David Johnston University Cup
# David Johnston University Cup

The David Johnston University Cup is a national collegiate sports award, presented annually to the champion of a season-ending tournament played by U Sports men's ice hockey teams in Canada. The UNB Reds are the current champions for the 2022–23 season. The Alberta Golden Bears have won the most championships with 16, and have also appeared in another eight finals.

Originally called the CIAU University Cup in 1962, when Canada's national university sports organization changed its own name, the trophy was also renamed, to the CIS University Cup in 2002, then the U Sports University Cup in 2016. The trophy's name was changed on March 13, 2018, to honour David Johnston, a few months after he finished his service as Governor General of Canada.

The 2020 championship tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic after two quarter-final games had already been played. On October 15, 2020, the 2021 inception was also cancelled. The most recent tournament was held March 16–19, 2023 at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

## History

The trophy was presented to U SPORTS, then known as the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU), for presentation to a national champion starting with the 1962–63 season, by Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada. These two schools, located in Kingston, Ontario, had been the participants in the first organized interuniversity hockey game, played in Kingston in 1885. The cup is meant to recognize the overall contribution made to the game of hockey by outstanding university players.

The CIAU changed its name to Canadian Interuniversity Sport (renaming the trophy the CIS University Cup) in 2001, and again in October 2016 to U SPORTS (renaming the trophy the U SPORTS University Cup).

On March 13, 2018, U SPORTS renamed the cup the David Johnston University Cup in honour of David Johnston, former Governor General of Canada.

The original University Cup is located at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and does not travel publicly. A replica was created with a less ornate cup in 2006. Between 2006 and 2015, the trophy has been modified after several repairs - the metal bowl is now of simpler design, and mounts more flush to the main wooden portion. The two handles that used to be attached to the bowl, and frequently broke off, were removed. An additional black wooden ring was added to the bottom of the trophy in order to incorporate more school shields, as an engraved metal shield, with diagonal stripes in the winning school's colours, is added to the trophy every year.

With the completion of the 2022–23 championship, 27 different teams have played in the national championship final (however Sir George Williams University merged with Loyola College in 1974 to create Concordia University, so it could be described as 26 different teams). In all, 17 different teams have won the national championship.

The Alberta Golden Bears hold the record of 16 championship wins, as well as the record of 24 championship final appearances. The Toronto Varsity Blues hold the record of 5 consecutive championship trophy wins, from 1969 through 1973, but have not returned to the tournament since 1993, when they suffered the second most lopsided loss in a UCup final, 12–1. Alternatively, during their power years, winning 9 UCups in the 1960s and 1970s, the Blues were the victors in the overall most lopsided final, winning 16–2 in 1967. In the seven years from 2013 through 2019, only the Alberta Golden Bears (3 wins) or the UNB Reds (4 wins) won the championship. The currently dominant UNB Reds have won four of the last six UCups.

The winningest coach is Tom Watt, whom, at the helm as the Toronto Varsity Blues, won nine University Cup championships between 1966 and 1977. Current UNB Reds coach Gardiner MacDougall sits second with eight UCup wins between 2007 and 2023, while Clare Drake is third, coaching the Alberta Golden Bears to six University Cup championships between 1964 and 1986.

## Tournament formats

### Pre 1998

A varying number of tournament formats had been used prior to 1998. Towards the end of this era, the common format was a 4-team single elimination event between the four conference champions: AUS (called the AUAA at the time - Atlantic University Athletic Association), CW (called the CWUAA at the time - Canada West Universities Athletic Association) and OUA East & West (called the OUAA at the time - Ontario Universities Athletics Association), with the Top 10 ranking determining the opponents in the semi-finals (1v4 and 2v3). In most cases, the semi-finals were on Saturday with the championship game on Sunday. Games were hosted at Varsity Arena in Toronto. In some events, the finals were at Maple Leaf Gardens

### 1998 to 2014

Starting in 1998, the CIS changed the format of the University Cup tournament to a six-team/two-pool tournament that would be hosted by a CIS member institution/team rather than in Toronto at Varsity Arena. The host would automatically be included in the tournament leaving five spots for regional representatives. The three conference champions and OUA Queen's Cup Runner-up would automatically be included with the fifth spot as a rotating 'wild-card' team. The University of Saskatchewan Huskies won the bid to host the first three (3) tournaments: 1998, 1999 and 2000.

