Over the holidays, Canada’s National Junior hockey team took to training camp with high hopes of ending their six-year drought sans a gold medal. Although yesterday’s disappointing 4-3 loss to the United States keeps the elusive medaille d’or out of reach for another year, the pre-tournament training left an impact in more ways than one.
Every year, in preparation to play the world’s best juniors, a group of the finest intercollegiate hockey players in Ontario is selected to compete in two exhibition games against Canada’s Junior Nationals. This year U of T Varsity Blues standout centre, Ian Malcolm, was chosen to play on this elite team.
It’s shocking that Malcolm’s name hasn’t graced these pages more often. Since coming to U of T, Malcolm has been the squad’s offensive lifeblood. In his inaugural year, Malcolm tallied an impressive 27 points in 24 games and was named to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) all-rookie team.
Since then, the shifty centre has been U of T’s most consistently outstanding performer. In the 2001-2002 season, Malcolm scored a whopping 41 points including 19 goals in 24 games. Averaging almost two points a game that season, Malcolm led the Blues to the OUA final four and was named a league all-star as well as team MVP and best all-around player.
The following season, Malcolm led the Blues in scoring again, collecting 32 points in 24 games. Once again he was named the team’s most valuable player, and the team reached the OUA final four for the second consecutive year. However, as in previous years, Malcolm and the veteran-laden Blues were once again denied a berth in the National Championships–a place the U of T team has not been since 1993.
Last year’s loss was a big disappointment for the Blues, who have bowed out of the OUA tournament at the same point for three consecutive seasons.
At present, Malcolm sits 15th in OUA scoring with 10 goals and 16 points in 12 games. He is the only Blues member in the league’s top 30 point-getters so far this season. Being on a team with as many as 13 first-year players in the lineup in any given game, Malcolm is responsible for shouldering a big chunk of the offensive load.
Both fast and incredibly shifty, the Blues’ number 22 is dangerous on the power play and in open ice. At 5’9 Maclolm is a scrappy player and much of his production is divided between dazzling dashes to the net off the rush, and hard-fought battles around the opponents’ goal. With his versatility and natural ability to create opportunities, he has been a large part of the Blues’ success in recent seasons.
Before the onset of “Y” course midterms this year, the Varsity Blues pucksters amassed a record of 2-7-2-1. Not impressive, to be sure, but those numbers account for the most difficult games of their schedule. With tough match-ups against high-ranking Western and Far Eastern division teams over with, the Blues will have an easier time in the new year. If they are to return to the .500 mark this season, it’s likely Malcolm will have a lot to do with it. As one of the few veterans on the team, the two-time team MVP and league all-star will be counted on in a big way to help the Blues get back into the win column.
Much like the aforementioned National Juniors, the Varsity Blues hockey club has a streak of its own to try and break. Men’s hockey players from this school haven’t competed at the nationals since 1993. What’s more, the team hasn’t won the big shinny trophy since 1980, when current head coach Darren Lowe was a player.
Despite the dismal record up to this point, the Blues aren’t without their shot at breaking out of this slump. Sure, a national title might seem out of reach for this youthful squad, but playing in a division with weak sisters Queen’s, Ryerson, and RMC, the Blues are almost guaranteed a spot in the OUA tournament. And in a single elimination showdown, anything can happen. For Malcolm this might be the opportunity to help his team do just what his former National Junior opponents have yet to do-: to lead his team to a place they’ve not been in quite a while.
