Huskies Track and Field Teams have mastered family feeling

The Huskies Women’s Team enjoys an eighth straight Canada West title.

Track and field might be mostly an individual sport, but you never feel alone when you are with the University of Saskatchewan Track and Field Teams.

It is something you can easily see during the Canada West Track and Field Championships the Huskies teams hosted this past February 20 and 21 at the Saskatoon Field House. Over the course of the two-day event, the Huskie athletes that weren’t competing in any track disciplines or were done competing were moving around to various other track disciplines to cheer on other members of the Huskies teams.

If you were on the floor of the Field House where all the track competition is taking place, it was seemingly impossible to not cross paths with a Huskie athlete. While it looks like the competition floor is large, it feels like the track events are happening right on top of each other as everything is actually taking place in a compressed space.

Thanks to the tight confines, Huskie athletes had no problems cycling from the running track, the sand pits used for long and triple jumps, the throwing area, the high jump area and the pole vault area. When a Huskie athlete sets to do an event, that athlete was usually accompanied by a vocal cheering section. That athlete was not alone.

When the competition came to a finish, the Huskies Women’s Team took home an eighth consecutive Canada West title finishing first in the team standings with 186 points. On the men’s side, the Huskies placed fourth in the team standings with 103 points, while the University of Alberta Golden Bears took top spot with 143.5 points.

Hannah Hagerty (#428) is cheered on by her Huskies teammates.

The family feeling on the Huskies track teams saw the strong team results come from a whole host of individual results.

On the women’s side, the Huskies took the top three spots in the 60-metre sprint. Kailee Woitas claimed top spot with a time of 7.46 seconds just edging Hannah Hagerty, who had a time of 7.47 seconds. Selena Keyowski came in third with a time of 7.51 seconds.

Hagerty, who is in her fifth and final season of eligibility, picked up a gold medal in the long jump with a leap of 6.30-metres, which was good for a Huskies record. The record she broke was set in 1990 by Vanessa Monar at 6.27-metres.

Along with the medals in the 60-metre and the long jump, Hagerty collected a gold medal as part of the Huskies 4 X 400-metre relay team that included Jaedyn McLaughlin, Grace Igbiki and Emma Egert. That foursome took top spot with a time of three minutes and 47.07 seconds.

Igbiki, and Egert would team up with Hailee Woodhouse and Keyowski to take the 4 X 200-metre relay in a time of 1:35.75 to set new Canada West Conference and Canadian indoor records.

Nicole Ostertag won the final of the 60-metre hurdles in a Canada West record time of 8.07 seconds. Olamide Olaloku took the triple jump with a Canada West record leap of 12.73-metres breaking an 18-year-old mark previously held by Janine Polischuk of the U of Regina Cougars.

The Huskies Women’s Team sweeps the podium in the 60-metre sprint.

Woodhouse, who would take honours as the Canada West rookie of the year, picked up a gold in the 300-metre race in a time of 38.34 seconds.

Jason Reindl, who is head coach of both Huskies Track and Field Teams, was named the Canada West Women’s coach of the year, and Huskies assistant Karlyn Wells took honours as the Canada West Women’s assistant coach of the year.

On the men’s side, Liam Oster captured gold in the 60-metre Hurdles with a time of 8.29 seconds. Ashwin Witt topped pole vault clearing a bar set at 4.85 metres, and Nathan Pinno took first in shot put with a throw of 16.60 metres.

Josh Tam placed second in the heptathlon collecting 4,899 points over seven events. Tam also took honours as the Canada West Men’s Community Service Award winner.

The Huskies have built a storied history in track and field. The Huskies Women’s Team has won 29 Canada West titles and seven U Sports championships, and the Huskies Men’s Team has captured 20 Canada West crowns and five U Sports titles.

Most of the Huskies history was built under the watch of the late Lyle Sanderson, who left an iconic legacy as head coach from 1965 to 2004. Reindl, who was a Huskies athlete in their U Sports team title wins in 2002 and 2005, became the Huskies head coach in 2017 and has played a key part in allowing the Huskies to continue to be one of Canada’s top track and field programs. The Huskies track athletes roll with a family togetherness you often find with the best squads in teams sports like baseball, basketball, football and hockey.

The Huskies Women’s Team does a conference champions parade.

Before the 2025-26 season comes to an end, the Huskies Teams head to the U Sports Track and Field Championships that start Thursday and run through to Saturday in Winnipeg, Man., at the James Daly Fieldhouse.

The track programs from the University of Guelph and the University of Western Ontario are expected to be the favourites to challenge for the Women’s and Men’s team titles.

While those squads are strong, you can expect the athletes from the Huskies Teams will leave their marks before all is said and done.

Draper era ends with Pandas

The Howie Draper era has come to a close at the University of Alberta.