The wild-card selection was initially chosen based on a static rotation through each conference starting with the AUS in 1998 followed by the OUA and CW, repeating on a tri-year cycle. Due to the random nature of the host bidding process, some tournaments saw more local teams then expected when the host advanced as a conference champion. It was possible for CW or AUS hosts to have 3 teams from their conference or 4 teams in the case of an OUA host who was also a champion. To reduce the local bias, the rotation selection rule was changed prior to the 2009 season - the wild-card would now only come from a non-host conference while maintaining the rotation. In 2009 the OUA was the host conference (Lakehead University) and should have also been the original wild-card conference, instead the AUS provided the wild-card. This rule remained in effect until the format changed in 2015 to 8 teams.

### 2015 to present

Starting in 2015, the tournament expanded from six to eight teams and moved from a two-pool format to a single-elimination competition (quarter-finals, semifinals and gold-medal final plus a bronze-medal game).

The eight teams competing include the four regional conference champions: AUS, Canada West, OUA West and OUA East (where the three men's hockey teams from the RSEQ compete). The remaining four teams are: the host, the Canada West runner-up, the AUS runner-up and the OUA 3rd-place finisher (bronze medalist). The 'natural' conference champions are seeded 1–3; AUS, CW and OUA Queen's Cup Champion (in ranked order). The OUA Queen's Cup Finalist is always seed No. 4. The remaining teams are seeded 5–7, all based on the pre-tournament Top 10 Ranking Poll with the expectation that the host is likely 8th.

A joint bid from St. Francis Xavier University and Saint Mary's University was selected to host the first two events using this format; 2015 (St. FX as the host) and 2016 (SMU as the host). U Sports evaluated those two events and continues to use this tournament format.

## Champions

Cup champions :

