U Sports hockey a hidden gem in Canada’s sports scene

The U of S Huskies and Mount Royal University Cougars battle it out.

The Rodney Dangerfield leagues in hockey are those that exist in U Sports.

While it might not totally be accurate to say the men’s and women’s hockey leagues that make up U Sports get no respect, they don’t get the overall love they likely deserve. The coaching in U Sports hockey is as good as you will find anywhere in the sport, and the athletes train at an elite level, are highly skilled and some of the best you will find in the 18 to 26 age group.

It can be argued that the hockey played in U Sports might be the best hockey you will find played at the amateur level in Canada.

On the men’s side the bulk of the rosters for most teams are made up of former players from one of the three major junior leagues that play under the CHL umbrella in the OHL, QMJHL and WHL. Often, those players join their U Sports teams as 21-year-olds and are mature players.

A lot of the top scorers from the CHL don’t automatically move on to the professional level. They will often go the university route to obtain a degree in order to pursue a fallback career before trying to pursue a professional hockey playing career.

In the WHL, players get a year of tuition, compulsory fees and textbooks paid for at a post-secondary institution for every season they spend on that major junior circuit. Players who don’t get drafted by an NHL team or sign with an NHL club as a free agent often decide to go the post-secondary route.

Joelle Fiala in action for the Thunderbirds.

The level of play in U Sports is really high due to the experience of the players. New players find out everyone knows systems play really well, and when you start a rush up ice, everyone is where they are supposed to be and doing what they are supposed to be.

In the major junior ranks, there is constant learning going on with that aspect of the game.

The thing you won’t find in the U Sports ranks that you will in the major junior ranks are players who are first round NHL Entry Draft selections, or players that will become first round NHL Entry Draft selections. On other words, you won’t find Regina Pats phenom centre Connor Bedard or Moose Jaw Warriors star centre Brayden Yager on a U Sports roster.

You will find former CHL stars and standouts on U Sports rosters like WHL alums Riley Sawchuk, Riley Stotts, Jakin Smallwood, Matt Fonteyne, Connor Hobbs, Jared Dmytriw and Carl Tetachuk.

On the women’s side, the bulk of the rosters are made up of the top players that graduate from Canada’s female under-18 AAA ranks right out of high school. Unlike the men’s side, there is no major junior level in Canada for women’s hockey.

The women’s U Sports ranks are missing who would be the equivalent of the first round NHL Entry Draft selections in the female game. Those players usually flock to the NCAA Division I ranks in the United States.

You won’t see Saskatoon products Sophie Shirley or Emily Clark in the U Sports ranks. Shirley is playing through her final season with the University of Wisconsin Badgers having been part of two NCAA championship winning teams in 2019 and 2021.

Jared Dmytriw in action for the Huskies.

Clark also played her university level career with the Badgers and was a member of the NCAA championship team during her final campaign in 2018-19. Clark is best known as a veteran with Canada’s Senior National Women’s team being a part of gold medal winners at worlds in 2021 and 2022 and the Winter Olympics in 2022.

With that noted, players have come back from the NCAA Division I ranks to play in the U Sports women’s ranks. High scoring forward Amy Potomak decided she didn’t want to finish up her university eligibility with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

 The Aldergrove, B.C., product chose to be closer to home and is finishing her final campaign of college eligibility with the Trinity Western University Spartans in Langley, B.C.

Joelle Fiala, who is a forward that plays a gritty and high scoring game, played her first two seasons with the Robert Morris University Colonials. 

After Robert Morris University elected to suspend both its men’s and women’s hockey programs in May of 2021, Fiala, who is from Clavet, Sask., elected to return to Canada and play for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the U Sports ranks.

Many stars and standouts from Canada’s female under-18 AAA ranks remained in Canada and flourished in the U Sports ranks like Tatum Amy, Madison Willan, Hannah Koroll, Abby Soyko and Camryn Drever.

Men’s and women’s U Sports teams will play some of the best hockey seen in Canada often before very little fanfare. Among the 18 teams that make up the Canada West Conference in men’s and women’s play, only five squads averaged more than 300 spectators per game for the 2022-23 regular season that just wrapped up.

Camryn Drever in action for the Huskies.

Those teams include the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, the University of Alberta Golden Bears, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and the University of Calgary Dinos on the men’s side along with the U of S Huskies Women’s Team.

The Huskies Men’s Team had the top attendance in Canada West averaging 1,290 spectators per game.

With playoffs set to begin this coming weekend, chances are those attendances should have a little bit of an increase.

With all that noted, those that haven’t seen a U Sports men’s or women’s hockey game are missing out. Those that have made those contests have gotten to witness something special on a nightly basis.

Towriss gets Kinsmen Sportsman of the Year nod, other notes

Brian Towriss keeps piling up accolades.

The accolades are still coming for Brian Towriss.

Back on February 3, the retired University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team head coach was officially recognized as the Kinsmen Sportsman of the Year for 2021. He was one of three Sportsmen of the Year who were honoured at the 61^st annual Saskatoon Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner that was held at TCU Place.

The dinner was held for the first time since February of 2020 after being cancelled in 2021 and 2022 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Towriss, who was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2017, guided the Huskies as head coach from 1984 to 2016. During that time, Towriss posted a 167-96-1 regular season record and a 29-22 post-season record for a 196-118-1 combined slate.

He guided the Huskies to 11 Canada West Conference titles and three Vanier Cup titles as U Sports champions coming in 1990, 1996 and 1998.

Towriss played defensive tackle for the Huskies from 1974 to 1977. He was an assistant coach with the Huskies from 1980 to 1983 before becoming the team’s head coach.

Dave Moore was named the Sportsman of the Year for 2020 for his lifetime work as a softball umpire and a curling volunteer. Derek Bloski took the honours as the Sportsman of the Year for 2022 for his lifetime work as a hockey official and coach and softball coach.