On Monday, the U of Alberta Athletics Program announced that Howie Draper has decided the 2025-26 campaign was his last working behind the bench as head coach of the Pandas Women’s Hockey Team and has elected to retire. In the summer of 1997, he was hired on as the Pandas first head coach in team history as they embarked on the inaugural campaign in U Sports women’s hockey.

Since that start, Draper has been the Pandas head coach for all but one season of their existence. The born and raised Edmonton product has guided the Pandas to a record 15 Canada West Conference titles, eight U Sports national titles and the most wins in U Sports Women’s Hockey at 715.

“Though my passion for serving our student-athletes has always been and will continue to be strong, I feel like it’s time for the program to have a new coach who possesses fresh energy, ideas and enthusiasm to help bring the program back to national prominence,” said Draper in a release. “My experience as a student-athlete at the U of A was life changing, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have played a similar role for those within the Pandas Hockey program for the past 28 years.”

This past season Draper guided the Pandas to a 12-9-2-5 record where they finished fifth overall in Canada West. The Pandas season came to an end after they fell 2-1 in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series to the U of Manitoba Bisons. The Bisons have since advanced to the Canada West Championship Series.

One season earlier in 2024-25, the Pandas finished second overall in the Canada West regular season standings with a 24-3-0-1 mark. The Pandas would advance to the Canada West Championship Series to face the first place University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. U of A swept that best-of-three series 2-0 winning both games of the set in overtime with star forward Abby Soyko scoring the extra time winners in both contests.

At the 2025 U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship Tournament, the Pandas fell 3-0 to the host U of Waterloo Warriors in a quarter-final and finished the event with a 1-2 record.

Draper, who will turn 59-years-old on April 3, has been named the Canada West coach of the year eight times and the U Sports coach of the year four times in women’s hockey. He was the inaugural coach of the PWHL’s New York franchise in 2023-24 and picked the first ever regular season head coaching victory on that circuit.

Draper has been inducted into the Alberta Hockey and City of Edmonton Sports Hall of Fames. With the 2002-2007 Pandas hockey dynasty teams that won five national titles and six straight Canada West championships, Draper was inducted with those squads to the U of A Sports Wall of Fame. From the start of the 2001-02 campaign, Draper coached the Pandas through an undefended streak that lasted 110 games and included 109 wins, one tie and three U Sports championships.

He earned the University of Alberta Alumni Excellence Award in 2007.

In 2025, Draper was given the Hockey Canada Gordon Jukes Award for outstanding contribution to the development of amateur hockey in Canada at the national level.

To go along with his time with the Pandas, Draper has extensive international coaching experience. He guided Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 World Under-18 Championship in Wisconsin. He has also spent time as an assistant coach with Canada’s Women’s National Team and was the head coach of the 2013 Canadian FISU Team in Trentino, Italy.

Before his coaching days, Draper was a defenceman on the U of A Golden Bears Men’s Hockey Team from 1985 to 1990 playing under head coaches in the iconic Clare Drake and Billy Moores. Draper helped the Bears win the University Cup as U Sports champions in 1986, which was ultimately Drake’s last national championship win with the team. Draper also helped the Bears win the Canada West title in 1989.

The U of A will conduct a nation-wide search to find the next head coach of the Pandas hockey program later this spring.

Illness causes absence

It is never fun being sick.

I admit I have been down with a hanging around illness, which has kept me off here. My last previous post came back on February 18.

I got it around February 19, while cleaning up after a big snowfall here in Saskatoon. I thought I got over it on February 21, but it came back after finishing up the big snowfall clean up a day later.

The illness is now down to congestion and a cough. I suspect I am dealing with a bacterial infection. I tried to go see a doctor once to get an antibiotic to deal with this, but the medical clinic was overflowing with people who were under the weather, so I elected to try and ride this out.

I am pretty much over the illness now, so hopefully, I will have clear sailing ahead.

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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Last dance underway for Grassick with Huskies

Gage Grassick sets to make a pass for the Huskies in a game last Nov. 

The last time is now Gage Grassick, when it comes to her career with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Basketball Team.

Entering the current 2025-26 campaign, the 23-year-old fifth-year point guard has cemented herself as one of the all-time greats in the history of the Huskies program. The Prince Albert product is playing her final U Sports season and is living up to the lofty heights she established in the past.

In helping the Huskies get out to a 10-0 start in regular season play, Grassick is averaging 18.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. Her points per game total ranks second in the Canada West Conference, and her assists per game total tops the conference.

The Huskies regular season resumes on January 9, 2026, when they travel to Edmonton to face the U of Alberta Pandas (10-0). If the Huskies make it back to the U Sports title game looking to repeat as champs, that contest will be played on March 8, 2026 at the Universite Laval in Quebec City. Grassick’s time as an active player with the Huskies is limited to about two-and-a-half months, and that reality is in the back of her mind.

