VANCOUVER – When the 2026-27 Canada West Men's Hockey season begins, the UBC Thunderbirds will ice a very different looking squad with the biggest year-to-year turnover in recent memory.
While returning a number of veterans in key positions, the new-look 'Birds will boast three additions to the blue line in Carter Savage, Gabriel Guilbault and Keaton Dowhaniuk along with help in the crease from Brendan Gee, all key pieces to what the program believes will be a physical, skilled and suffocating defensive zone.
"We have some really great defencemen coming back still so you're getting a lot of good people back as well to help with our culture and what things will look like moving forward, we got some really great character and core pieces back there," said UBC head coach,
Sven Butenschon, of what will be a healthy mix of a blue line to start the new season in October.
Carter Savage joins a long list of former Tri-City Americans who have joined the T-Birds, including his former – and now once again – teammate and fellow blue liner,
Alex Serraglio.
A Surrey, B.C. native, Savage returns home to the lower mainland following a distinguished four-year WHL career where he appeared in 226 games, all with the Americans.
Serving as an alternate captain in his final junior season, the 6-foot-3, 201 pound Savage brings plenty to the table on the ice, but just as much off of it.
"Carter was a target of ours really early on just because of his high character and his experience in the WHL," said Butenschon. "We knew he had NCAA teams calling but wouldn't be persuaded by some of those shiny new toys some other guys are going to right now by going down there. He understands how good our league is, he understands what we're doing as a team now and of course getting a degree from a prestigious university all really factored in and we just thought it was a really natural fit for both parties."
"UBC was always the main plan for me, the academics are some of the best around along with the athletic programs," Savage said, echoing his new head coach. "It's important to me to have a backup plan after hockey and UBC seemed like the right decision. It will be great to be back in Vancouver. Being away I learned a lot but there's nothing like home and to be at such a great school like UBC is super exciting."
With 14 points in 49 regular season games last season with the Americans, Savage brings a solid defensive base along with good puck movement and offensive upside to the T-Birds. Along with his big frame and smarts, he figures to be a key piece of UBC's blue line for the long haul.
"I like to play a steady, shutdown game making good defensive plays, blocking shots and being consistent on the penalty kill," Savage added. "Keeping the game simple and moving pucks has been my bread and butter along with using my skating to shut down plays and be good defensively when taking rushes.
"My time with the Americans helped me a ton to grow as a player but also as a person. Through the years I refined my defensive game and skating while still trying to add a little bit of offence. I took pride in being a great penalty killer and team first guy. My final two years I was fortunate enough to play some bigger minutes against other teams' top players."
Adding to the 'Birds' local contingent is Gabriel Guilbault. The 6-foot-2, 185 pound right-shot defenceman is a Burnaby native and returns to Vancouver after splitting last year between the WHL's Kelowna Rockets and Wenatchee Wild.
Guilbault appeared in 64 WHL games over the last two seasons, prior to which he spent two-and-a-half years in the BCHL, producing six goals and 30 assists in 103 total games with the Penticton Vees and Langley Rivermen.
"You're getting a righthanded, puck moving defenceman who has a ton of upside," said Butenschon of what Guilbault will bring to the dressing room. "We're going to try to help him reach his full potential.
"He's someone who has run into some injury problems in junior and could never really get his legs under him because of that, trying to find that rhythm and flow. We have a pretty good track record whether it's
Cyle McNabb or
Liam Kindree coming in with similar backstories."
Once a thorn in the T-Birds' side, Keaton Dowhaniuk is transferring this fall from MacEwan University where he earned a spot on the Canada West All-Rookie squad last season.
"We were able to capitalize on the new transfer opportunities for first and second year kids in Canada with Keaton Dowhaniuk," said Butenschon. "He was a fantastic WHL defencemen, he's rock solid. We faced them a lot last year and he was probably the best player on the ice in a couple of those games. He plays the game the right way. The fact he's had a year of experience in our league, it helps even more and I just think he's going to fit in really well with a couple other guys back there."
With three goals and 15 assists with the Griffins in 2025-26, Dowhaniuk tied for second in Canada West rookie blue line scoring, behind only UBC's
Jace Weir.
A native of Sherwood Park, Alberta, the 6-foot, 185 pound defenceman had a lengthy WHL career that saw him dress in 274 regular season games with 87 points. Spending the majority of his junior years with the Prince George Cougars, Dowhaniuk split his final season between PG, the Red Deer Rebels, Moose Jaw Warriors and the BCHL's Vernon Vipers.
"I'm excited to be part of such a competitive program and to play alongside a great group of players," Dowhaniuk said. "The coaching staff, the culture they've built and the opportunity to compete for championships all stood out to me. I'm also looking forward to living in Vancouver, continuing my education and doing everything I can to help the team succeed.
"UBC is a great fit for me both academically and athletically. I wanted to challenge myself in a strong hockey program while getting a great education and UBC gives me the opportunity to do both. My season at MacEwan helped me adjust to the pace and physicality of U SPORTS hockey. I learned what it takes to compete every night and I think that experience will help me make the transition to UBC and contribute right away."
With the departure of last year's Canada West Goaltender of the Year,
Brett Mirwald, the T-Birds have an opportunity to add to their goaltending group, especially with
Cole Schwebius now heading into his fifth and final year.
As such, Brendan Gee will don the blue and gold having split his final junior year between the Vernon Vipers and the AJHL's Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Prior to his final junior season, Gee spent two years in Wenatchee.
A Vancouver native, Gee went 19-7-4 in Fort McMurray with an impressive .919 save percentage and a 2.89 goals against average.
"We're ecstatic bringing Brendan in," said Butenschon of his new netminder. "He's another really smart kid and got into the Sauder School of Business right off the hop, which is pretty rare. With (Schwebius) going into his last year, we're expecting Brendan to come here and do his thing and push everyone and before long, in my opinion, he's going to be one of the top goaltenders in the Canada West."
"I decided to commit to UBC to compete and develop in a high end program with a proven coaching staff shown by their past success, while also being able to receive an education from one of the best universities in Canada," said Gee. "It's huge to be able to come back to Vancouver being in an area I'm familiar with and have my family and friends close by."
Any solid team in any league will tell you the key to success is building from your own zone out, and this portion of UBC's recruit class accomplishes just that.
"You start with great goaltending in Schweebs who's a fifth-year guy who won a championship with us and a couple younger guys who have a lot of potential and who are great in the room and great students. These guys are great with their time management and their academic workload and then I just can't say enough about the D corps. Yeah, you're losing
Jake Lee who has bailed us out of so many tight situations and tight games over the years, but it takes a committee back there. We have a really strong D union. It's a nice blend of young energy with experience and stability…I like what we're doing back there."