The U of S Huskies Football Team was named the Kinsmen Team of the Year for 2022. The Huskies topped the Canada West Conference regular season standings with a 7-1 mark, won the Canada West title for a second straight year and advanced to the Vanier Cup for a second straight year.

The Huskies fell in the 2022 Vanier Cup 30-24 to the University Laval Rouge et Or at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont. In the 2021 Vanier Cup played at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, the Huskies dropped a 27-21 decision to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs.

Emily Clark, who is a veteran forward with Canada’s Senior National Women’s Hockey Team, was named the Kinsmen Athlete of the Year for 2022. In 2022, Clark helped Canada win gold at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, in February.

An Emily Clark hockey card.

At the women’s worlds hosted in late August and early September in 2022 in Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark, Clark helped Canada win gold at that tourney for a second straight year. This past January, Clark was named Sask Sport’s Female Athlete of the Year for 2022.

Also at the Kinsmen dinner, the Kinsmen Lloyd Saunders Athletic Scholarship Awards were given to soccer player Sophie Lavallee and football player Dawson Lennea.

The $2,000 scholarship is designated to further the recipient’s education at the post-secondary level. Outstanding high school athletic involvement, community involvement and community service are some of the key selection criteria.

Lavallee graduated from Holy Cross High School in June of 2022. In her Grade 12 year at Holy Cross, she was captain of the Crusaders senior girls’ soccer team and led them to city and provincial championships in an undefeated season. Lavallee is attending MacEwan University studying arts and science and is a member of the Griffiths Women’s Soccer Team.

Lennea graduated from Bishop James Mahoney High School in June of 2022. Besides playing football, Lennea also took part in hockey, curling, cross country running, track and field, gold and badminton. He was a member of the Saints Football Team at Bishop James Mahoney.

After his high school graduation, Lennea is continuing his education at the U of S studying in arts and science and is a member of the Huskies Football Team.

The annual Saskatoon Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner brought in a trio of Toronto Blue Jays players as special guests in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alek Manoah and Jordan Romano. Beside the MLB players, Sportsnet broadcaster Jamie Campbell was brought in as a special guest as well.

Other special guests included Saskatchewan born and raised pitchers Andrew Albers and Dustin Molleken, who both pitched in the MLB, along with Brayden Lenius and Derrick Moncrief, who play with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

• On Monday, the WHL announced that former Brandon Wheat Kings head coach, general manager, governor and owner Kelly McCrimmon was named the recipient of the WHL Governors Award. McCrimmon joined the Wheat Kings as an assistant general manager in 1988-89. He became a part owner of the team in 1992-93 and the team’s sole owner in 2000-01. He sold the team following the 2019-20 campaign. McCrimmon is currently the general manager of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.
• Lukas Dragicevic has turned into the player to watch for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans. The 17-year-old defenceman leads the Americans in scoring with 59 points coming off 13 goals and 46 assists to go with a plus-four rating in the plus-minus department. Dragicevic, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 181 pounds, sits second in scoring among WHL defencemen. The Richmond, B.C., product is rated 12^th among North American Skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings.
• On February 9, I had new content appear on the Howe Happening blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a feature on baseball player and Saskatoon product Nolan Machibroda signing with the MLB’s Minnesota Twins. That piece can be found by clicking right here. I also created a photo roundup that mainly highlighted the busy activity happening at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval and the Indoor Training Centre. That piece can be found by clicking right here.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Nyhus departs football Huskies as an all-time great

Mason Nyhus is one of the best the Huskies ever had at QB.

What would have happened had Mason Nyhus engineered a two-minute drill drive to win the Vanier Cup?

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team’s fifth-year quarterback would have been the toast of “the Wheat Province,” and fans of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders would be demanding that the community-owned franchise should sign the local product now. On top of that, talk about the 24-year-old would have dominated Saskatchewan’s sports radio talk shows and been main focus for stories from the remaining sports reporters working for mainstream media outlets.

Nyhus was in that position twice in the Vanier Cup. The first opportunity provided the most realistic chance to pullout victory.

After the University Laval Rouge et Or got a field goal to increase their lead to 30-24 last Saturday in the U Sports championship game played at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont., the Huskies had the ball at their own 18 yard line with 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter and two timeouts. Had Nyhus orchestrated a drive at that point to allow the Huskies to score a touchdown to win the game and capture the Vanier Cup, his hero status in the history of the Huskie Athletics program would have hit mythical status.

That drive sputtered out after four plays.

The Huskies were able to get the ball back at their own 20 yard line with 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and no timeouts. That scenario would have required a miracle big play to allow the Huskies to score the game-winning points.

Mason Nyhus (#8) throws a pass in a controlled scrimmage in 2016.

The Rouge et Or ultimately made the 30-24 score hold up as the game’s final outcome to win the Vanier Cup to become U Sports champions for the 11^th time in team history.

While Nyhus wasn’t able to guide a two-minute drill drive to score the winning points against arguably the most storied football program in the history of U Sports, the Regina product will go down as one of the all-time bests the Huskies ever had.

When Nyhus first stepped foot on the U of S campus in 2016, he was hyped a signal caller that could potentially take the Huskies all the way. He would experience some unique challenges before experiencing high points with the Huskies, and some of those challenges were things you couldn’t envision.

In 2016, he was a red shirt with the Huskies, who finished third in the Canada West Conference with a 5-3 record and fell 47-17 in a conference semifinal to the University of Calgary Dinos. At the time, that marked the eighth straight playoff loss in a row for the Huskies, and they were in a stretch where they had won only one of their previous 12 post-season contests.

It seemed like the days when the Huskies regularly made long post-season runs were something that was left in the past.

A short time after the 2016 post-season loss to the Dinos, Nyhus discovered he would no longer be playing for the head coach that recruited him. In late December of 2016, the Huskies’ legendary head coach in Brian Towriss retired after holding that position for 33 years, and Scott Flory, who had been the Huskies offensive coordinator, was named head coach on March 13, 2017.