| Year | Location | Host university | Champion | Score | Runner-up |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1963 | Kingston, Ontario | Queen's & RMC | McMaster Marlins (1) | 3-2 | UBC Thunderbirds |
| 1964 | Kingston, Ontario | Queen's & RMC | Alberta Golden Bears (1) | 9-1 | Sir George Williams Georgians |
| 1965 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Manitoba | Manitoba Bisons (1) | 9-2 | St. Dunstan's Saints |
| 1966 | Sudbury, Ontario | Laurentian | Toronto Varsity Blues (1) | 8-1 | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1967 | Calgary, Alberta | Calgary & Alberta | Toronto Varsity Blues (2) | 16-2 | Laurentian Voyageurs |
| 1968 | Montreal, Quebec | Sir George Williams, Loyola & MacDonald | Alberta Golden Bears (2) | 5-4 | Loyola Warriors |
| 1969 | Edmonton, Alberta | Alberta | Toronto Varsity Blues (3) | 4-2 | Sir George Williams Georgians |
| 1970 | Charlottetown, PEI | UPEI | Toronto Varsity Blues (4) | 3-2 | Saint Mary's Huskies |
| 1971 | Sudbury, Ontario | Laurentian | Toronto Varsity Blues (5) | 5-4 | Saint Mary's Huskies |
| 1972 | Sherbrooke, Quebec | Bishops's & Sherbrooke | Toronto Varsity Blues (6) | 5-0 | Saint Mary's Huskies |
| 1973 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Toronto Varsity Blues (7) | 3-2 | Saint Mary's Huskies |
| 1974 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Waterloo Warriors (1) | 6-5 | Sir George Williams Georgians |
| 1975 | Edmonton, Alberta | Alberta | Alberta Golden Bears (3) | 5-2 | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| 1976 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Toronto Varsity Blues (8) | 7-2 | Guelph Gryphons |
| 1977 | Edmonton, Alberta | Alberta | Toronto Varsity Blues (9) | 4-1 | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1978 | Moncton, New Brunswick | Moncton | Alberta Golden Bears (4) | 6-5 | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| 1979 | Montreal, Quebec | Concordia | Alberta Golden Bears (5) | 5-1 | Dalhousie Tigers |
| 1980 | Regina, Saskatchewan | Regina | Alberta Golden Bears (6) | 7-3 | Regina Cougars |
| 1981 | Calgary, Alberta | Calgary | Moncton Aigles Bleus (1) | 4-2 | Saskatchewan Huskies |
| 1982 | Moncton, New Brunswick | Moncton | Moncton Aigles Bleus (2) | 3-2 | Saskatchewan Huskies |
| 1983 | Moncton, New Brunswick | Moncton | Saskatchewan Huskies (1) | 6-2 | Concordia Stingers |
| 1984 | Trois-Rivières, Quebec | UQTR | Toronto Varsity Blues (10) | 9-1 | Concordia Stingers |
| 1985 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | York Yeomen (1) | 3-2 | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1986 | Edmonton, Alberta | Alberta | Alberta Golden Bears (7) | 5-2 | UQTR Patriotes |
| 1987 | Edmonton, Alberta | Alberta | UQTR Patriotes (1) | 6-3 | Saskatchewan Huskies |
| 1988 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | York Yeomen (2) | 5-3 | Western Ontario Mustangs |
| 1989 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | York Yeomen (3) | 5-2 | Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks |
| 1990 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Moncton Aigles Bleus (3) | 2-1 | Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks |
| 1991 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | UQTR Patriotes (2) | 7-2 | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1992 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Alberta Golden Bears (8) | 5-2 | Acadia Axemen |
| 1993 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Acadia Axemen (1) | 12-1 | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| 1994 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Lethbridge Pronghorns (1) | 5-2 | Guelph Gryphons |
| 1995 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Moncton Aigles Bleus (4) | 5-1 | Guelph Gryphons |
| 1996 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Acadia Axemen (2) | 3-2 | Waterloo Warriors |
| 1997 | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | Guelph Gryphons (1) | 4-3 | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 1998 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan | UNB Varsity Reds (1) | 6-3 | Acadia Axemen |
| 1999 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan | Alberta Golden Bears (9) | 6-2 | Moncton Aigles Bleus |
| 2000 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan | Alberta Golden Bears (10) | 5-4 (2OT) | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 2001 | Waterloo, Ontario | Guelph, Laurier & Waterloo | UQTR Patriotes (3) | 5-4 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men |
| 2002 | Waterloo, Ontario | Guelph, Laurier & Waterloo | Western Ontario Mustangs (1) | 4-3 (3OT) | UQTR Patriotes |
| 2003 | Fredericton, New Brunswick | UNB | UQTR Patriotes (4) | 3-0 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men |
| 2004 | Fredericton, New Brunswick | UNB | St. Francis Xavier X-Men (1) | 3-2 (2OT) | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 2005 | Edmonton, Alberta | Alberta | Alberta Golden Bears (11) | 4-3 (OT) | Saskatchewan Huskies |
| 2006 | Edmonton, Alberta | Alberta | Alberta Golden Bears (12) | 3-2 | Lakehead Thunderwolves |
| 2007 | Moncton, New Brunswick | Moncton | UNB Varsity Reds (2) | 3-2 (2OT) | Moncton Aigles Bleus |
| 2008 | Moncton, New Brunswick | Moncton | Alberta Golden Bears (13) | 3-2 | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 2009 | Thunder Bay, Ontario | Lakehead | UNB Varsity Reds (3) | 4-2 | Western Ontario Mustangs |
| 2010 | Thunder Bay, Ontario | Lakehead | Saint Mary's Huskies (1) | 3-2 (OT) | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2011 | Fredericton, New Brunswick | UNB | UNB Varsity Reds (4) | 4-0 | McGill Redmen |
| 2012 | Fredericton, New Brunswick | UNB | McGill Redmen (1) | 4–3 (OT) | Western Ontario Mustangs |
| 2013 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan | UNB Varsity Reds (5) | 2-0 | Saint Mary's Huskies |
| 2014 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan | Alberta Golden Bears (14) | 3-1 | Saskatchewan Huskies |
| 2015 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | StFX | Alberta Golden Bears (15) | 6-3 | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 2016 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Saint Mary's | UNB Varsity Reds (6) | 3-1 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men |
| 2017 | Fredericton, New Brunswick | UNB | UNB Varsity Reds (7) | 5-3 | Saskatchewan Huskies |
| 2018 | Fredericton, New Brunswick | UNB | Alberta Golden Bears (16) | 4-2 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men |
| 2019 | Lethbridge, Alberta | Lethbridge | UNB Reds (8) | 4-2 | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2020 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Acadia | Cancelled after first two (of eight) games due to COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled after first two (of eight) games due to COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled after first two (of eight) games due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Charlottetown, PEI | UPEI | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2022 | Wolfville, Nova Scotia | Acadia | UQTR Patriotes (5) | 5-4 (2OT) | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2023 | Charlottetown, PEI | UPEI | UNB Reds (9) | 3-0 | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2024 | Toronto, ON | TMU | | | |
| 2025 | Ottawa, ON | Ottawa | | | |

