Photo Courtesy / Anna-Maria Kalesoski

As winter creeps closer, we are reminded about the popularity of our national sport, with the beginning of the NHL’s regular season and UTSC’s very own hockey spectacle – The East-West Classic.

The annual hockey game between the UTSC Racoons (East) and UTM Eagles (West), played traditionally as the first game of the year, began nine years ago as a way to boost school spirit by stoking the fire of campus rivalry.

UTSC players welcomed UTM’s decision to change their team nickname to The Eagles by coining the classic as the ‘Duck Hunt’; a reference to the ‘80s video game where the shooter takes aim at soaring ducks. In previous years, players had T-shirts that depicted Super Mario shooting down the UTM Ducks from the sky.

Although ‘Duck Hunt’ is the popular name for the event among students and athletes, UTSC assistant athletic director Randy Thomas calls it a derogatory term and hopes that it will eventually be forgotten.

The game is seen as the premier athletic event of the year for U of T hockey fans, but hasn’t been widely advertised on campus so far.

“Is that a bar?” asked Wesley Orr, a first-year paramedicine student, when asked about the ‘Duck Hunt.’

 The event attracts an average of 200 spectators at the Varsity Arena, 50 of which are UTSC students. The UTSC athletics department is optimistic that there will be a better ‘Raccoon’ turnout this year.

 Originally scheduled as a Sunday night game, Oct. 16, the East-West Classic will now be played as the second game of the year, on Friday, Oct. 28, at 9 p.m.

Ron Crozier, UTSC athletics program coordinator, explained that this change was necessary in order to draw the largest possible crowd.

The original date for the game would clash with classes the next day and would likely attract a slim and silent crowd. Now that the game is better scheduled with free food and drink, the athletics department hopes that it’s not only more convenient but also more enticing for students.

Taylor Giffin, a second-year journalism student and member of the UTSC tri-campus hockey team, encouraged students to attend.

“I would love it if people came,” he remarked enthusiastically. “As much support as possible [from students] is needed because it not only makes us play better, but also reminds us of the vibrant school spirit on campus that I know exists.”

“They [UTSC students] just need something to cheer for,” said Giffin.

Though there is rivalry between all three campuses, the rivalry between the UTSC and UTM is unique. Both have separate identities and aren’t afraid to show them off.

“I feel that with the construction of the Pan Am aquatic centre and the growing number of students each year, school spirit will be huge,” remarked Alexandra Gater, a second-year journalism student. “People won’t just be saying they went to U of T when they graduate, but UTSC specifically.”

The East-West Classic is an excellent way to unite students. The ‘Duck Hunt’ has the potential to be UTSC’s version of homecoming and become an annual event that is central to the school’s identity.

The benefits of investing school spirit in the East-West Classic can range from generating funds for the athletics department, raising campus morale and unity, and creating a sense of belonging for international students.

In 2007, the event was held at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga and featured a tailgate party, a commemorative T-shirt, giveaways, door prizes, face painting for kids and a fifty-fifty draw (to benefit the two tri-campus teams), as well as an OHL regular season game between the Mississauga Majors and the Sarnia Sting immediately following the East-West activities.

Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the East-West Classic, but nothing has been planned yet.