Saskatoon Blades Continue Building a Champion One Step at a Time – The Hockey Writers – WHL

It’s never easy to lose to a rival, especially in the playoffs. Yet the Saskatoon Blades remained optimistic following their second-round sweep at the hands of the Prince Albert Raiders. “Proud of this group. Proud of the season. Proud of everything they gave,” said Blades head coach Dan DaSilva. “It’s two years of exceeding expectations, doing better than people thought we would do and count us out early in the year. Last year, no one saw us making the playoffs, and this year, no one saw us winning a playoff run, and we did those things, so we can be proud of that.”

The Blades have proven time and time again that they can handle a 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 were the first team to reach 10 wins, despite most predicting them to be out of the playoff race for the first time since 2018, and still made the playoffs even after selling their biggest stars at the deadline. It’s incredible what this team has managed to accomplish against huge odds.

Yet, if you ask the team, this is all part of the plan. This team was always expected to be competitive, even after losing several stars, and now that their young core has grown and developed together, a championship may be approaching on the horizon.

Blades Developing a Strong Culture On and Off the Ice

It goes without saying that a championship roster 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 conscious in their development and acquisition of players to create a tightly knit group who will go to battle for one another 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 final game as a Blade. “It’s the best teams that win: the teams that stick together, the teams that are there for each other off the ice. That’s the most important part. When I was named captain here at the start of the year, I gave a little speech to the guys, but I didn’t say anything about actions on the ice. I just said, I hope to be the best teammate and friend I could be to you guys. I hope they take that away because it’s pretty special bonds you make in hockey over the years.”

Parr follows a long line of Blades captains committed to working off the ice just as much as they work on it. It’s why the captaincy isn’t simply given to the team’s best players. “We’re not a team that has one, two, or three superstars that we rely on to win hockey games,” said DaSilva. “We rely on everyone in that room. I think there’s something special to be said for that. I said it all year long, for us to have success and be at our best, we’re getting contributions from everyone and not having any passengers. I feel like that’s part of what has drawn them so close, is that they feel like everyone’s involved in it.”

The Blades avoided the brunt of the NCAA rule change last season thanks to the team’s culture, creating a group that wants to see this process through. Brayden Klimpke and Cooper Williams stated they will both return to Saskatoon and take care of “unfinished business” despite college commitments for the Fall. They both see what Saskatoon is building, and they want to be part of it.

Key Experience for a Young Core

It’s hard to know how tough the playoffs are until you get there, and for a young team like the Blades, these losses are just as important as winning. “The playoff experience we got this year is really valuable,” said DaSilva. “Last year, it was really good for us to get into the playoffs and for a young group to experience what the playoffs feel like and what they look like, and this year is really important for us to get a series win, so we know what that looks like and know what it takes to win a playoff series.”

“With the margin of error being so thin in the playoffs, the compete level rising, the pace rising, the physicality rising, I think it was great learning steps for our guys to know what it takes to win a series. The second round is another animal, and it only gets harder from here on out, so great experience for our guys.”

“It was really special the way we battled against Edmonton,” added Parr. “That was a really good Edmonton team, they added a lot at the deadline, they had hopes of going further, and we were outmatched, but we made up for it in our effort 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 carry that on next year.”

Looking to the Blades’ Future Leaders

Aging out is an unfortunate reality of junior hockey, and the Blades bid goodbye to Parr, goal-leader Rowan Calvert, and star goalie Evan Gardner, who was recently re-assigned to the American Hockey League (AHL) by the Columbus Blue Jackets. That puts significant pressure on the young core to take on much bigger roles next season, but thankfully, the team has full confidence they’ll be ready.

“Obviously, the other captains, Hunter Laing and Brayden Klimpke, were part of that leadership group that helped drive such a competitive culture,” said DaSilva on who he’s expecting to fill the gaps left by Parr and Calvert. “Off the top of my head right now, Zach Olsen would be another one, just by his presence, the way he competes, the way guys are drawn to him in the room, he’s a very popular player in the room, and he’s just a man. I think he’d be a guy that would step up, and just his work ethic and what he brings day in and day out.”

Olsen earned a lot of praise for his play this season. He set career highs with 18 goals and 34 points despite playing three fewer games this season than he did as a rookie, and was regularly the hardest-working player on the ice. DaSilva described him as someone who was built for the playoffs, and he didn’t disappoint, finishing his playoff run with two goals and six points in 10 games. If he decides to follow Williams and Klimpke and stick around one more season instead of going off to Colorado College, he could emerge as one of the most dominant forces in the WHL.

“There are some great options in that room, for sure,” agreed Parr, but he focused on two other potential candidates. “I’ve seen Klimpke grow as a leader, especially over 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 by leading by example on the ice, but also with his messages…Ben Bowtell, he’s a rookie, but he’s the first guy at the rink every day and the last guy to leave, just grinding every day. He was healthy scratched sometimes, but even then, he was still the hardest worker. There’s a lot of really good options in that room, and they’re in good hands.”

Klimpke was easily the Blades’ best defenceman this season, combining sleek skating with excellent 200-foot awareness, which not only earned him praise from his team but also earned him an honourable mention on Dobber Prospects’ December 2026 Draft rankings from Collin Wilcox. Bowtell may have flown under the radar after a 12-point rookie season, but by the end of the season, he was one of the Blades’ most exciting players. He charged the net, played hard in the corners, and never showed fear despite standing just 5-foot-8 and weighing in at 150 pounds. He’ll be one to watch next season.

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