that sparked the Cougars 15-2 stretch for the remainder of the regular season.

6. Nov 29 - “Here We Go Again."  The best rivalry in Canada West, the Cougars and the Dinos split their first matchup of the season. 

7. Jan 9 - “Smile :)” Captain Kyle Walker puts the “Thunder” in Thunderbird.

8. Jan 9 - “Eyes on the Prize.”  Tristan Zandee leads the fly by line as the Cougars cruised past the UBC Thunderbirds.

9. Jan 10 - “Statement Made.”  The Cougars celebrate a sweep over the UBC Thunderbirds, a weekend that put the conference on notice that they were legit contenders.

10. Jan 23 - “Bouch Breaks it.”  Connor Bouchard breaks the Cougars all time goals record.

11. Jan 24 - “All Smiles.”  Cougars rock Regina in a pair of blowout wins. After outscoring Regina 21–3 across both games, the big weekend in Regina not only padded the stat sheets for several players but also sparked Mount Royal’s season-long seven-game win streak.

12. Jan 29 - “The Calm Before the Storm.”  The Cougars and Dinos lineup in front of a record-breaking crowd at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

13. Jan 29 - “The Brains of the Operation."  Head coach Bert Gilling assesses the gameplan from behind the bench. 

14. Jan 29 - “All Eyes on Vaughn.”  Vaughn Watterodt celebrates in front of the U of C student section after drawing first blood for the Cougars at the Crowchild Classic. 

15.  Jan 29 - “Anybody's Ball Game.”  The Cougars line up in Dinos zone with the Crowchild Classic knotted at one.

16. Jan 29 - “Clay Day.”  Canada West Second Team All-Star Clay Hanus celebrates the Crowchild Classic game winner in front of the Cougars bench. 

17. Jan 29 - “The Storm.”  Tensions rise to a climax after the final buzzer sounds at the Crowchild Classic. Cougars would win the Crowchild Classic by a final score of 2-1.

18. Jan 31 - “Shane Stands Alone.”  Shane Farkas backstops the Cougars to a sweep over the U of C on the night where he became the MRU all-time leader in games played by a goalie. 

19. Jan 31 - “It's for the Kids.” A few Cougars sign autographs for some young fans.

20. Feb 13/14 - “The End of an Era.”  The Cougars celebrate the 9 veterans that have defined the most successful era of Cougars Hockey. 

21. Feb 27 - “Lights Out.”  Cougars bench ahead of puck drop for Game 1 of the CW Semi-final.

22. Mar 1 - “Wiens Walks it Off.”  Jayden Wiens scores the series clinching goal to eliminate the U of C Dinos in the Canada West Semifinals.  (Scroll)

23. Mar 6/7 - “A Showdown with Saskatchewan.”  The Cougars squared off with the Huskies in the Canada West Final for the second season in a row. This year marked the first time in program history that Mount Royal hosted the championship. Mount Royal posted record setting attendance numbers during each game of the series. 

24. Mar 19 - “Back on the National Stage.” After qualifying for the second time in program history, the Cougars touch down in Halifax for the University Cup.

25. Mar 19 - “The Heat of Battle.”  Late in the Quarter Final matchup with Windsor, Blake Stevenson and the Cougars fight for their playoff lives. 

26. Mar 19 - “What A Run.”  After one of the most successful regular seasons in program history, Mount Royal's quest for a national title falls short to the hands of the Windsor Lancers. 

In the end, the 2025–26 season marked a major step forward for the MRU men’s hockey program and set a strong foundation for the years ahead. Collectively, this team showed a level of togetherness, toughness, and moxie that few teams have shown before - delivering a true breakthrough on both the conference and national stage.