In December, Queen’s forward Slater Doggett laced up and featured for the U Sports All-Stars in a three-game series against Canada’s World Junior Prospects. 

The series, which first began in 2015, was held in Victoria, B.C., from Dec. 12 to 14. With Doggett recording three assists and one shootout goal, the U Sports All-Stars edged out Team Canada two games to one. 

“It was straight excitement. Other [Queen’s players] who’d played in the series during their time here said it was a great experience,” Doggett said of his reaction to earning the selection. 

“When I found out, I was super excited to represent Queen’s—as well as Canadian university hockey—against some pretty elite players.” 

Doggett was indeed up against some elite competition—each player on the World Junior Prospects team will ultimately be, or has already been, drafted to the National Hockey League (NHL). 

“Knowing that most of [the World Junior Prospects] go on to play in the NHL definitely gets you up for the challenge,” Doggett said. “Some of those young guys, they can really skate.”

Despite his excitement for the series, Doggett understood he had to adjust his game to fit the U Sports All-Star roster. 

“I’ve played on more of a scoring line at Queen’s,” he explained. “[T]he coaches [at U Sports] put me on a line with two guys and told us, ‘We don’t really care if you guys score, we just want you to play with high energy and make life tough for your opponents.’” 

The fourth-year forward said he and his U Sports teammates heeded their coaches’ instructions and found it contributed to the team’s overall success.

“We really embraced that attitude and tried to outwork the other team. [It] helped us score a few goals, and it was a good feeling to be able to contribute and get my name on the scoresheet,” Doggett said.

Doggett, who leads the Gaels with 12 goals this season, earned an assist in each of the series’ three games. His ability to set up his teammates instead of scoring goals was on full-display. He saw other areas of his game improve, which he credited to inspiration gained from both the U Sports coaching staff and his talented opponents.

“I definitely learned a few things from the coaches there. And some of those junior guys, they shoot five-hole a lot, so I’ve been trying that in practice,” he said.

Doggett, a former Windsor Spitfire of the Ontario Hockey League, has played a key role in the  men’s hockey team, who currently sit third in the OUA East this season. Despite being hit with a slate of injuries early in the year, Doggett’s contributed 17 points over 16 games this season—good for second on the roster. His high-scoring output is what earned him a spot on the U Sports All-Star team.

His selection vindicated Doggett—this was his first appearance at this series in his Queen’s career—and lent his talent wider recognition.

“It was in the back of my head that it was my last year at Queen’s, and [competing in this series] is always something I’ve wanted to do,” Doggett said. 

“After being successful here, if [Queen’s] can win a championship and go to nationals, that will open a lot of doors for me.”