“It is so special being able to play on a team like this for five years,” said Grassick. “I was a COVID kid, so this is my sixth year on the team.

“It is just so special. Something like this you never want to give up. This team, this culture, the atmosphere, the coaches just make you better every single game (and) every single practice.

“Now that it is kind of nearing the end, it is one of those things that you don’t really think about, but you’re just so grateful for every moment.”

This story of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

USask centre Pillar reflects fondly on his Mintos days

Centre aims to catch fire again with Huskies

Josh Pillar jets up ice for the Huskies on November 29.

Josh Pillar will always crack a smile when someone brings up his one full season stand with the Prince Albert Mintos Under-18 AAA Team.

In the current day, Pillar is a 23-year-old veteran centre playing out his third season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. The Warman product played a key role for the Huskies in the 2024-25 campaign culminating in the squad’s 19^th Canada West Conference championship win this past March.

Pillar is no stranger to lengthy post-season runs. During his 15-year-old season in 2017-18, he experienced one of those in “Hockey Town North.”

After suiting up with the Mintos as an associate player call up for two games in the 2016-17 season, Pillar joined the Mintos on a full-time basis for the following campaign. He helped the Mintos finish third overall in the SMAAAHL regular season standings with 32 wins, nine losses and three extra time losses.

This story of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

Hilltops set for last 2025 dance as Canadian Bowl hosts

Saskatoon faces Sun for CJFL title on Sunday at SMF Field

The Hilltops go through reps at practice at SMF Field on Tuesday.

They’ve gone through a journey that has been far from a straight line, but the Saskatoon Hilltops have arrived at their last dance for the 2025 CJFL season.

On Sunday, the PFC champion Hilltops (8-2 overall) host the BCFC champion Okanagan Sun (13-0 overall) in the CJFL Championship Game – the Canadian Bowl – at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops are in their second Canadian Bowl in the 2020s having won in 2023 with a perfect 12-0 record. The Sun, who are based in Kelowna, B.C., are in their third Canadian Bowl in the 2020s having won in 2022 with a perfect 14-0 mark and falling last year 37-22 to the host St. Clair Saints in Windsor, Ont.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, who has been part of 17 total CJFL title wins with Saskatoon as a player, assistant coach, and head coach, said his squad is in for a tough battle.

“They are the team that has been in the Canadian final more than any other team in this decade,” said Sargeant. “They’re coaching staff has a strong pedigree and a huge belief system.

“They do a great job of recruiting, and that is why they have all that skill on the field. We know that is what is in front of us. We know the work that is in front of us, and we’re committed to it right now.

“Right now, we’re not coming up for air. We’re just getting to work each and every minute we have. It is going to take all 40 players come Sunday to put us in a good spot.”

The Sun are led by veteran quarterback Liam Kroeger, who is in his second last season of CJFL eligibility. In the Sun’s 10 regular season outings, Kroeger has completed 190-of-281 passes for 2,860 yards and 26 touchdowns, while just throwing three interceptions. His passing yardage total led the BCFC.

JaQuintis Summers, who is 21-years-old, had a huge season playing on the team’s defensive line. In the club’s 10 regular season games, Summers piled up 22.5 total tackles, 13 quarterback sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Hilltops second- year defensive tackle Scott Adamko said his squad has their work cut out for them in facing the Sun.

“They’re a great team,” said Scott. “They’ve got lots of athleticism.

“It is just we’ve got to keep our game plans that the coach has given us and just execute.”

The Hilltops have a roster that arguably relies more on grit to win than any other year in the team’s recent past. With that noted, they still have some significant talent notably in running backs David Collins, Charles Sawi and Corbin Ebben.

Collins, who is a 22-year-old veteran who came up from St. Michael, Minn., has been golden in what will be his lone CJFL season. In the Hilltops eight regular season games, he carried the ball 126 times for 1,028 yards and 13 touchdowns. His touchdown total topped the PFC and his rushing total was second in the conference.

On defence, the Hilltops are led by veteran middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk. In the Hilltops eight regular season games, Michayluk piled up 32 solo defensive tackles, 22 defensive tackle assists, one solo special teams tackle, four special teams tackle assists, three pass knockdowns, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

The Hilltops have also had to battle through lots of adversity in 2025. They opened the regular season on August 10 getting stomped 31-11 against the Rifles in Winnipeg. During that time, multiple injuries popped up that seemed destined to crash Saskatoon’s season.

Later while playing at SMF Field on September 27, the Hilltops dropped a 24-21 heartbreaker to their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder. Saskatoon rebounded with two straight wins leading to the PFC final where they faced the Thunder, who were 8-1 overall at the time, at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

The Hilltops fell behind 24-9 with 10:51 to play in the fourth quarter. They roared all the way back to pull out a 30-27 overtime victory. Saskatoon capped that win with a walk off 24-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Griffin Sander to fifth-year receiver Isaiah Vallderruten.