Mason Nyhus throws a pass for the Huskies in 2018.

Nyhus was moved to the active roster as the backup to veteran star starter Kyle Siemens. The Huskies missed the post-season in 2017, but Siemens worked magic in his final campaign in 2018.

In 2018, the Huskies returned to the playoffs finishing third in Canada West with a 5-3 record, and they went on a playoff run where they won the Hardy Cup as conference champions for the first time since 2006. The post-season run came to an end with a 47-24 loss to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs in London, Ont., in the Mitchell Bowl U Sports semifinal contest.

After playing behind and learning from Siemens and experiencing a long post-season run, Nyhus was set to hit the ground running as the Huskies starter in 2019. The Huskies finished second in Canada West with a 5-3 mark, but a massive amount of injuries accumulated for the team when the playoffs came around.

The Huskies fell 29-4 in the Hardy Cup to the Dinos in Calgary. The Dinos advanced forward to win the Vanier Cup.

In March of 2020, the world came into the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which caused the 2020 Canada West football season and U Sports nationals to be cancelled for the 2020-21 campaign. With no games to play, Nyhus and his teammates continued to work out and train for the day U Sports would resume play.

That whole situation was something no one ever thought would happen, when Nyhus first joined the Huskies.

Mason Nyhus scrambles out of trouble in 2019.

The family feeling the Huskies built served them well as almost all the team’s key returnees were in uniform for the 2021 season. In a shortened regular season, the Huskies finished first in Canada West with a 5-1 mark and Nyhus was named the conference’s all-star quarterback.

In the Huskies six regular season games, Nyhus, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 215 pounds, was in stellar form completing 109-of-187 passes for 1,653 yards and 16 touchdowns, while only throwing two interceptions. 

While Nyhus looked like a Brett Favre style gunslinger in 2019, he was a composed surgeon on field in his second year as a starter in the image of Tom Brady.

The Huskies advanced on to win the Canada West title and produced one of the program’s most memorable moments in the Uteck Bowl against the Universite de Montreal Carabins in CEPSUM in Montreal, Quebec.

The Huskies trailed 10-7 and had the ball on their own 27 yard line with 1:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. Nyhus executed a perfect two-minute drill drive that concluded with star running back Adam Machart running home the winning touchdown from 13 yards out to put the Huskies up 14-10 with five seconds remaining on the clock.

The Carabins couldn’t come up with a miracle and the 14-10 score in favour of the Huskies held up as the contest’s final outcome. The Huskies were in the Vanier Cup for the first time since 2006.

Mason Nyhus throws a pass in the 2021 Canada West final.

U of S played strong in the 2021 Vanier Cup before falling 27-21 to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs at Stade Telus – University Laval in Quebec City, Quebec.

Nyhus followed his 2021 season up with a 2022 campaign that was one for the ages. He signal called the Huskies to another first place finish in Canada West with a 7-1 record. 

In the Huskies eight regular season games, he completed 197-of-298 passes for 2,759 yards and 18 touchdowns, while throwing three interceptions.

Nyhus’s passing yardage total was tops in all of U Sports and set a new Huskies team record for most passing yards in one season. He was named a Canada West all-star, the Canada West player of the year and a second team U Sports all-Canadian all-star.

The Huskies returned to the Vanier Cup but were unable to knock off Laval. Rouge et Or second year star quarterback Arnaud Desjardins was pretty outstanding as well finishing in second in U Sports passing yards behind Nyhus.

While the Huskies weren’t able to take the Vanier Cup this past Saturday against the Rouge et Or, Nyhus’s stock remained high. In the setback, he completed 34-of-43 passes for 344 yards, three touchdowns and one tipped interception.

Mason Nyhus (behind banner) celebrates a Canada West title win.

Following the U Sports title game, Michael Ball, who is the voice of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, reported that the Roughriders added Nyhus to their negotiation list. Nyhus’s days of playing quarterback may indeed continue on at the professional level.

The impact he left on the Huskies was a big one. Nyhus helped bring the Huskies back to a level they hadn’t seen since 2006. The stretch where the Huskies won only one of 12 post-season contests is long forgotten.

Nyhus, who won all 16 of his career home starts at Griffiths Stadium, achieved “The Golden Boy” stature he was tabbed to potentially have back in 2016. As he has now graduated from the program, Nyhus’s biggest impact is that dreams of long playoff runs resulting in Vanier Cup title wins are things that can be realized by the Huskies.

Huskies’ Solie signs with Roughriders

David Solie (#15) has signed with the CFL’s Roughriders.

Wearing green and white has been a theme in David Solie’s football career, and he will get a chance to sport that colour scheme at the professional level.

On Tuesday, Solie, who is the place kicker and punter with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team, was signed by the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. The signing came just three days after the Huskies dropped a 30-24 decision to the Universite Laval Rouge et Or in the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup – this past Saturday at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont.

The 23-year-old had an outstanding campaign in 2022 playing out his fourth year of U Sports eligibility for the Huskies. During the Huskies eight regular season games, Solie connected on 17-of-21 field goal attempts with a long from 44 yards and hit on 23-of-24 of his conversion attempts. He punted the ball 58 times for 2,276 yards for an average of 39.2 yards per kick.

Solie was named a Canada West all-star at place kicker and he was a U Sports second team all-Canadian all-star at place kicker.

In 2021, Solie captured honours as the all-star punter in Canada West and was named a U Sports first team all-Canadian all-star at punter.

Before moving to the post-secondary ranks, Solie played his high school football for Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders Football Team, which has a green and white colour scheme like the Huskies and Roughriders. He also suited up for Saskatchewan’s provincial team program, which also wears green and white.