* ↑ UNB Reds shortened their name from UNB Varsity Reds as of 2018

## University Cup Final appearances

These tables rank appearances in the final championship game.

### By team

Appearances by team :

| Appearances | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 24 | Alberta Golden Bears | 16 | 8 | .666 |
| 13 | Toronto Varsity Blues | 10 | 3 | .769 |
| 14 | UNB Reds | 9 | 5 | .643 |
| 7 | Saskatchewan Huskies | 1 | 6 | .142 |
| 6 | Moncton Aigles Bleus | 4 | 2 | .666 |
| 7 | UQTR Patriotes | 5 | 2 | .714 |
| 6 | Saint Mary's Huskies | 1 | 5 | .167 |
| 5 | St. Francis Xavier X-Men | 1 | 4 | .200 |
| 4 | Acadia Axemen | 2 | 2 | .500 |
| 4 | Guelph Gryphons | 1 | 3 | .250 |
| 4 | Western Mustangs | 1 | 3 | .250 |
| 3 | York Lions | 3 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 3 | Sir George Williams Georgians | 0 | 3 | .000 |
| 2 | McGill Team | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| 2 | Waterloo Warriors | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| 2 | Concordia Stingers | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| 2 | Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| 1 | Lethbridge Pronghorns | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 1 | Manitoba Bisons | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 1 | McMaster Marauders | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 1 | Dalhousie Tigers | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Lakehead Thunderwolves | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Laurentian Voyageurs | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Loyola Warriors | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Regina Cougars | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | St. Dunstan's Saints | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | UBC Thunderbirds | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 118 | Total for 27 teams | 59 | 59 | |

* ↑ UNB Reds shortened their name from UNB Varsity Reds as of 2018
* 1 2 3 Sir George Williams University merged with Loyola College in 1974 to create Concordia University.
* ↑ St. Dunstan's University merged with Prince of Wales College in 1969 to form the University of Prince Edward Island.