That play and the win that came from it set up Sunday’s Canadian Bowl clash with the Sun.

“It has definitely had its ups and downs,” said fifth-year defensive tackle Ryan Adamko, who is Scott’s older brother. “The coaches have always had our backs.

“We got theirs. They’ve put us into the right spots. They’ve coached up beyond the expectation.”

Scott said the 2025 campaign has been special for the Hilltops due to everything they had to persevere through to get to the CJFL final.

“We had like so much adversity,” said Scott. “We lost Week 1, and then we lost to Regina at home.

“Then, we were down in the PFC final, and we came back. It is just a great group of guys. We just fought back.”

Ryan was a member of the Hilltops CJFL championship winner in 2023. He would like everyone on this year’s squad to experience winning the Canadian Bowl because of how much of a highlight that 2023 championship is for him.

“That is still real high up,” said Ryan. “That is something special.

“That team was just a very special team. All the boys were just so close-knit together. Everybody trusted everybody, and we just did what we were told to do.

“It all worked out.”

With the CJFL title game being played in Saskatoon, there was always a chance the weather could work out in the Hilltops favour as teams from British Columbia traditionally struggle in colder conditions. The cold isn’t expected to be that much of a factor as Environment Canada is calling for a high temperature of -2 C with sunny skies.

“I don’t get into the weather game to be honest,” said Sargeant. “The game is played between the lines.

“You were talking about all the talent and skill they have. They are very physical, and we are a pretty physical team. It is going to come down to who controls the line of scrimmage, who does a better job of getting the ball to the athletes and then who goes out and makes plays.

“We have to be strong with the ball, and we have to keep everything in front of us. We can’t let any of those guys get behind us. Then hey, let’s just go have some fun, enjoy the moment and get out there and play great Hilltop football.”

Huskies rally past Rams, take Hardy Cup 25-24

The Huskies enjoy victory and the Rams contemplate a season-ending loss.

A classic comeback delivered the Hardy Cup back to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team for the 22^nd time in team history.

On Saturday playing before 3,201 spectators at Griffiths Stadium, the Huskies found themselves trailing their provincial rivals the University of Regina Rams 24-9 after three quarters of the Canada West Conference Championship Game – the Hardy Cup. In the fourth quarter, the Huskies rolled off 16 consecutive points to pull out a 25-24 victory.

The rally started with 12:12 remaining in the fourth quarter when Huskies second-year quarterback Jake Farrell hit first-year receiver Liam Piccinin for a 20-yard touchdown pass to cut the Rams advantage to 24-16. The major capped a Huskies drive that covered 101 yards in seven plays.

With just under 6:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, Rams returner Kaleb Senz fumbled a punt return away that was recovered by second-year Huskies linebacker Jacob Goldstone at the Rams 19 yard-line.

On the very next play, Farrell connected with second-year Huskies receiver Mason Grabowski on a 19-yard touchdown pass. After a failed two-point convert attempt by receiver Dawson Lennea, the Rams continued to hold now a slim 24-22 lead.

The Huskies would keep coming. With about 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Huskies second-year kicker Lukas Scott hit a 25-yard field goal to give the host side a 25-24 lead.

The Rams attempted to pull even on a desperation final play of the fourth quarter. With the ball on the Huskies 47 yard-line, Rams fifth-year punter Isaac Wegner was asked to bring out his inner Jon Ryan and boot a punt single to force a tie and overtime.

Wegner’s punt came up four yards short of the end zone, and the ball was caught by Scott, who went down to end the game and deliver the Huskies to victory.

At one point, the Huskies looked like they were in serious trouble. With 3:17 remaining in the third quarter, Rams third-year defensive back Brandon Wong returned a fumble by Farrell 49 yards for a touchdown that gave the visitors their 24-9 advantage. That just set the stage for a dramatic Huskies comeback in the 4^th quarter.

The Huskies improved to 9-1 overall, while the Rams finished at 7-3 overall.

Both teams were also battling the injury bug. The Huskies were without the services of star starting fourth-year quarterback Anton Amundrud due to injury, and the Rams didn’t have star third-year running back Marshall Erichsen due to injury.

The story of the Hardy Cup was kind of similar to the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference final played on October 26 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. In that contest played before 1,413 spectators, the host Thunder led their provincial rivals the Saskatoon Hilltops 24-9 with 10:51 to play in the fourth quarter.

The Hilltops roared all the way back to pull out a 30-27 overtime victory. Saskatoon capped that win with a walk off 24-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Griffin Sander to fifth-year receiver Isaiah Vallderruten.