After playing the 2017 season are a rookie with the Huskies right out of graduating high school, Solie elected to play for the Saskatoon Hilltops in 2018, which marked the only time Solie hasn’t worn green and white on the football field for about the past nine years. Donning the Hilltops traditional blue and gold, Solie took on duties as a receiver, place kicker and punter in helping the storied club win their 21^st CJFL championship in team history.

Ron and Jane Graham named U Sports alumni award winners

On Tuesday, Ron and Jane Graham were named winners of the U Sports-Mitchell Family Alumni of the Year Award for their contributions to the University of Saskatchewan and Huskie Athletics over the decades.

The Grahams shared the honour with Stu and Kim Lang, who have made big contributions to Queen’s University and the University of Guelph.

The U Sports-Mitchell Family Alumni of the Year Award is presented to former student-athletes who have graduated from a Canadian university after having participated in a U Sports sanctioned sport.

Ron and Jane Graham graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1962 with degrees in engineering and education respectively. Ron was a dual student-athlete as quarterback for the Huskie football team and a member of the basketball team. Jane was a swimmer.

Since their first gift to the U of S and Huskie Athletics in 1995, the Grahams have become the university’s largest cumulative donors with over $30-million in donations. They have been key partners in major capital projects including the basketball practice facility at Merlis Belsher Place, the Ron and Jane Graham Sport Science and Health Centre at Merlis Belsher Place and the Graham Huskie Clubhouse at Griffiths Stadium.

In addition to capital projects, the Grahams’ contributions have enhanced the student-athlete experience for Huskie Athletics programs. Their unwavering and generous support has provided student-athletes with scholarships, mentoring, equipment, uniforms, championship rings, travel, financial literacy, coaching support, mental-health and wellness support, technology, academic support and career and employment opportunities.

In 2007, the Grahams were inducted into the Huskie Athletics Hall of Fame.

Four Rams defenders named all-Canadians

Ryder Varga (#56) takes the field for the Rams.

The defenders stole the show at “Receiver U” in 2022.

The University of Regina Rams are best known for the high level receivers who have graduated from their football squad and have gone on to have solid careers in the CFL. As a result, the U of Regina was given the nickname “Receiver U.”

As the Rams finished second in the Canada West Conference in 2022 with a 5-3 record, their defensive players took centre stage. The Rams picked up four U Sports all-Canadian all-star selections this past season, and all of those selections were on defence.

Fifth-year lineback Ryder Varga led the way as a first team all-Canadian all-star. In the Rams eight regular season games, Varga led the team with 38.5 total tackles to go along with two quarterback sacks, one fumble recovery and one interception.

Varga was named Canada West’s most outstanding defensive player to make him a finalist for the Presidents’ Trophy as the stand up defensive player of the year in U Sports. That honour went to linebacker Nicky Farinaccio of the Universite de Montreal Carabins.

Rams fifth-year defensive end Anthony Bennett and fourth-year defensive tackle Tanner Schemekel were tabbed as first-team all-Canadian all-stars, while fourth-year defensive back Jaxon Ford was a second team all-Canadian all-star.

The Universite Laval Rouge et Or, who won the Vanier Cup as U Sports champions, had seven U Sports all-Canadian all-stars in 2022. The first team all-Canadian all-stars on offence included quarterback Arnaud Desjardins, receiver Kevin Mital, offensive tackle Nathan Dumoulin-Duguay and guard Nicolas Guay.

The Rouge et Or’s two first team all-Canadian all-stars on defence included defensive tackle Jean-William Rouleau and defensive back Cristophe Beaulieu. Rouge et Or linebacker Alec Poirier was tabbed as a second team all-Canadian all-star.

Mital took home the Hec Crighton Trophy as the player of the year for U Sports.

Hilltops cool naming Johnson team rookie of the year

Davin Johnson sets in his stance at right tackle for the Hilltops.

The CJFL’s storied Saskatoon Hilltops have always been outstanding when it comes to recognizing members of their offensive and defensive lines.

Throughout the years, the members of the offensive and defensive lines have been the heart of the Hilltops teams. During the team annual awards banquet that was held back on November 19 at the Delta Marriott Hotel, the Hilltops presented right tackle Davin Johnson with the Past President’s Trophy as the club’s rookie of the year.

Johnson was a true first-year player having graduated from Saskatoon’s Walter Murray Collegiate this past June. The 18-year-old became the Hilltops starting right tackle about halfway through this past season and started the Hilltops two post-season games. It is rare for any rookie straight out of high school to earn a starting spot as a rookie with the Hilltops, so Johnson accomplished big things with the venerable CJFL team in 2022.

At the PFC conference and CJFL league levels, the Hilltops most celebrated rookie was 17-year-old running back Charles Sawi. Sawi was named the PFC’s rookie of the year and to the conference’s all-rookie team. He also captured the CJFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

To outsiders, they would likely be confused as to how the Hilltops decided to not give their team rookie of the year award to a player who took rookie of the year honours on a conference and league level.

For those associated with the Hilltops, the team rookie of the year accolade makes sense. Most would overlook what Johnson accomplished on the offensive line, and the team award allowed him to get a nod for his special personal season.

The best part is Sawi is humble enough at his young age to understand why Johnson claimed the team’s rookie of the year award. In the end, they both got great recognition for the amazing first CJFL seasons they had.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Nyhus is “the face” of Huskie Athletics at U of S

Fifth-year QB candidate for Hec Crighton Trophy

Mason Nyhus warms up for the 2021 Canada West final.

Mason Nyhus is achieving a rarity for a Canadian university sports athlete these days – he is becoming well known.

Nyhus is the fifth-year star quarterback for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team, and since seemingly Week 2 of the U Sports regular season, the 24-year-old’s name has been mentioned as a candidate for the Hec Crighton Trophy, which is given to the U Sports football player of the year.

In the Huskies 5-0 start, Nyhus, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 215 pounds, has been impressive playing out his final season of U Sports eligibility. He has completed 126-of-186 passes for 1,729 yards and 11 touchdowns, while throwing just one interception.

