REDS Trio FISU Games Bound
(FREDERICTON, NB) Three members of the Atlantic University Sport-leading UNB REDS men’s hockey team will join the U SPORTS team that will represent Canada at the 2025 FISU Winter University Games, in Torino, Italy.
The games take place January 13th through 23rd.
Goaltender Samuel Richard, defenceman Kale McCallum, and forward Benjamin Corbeil will don the Team Canada jersey for the event.
“It’s going to be the first time for me,” said Corbeil, who at the holiday break, leads the country in assists and co-leads (with teammate Peter Reynolds) U SPORTS in points. “I’m really excited for that and really happy about that.”
“It’s going to be a great experience,” he added. “It means a lot, especially considering the work we put in, our fitness training and the work we did during the summer, the great season we had last year and are now continuing this year. Getting to live it with Sammy and Kale is going to be fun.”
Richard, who currently leads all U SPORTS goalies(those who’ve played in at least 12 games) in goals against average, at 1.50, and winning percentage, at 0.875, says his selection to the team is an honour.
“I remember dreaming about wearing a Team Canada jersey when I was just a kid watching the Olympics and the World Junior Championship,” he said. “I’m very excited to go to Italy and represent my country and UNB, along with a great group of student-athletes.”
McCallum, the top scoring defenceman in U SPORTS through the first half of the season, is among the country’s top two in the plus-minus category as well.
Like Corbeil and Richard, he’s looking forward to trading the red, white, and black of UNB for the red, white, and black of Team Canada.
“It’s an honour to wear the maple leaf and to represent your country,” said McCallum. “It's also an honour having the opportunity to represent UNB on the national stage, and we hope to make everyone proud.”
“Each of them has had an exceptional start to the season,” said REDS’ head coach Rob Hennigar, who won a FISU gold medal as a student-athlete in 2007. “Kale has picked up where he left off last season, providing us with offence from the blue line and solid defence. Sam has been rock-solid and provides a calm demeanour for our group. It’s nice to see him get the recognition he deserves by being selected. And Ben has been our most consistent contributor. It’s nice to see him rewarded too, after a great start and coming to camp in the best shape of his career.”
The U SPORTS team will be led by University of Calgary Dinos head coach Mark Howell and will be comprised of five players from the Canada West conference, 12 from the OUA, and six from the AUS.
“The coaching staff is extremely excited about the group of athletes we have put together, who will represent Team Canada,” said Howell. “We have worked diligently to assemble a team that will play a fast, skilled and relentless style of hockey. As always there are some extremely difficult decisions when you are evaluating the top players across the country.”
The team will assemble next week in Ottawa for a two-game series against the national junior team hopefuls.
While the opening ceremonies for the FISU Games don’t take place until January 13th, the hockey competition will begin the day before, on January 12th.
The UNB trio are expected to miss as many as six regular season games during their stint with the U SPORTS team.
STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
FILE PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics