It was a milestone season for Fort Knox in 2024–25, as the team captured its first-ever Prairie Junior Hockey League title, igniting pride across Fort Qu’Appelle.
Now the focus shifts to this season as the Fort Knox begin their PJHL title defense Saturday at home, and Head Coach Matt Scott says the focus is on building off last season’s championship without looking too far ahead.
“Last year was really special—not just for our group, but for the entire community of Fort Qu’Appelle,” said Scott. “The way the town supported us and rallied around the team meant a lot. Delivering that first-ever PJHL title is something we’ll never forget.”
Scott noted that expectations are higher this season, but the message to his players has been about consistency and daily improvement.
“We don’t want to get caught up in the talk about going back-to-back,” he said. “Our goal is just to get better every single day. If we’re better today than yesterday, and better this week than last, we’ll be in good shape.”
The Knox return a strong core, led by veteran forward River Banks, the franchise leader in games played. “Having River back as a 21-year-old is huge,” Scott said. “He brings leadership, experience, and he’s still a guy who can produce offensively. For our younger players, he’s a great example to follow.”
Fort Knox will host the Pilot Butte Storm in their season opener, a test Scott says will demand full effort.
“Pilot Butte always brings speed, size, and compete. We’ll need to match their intensity and take care of the middle of the ice.”
Puck drop on Saturday night in Fort Qu’Appelle at the Prairie Co-op Rexentre will be 7:00 PM.
