By TERRY PUGH
After a successful inaugural season that saw the team finish in second place in the Prairie Junior Hockey League (PJHL) north division standings, the Martensville Chiefs are looking to carry that momentum into the upcoming 2026-27 campaign.
“It’s going to be an interesting year,” said Chiefs General Manager Brennan Hall. “We had an older, experienced team last year, and there was quite a bit of turnover during the off-season, so this time around we’re going to have a much younger team.
“We signed a dozen 18-year-olds in the last few months,” added Hall. “So we’ll be counting on our returning veterans to be able to lead those young guys and set a good example.”
Among the recent signings are Martensville products Parker Livingstone, a forward; and defensemen Brody Collins and Ryland McConnell. Also adding to the local flavour on the roster are defenseman Charlie Evans and forward Drew Budd, both from Warman.
Saskatoon players recently signed to the club include forward Troy Shewchuk, defenseman Bryden Larsen, and goalies Luke Norman and Blake Mercier. Rounding out the new recruits are forwards Austin Sawatsky (Oxbow) and Brady Hujber (Spiritwood).
Hall said he’s looking forward to seeing what the rookies bring to the team.
He also has a lot of confidence in the returning players, who’ve shown their leadership abilities and will be key to the team getting off to a good start.
Among those veteran leaders are two 21-year-olds, Luc Fortier, a forward, and defenseman Jeff Stewart.
“We’ll be leaning on Luc a lot this year,” said Hall. “He wore the ‘C’ last season, and he’s been a real leader for multiple years before the franchise relocated from Delisle last year.
“As for Jeff, there’s no question he’s the best defenseman in the league,” added Hall. “He’s originally from Yorkton, and he logged a ton of minutes last year as a 20-year-old.”
Other returnees singled out by Hall include goalie Nicholas Grunerud, as well as forwards Hayden Meszaros and Luke Senick.
The bulk of the recruitment during the off-season was done by the Chiefs’ new head coach, Jordan Berschiminsky, according to Hall.
“Jordan stepped in and did a great job,” said Hall. “I’m looking forward to see Jordan coach the players he’s brought in.”
Hall said he’s confident the team will once again be competitive despite the turnover in the roster. The addition of a new assistant coach, Luke Dyer, is another strength this year.
“We’ll definitely be in the mix,” said Hall. “The Saskatoon Quakers had a young team last year, so they’ll be stronger this season because they’ve got a lot of returning players. The Royals and Westleys, I think, will be like us in that they’ll have a lot of younger guys in their lineups.”
The Chiefs hold their training camp on Saturday, September 6, and kick off their pre-season series on Sunday, September 7 when they host the Saskatoon Westleys at the Martensville Sports Centre at 2 p.m.
Three more exhibition games are slated for Sunday, September 14 in Martensville, Saturday, September 20 in Saskatoon against the Royals, and Sunday, September 21 at home against the Westleys.
The regular season home opener at the Martensville Sports Centre is slated for Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m., with a pre-game tailgate party and concert featuring recording artist Codie Prevost, beer gardens and family-friendly children’s activities.
Hall said the team hopes to grow the already-substantial fan base in Martensville by getting team members more involved in community events and strengthening partnerships with community groups, including the Kinsmen Club.
He added that basing the team in the legacy Martensville Sports Centre, instead of the much-larger and more modern Martensville Recreation Centre, has benefited the organization.
“The Sports Centre rink has a lot of character. It’s perfect for Junior B hockey,” said Hall. “With a crowd of 150 people, it’s full, and that makes for an enjoyable experience.”