Three Saskatchewan teams enter the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs in 2025 - the Swift Current Broncos, the Saskatoon Blades and the Prince Albert Raiders.
For the Raiders and Blades, games down the stretch have felt like playoffs for some time now.
“We’ve been playing in close games, meaningful games, games where every point matters and they’re very very important and crucial, critical to get,” said Dan DaSilva, head coach of the Saskatoon Blades. “So we’ve been playing playoff hockey for, in my opinion, for a long time.”
The Prince Albert Raiders won five straight games to earn top spot in the Eastern Division, despite making a change at the head coach position just two weeks ago.
“It’s an exciting time,” said newly appointed head coach Ryan McDonald. “The air is warm outside, snow is starting to melt and this is when you want to play hockey.”
After a year of roster turnover, the Saskatoon Blades exceeded expectations right up to the trade deadline.
A roster filled with new faces from September, they enter the postseason as the youngest of the 16 remaining teams.
But captain Ben Saunderson and the other veterans have plenty of experience to share with the new players after back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference final.
“The older guys that have been through a lot of playoff hockey, we’ve been on a couple of runs,” said Saunderson. “So I think just preaching to them of what it takes to play playoff hockey, but I think we’ve ramped our game up in the last couple of weeks and guys are getting used to the feel of that, so I think we’re ready to go.”
The Raiders face the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. But they have the benefit of home ice advantage.
“It’s the most fun time of year for us,” said Max Hildebrand, Raiders Goaltender. “And super excited to have home ice, I think it’s a big advantage for us. Probably the biggest one in the league, I’d say. And I know this place is gonna be rocking come Friday.”
Raiders forward Tomas Mrsic knows that skill alone doesn’t equate to wins in the postseason.
“They have some high-end guys as well,” said Mrsic. “High end, skilled guys. So I think just playing the body on them, not giving them time and space, just shutting them down as much as we can and then just sticking to our structure, our game, playing physical and skilled as well.”
Blades veteran Rowan Calvert knows playoffs are a marathon, not a sprint.
“At the end of the day, it’s just another game. Go out there and do your thing, keep it simple and try not to be nervous,” he said. “Because no matter what happens, the series isn’t won or lost in game one.”
The Raiders open playoffs Friday at the Art Hauser Centre.
The Blades will head to Calgary for games one and two against the Hitmen.
