Saskatoon Blades Continue To Build Championship One Step At A Time – Hockey Writers – WHL

It’s never easy to lose to an opponent, especially in the playoffs. However, the Saskatoon Blades remain optimistic following their second round sweep at the hands of the Prince Albert Raiders. “We’re proud of this team. I’m proud of the season. We’re proud of everything they’ve given,” said Blades coach Dan DaSilva. “It’s been two years that we’ve exceeded expectations, we’re doing better than what people thought we would do and counted on us at the beginning of the year. Last year no one saw us entering the finals, and this year no one saw us winning the play-off, we did those things, so we can be proud of that.”

The Blades have proven time and time again that they are up to the challenge. They entered the 2026 Western Hockey League (WHL) Playoffs as one of the youngest teams, yet they upset the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round, one of the oldest and most experienced teams in the league. In 2024-25, they became the first team to win 10, despite many predicting that they would be out of the playoff race for the first time since 2018, and they continued to make the playoffs even after selling their biggest stars last season. It is amazing what this team has been able to achieve when faced with great difficulties.

However, if you ask the team, this is all part of the plan. This team was always expected to be able to compete, even after losing a few stars, and now that their young core has grown and developed together, the championship could be closer.

Blades Develop Strong Culture On and Off Ice

It doesn’t mean that the championship team needs to be good at hockey, but more importantly, they need to be a team. That starts in the dressing room, and the Blades have been very careful in their development and acquisition of players to create a strong team that will go to battle night in and night out.

“Just the brotherhood, the way you come together as a team, there’s nothing like it, especially in the playoffs,” said captain Tyler Parr, who played his last game as a Blade. “The best teams win: the teams that stick together, the teams that stick together off the ice. That’s the most important part. When I was named captain here at the beginning of the year, I gave a little speech to the guys, but I didn’t say anything about the games on the ice. I just said, I hope I’ll be the best teammate and friend I can have for you guys because I hope they’re going to play a special hockey game.”

Parr follows a long line of Blades captains who are as committed to getting off the ice as they are working on it. That is why the position of captain cannot be given to the best players of the team. “We are not a team with one, two, or three players that we rely on to win hockey games,” said DaSilva. “We rely on everybody in that room. I think there’s something special to be said for that. I’ve said it all year, to be successful and to be at a high level, we get contributions from everybody and we don’t have riders. I feel like that’s part of what brought them so close, that they feel like everybody has a part in it.”

The Blades avoided the burden of NCAA rule changes last season because of team culture, building a team that wants to see the program continue. Brayden Klimpke and Cooper Williams said they will return to Saskatoon and take care of “unfinished business” despite college commitments in the fall. They both see what Saskatoon is building, and want to be a part of it.

Important Experiences of the Young Core

It’s hard to know how tough the playoffs are until you get there, and for a small team like the Blades, this loss is just as important as the win. “The play-off experience we got this year is important,” said DaSilva. “Last year, it was great for us to get into the playoffs and for a young team to experience what the playoffs are like and what it looks like, and this year it’s very important for us to win a series, so we know what that looks like and know what it takes to win a playoff series.”

“With the margin for error being so much smaller in the playoffs, the level of competition going up, the speed going up, the physicality going up, I think it was a great learning curve for our guys to know what it takes to win a series. The second round is another animal, and it gets tougher from here on out, great experience for our guys.”

“The way we fought Edmonton was really special,” added Parr. “That was a very good Edmonton team, they added a lot in the deadline, they were hoping to advance, and we advanced, but we were successful in our efforts and the way we came together as a team, so I hope those guys can learn that in the playoffs, it’s the best team that wins, and we really came together in that series, and I hope they can continue that.”

Looking to the Future Leaders of the Blades

Aging is a sad reality of junior hockey, and the Blades said goodbye to Parr, leading scorer Rowan Calvert, and star goaltender Evan Gardner, who was recently reassigned to the American Hockey League (AHL) by the Columbus Blue Jackets. That puts a lot of pressure on the youngsters to take on bigger roles next season, but thankfully the team has full confidence that they will be ready.

“Obviously, the other captains, Hunter Laing and Brayden Klimpke, were part of that leadership group that helped continue the culture of competition,” said DaSilva, talking about who is expected to fill the gaps of Parr and Calvert. “Top of my head right now, Zach Olsen is going to be one, just because of his presence, the way he competes, the way guys are drawn to him in the room, he’s the most popular player in the room, and he’s just a guy. I think he’s going to be a guy who can step up, and just his performance and what he brings every day.”

Olsen has received a lot of praise for his performance this season. He posted career highs of 18 goals and 34 points despite playing three fewer games this season than he did as a rookie, and was always a hard worker on the ice. DaSilva described him as someone who was built for the playoffs, and he did not disappoint, finishing his playoff game with two goals and six points in ten games. If he decides to follow Williams and Klimpke and stay one season instead of transferring to Colorado College, he could emerge as one of the most dominant forces in the WHL.

“There are good options in that room, for sure,” Parr agreed, but focused on two other potential candidates. “I’ve seen Klimpke grow as a leader, especially this year. It was only his second season, I think some people forget that. It was his first season as an assistant, and he did a great job, especially being a role model on the ice, but also with his messages…Ben Bowtell, he’s a rookie, but he’s the first guy in the lineup to come out every day, and sometimes he came out healthy every day. and they are in good hands.

Klimpke has been the Blades’ best defenseman this season, combining smooth skating and good awareness over 200 meters, earning him not only the praise of his team but also an honorable mention in the December 2026 Dobber Prospects rankings from Collin Wilcox. Bowtell may have flown under the radar after a 12-point season, but by the end of the season, he was one of the Blades’ most exciting players. He hit the net, played hard in the corners, and never showed any fear despite standing just 5-foot-8 and weighing 150 pounds. He will be one to watch next season.

There are still several questions that need to be answered before the 2026-27 season begins, such as whether they will stick with their young goaltenders or look elsewhere, or if Laing will turn profile and join the Calgary Flames. But, no matter what happens, the Blades are confident they will continue to exceed expectations. It has overtaken them so far; who says it won’t take them to the franchise’s first championship?