Nyhus is “the face” of Huskie Athletics, and in today’s media cut era in Canada that is a major accomplishment.

There was time it used to be common knowledge to know who the starting quarterback of the Huskies was in the city of Saskatoon, and often the Huskies starting quarterback was decently known on the national stage. That was true of the Huskies three Vanier Cup quarterbacks in David Earl in 1990, Brent Schneider in 1996 and Ryan Reid in 1998.

When Earl, Schneider and Reid played, the number of people working in the sports media industry in Canada was about five to seven times larger than it is today.

In the last 12 years, it can be argued that Nyhus is the first athlete the Huskies have had over that time frame that can be viewed as the face of the overall athletics program. The Huskies have actually had tonnes of great athletes over that period of time, but they never seemed to gain a huge face of notoriety.

Mason Nyhus rolls out of the pocket for the Huskies.

Some of those athletes include Derek Hulak from the Huskies Men’s Hockey Team, Dalyce Emmerson of the Huskies Women’s Basketball Team, Kaitlin Willoughby from the Huskies Women’s Hockey Team, Libby Epoch of the Huskies Women’s Basketball Team, Tyler Chow from the Huskies Football Team and Michelle Harrison of the Huskies Women’s Track and Field Team.

It should be noted that Willoughby was a celebrity in her hometown of Prince Albert as her supporters from that centre often inflated page views for any stories that were done about her.

Arguably, the most famous Huskies athlete since 2010 might have been Huskies Men’s Hockey Team heart and soul gritty forward Cody Smuk, who everyone was pulling for as he battled cancer before passing away in June of 2015.

From the start of this season, Nyhus has been the name you associate with the Huskies, but even that hasn’t always been that way.

In 2016, Nyhus arrived on campus from the Riffel High School Royals football team as the gem of the final recruiting class brought in by now retired Huskies head coach and Canadian Football Hall of Fame member Brian Towriss. He was hyped as the signal caller that could potential take the Huskies, who haven’t won the Vanier Cup as U Sports champions since 1998, all the way one day.

Playing behind veterans Kyle Siemens and Drew Burko, Nyhus was a red-shirt in his first campaign. He was the team’s backup quarterback in 2017 and 2018, when the Huskies won their first Hardy Cup as Canada West Conference Champions since 2006.

Mason Nyhus (#8) stays composed under pressure.

Due to his athletic ability, Nyhus attended the CFL training camp of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2018 and the Calgary Stampeders in 2019 under the Canadian quarterback internship program. He had two CFL training camps under his belt before getting his first start with the Huskies.

In his third year of eligibility in 2019, Nyhus had a strong season in his first campaign as a starter quarterbacking the Huskies to a second place finish in Canada West with a 5-3 mark. The Huskies fell in the Canada West final to the eventual Vanier Cup champion University of Calgary Dinos 29-4 in Calgary.

During that season, Nyhus was often the Huskies version of legendary NFL gunslinger Brett Favre. Nyhus was arguable the Huskies most exciting player that could deliver win, but he would also try to force some plays that weren’t there.

Nyhus and the Huskies weren’t able to hit the field in 2020 as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took hold in the world causing the Canada West season and all U Sports nationals to be canceled for the 2020-21 campaign.

That led to a 2021 season where Nyhus and the Huskies football team etched a place on the national scene. In an abbreviated six game regular season, Nyhus quarterbacked the Huskies to a first place finish in the Canada West Conference with a 5-1 record.

He was named the all-star quarterback in Canada West completing 109-of-187 passes for 1,653 yards and 16 touchdowns, while throwing two interceptions.

Mason Nyhus sets to make a throw from the pocket.

During that season, Nyhus was often the Huskies version of “the goat” Tom Brady. Nyhus was poised and efficient, and he possessed a swagger where you felt the Huskies were going to win game in and game out no matter what happened on the field.

The tutelage of current Huskies head coach Scott Flory showed through on the field.

In the Hardy Cup hosted at Griffiths Stadium, Nyhus and the Huskies bombed the University of Manitoba Bisons 45-17.

The Huskies followed that win up taking a 14-10 thrilling finish in the Uteck Bowl over the Universite de Montreal Carabins at The CEPSUM in Montreal, Quebec. In that contest, star running back Adam Machart made an electrifying 13-yard touchdown run to with the game with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. That play became an all-time storied moment in the history of the Huskies program.

The Huskies advanced to the Vanier Cup for the first time since 2006 to take on the University of Western Ontario Mustangs at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec. The London, Ont., based Mustangs took that contest 27-21.

Nyhus completed 28-of-40 passes in that contest for 303 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

By the end of that 2021 playoff run, Machart and then fifth-year utility player Colton Klassen had become household names for the Huskies too. Both became known players on the national stage along with Nyhus.

Mason Nyhus has the Huskies out to a 5-0 start this season.

The profile of those players was helped due to the U Sports semifinal bowl games being streamed on CBC’s online platforms and the Vanier Cup being showed on CBC’s main television station nationally.

If it hadn’t been for graduation, Klassen could have been a household name known nationally for the Huskies in 2022.

Machart was eligible to return for one more U Sports season. He announced his retirement from the game this past April 28 and opted out of the CFL Draft held in early May.

Machart moved to Kelowna, B.C., after the Huskies season ended in December of 2021 and became heavily involved with a family-run supplement store in that centre. As a result of that development and still being healthy with no major injuries, Machart elected to focus on that part of his life.

That left Nyhus as the big returning name for the Huskies in 2022. So far during the U Sports season, it has been common to hear some CFL fans state they would like to see Nyhus, who is also a four time U Sports academic all-Canadian, throwing passes professionally in Canada.

With their 2021 playoff run, the Huskies were able to capture the attention of people that wouldn’t normally follow U Sports football or U Sports in general. When someone mention’s University of Saskatchewan Huskies, Mason Nyhus’s name is the first that comes to mind.

