2015 CIS University Cup

Tournament format

This 2-year bid included a format change that would see 8 teams compete as well as the re-introduction of the bronze medal game. Previous tournaments were a 6-team 2-Pool format that would see one team from each pool advance to the Championship final. This 2-Pool format was introduced in 1998 and had been used for the past 17 years. Instead of a Pool format, a tradition single elimination 8 team bracket would be used and the teams seeded 1-8. The tournament length would be the same (4 days) with two games on each day. The losers of Saturday's Semi-finals would play in the Bronze game - held prior to the Championship final on Sunday.

Tournament ranking

In the previous 6-team 2-Pool format, the conference champions were seeded 1-3 and the remaining three teams were shuffled between the pools based on the CIS balancing criteria to reduce intra-conference match-ups (e.g. when there were only two teams from one conference - they would be placed in separate pools. The lower seeded team, if a conflict arose based on 1-4-6 vs 2-3-5 placement, would be swapped with a lower seeded team in the other pool to maintain the integrity of the draw).

In the new format, the teams would be seeded based on the last CIS Top 10 Poll (the Saturday/Sunday prior to the tournament). The three conference champions would be seeded 1-3 with the order based on their rank. The OUA Runner-up (loser of the Queen's Cup) is seeded 4th, regardless of their rank. The remaining four teams are seeded based on their rank. Teams in the bottom half can be shuffled by 1 spot, up or down, to reduce intra-conference match-ups in the first round (Quarter Finals) while maintaining the integrity of the draw (e.g. if the AUS Champion is seed #1 and the host is an AUS team seeded #8, the AUS host would swap seeds with #7 to avoid an AUS-vs-AUS first round match).

The format change would be reevaluated after the 2-year run in Halifax for subsequent years.

Team selection

The 8 particaptaing teams and their selection criteria are listed below. Each conference will qualify two(2) teams - Champion and Runner-up. The OUA Conference will have an additional selection (3rd-place finisher) and the final selection is the designated host.

University Cup tournament

The eight teams to advance to the tournament are listed below.

Tournament format

The tournament is a traditional 8 team - Single Elimination ladder with Bronze Medal game between the two Semi-final losers. Games that are tied after regulation play a 10min Overtime period following the 3rd period. If there is no score after the first overtime, the ice is cleaned and they will play 20min periods (with ice cleaned between periods) until there is a winner.

The higher seed is the 'Home' team for each game (the home team must wear their 'white' jerseys and will get the last change during stoppages of play).

Overtime

Games that ended in a regulation tie would be resolved solely on 5-on-5 overtime (5 skaters and a goalie for each side) until one team scored. The first overtime period would be 10mn and would start after a 3min rest. Following this period, the ice would be cleaned and subsequent 20min periods would be played.

Record 15th Title

Alberta's victory would be their 15th, the most by any team to date - 5 more than University of Toronto Varsity Blues. It also marked the 5th time they had defended a Championship title (1979, 1980, 2000, 2006 & 2015). The University of Toronto Blues holds the current record for title defenses at 6.

Tournament All-Stars

Kruise Reddick, from the Alberta Golden Bears, was selected as the Major W.J. 'Danny' McLeod Award for CIS University Cup MVP. Reddick had 3 goals (1 in each game) and 1 assist for 4 points and a +3 rating in the tournament.

Joining Reddick on the tournament all-star team were:
Forward Jordan Hickmott (Alberta Golden Bears)
Forward Cam Braes (UNB Varsity Reds)
Defenceman Jesse Craig (Alberta Golden Bears)
Defenceman Jordan Murray (UNB Varsity Reds)
Goalie Andrew D’Agostini (Guelph Gryphons)