2024-25 Men's Hockey Season Preview
On October 4, the Dalhousie Tigers will return to the ice to begin their 2024-2025 season in the AUS, taking on two-time defending national champions in conference rivals UNB at the Halifax Forum at 7pm ADT.
The Tigers will look to snap the four-game losing streak that closed the season to get right back on the front foot.
Dalhousie will look to improve upon their 7-21-2 record from last season but will have their work cut out for them in the particularly strong AUS conference. October and January were strong months for the Dal team, netting three wins apiece in those intervals, but faltering outside of these periods. The Tigers will look for another good start this year.
Returning for another year are the second and fourth top scorers from last season in second-year forwards Alec Belanger (Quebec City, QC) and Joseph Serpa (Cambridge, ON). Belanger was a phenom last year as he took home the team’s MVP award while also being honoured as Rookie of the Year.
Behind the bench, head coach Chris Donnelly is back for his 12th season. Donnelly was honoured as U SPORTS and AUS Coach of the Year in 2021-2022 and will surely be in the conversation for this recognition again should he lead this team into the postseason.
Tigers fans can expect to see a lot of new faces this year as the team sports eight rookies, spanning from goalie Giovacchio DiMattia (Halifax, NS) to defencemen Jared Cosman (Grand Bay Westfield, NB), Quinn Miles (Newport, NS) and Zach Welsh (Halifax, NS), along with forwards Ryan Del Monte (Mississauga, ON), Colin MacDougall (Carlisle, ON), Paul Hughs (Ottawa, ON) and Colin Parker (Newport, NS). These additions to the squad will be asked to do a lot of heavy lifting if Dalhousie intends to make a playoff push deep into the season.