### By team's province

Appearances by team's province :

| Appearances | Province | Teams | Wins | Losses | Win % |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 31 | Ontario | 9 | 17 | 14 | .548 |
| 25 | Alberta | 2 | 17 | 8 | .680 |
| 20 | New Brunswick | 2 | 13 | 7 | .650 |
| 16 | Nova Scotia | 4 | 4 | 12 | .250 |
| 15 | Quebec | 5 | 6 | 9 | .400 |
| 8 | Saskatchewan | 2 | 1 | 7 | .125 |
| 1 | Manitoba | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 1 | British Columbia | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Prince Edward Island | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 118 | Total for 9 provinces | 27 | 59 | 59 | |

The only province missing from this list, Newfoundland and Labrador, has only one U SPORTS member, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Memorial dropped their varsity men's hockey team after the 1981–82 season.

## Tournament location

### By city

Tournament locations by city :

| City | Hosted | Most recent |
| - | - | - |
| Toronto, Ontario | 14 | 1997 |
| Edmonton, Alberta | 7 | 2006 |
| Fredericton, New Brunswick | 6 | 2018 |
| Moncton, New Brunswick | 5 | 2008 |
| Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | 5 | 2014 |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | 3 | 2020 |
| Calgary, Alberta | 2 | 1981 |
| Kingston, Ontario | 2 | 1964 |
| Montreal, Quebec | 2 | 1979 |
| Sudbury, Ontario | 2 | 1971 |
| Thunder Bay, Ontario | 2 | 2010 |
| Waterloo, Ontario | 2 | 2002 |
| Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island | 2 | 2023 |
| Lethbridge, Alberta | 1 | 2019 |
| Regina, Saskatchewan | 1 | 1980 |
| Sherbrooke, Quebec | 1 | 1972 |
| Trois-Rivières, Quebec | 1 | 1984 |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | 1 | 1965 |
| Wolfville, Nova Scotia | 1 | 2022 |
| Total for 19 Cities | 60 | 2023 |

* ↑ Halifax includes 2020, as it did host the teams and the first two (of eight) games before the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
* ↑ Charlottetown does not include 2021, as the tournament was cancelled in its entirety, five months before its scheduled start, due to the COVID-19 pandemic

### By province

Tournament locations by province :

| Province | Hosted | Most recent |
| - | - | - |
| Ontario | 22 | 2010 |
| New Brunswick | 11 | 2018 |
| Alberta | 10 | 2019 |
| Saskatchewan | 6 | 2014 |
| Quebec | 4 | 1984 |
| Nova Scotia | 4 | 2022 |
| Manitoba | 1 | 1965 |
| Prince Edward Island | 2 | 2023 |
| Total for 8 Provinces | 60 | 2023 |

British Columbia is the only province to have a team play in the championship final (UBC Thunderbirds were runners-up in the original 1963 competition, nothing else since then), but to never host the championships. The other province missing from this list, Newfoundland and Labrador, had not yet hosted yet when it withdrew from varsity men's hockey after the 1981–82 season.

## Major W.J. "Danny" McLeod Award

In addition to the University Cup, the Major W.J. "Danny" McLeod Award is presented following the conclusion of the tournament to the individual deemed Most Valuable Player.

Major McLeod was the overall athletic director at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), was the coach of RMC's ice hockey team, and simultaneously coached two Kingston teams in the Ontario Hockey Association – the Kingston Frontenacs (Junior B) and the Kingston Aces (Senior A). McLeod was instrumental in establishing the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU) in 1961, operating the CIAU from his office at RMC as the first CIAU Secretary-Treasurer. He helped create the national university ice hockey championship tournament, which was hosted by RMC for its first two years (1963 and 1964).