Mason Nyhus has passed for 1,729 yards in five games in 2022.

While one can lament it took until Nyhus’s final U Sports season for him to become “the face” of Huskie Athletics, this might be the time to take the glass half full approach.

The Huskies have a star and marketable athlete in Nyhus, who still has three more regular season games to play including two at home. 

The next game will be a rivalry tilt against the 4-1 University of Regina Rams to be held Saturday, October 15 at 1 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium to determine top spot in the Canada West Conference.

Following the regular season, Nyhus could potentially play in four post-season contests including two games at home. On top of that, he is a great role model for younger players.

Nyhus is the type of player that the office staff with Huskie Athletics could conduct a Hec Crighton Trophy type hype campaign similar to campaigns seen in the top level of NCAA football for the Heisman Trophy, which is award to the most valuable player in U.S. college football.

There is still time to enjoy seeing Nyhus throwing passes for the Huskies, so it would be advisable for any type of sports followers to go out and see him play while they still can. 

Mason Nyhus and the Huskies celebrate a Hardy Cup win in 2021.

Unfortunately for players like Nyhus, it seems like their time with teams like the Huskies flies by way too fast.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Huskies, Mustangs to add chapter to head-to-head history with Vanier Cup clash

Storied U Sports programs collide for sixth time

Adam Machart has delivered big plays for the Huskies.

As two of U Sports most storied football programs, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the University of Western Ontario Mustangs are historic familiar foes.

On Saturday, the two sides will face each other for a sixth time when they collide in the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup (12 p.m. Saskatchewan time, CBC). The two sides enter the contest to be played at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, each riding eight-game winning streaks.

The Huskies, who have won the Vanier Cup three times, are 8-1 overall and rated fourth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. The Mustangs, who have won the Vanier Cup seven times, are 9-1 overall and are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.

In the previous five encounters between the two squads, the Mustangs claimed victory on four occasions.

The Huskies and Mustangs last met in the 2018 Mitchell Bowl at Western Alumni Stadium, which was then known as TD Stadium, in London, Ont.

The teams were tied 17-17 at halftime before the Mustangs shot out to claim a 47-24 victory. There are still a few holdovers from that game, which should create some familiarity between the two sides.

The Huskies and Mustangs first went at in way back in 1974 in London, Ont., in the Churchill Bowl. The Churchill Bowl used to serve as one of U Sports semifinal games and was last rewarded in 2002.

In the 1974 Churchill Bowl, the Mustangs romped to a 41-17 victory and moved on to win the second Vanier Cup in program history.

The two sides wouldn’t meet again until the 1989 Vanier Cup. At that point, Brian Towriss was cemented as head coach of the Huskies, and Larry Haylor was entrenched as head coach of the Mustangs. They took the helms of their respective programs in 1984.

Both men would find their way into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as builders.

Mason Nyhus fires a pass downfield for the Huskies.

Entering that contest, the Mustangs were an established power having won the Vanier Cup four times. The Huskies were a team on the rise.

Before 32,877 spectators at what is now known as Rogers Centre and then known as the Skydome in Tononto, Ont., the Mustangs were too much for the Huskies and stormed to a 35-10 victory to capture the Vanier Cup for a fifth time.

Mustangs’ receiver Tyrone Williams was named the game’s MVP hauling in five catches for 157 yards and one touchdown. Williams would go on to win two Super Bowls as a member of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in 1992 and 1993 and one Grey Cup as a member of the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in 1996.

The Huskies would win their first Vanier Cup in 1990 and collide with the Mustangs again this time in the 1994 Vanier Cup that was played once more at Rogers Place in Toronto. Going into this U Sports title clash, both programs were now established powerhouses.

This battle would go down as an all-time U Sports classic and the moment memorable encounter between the two sides.

The Mustangs took 31-14 lead into the fourth quarter before the Huskies offence hit high gear. The Huskies went on a roll and assumed a 37-34 lead with 64 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter on a 34-yard touchdown reception from David Blackburn.

With four seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Mustangs kicker Frank Jagas kicked a 42-yard field goal to force a 37-37 tie and send the Vanier Cup to overtime for the first time ever.

Under the overtime rules U Sports used at the time, the teams played two halves that were 10-minutes in length. The Huskies and Mustangs exited the first 10-minute half with the game now tied 40-40.

The Mustangs scored the only 10 points of the second overtime half to claim a 50-40 victory and their sixth Vanier Cup title.

Nick Wiebe (#43) has had a strong season at middle linebacker.

Huskies star quarterback Brent Schneider was named the game’s MVP, and he completed 36-of-67 passes for 528 yards and four touchdowns, while throwing five interceptions.

The Huskies would win their second Vanier Cup in 1996 before next meeting the Mustangs in the 1998 Churchill Bowl. This clash would take place at the Huskies storied home field of Griffiths Stadium and the fourth time would be a charm when it came to achieving victory for the Dogs.

Huskies star running back Doug Rozon zipped to a 49-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter and the hosts ran to a 33-17 victory. Rozon finished the contest carrying the ball 23 times for 214 yards to go with his major score, and he caught three passes for 37 yards.

The Huskies advanced onward to win their third Vanier Cup title.

After that Churchill Bowl encounter, the Huskies and Mustangs wouldn’t meet again until the 2018 Mitchell Bowl. The Mustangs entered that Mitchell Bowl as defending Vanier Cup champions having thumped the Universite Laval Rouge et Or 39-17 in the 2017 U Sports title game.

The Mustangs rode the golden arm of star quarterback Chris Merchant to win the seventh Vanier Cup in program history in 2017.

 After downing the Huskies in the 2018 Mitchell Bowl, the Mustangs fell 34-20 in the Vanier Cup to the Rouge et Or, who were playing in their home park in Stade Telus – Universite Laval.

