By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
Even though it didn’t go their way, the Martensville Junior ‘B’ Chiefs had the kind of ending to their first season that “every hockey player dreams about,” according to general manager/VP of club operations Brennan Hall.
On March 12, with their best-of-seven playoff series tied up at three games each, the Martensville Chiefs fell in double overtime to the Saskatoon Quakers by a score of 4-3 at the Martensville Sports Centre.
After a scoreless first period, the Chiefs and Quakers were tied 2-2 in the second period and 3-3 at the end of the third. A final unassisted goal by Saskatoon’s Cohen Swan, however, finally brought the titanic struggle to a halt.
“We felt we controlled much of those two overtime periods, but that’s the nature of playoff hockey. One bounce, one shot, one shift can change everything—especially in overtime,” noted Hall.
Prior to that climatic Game 7, the Chiefs had been up 3-2 as of Game 5 on March 7. A win on March 10 would have sent the Chiefs into the next playoff round with the Westleys, but unfortunately for Martensville, a 5-1 victory by the Quakers extended the series into Game 7.
“Ultimately, it was on us to close that series out earlier and we weren’t able to do that,” Hall acknowledged. “But it was a tremendous series against a very strong Quakers team.”
Incidentally, the stands at the Martensville Sports Centre on March 12 were packed with more than 400 spectators, and the atmosphere that night was “fantastic,” said Hall.
“The community really rallied around the team throughout the season, and we couldn’t have been happier with the turnout and support we received,” said Hall.
“That’s something we’re very excited about continuing to build on moving forward as we look to make the Chiefs bigger and better in the years ahead.”
The Chiefs had been slotted against the Quakers after finishing second in the Bob Dybvig Division of the Prairie Junior Hockey League (PJHL) with a total of 62 points. The Quakers and the first-place Saskatoon Westleys also had 62 points, but the Chiefs had fewer overtime losses than the Quakers.
Simply finishing in second place was “a great accomplishment” for the Chiefs, noted Hall, adding that while they had their ups and downs, it was an amazing first season overall.
“The North Division as a whole was incredibly competitive this season. To finish the year tied in points with both the Quakers and the Westleys really speaks to how tight things were from top to bottom,” Hall said.
Looking ahead to the 2026-2027 season, Hall said it’s too early to have a clear picture of their roster turnover, though that picture will become clearer as they move into the spring and summer.
Nevertheless, “we feel very good about the direction of the program and the foundation we’ve started to build in Martensville,” he said.
Jase Borschneck readies to pass the puck during the Martensville Chiefs’ home game with the Saskatoon Quakers on March 7.
Liam Dechaine faces off with a Saskatoon player at the puck drop.