EDMONTON - For the 52nd time in their history, and 16th time on home ice, the Golden Bears Hockey team will battle an international opponent on Tuesday night at Clare Drake Arena. This matchup, however, may have more significance than any of the 51 previous international games, as the Bears are to host the Ukrainian U25 National Team for the third leg of the Hockey Can't Stop Tour.
 

GAME TICKETS

 

GAME WEBCAST LINK

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at on Tuesday night, with ticket sale profits will be sent to the Canada/Ukraine Foundation, which provides assistance to humanitarian groups in Ukraine and Canada. The Foundation will disperse the majority of funds to Save Ukrainian Hockey Dream, a charitable foundation operated by the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation with the assistance of the IIHF.

Games against the Universities of Calgary, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provide Ukraine with the opportunity to play and prepare for the upcoming Winter University Games while raising money for Ukrainian communities torn apart by war.

The first night of the Hockey Can't Stop Tour saw the Saskatchewan Huskies earn a 2-0 win over the Ukrainians in Saskatoon on Friday night in front of over 2,300 fans. Along with ticket revenue supporting the Canada/Ukraine Foundation, UofA Athletics will also have Ukraine merchandise for sale on Tuesday at Clare Drake Arena.

THINGS TO KNOW

1) The Ukrainian U25 National Team arrived in Western Canada late last week. After beginning their travels from Kyiv, Ukraine, the team made stops in Warsaw, Munich, and Toronto before arriving in Saskatoon. The Ukrainian contingent will arrive in Edmonton early on Tuesday morning. 

2) The Axios Men's Ensemble will perform the Canadian and Ukrainian anthems prior to the start of Tuesday night's contest. The choir has staged concerts across Canada and the United States, including a performance at the Edmonton Oilers vs Montreal Canadiens game on March 5, 2022. 

3) Following the Hockey Can't Stop Tour, the Ukrainian U25 National Team will travel to Lake Placid, New York for the 2023 FISU (International University Sports Federation) Winter World University Games. The University of Alberta will be represented in New York by the Pandas Curling team, as well as Pandas Hockey forward Madison Willan. 

4) This will be the Bears first game against an international opponent since December of 2011, when the Bears hosted the Danish Jr. National Team for a pair of games prior to the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. The Bears are 35-15-1 all-time versus international opponents, and 6-8-1 on home ice. This will be the Bears first ever game against a team from the Ukraine. 

5) The Bears head into 2023 sitting second in Canada West with a 13-4-1 record, trailing only the Calgary Dinos in the Canada West standings. Rookie Jakin Smallwood leads the Bears with 26 points in 18 games, while fellow freshman Ethan Kruger leads the conference with a 1.85 GAA to go along with a 6-1-0 record.