This year’s clash will see Huskies head coach Scott Flory and Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall face each other for a second time.

Flory, who was an offensive lineman on the Huskies Vanier Cup winners in 1996 and 1998, rejoined the program in 2014 as an assistant coach after playing 15 years with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. He took on the head coach role in 2017 as Towriss’s successor.

Sam Bakers sheds a defender after making a catch.

In a short time, Flory has name a name for himself in the head coach role guiding the Huskies to two Canada West Conference titles and making the Vanier Cup in four seasons on the job.

Marshall has been a career coach whose time as a sideline boss spans five decades. He was a Mustangs assistant coach under Haylor when the Mustangs won the Vanier Cup over the Huskies in 1989 and 1994.

He guided the McMaster University Marauders as head coach from 1997 to 2003 and went on to become head coach of the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 2004 to 2006.

Marshall rejoined the Mustangs as head coach in 2007 and has guided the program to seven Ontario University Athletics conference championships and a Vanier Cup title in 2017.

Both teams bring a cast of standout players to the contest.

The Huskies are guided by gunslinger Mason Nyhus at quarterback, have a big playmaker at running back in Adam Machart and sure handed pass catchers in Sam Baker and utility player Colton Klassen.

As is tradition with the Huskies, their offensive line makes things go, and they have a great one again with Nick Summach at right tackle, Connor Berglof at right guard, Oluwayombo Olabimtan at centre, Derek Beaubien at left guard and Noah Zerr at left tackle. Berglof has starred for a lengthy stretch at centre before moving over to right guard.

On defence, the Huskies look to defensive ends Riley Pickett and Nathan Cherry, linebackers Nick Wiebe and Clovis Lumeka and defensive back Charlie Ringland to make momentum changing plays.

The Mustangs start first year signal caller Evan Hillock at quarterback. He took over the starter’s role in the Mustangs second regular season game and guided the offence with a steady hand.

Hillock appears to be on the cusp of a great U Sports career.

The Huskies look to celebrate one more big win.

Sophomore Keon Edwards is the Mustangs game breaker at running back and veteran receiver Savaughn Magnaye-Jones is the team’s big play pass catcher.

Centre Elliot Beamer, guard Phil Grohovac and tackle Zach Fry anchor the offensive line.

The Mustangs are filled with standouts on defence including defensive end Deionte Knight, defensive tackle Malcolm Hinds and free safety Daniel Valente. Knight has been a terror when it comes to tracking down and sacking quarterbacks.

This latest chapter of head-to-head encounters between the Huskies and Mustangs has the potential to be as memorable as the 1994 Vanier Cup.

On Saturday, they will confront each other for a prize only one can win.

HuskieFAN a home run for Huskies

In a sports media world in Canada that continues to shrink, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies found an inventive way to get more coverage.

At the start of this season, the Huskies partnered with Pattison Media to launch the HuskieFAN app and website. The coverage HuskieFAN has provided to date has been outstanding.

HuskieFAN’s coverage is focused on Huskies football and men’s and women’s hockey.

Huskies football games are streamed digitally and carried on the radio waves on the AM dial by 750 Beach Radio based out of Melfort, Sask.

All men’s and women’s hockey home and away games are broadcast digitally with HuskieFAN app staff providing play-by-play call for those contests.

Pattison media gained extra attention here for becoming the first private broadcaster in Canada to commit to broadcasting a full season of women’s hockey with Daniella Ponticelli taking on the role of play-by-play voice of the Huskies women’s team. Ponticelli is also the current anchor for Global News Morning in Regina.

Well-known veteran broadcaster Wray Morrison is the senior producer, host and partnership coordinator for HuskieFAN. He has comfortably filled the role calling Huskies football games, and he has shown his hidden talent of being a pretty good writer creating written content for the HuskieFAN site.

On the HuskieFAN’s biggest adds might Katie Brickman-Young, who is a former sportwriter for the now defunct Moose Jaw Times-Herald. She is also a communications advisor for the Federated Co-operatives Limited.

Brickman-Young is a seasoned and experience WHL beat writer, and she is strong at finding different hooks to pull readers into feature, advancer and game story pieces.

HuskieFAN has pulled in Jeff D’Andrea, who is a sports reporter with Pattison Media’s paNOW in Prince Albert, Sask., to do play-by-play of some men’s hockey games along with providing strong written content. D’Andrea is known as a veteran on the WHL beat covering the Prince Albert Raiders.

Matt Morrison, who is Wray’s son, has provided analysis on Huskies football broadcasts. He is likely one of the industries more under-appreciated broadcasters.

Ben Tompkins, who is news and sports reporter with Pattison Media, will add content to HuskieFAN from time to time too.

This partnership between Pattison Media and the Huskies has turned out to be a great one, because it is giving the consistent beat coverage the Huskies football, men’s and women’s hockey team deserve. HuskieFAN has stories on the other Huskies teams too.

Overall, it is great an avenue has been found to get consistent coverage to the football team and the two hockey squads. That type of attention for U Sports programs is unfortunately not the norm anymore in Canada.

It is great all involved took a chance on this idea.

On the full disclosure front, I was approached by a manager at Pattison Media about contributing to HuskieFAN, but I couldn’t make it work with my current work life schedule and trying to be more present on the family front.

The approach came during a time when my main focus was on a big family wedding that was happening at the start of September and the timing for me was all wrong.

Still, I am happy to see HuskieFAN has taken off like it has, and good people are doing a great job with it. Feel free to check it out at huskiefan.ca.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Expect bandwagon to fill for Huskies football

Noah Zerr gets family time with the Hardy Cup.

If you have the urge to jump on the bandwagon for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football team, follow the old Nike slogan and “just do it.”

For the first time since 2006, the Huskies (8-1 overall) will play in the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup. They will take on the University of Western Ontario Mustangs (9-1 overall) in the U Sports title game on Saturday at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec (12 p.m. Saskatchewan time, CBC TV).

