Captaincy designate for Saskatoon Blades in upcoming 2025-26 WHL season confirmed as Parr
The Saskatoon Blades are preparing for the 2025-26 Western Hockey League (WHL) season, with their opening series against the Prince Albert Raiders set to commence at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert. This opening series is a rematch of last year's regular-season finale, where the Raiders secured first place in the East Division and second place overall in the conference standings with a 4-3 victory over the Blades. The series will then move to Saskatoon's Art Hauser Centre for the Blades' home opener on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Prince Albert Raiders will hoist the East Division banner before the season opener against the Blades. The Blades, however, will be missing key players such as Tyler Parr, Rowan Calvert, and Ben Saunderson, who have graduated from the team.
Despite these losses, the Blades have high expectations for the 2025-26 season. They have set a high standard for themselves, aiming to contend for an East Division title once again. The team has made some strategic additions in the off-season, welcoming overage forward Dominik Petr from the Brandon Wheat Kings and veteran defenceman Tristen Doyle from the Lethbridge Hurricanes to their roster.
Tyler Parr, who has been a mainstay of the Blades' forward core, dressing for nearly 250 career WHL games, has been named the team's 64th captain in franchise history. He was voted in by his teammates, with Rowan Calvert being the only other Blade to receive captain votes. Ben Saunderson, the former captain of the Blades, felt that Parr would be a suitable successor for the captaincy.
The Blades concluded the 2024-25 season with a 37-23-8 record, securing the sixth seed in the conference. However, they were swept in their opening-round series with the Calgary Hitmen in the playoffs. The team dropped from second place to sixth place with one game last season, providing extra motivation for the upcoming season.
Defenceman Brayden Klimpke expressed that the pregame ceremonies in Prince Albert will serve as motivation for the team. 'It's always a great atmosphere in Prince Albert, and we're looking forward to getting the season started,' he said. 'We're going to give it our all and make our fans proud.'
The current coach of the Saskatoon Blades is not provided in the available search results. Nonetheless, the team will be relying on the leadership of Parr and Calvert in their opening series of the 2025-26 WHL season.
The Blades will also be without Hayden Harsanyi, Cooper Williams, and Evan Gardner in net, as they are off at NHL camps with the Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Columbus Blue Jackets, respectively, to begin the season. Despite these absences, the Blades are optimistic about their chances in the upcoming season. As Parr stated, 'We've got a great group of guys, and we're excited to get going.'