That play sent the Hilltops to the CJFL Championship Game – the Canadian Bowl. Saskatoon hosts the Okanagan Sun in the CJFL final on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

As for the Huskies, they will host the OUA champion Queen’s University Gaels (8-3 overall) in the Mitchell Bowl U Sports semifinal game this coming Saturday at 2:15 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium. In the U Sports semifinal to be played this coming Saturday, the AUS champion St. Mary’s University Huskies (9-1 overall) host the RSEQ champion Universite de Montreal Carabins (8-2 overall) at 1 p.m. local time at Huskies Stadium.

The winners of the semifinal bowls will collide in the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup – on Saturday, November 22 at 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

Crusaders win for “Himey,” other notes

Crusaders AC Scott Hundseth, centre, raises the SHSAA 6A title trophy.

The drought is finally over for the Holy Cross High School Crusaders.

On Friday night at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Crusaders downed Regina’s Miller Comprehensive Catholic High School Marauders 21-16 in the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Associations 6A Championship Game. The win marked the first time since 1995 the Crusaders won a provincial title in football.

Between 1995 and this past Friday, the Crusaders advanced to a provincial championship game on 10 occasions and lost every one of those outings. The last loss was a 12-10 heartbreaker to the Marauders on November 11, 2023 at SMF Field. In that contest, a handoff mistake by the Crusaders resulted in the Marauders scoring the winning safety that broke a 10-10 tie score with 32.5 second to play in the fourth quarter.

On Friday, the Crusaders led the Marauders 7-3 at halftime and 14-3 after three quarters. Holy Cross went up 21-3 in the fourth quarter. The Marauders rallied with a pair of touchdowns that cut the Crusaders lead to 21-16 with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Crusaders recovered an onside kick after the Marauders second major and proceeded to run out the clock to win the game. In the process, they captured their seventh provincial championship in team history.

After being awarded the championship trophy, the Crusaders captains handed the trophy over to beloved assistant coach Scott “Himey” Hundseth. The captains wanted to ensure Hundseth was the first to raise the trophy, which he did to the excited delight of everyone on the Crusaders side.

Hundseth, who focuses on the defensive side of the ball, was the Crusaders head coach for nine of the previous 10 losses in the provincial final and remained on the Holy Cross coaching staff after retiring from his teaching position at the school in June of 2024. The alum of the CJFL’s storied and historic Saskatoon Hilltops and University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team in the U Sports ranks is a teacher/coach with the Institute of Saskatchewan Football, which is overseen by Saskatoon Minor Football.

A defensive end as a player, Hundseth was a star of the Hilltops 1985 CJFL championship team and the Huskies 1990 U Sports title winner.

Over his many decades as a football and basketball coach, Hundseth has had a huge positive impact on the lives of countless players he has coached. As one of the ultimate good guys in Saskatoon’s sports scene, it was a heartwarming moment when the Crusaders gave him the SHSAA’s 6A football championship trophy to raise.

• It was a happy Saturday night in the province of Saskatchewan. At Mosaic Stadium in Regina, the Saskatchewan Roughriders claimed a 24-21 thriller over the British Columbia Lions in the CFL’s West Division Final. The Roughriders will travel to Winnipeg to play in the CFL’s title contest – the Grey Cup – since last winning it at old Taylor Field in 2013. Saskatchewan will face the Montreal Alouettes in this year’s Grey Cup set for 5 p.m. local time at Princess Auto Stadium.
• On Friday, Saskatoon Hilltops right guard Jack Erlandson, running back David Collins and defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens were named CJFL first team all-Canadian all-stars. On Thursday, CJFL second team all-Canadian all-star nods went to Hilltops receiver Isaiah Vallderruten, middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk and cornerback Jace Mowles.
• On Friday, Okanagan Sun offensive lineman Kaiden Kerntopf, defensive back Tariq Brown and defensive linemen JaQuintis Summers and Jarveon Williams were named CJFL first team all-Canadian all-stars. On Thursday, CJFL second team all-Canadian all-star nods went to Sun offensive linemen Zach Barnard and Parker Kellington, receiver Jordayne Falconer, running back Gerren Hardisty, punter Grady Hay and place kicker Liam Attwood. Falconer also picked up a second team all-Canadian all-star award as a return specialist.
• On Saturday, Okanagan Sun place kicker Liam Attwood was named the CJFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year. During the Sun’s 10 regular season games, Attwood made 13-of-16 field goals with a long kick from 51 yards out. He also connected on 64-of-65 point after attempts. He scored the second most points in the BCFC at 103.

