The Saskatoon Blades are ready to drop the puck on the 2025-2026 season in Prince Albert on Friday night. The Blades are coming off a surprising first-round playoff exit to the veteran-laden Calgary Hitmen in the spring.
The surprise wasn’t the Blades bowing out in four games to the Hitmen, instead it was the season that the Blades put on the ice in 2024-2025 after going all-in, in search of the franchise’s first WHL title in 2023-2024, a gamble that saw the Blades reach the Eastern Conference Final before falling to the Moose Jaw Warriors in seven games.
The expected rebuilding year turned into a campaign where the Blades finished with a 37-23-4-4 record while threatening to win the East Division crown throughout the season.
Head coach Dan DaSilva says expectations have risen for the largely intact group in 2025-2026.
“I expect that we take a step this year. Last year, there were very low expectations in terms of where we were going to finish in the standings. Our process has not changed this year. The expectations are higher, there’s more excitement, there’s more potential. We need to work and compete the way we did last year if we are to have the same type of success this year.”
The Blades' core group has not been impacted by the departure to NCAA teams like other WHL franchises, giving them an early advantage. Saskatoon will return nine forwards, four defencemen, and two goalies from last year's team.
Offensively, the club is expected to be led by newly named captain Tyler Parr, Moose Jaw native Rowan Calvert and German import David Lewandowski.
On the back end, 19-year-old Tristen Doyle, acquired in an off-season trade with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, is expected to provide some stability while working with Jordan Martin and Brayden Klimpke.
The Blades' goaltending is solid, with 19-year-old Evan Gardner and fellow 2006-born Ethan McCallum between the pipes.
This should be an exciting winter for Blades fans in Bridge City. Saskatoon opens the season Friday night in Prince Albert, with the teams playing the back end of their home-and-home on Saturday night at SaskTel Centre in front of what is expected to be a big crowd. Faceoff both nights is at 7 p.m.
