While the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC) men’s hockey finals take place over the next two weekends, the Portage College Voyageurs will be watching from the sidelines. Two-straight losses to the league’s best team in the best-of-three championship semifinals last weekend wrapped up the college hockey season for the Voyageurs. Despite the outcome, the players can hold their heads high, says their coach.
“The guys, they were great this year and I know they were disappointed, but you know, I think it’s a positive year for them and the College for sure,” said head coach Kevin McClelland, following last Saturday night’s 6-3 loss to the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings in the ACAC semifinals. The loss was the second of the weekend series for the Voyageurs, eliminating them from their furthest playoff run they’ve had since the team was founded in 2008.
A former NHL player and four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Edmonton Oilers, McClelland has been part of the Voyageurs’ coaching staff since 2019. He is proud of the team’s progression over the years. He’s also proud of the entire support system shown through the college and the rural Alberta communities it serves.
“There’s so many great people that work at that college … I talk highly of it all the time when I get on Edmonton Oilers radio shows,” he said, highlighting the educational opportunities as much as the athletic ones. “It’s such a great place to come and play for these athletes. To be able to go to a place like this and get a great education and obviously play hockey at the same time is unbelievable.”
Throughout the 24-game regular season, where the Voyageurs ended up in fourth place of their seven-team ACAC league, the team battled through wins and losses with determination. The team’s perseverance was described several times by players and coaching staff in post-game summaries throughout the season.
“We keep playing the way we do because we keep our good habits this way.”
– Voyageurs forward Aidan Taylor following a split-decision home and home stand against SAIT in January.
“They guys, you know, they’re tough. They play physical, they play hard, they play gritty.”
– Coach Kevin McClelland after their first exhibition game of the 2025-26 season.
“I thought we were bonding well. I think we have good depth… and that depth is something that we’ve been missing.”
-Team captain and graduating 5-year veteran Xavier Halterman after a 5-2 win on Oct. 20 over Augustana to start the regular season.
“When we’re playing our game and making sure that we stick to the things that make us good on five on five…I don’t think there’s too many teams that can keep up with that.“
– Assistant coach Pierre Sparklingeyes after a 3-2 win over the NAIT Ooks on Nov. 7.
“They’re gonna come out hard so we should come out harder and come back and play like we played today, and we’ll be fine.”
– Voyageurs forward Tye Evans after a 7-3 win over Briercrest on Nov. 21.
“It is obvious Kevin and his staff have done an excellent job with this year’s team. They play an excellent team game, compete like their coach did when he played, have some good individual skill, and play a hard checking, but very disciplined, game.”
– Team China coach Perry Pearn after splitting a two-game exhibition weekend with the Voyageurs in late January.
“… we worked really hard and that’s really what got us the results.”
– Voyageurs forward Emrick Paradis after wins in two games of a Feb. 13 weekend series with Briercrest, keeping them in the playoff race.
“It was our goal at the start of the year and we got it done.”
– Voyageurs defenceman Jett McCallum after the Feb. 20 weekend games against Concordia secured a playoff spot.
Just a week after the final buzzer ended the season for the Voyageurs, McClelland and his coaching team are already working on recruiting for the next season. Drawing new players to a rural, small market team may seem like a challenge, but the coach says the personalized learning and the growth of the Portage College athletics program makes it a great option for student-athletes looking to excel in a community and a college that is full of support.
‘It’s a hidden gem as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
Visit the Portage College Voyageurs website.
The ACAC men’s hockey championship finals between Red Deer Polytechnic and the SAIT Trojans began on March 13, with SAIT winning the first in the best-of-five series 7-6. The second game was played on Saturday. Game three will be played on March 20. The final two games, if needed, will be played throughout that weekend. Game results can be found on the ACAC website.