Puck drop at the 2025 Steel Blade Classic will signal more than a showdown between rival teams; it will kick off the milestone 60th season for Brock University's men's hockey team.
The Badgers will face off against the Guelph Gryphons at the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the beloved Homecoming and community tradition are available on Ticketmaster for $35.
The Brock team has been a source of community spirit and unforgettable memories for generations of student-athletes, coaches and fans.
The story of Brock hockey begins in the 1960s, when young coach Ed Davis was tasked by the University's founding President James Gibson with launching a men's hockey team on a budget of only $1,000.
The Generals, as they were known then, held their first training camp in the fall 1966.
A year later, Davis and Arnie Lowenberger, Brock's first Dean of Students and former Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education, negotiated Brock's entry into the Ontario Universities Athletic Association (OUAA), placing a school of only 760 students against established powerhouses such as the University of Toronto and Western University.
"Little did I know that 59 years later, the University would have one of the best hockey programs in Canada and have their own arena," said Davis. "To see the program grow and succeed has given me a great deal of pride and a feeling of accomplishment."
Davis' name lives on through the men's hockey Most Valuable Player Award and the scholarship he established to support future Badgers.
By the 1970s, Brock hockey was carving out its identity.
Among the players who helped shape those years was Dave Burt (BPhEd '77, BEd '78), who captained the Badgers from 1975 to 1978. He led the team in scoring twice and was named Brock's Most Valuable Player in 1974-75 and 1975-76. He earned recognition across the OUAA as a Second Team All-Star in 1975-76, a First Defensive Team All-Star in 1976-77 and, in his final season, was named Brock's Male Athlete of the Year (1977-78).
Looking back, Burt remembers the privilege of playing under coaches John Nickerson and Lorne Adams and the bonds formed with teammates that have lasted a lifetime.
"Being a member of the Brock Badgers' first playoff team will always be a great highlight," Burt said. "Special friendships always develop from teammates. That is what always brings me back to Brock."
The 1980s brought increased competitiveness.
Forward Daryl Clancy (BA '86), named Rookie of the Year in 1980, still recalls the thrill of upsetting nationally ranked opponents and the program's move to the Thorold arena.
"Beating both Queen's and Guelph when they were ranked in the top 10 nationally was an awesome experience," Clancy said. "Moving to Thorold arena and having our own dressing room helped build the foundation for what the program stands for today."
The program continued to grow during the tenure of head coach Michael Pelino (1987-97). He guided the Badgers to 106 wins over 10 seasons and became the program's winningest coach at the time, a distinction later surpassed by Murray Nystrom (1998-2017).
Pelino went on to coach internationally, supporting Team Canada's 2002 Olympic gold medal run and Canada's gold medal wins at the 2003 World Championships and the 2004 World Championships. He continued his professional coaching career as an Assistant Coach with the NHL's New York Rangers from 2005 to 2009.
Pelino said he "immensely enjoyed" his time at Brock, which has left him with many great memories, from team trips to Switzerland, Germany and Italy to hosting Team Canada, beating the Golden Horseshoe Junior B All-Star team and playing in front of packed arenas where fans filled every seat and even sat on the steps.
"Maybe the best part of my 10 years at Brock is when I bump into someone from those years or being able to stay in touch with so many of the former players I had the pleasure of coaching," he said. "I remember them all."
