11th Annual Frosty Mug

Date:  Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020
Time:  7pm
Location:  Sleeman Centre (Guelph, ON)
Teams:  Guelph Gryphons (13-5-5) vs Laurier Golden Hawks (9-10-3)
Broadcast:  OUA.tv
 

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GUELPH, Ont. – There is nothing quite like a Frosty Mug crowd. And nobody on the Guelph Gryphons men's hockey roster is better suited to attest to that than fourth-year forward Marc Stevens. The 23-year-old native of Turkey Point, Ontario, who will be suiting up in his final Frosty Mug this week, has played a key role in each of the previous three editions of the marquee event. The social and applied human sciences student has found the back of the net in each of Guelph's last two wins at the Frosty Mug, adding to a long list of fond memories for the talented forward at the downtown Guelph venue. Prior to arriving at the University of Guelph, Marc Stevens spent four seasons calling the Sleeman Centre home during his OHL career with the Guelph Storm (2012-13 to 2015-16). In 2014, Marc was part of a Guelph Storm team that was able to clinch an OHL title on home ice. According to Stevens, the atmosphere in the Sleeman Centre that night was loud. The atmosphere expected this Thursday at an already sold out event has the potential to be even louder as the Gryphons get set to drop the puck on the 11th annual Frosty Mug, presented by Champion Mortgage.
 
"Winning an OHL championship in that building was pretty special, and it was definitely loud in there that night," recalls Stevens, who was named an assistant captain with the Gryphons prior to the start of the 2019-20 season. "But I'm not lying when I say that the students here at Guelph have upped the tempo. It's electric in that building for the Frosty Mug. Maybe even louder than the OHL crowd back in 2014."
 
While Marc Stevens is busy preparing for his fourth and final Frosty Mug, another talented forward on the Gryphon roster is getting ready to make his Frosty Mug debut. ​​​​​​Team captain Mikkel Aagaard spent the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons playing professionally, including stops with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL affiliate of the NHL's Florida Panthers) and the Stockton Heat (AHL affiliate of NHL's Calgary Flames). After joining the Gryphons men's hockey program for the 2018-19 campaign, Aagaard was forced to sit out the majority of the regular season schedule while waiting for his U SPORTS eligibility to clear. On February 1, 2019, Aagaard was finally able to make his University of Guelph debut, meaning he missed out on last year's Frosty Mug by just seven days. The star forward, who won the OUA playoff scoring title last season, is currently tied for 4th in the country in scoring in 2019-20 with 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 23 games played. Aagaard admits that it was tough having to watch from the crowd a season ago to watch his team's most anticipated night of the year. "I remember last year, you could just see the excitement in the guys' eyes throughout that week of practice and heading down the rink that day," says Aagaard, a 24-year-old native of Frederikshavn, Denmark who has represented his country on the biggest international stages during his career. "Not being able to play in this game last year was very tough, so I'm just happy and feel fortunate to be able to be a part of it this year."
 
This Thursday's Frosty Mug serves as the 11th edition of the annual event, with the Gryphons having posted a 6-3-1 record through the previous 10 games. The Gryphons enter this year's edition with a 13-5-5 record and will be looking to avenge a 3-2 shootout loss to Laurier in last year's Frosty Mug as they once again welcome the Golden Hawks to the Sleeman Centre. The Gryphons currently sit in 3rd-place in the 10-team OUA West division, while Laurier is currently clinging to the 8th and final playoff spot in the division. Last season, a Frosty Mug-record crowd of 4,850 fans filled the Sleeman Centre in what was the third-largest attendance ever recorded for an OUA men's hockey conference game. The 2020 edition of the Frosty Mug promises to be produce another memorable crowd, with tickets for the event officially selling out four days prior to puck drop. With just five games remaining on the regular season schedule, both the Gryphons and Golden Hawks will be desperate for the two points with the OUA playoffs just around the corner. And for soon-to-be graduating senior Marc Stevens, the game Thursday night also serves as one last opportunity to take the ice in a truly unique environment.
 
"Everyone on the team has played in front of big crowds before at some point in their careers, but there is nothing like Frosty Mug." adds Stevens. "Having the chance to play in front of so many of your classmates and peers is special. It's definitely one of the most fun games that I've ever had the chance to play in."
 

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LARGEST CROWDS FOR AN OUA MEN'S HOCKEY CONFERENCE GAME  

Rank	Attendance	Date	Opponents	Venue	Location
1	5,346	Oct. 21, 2007	McGill vs Concordia (Corey Cup)	Bell Centre	Montreal, QC
2	5,230	Jan. 29, 2005	Lakehead @ Western	John Labatt Centre	London, ON
3	4,850	Jan. 24, 2019	Laurier @ Guelph (Frosty Mug)	Sleeman Centre	Guelph, ON
4	4,715	Jan. 18, 2018	Laurier @ Guelph (Frosty Mug)	Sleeman Centre	Guelph, ON
5	4,670	Jan. 19, 2017	Laurier @ Guelph (Frosty Mug)	Sleeman Centre	Guelph, ON
6	4,374	Jan. 14, 2016	Western @ Guelph (Frosty Mug)	Sleeman Centre	Guelph, ON

 

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