Major W.J. "Danny" McLeod Award winners :

| Year | Player | Position | Team |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1963 | Bill Mahoney | Forward | McMaster Marlins |
| 1964 | Dave Dies | Defenceman | Sir George Williams Georgians |
| 1965 | no MVP selected | no MVP selected | no MVP selected |
| 1966 | Tom Purser | Goaltender | St. Francis Xavier X-Men |
| 1967 | (data, if any, unavailable) | (data, if any, unavailable) | (data, if any, unavailable) |
| 1968 | Ron Cebryk | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1969 | John Wright | Forward | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| 1970 | Chuck Goddard | Goaltender | Saint Mary's Huskies |
| 1971 | Ron Hindson | Forward | Saint Mary's Huskies |
| 1972 | John Wright | Forward | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| 1973 | Gord Davies | Forward | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| 1974 | Bernie Wolfe | Goaltender | Sir George Williams Georgians |
| 1975 | Dale Henwood | Goaltender | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1976 | Kent Ruhnke | Forward | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| 1977 | Rocci Pagnello | Defenceman | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| 1978 | Kevin Primeau | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1979 | Dave Hindmarch | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1980 | Chris Helland | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1981 | Benoit Fortier | Goaltender | Moncton Aigles Bleus |
| 1982 | Alain Grenier | Forward | Moncton Aigles Bleus |
| 1983 | Willie Desjardins | Forward | Saskatchewan Huskies |
| 1984 | André Hidi | Forward | Toronto Varsity Blues |
| 1985 | Don McLaren | Forward | York Yeomen |
| 1986 | Dennis Cranston | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1987 | Marc Gervais | Forward | UQTR Patriotes |
| 1988 | Brian Gray | Forward | York Yeomen |
| 1989 | Mark Applewhaite | Goaltender | York Yeomen |
| 1990 | Rob Dopson | Goaltender | Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks |
| 1991 | Denis Desbiens | Goaltender | UQTR Patriotes |
| 1992 | Garth Premak | Defenceman | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 1993 | George Dupont | Forward | Acadia Axemen |
| 1994 | Trevor Ellerman | Forward | Lethbridge Pronghorns |
| 1995 | Dominic Rhéaume | Forward | Moncton Aigles Bleus |
| 1996 | Greg Clancy | Forward | Acadia Axemen |
| 1997 | Matt Mullin | Goaltender | Guelph Gryphons |
| 1998 | Chris Zanutto | Defenceman | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 1999 | Cam Danyluk | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2000 | Kevin Marsh | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2001 | Alexandre Tremblay | Forward | UQTR Patriotes |
| 2002 | Mike D'Alessandro | Goaltender | Western Ontario Mustangs |
| 2003 | Éric Desjardins | Goaltender | UQTR Patriotes |
| 2004 | Mike Mole | Goaltender | St. Francis Xavier X-Men |
| 2005 | Ben Thomson | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2006 | Harlan Anderson | Defenceman | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2007 | Yvan Busque | Forward | Moncton Aigles Bleus |
| 2008 | Ian McDonald | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2009 | Lachlan MacIntosh | Forward | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 2010 | Andrew Hotham | Defenceman | Saint Mary's Huskies |
| 2011 | Luke Gallant | Defenceman | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 2012 | Francis Verreault-Paul | Forward | McGill Redmen |
| 2013 | Tyler Carroll | Forward | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 2014 | Derek Hulak | Forward | Saskatchewan Huskies |
| 2015 | Kruise Reddick | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2016 | Philippe Halley | Forward | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 2017 | Philippe Maillet | Forward | UNB Varsity Reds |
| 2018 | Stephane Legault | Forward | Alberta Golden Bears |
| 2019 | Alex Dubeau | Goaltender | UNB Reds |
| 2020 | Not awarded, only two (of 8) games played due to COVID-19 pandemic | Not awarded, only two (of 8) games played due to COVID-19 pandemic | Not awarded, only two (of 8) games played due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic | No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic | No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2022 | Alexis Gravel | Goaltender | UQTR Patriotes |
| 2023 | Samuel Richard | Goaltender | UNB Reds |

* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Award winner was not from that year's Cup-winning champion
* 1 2 John Wright is the only multiple-time winner of the Award (1969, 1972)
* ↑ UNB Reds shortened their name from UNB Varsity Reds as of 2018