• On Saturday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a feature on Going Yard Baseball Academy instructor Brody Boyenko and his tragedy to triumph WCBL season as an assistant coach with the Regina Red Sox. In the piece, Boyenko talks about what it was like to deal with the early season death of returning right-handed pitcher Jesse Lubiniecki, who passed away in a single vehicle rollover driving home to Regina. Boyenko went into how the team rallied around Lubiniecki’s memory to win the WCBL championship. The piece on Boyenko can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that is dominated by images of the championship chase from football season and is led by photos of the Toon Squad Female Flag Football League. That post 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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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.

Raiders’ grad Kosior is cool with school

Landon Kosior in action for the Huskies in February of 2024.

Landon Kosior is in the post-season groove.

The graduate of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders is looking forward to his second go in the playoffs in the U Sports ranks skating on the blue-line of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey Team. The Huskies topped the Canada West Conference regular season standings with a 23-5 record and will host the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a best-of-three conference semifinal series.

Games 1 and 2 will go Friday and Saturday respectively with a 7 p.m. start time on each night at Merlis Belsher Place. If necessary, a series-deciding Game 3 is set for Sunday at 6 p.m. at Merlis. The Thunderbirds finished fourth overall in Canada West with an 18-8-0-2 mark.

“Coming into the year just with the guys that we were bringing back, we kind of knew that we should have a pretty good team,” said Kosior, who stands 6-feet and weighs 190 pounds. “I think it has gone just as we had hoped.

“That being said, the playoffs are coming up. That is the main goal of the year is to win a championship, so the real season starts now.”

This story of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

Huskies will be strong hosts for U Sports women’s nationals

Dogs fall 2-1 in OT to Pandas in glimpse of the future

The Huskies take the ice for their game on Saturday.

Believe it or not, it is possible in the world of sports to play well and lose.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey Team lived out that notion on Saturday night in a U Sports regular season contest at Merlis Belsher Place. The Huskies took on the University of Alberta Pandas, who are always in contention for Canada West Conference and U Sports championship titles.

The Huskies led 1-0 thanks to a second period goal from right-winger Kelsey Hall, and they took that advantage well into the third period. With 6:23 remaining in the third, centre Allison Reich potted the equalizer for the Pandas that evened the score at 1-1. Pandas captain Izzy Lajoie knocked home the winner 2:36 into overtime to give the visitors a 2-1 victory in a game played before 350 spectators.

Captain Izzy Lajoie scored the OT winner for the Pandas.

The Pandas improved to 8-2 with the win, while the Huskies record moved to 7-2-1.

In defeat, the Huskies showed they are worthy of being the host team for this season’s U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship Tournament, which runs March 14 to 17, 2024 at Merlis Belsher Place. At that event, the Huskies will face teams that are the same caliber as the Pandas.

No matter who you cheer for, Saturday’s clash between the Huskies and Pandas will be the types of games you will see U Sports nationals. That means ticket buyers are going to see a lot of great hockey at that championship tourney.

The Huskies and Pandas entered their encounter on Saturday after the two side met one night earlier where U of S pulled out a 2-0 victory at Merlis Belsher Place. In that clash on Friday, Huskies all-world netminder Camryn Drever made 35 saves to pick up her 11^th career shutout in regular season play.

The Pandas celebrate their OT win on Saturday.

Due to the fact the Pandas came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard on Friday, it was safe to think they would come out with a big push at the start of Saturday’s clash. The Huskies were the ones that came flying out of the gate.

After the first 6:03 of the opening frame, the Huskies recorded the game’s first eight shots on goal. They also had the Pandas pinned in their own zone for much of that time.

Shortly after that first surge, the Huskies looked like they were about to get the game’s first goal. Pandas second year netminder Misty Rey had troubles playing the puck in her own end, and a panic scramble ensued around the U of A net that kept the puck out of the goal.

Rey and the Pandas proceeded to settle down after that near mishap and worked their way back into the game. After the first period, the game was scoreless with the Huskies holding an 11-9 edge in shots on goal.

Kelsey Hall gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the second period.

When two good teams are playing each other, there are going to be momentum swings. While the coaching staffs on both sides would be making adjustments in the first intermission, the coaches on both sides had to be OK with the scoreless tie.

At the 8:19 mark of the second, the Huskies broke through on the scoreboard, when Hall put home a shot to the top right corner of the net on a rush down the left wing. Defender Shelby Williamson picked up an assist on the play.

The Huskies proceeded to control the majority of the play from that point in time until the end of the frame. The Pandas had stretches were they got trapped in their own zone.

Misty Rey stopped 29 shots in goal for the Pandas.

The hosts continued to hold an edge in play for the first 14 minutes of the third.

The Pandas gained traction thanks to a positive bounce break that resulted in Reich’s equalizer. As the visitors started to apply pressure in the U of S zone, the puck to a strange bounce off the boards behind the Huskies net right to Reich, who was alone in close at the right side of the U of S goal.

Reich popped home the equalizer, which was her first goal of the campaign, to even the score at 1-1. From that point, the Pandas had extra life and controlled play for the rest of the frame.

