Playoff dates are now set… Wild week of upsets… Logjam for the final four playoff spots… BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – The playoff battle to win the national championship will start with the SMAAAHL quarter-finals on Feb. 28th. With six weeks remaining in the regular season, dates for all playoff rounds were set this weekend: […]

BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – Becoming a new head coach in the stretch run of a hockey season isn’t easy – but Josh Garbutt can draw on experience from several hockey masterminds. The new bench boss of the Yorkton Kinsmen Maulers played junior hockey for Dean Clark (WHL and CHL Coach of the Year) and […]

BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – The all-star team consists of players from three different clubs with the Saskatoon Blazers claiming three spots. The team features one goalie and the five most-impactful players – regardless of position. Skaters: Kade Hughes – Grande Peace Storm: Quite simply, Hughes could take over the play on nearly any shift. His combination […]

BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – Underneath the concourse at Merlis Belsher Place – in the tunnel outside the dressing rooms – during an early day of the Saskatchewan Hockey Classic, a Saskatoon Blazers coach challenged Shaan Basran to step-up and score a meaningful goal. The player-coach interaction in the hallway lasted less than 10 seconds […]

BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – The old saying came true again today: good things happen to good people. Former Saskatoon Contact AND Saskatoon Blazer goaltender Darcy Kuemper has been named to the Canadian Olympic team. “He’s a great guy and has a great family,” said Kelly Boes, executive director of Saskatoon Minor Hockey. “He has […]

BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – If you spend a few minutes in the tunnels under the concourse at Merlis Belsher Place this week during the Saskatchewan Hockey Classic, you quickly realize the different styles of coaching. I asked three head coaches for their answers to two important questions: What is the most important factor in […]

BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – With more than 80 junior prospects in the first-ever Saskatchewan Hockey Classic in Saskatoon for the next six days, there is no shortage of talent to watch. Our Insiders Panel of coaches, managers and broadcasters in the SMAAAHL has put together the Top 10 players to watch. Evan Hutcheon (Estevan, […]

BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – Ryan Keller has the perfect marketing slogan for the Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland: “It’s a very cool experience… it should be on every hockey fan’s bucket list.” The current Saskatoon Contacts head coach played for Team Canada in the 2007 tournament and still has vivid memories from scoring […]

BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – The first-ever Saskatchewan Hockey Classic in Saskatoon – Dec. 26-31 – will feature a truckload of junior hockey prospects. While final rosters aren’t declared yet, the six teams will feature at least 22 WHL draft picks and more than 60 Junior A (SJHL, MJHL) prospects. There are several first-round selections […]

BY Jonathan Huntington SASKATOON – Boy, what a difference a year makes. Last year, Roger McQueen only played 20 games in the WHL while dealing with a serious back injury. Fast forward to this fall, McQueen is healthy and notching almost a point per game in his rookie season in the NCAA. And, on top […]