As the week goes and the time for the championship clash nears, you can expect more and more people in Saskatoon and likely the province of Saskatchewan will jump on the Huskies bandwagon.

They should jump on the Huskies bandwagon, and that goes for anyone that wants to back the Dogs.

The players and coaches on the team are incredibly likeable.

The team has been building to this moment with a journey that included winning the Hardy Cup as Canada West Conference champions in 2018 as well as this season.

Plus, the nostalgia factor will come into play when it comes to jumping on the bandwagon. The Huskies have made nine previous trips to the Vanier Cup and come out the victors on three occasions in 1990, 1996 and 1998.

Adam Machart has piled up big yards at running back.

Current Huskies head coach Scott Flory and current defensive co-ordinator Warren Muzika were players at right tackle and linebacker respectively on the Huskies 1998 Vanier Cup winner.

As all nine of those championship appearances were shown on national television and the Huskies made other regular national TV appearances during the 1990s and 2000s, a lot of people carry warm memories from those years.

Legendary Huskies head coach Brian Towriss oversaw all of those runs to appearing in the Vanier Cup championship game before retiring after the 2016 season. He became the all-time leader in U Sports head coaching victories at 196 in both regular season and post-season play.

Towriss found his way to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He is accompanying the current Huskies on the road in the post-season.

Towriss is one of the great storytellers you will find anywhere at any level of sports. During down moments, it would be a great experience for any current players to squeeze in a visit with Towriss to hear those tales.

There have been a number of opportunities to hear those old stories too.

After Huskies beat the University de Montreal Carabins in the Uteck Bowl last Saturday in Montreal, Quebec, the team elected to stay in the province. They bussed to Quebec City the next day to being preparing for the Vanier Cup.

Colton Klassen has been a heart and soul player for the Huskies.

The current players are a great bunch. They are group that is easy to get behind.

While the 2020 Canada West season and the Vanier Cup was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, a large number of players that were on the roster in 2019 returned to the Huskies this season. That development is a testament to how good the culture is on the squad.

The Huskies will try to help seven players in their fifth and final seasons of eligibility graduate as U Sports national champions in Colton Klassen, Kyle Newton, Carter Dahl, Finley Easton, Clovis Lumeka, Nick Summach and Yol Piok.

Klassen is arguably the best known of the group. The 2020 CFL Draft selection of the Montreal Alouettes is the Huskies star utility player and a three time Canada West all-star.

Back on October 26, 2019, Klassen went down with a gruesome dislocated right ankle near the end of the first quarter in a 22-9 victory over the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

He hit the comeback trail and recovered to the point the Alouettes were comfortable with selecting him in the eighth round and 69^th overall in the CFL Draft held on April 30, 2020.

Piok has become a mental health advocate after coming forward with his own story of his battles with mental health. Behind the scenes, the Regina product has made a big positive impact off the field.

Fans at cheer on the Huskies at the Hardy Cup.

When it comes to excitement on the field, the Huskies most exciting player is arguably star quarterback Mason Nyhus. The fourth-year signal caller plays in the gun slinging mold of Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre of the NFL.

Nyhus puts up numbers and wins. His decision making has also been top notch this season, and he has been calculated when it comes to taking chances to win games.

Star running back Adam Machart has solidified himself as one of the Huskies all-time greats. He can run with speed, finesse and power and catch passes out of the backfield like a standout receiver.

He is also one of the game’s top true gentlemen.

Sure handed receiver Sam Baker might be the most consistent pass catcher in U Sports. When the stakes get higher, he becomes a bigger playmaker.

Throughout their history, the Huskies have been known for their great offensive lines, and the U of S can rightfully be dubbed “O-line U.”

Riley Pickett has piled up the sacks this season.

This year’s starting line has been stellar once again with Summach at right tackle, Connor Berglof at right guard, Oluwayombo Olabimtan at centre, Derek Beaubien at left guard and Noah Zerr at left tackle.

Of course, the guys on the offensive line are some of the most down to earth persons you will meet anywhere.

On defensive, defensive end Riley Pickett likely received some extra notoriety in being named the defensive player of the game in the Uteck Bowl recording two sacks and six total tackles. Pickett was the target of boos and taunts from the Carabins faithful in Montreal, and he took it all in stride.

Always an upbeat and highly positive person off the field, Pickett knows that boos in opposing team stadiums are as good as cheers when he is at home and also come as a sign he is playing well. He doesn’t get phased by whatever the game throws at him.

Nathan Cherry had a strong season playing the other defensive end spot for the Huskies to form a great pass rushing duo with Pickett.

At linebacker, the Huskies are so deep you could argue they have nine guys who could be starters. Lumeka and Nick Wiebe are viewed as arguably the biggest playmakers.

Mason Nyhus is the Huskies gunslinger at quarterback.

Sophomore outside linebacker Ramsey Derbas has already been entrusted to be a team captain, which shows the leadership ability he has at a young age.

At defensive back, Charlie Ringland goes about the game in a quiet businesslike fashion, and he has the ability to creep up and play in the box as well as cover top receivers. He has great politeness off the field too.

Place kicker and punter David Solie might be the most easy going player on the team. He doesn’t get rattled in crazy situations or when the pressure is on.

Overall, the players, coaches and staff of the Huskies football team are all the perfect persons you would want representing the U of S, Saskatoon as a city and Saskatchewan as a province.

They allow alums of the program and fans to live out great moments in the present and remember great moments of the past.

At the moment, it feels like everything with the Huskies experience of being the Vanier Cup is new again, because it has been so long since the program has been in this game and even longer since the Dogs have won that contest.

The Huskies have a group that deserves to be cheered on.

QB Mason Nyhus (#8) makes a young fan’s day after a win.

If they can win this last game and go all the way, you likely won’t be able to find the words to describe how special that would be.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.