Before competing at the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games, the Under-25 Ukrainian men’s ice hockey team embarked on a pre-tournament tour through western Canada known as the “Hockey Can’t Stop Tour.” Organized to help the team prepare and to support Ukrainian hockey, the tour features games against four top-10-ranked Canadian university teams: the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta, and the University of Manitoba.
The matches have drawn enthusiastic crowds to sold-out arenas across the Canadian prairies. In the first three matchups, the host universities secured victories: a 2-0 win by the Saskatchewan Huskies, a 3-1 win by the Calgary Dinos, and a 5-1 triumph by the Alberta Golden Bears. The final game of the tour against the University of Manitoba Bisons is scheduled for January 9 before the Ukrainian team travels to Lake Placid.
Ukrainian players, such as goal scorer Mykhailo Simchuk, have expressed deep appreciation for the support from Canadian fans and teams, noting that the tour provides vital preparation for the FISU Games while also raising funds for the future of Ukrainian hockey.
Beyond athletic preparation, proceeds from ticket sales are directed to the Canada/Ukraine Foundation to support humanitarian efforts. The majority of these funds will go to the “Save Ukrainian Hockey Dream” charitable foundation—operated by the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine with International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) support—to assist Ukrainian players globally, fund training programs, and rebuild damaged arenas.
At the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games, Ukraine’s opening game on January 12 will be against Canada, marking Ukraine’s first appearance at the FISU Games since 2013 in Trentino. Several players and coaches from the Canadian universities they faced on the tour will also be participating in Lake Placid to represent Canada. Historically, Ukraine has won two men’s ice hockey medals at the FISU Games: a gold in 1999 in Poprad-Tatry, Slovakia, and a bronze in 2001 in Zakopane, Poland.