Hall did have a chance to put the Huskies back out in front with a drive from the right slot only to be denied by Rey.

Camryn Drever makes one of her 28 saves for the Huskies.

The two sides would head into a three-versus-three overtime period. In overtime, the Pandas converted a difficult play to get the winner on Drever.

Pandas centre Natalie Kieser had the puck at the left boards in the Huskies zone. She floated a pass to the front of the U of S net and Lajoie ended up deflecting that pass out of the air into the Huskies net to win the game.

Usually to get a goal past Drever, teams are going to have to convert a difficult or special type of scoring play. That was what the Pandas did to obtain victory.

Drever turned away 28 shots to take the extra time setback in goal for the Huskies. Rey stopped 29 shot to pick up the win in net for the Pandas.

Isabella Pozzi is the Huskies steady fifth-year defender.

The Huskies now head on the road to face the U of Calgary Dinos in Calgary this coming Friday.

The Pandas return home this coming Friday to host the defending U Sports champion Mount Royal University Cougars.

Besides being a worthy host for the U Sports championship tournament, the Huskies are contenders to with the Canada West Conference title. They made the Canada West Conference championship series in 2022 falling to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

The Huskies proceeded to capture a bronze medal at the U Sports Championship Tournament held that year in Charlottetown, P.E.I. They still have a large number of veterans that were part of that post-season run in 2022. 

Fifth-year winger Kara Kondrat plays with poise and control.

That includes steady fifth-year players in winger Kara Kondrat and defender Isabella Pozzi. 

The Huskies have been without fifth-year forward Kennedy Brown due to injury so far this season, and Brown has developed a history of coming up clutch in post-season games.

Of course, the Pandas and Cougars will be considered contenders for the Canada West title too. At the moment, the 10-1-1 Thunderbirds have to be the clear favourites to win the Canada West championship for a third straight season.

The Thunderbirds have outscored their opposition 59-16, and their roster currently contains the top eight scorers in the conference.

The Huskies will have a say in how the 2023-24 campaign plays out.

Still, the Huskies are a battle tested bunch. They play with some pretty good poise and togetherness. The Huskies will play a role in determining how the 2023-24 campaign ultimately unfolds.

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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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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Huskies navigate X-Men buzz saw, capture Uteck Bowl 36-19

U of S advances to Vanier Cup for second straight year

Ryker Frank had 134 yards rushing for the Huskies on Saturday.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team played to the adage that winning is the only thing that matters in playoff time.

On Saturday at StFX Stadium in Antigonish, N.S., the Huskies ran into a buzz saw in the host St. Francis Xavier University X-Men in the Uteck Bowl. The two sides were deadlocked at 6-6 at halftime and 13-13 after three quarters in the U Sports semifinal clash.

The Huskies hit their stride in the fourth quarter and ultimately pulled out a solid 36-19 victory before 2,173 spectators. With the win, the Huskies (10-1) advance to the U Sport championship game – the Vanier Cup.

In that contest, the Huskies will face the Universite Laval Rouge et Or. On Saturday, the Rouge et Or downed the host University of Western Ontario Mustangs 27-20 at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont., to claim the other U Sports semifinal – the Mitchell Bowl. The Rouge et Or improved to 10-1 overall with the win, while the Mustangs finished the 2022 campaign with a 10-1 mark.

For Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin, the Mitchell Bowl victory was his 201^st career head coaching win including both regular season and post-season. Constantin, who has guided the Rouge et Or to nine Vanier Cup titles, is the only head coach in U Sports history to post 200 or more career wins in the sport of football.

The Vanier Cup will be played this coming Saturday at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont. The game will start at 12 p.m. Saskatchewan time on that day and will be shown on CBC.

The X-Men finish the 2022 campaign with a 9-1 overall record. They also gained a measure of respect for the Atlantic University Sport’s football conference.

The last football champion from the AUS to make the Vanier Cup was the Saint Mary’s University Huskies in 2007. Playing without the services of injured star starting quarterback Erik Glavic, Saint Mary’s dropped a 28-14 decision in that year’s U Sports title game to the University of Manitoba Bisons at Rogers Stadium in Toronto.

Last year, the X-Men were smashed 61-6 by the eventual Vanier Cup champion Mustangs in the Mitchell Bowl played at Western Alumni Stadium. The result matched what had happened in recent years to AUS champions in U Sports semifinal bowl games.

Daniel Perry had a 26-yard TD catch for the Huskies.

In 2019, the Acadia University Axemen were blanked 38-0 at home by the Universite de Montreal Carabins in the Uteck Bowl. In 2018, the X-Men were shutout 63-0 on the road by the eventual Vanier Cup champion Rouge et Or in the Uteck Bowl.

In 2017, the Axemen were stampeded 81-3 in their home park by the eventual Vanier Cup champion Mustangs in the Uteck Bowl. The AUS champion avoided getting blown out in 2020 because the U Sports semifinal bowls and Vanier Cup were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

While U of S Huskies head coach Scott Flory and the rest of his coaching staff were preaching to their players to not take anyone lightly, there are times that becomes humanly hard to do. You can be sure the Huskies players were aware of how badly AUS champions had fared in recent U Sports semifinal bowl games.

As the first three quarters of Saturday’s game progressed, you could see the belief in the eyes of the X-Men players grow. The Huskies played OK through the first three quarters, but they did make some uncharacteristic mistakes that those watching the contest had to think an upset was possible or was going to happen.

Huskies kicker David Solie gave the visitors a 3-0 lead in the first quarter hitting a field goal from 32 yards out. X-Men kicker Ben Hadley responded with two field goals from 32 and 17 yards out respectively to give the hosts a 6-3 advantage. On the final play of the second quarter, Solie nailed a field goal from 36 yards out to even the score at 6-6.

The Huskies opened the third quarter with an impressive opening touchdown drive that covered 89 yards on 11 plays and ate the first six minutes and 10 seconds on the club to go ahead 13-6. The drive was capped by a two-yard touchdown run from star running back Ryker Frank.

With 2:26 remaining in the fourth quarter, X-Men quarterback Silas Fagnan ran in a major score from 19 yards out to force a 13-13 tie score.

The wheels began to fall off for the X-Men with 8:11 remaining in the fourth quarter as they elected to concede a safety due to bad field position to put the Huskies in front 15-13. The Huskies hit high gear at that point.

On their ensuing offensive series, star fifth-year quarterback Mason Nyhus hit second-year receiver Daniel Wiebe with a 41-yard pass and run touchdown that increased the Huskies advantage to 22-13. Wiebe’s touchdown catch completed a four-play, 75-yard drive that took only a minute and 45 seconds.

Mason Nyhus passed for 327 yards for the Huskies on Saturday.

Things got worse for the X-Men on their ensuing series, Fagnan was intercepted by Huskies second-year defensive back John Stoll, who returned the ball 26 yards for a touchdown to give the visitors a sound 29-13 edge.

The hosts did try to fight back. With 3:01 remaining in the fourth quarter, Fagnan connected with receiver Ben Harrington on a 38-yard touchdown pass. The X-Men tried to go for a two-point conversion, but Fagnan’s pass fell incomplete causing the score to sit at 29-19 in favour of the Huskies.

The X-Men then kicked off to the Huskies in regular fashion. The visitors rounded out the game’s scoring, when Nyhus hit fourth-year receiver Daniel Perry with a 26-yard touchdown pass to cement the 36-19 final in favour of the Huskies.

Nyhus had a stellar day statistically completing 30-of-38 passes for 327 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was named the offensive player of the game.

Frank ran the ball 20 times for 134 yards to go with his major score to be the contest’s top ground gainer. He also caught three passes for 16 yards.

Wiebe led all receivers with six catches for 117 yards to go with his major through the air.

Fagnan completed 17-of-36 passes for 258 yards and one touchdown, while throwing two interceptions. He ran the ball six times for 50 yards.

X-Men receiver Zachary Houde led his team with five catches for 98 yards.

Defensive back Finn Marcotte-Cribb had an interception for the Huskies. Jonathan Leggett, William (Charlie) Parks and Charlie Ringland all had sacks for the visitors. Katley Joseph and Nick Wiebe tied for the Huskies team lead in tackles at four.

Stoll was named the defensive player of the game posting two total tackles to go with his interception return for a touchdown.

Defensive back Liam Wilde led the X-Men with 8.5 total tackles. Defensive lineman Alex Fedchun had a quarterback sack for the host side.

Overall, the Huskies deserve full credit for pulling out the win against an inspired X-Men side. The visitors persevered past the mistakes they did make.

Charlie Ringland (#3) had a sack for the Huskies on Saturday.

In football playoffs, it is all about winning and playing another day. The Huskies are going back the Vanier Cup for a second straight year.

Last year, the Huskies fell 27-21 in the Vanier Cup to the Mustangs at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec. In 2021, the Huskies were making their first Vanier Cup appearance since 2006.

This year, the Huskies are looking to take care of unfinished business and win the Vanier Cup for the first time since 1998. The battle in the Uteck Bowl should sharpen the focus for the Huskies players for the last contest they can possibly play in for the 2022 campaign.

All the Huskies need to do is win one more game to become the champions of U Sports, and it won’t matter if that win is a work of art or not.

Business trip ✅#HuskiePride | 📸 Bryan Kennedy pic.twitter.com/BanlS0pswH

— Huskie Football (@skhuskies) November 19, 2022

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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.

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