By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
After a shaky start at their first home game of the season, the Martensville Chiefs have been on a hot streak, winning their last three games at home and on the road.
The Chiefs kicked off the 2026-2027 regular season by hosting the Saskatoon Westleys at the Martensville Sports Centre on Saturday, September 26.
The first period was a tough one for the Chiefs as they struggled to make any shots on goal. Saskatoon eventually scored the first goal with 6:15 remaining in the period and then added to their lead with another goal about four minutes later.
The Chiefs fired back mere seconds later with a goal by Turner Krahn, assisted by Liam Dechaine. After another goal by Saskatoon early in the second period, Luc Fortier then notched the Chiefs’ second goal, assisted by Braden Wotherspoon and Luke Senick.
Unfortunately, that’s when the Westleys ran up the score, racking up three more goals in the second and third periods to win the match 6-2.
The Chiefs ended up making 34 shots on goal that match, while their goalie Nicholas Grunerud blocked 27 of the Westleys’ 33 shots.
A day later on Sunday, September 27, Martensville hosted the Prince Albert Timberjaks, which ended in a 5-2 victory for the Martensville Junior ‘B’ hockey team.
The Chiefs scored early against Prince Albert and maintained a lead of at least one goal throughout the rest of the game. Hayden Meszaros notched that first goal, assisted by Fortier and Tristin Tetreault-Yaremko.
From then on, more goals were added by Brady Hujber (assisted by Parker Livingstone), Tetreault-Yaremko (helped out by Dechaine and Jeffrey Stewart), Dechaine (assisted by Bryden Larsen and Troy Shewchuk) and Stewart (helped out by Luke Senick and Lane Keyowski on a power play).
Blake Mercier was in the net for the Chiefs, blocking 35 of 37 shots. The Chiefs managed 27 shots of their own on Prince Albert’s net.
The Chiefs then had a break of a couple of days before hosting the Carrot River Thunder for an 8-4 victory on Wednesday, September 30.
In this high-scoring match, the Chiefs earned a 3-2 lead in the first period and then racked up five goals in the second. Though Carrot River answered with two more goals in the third period, they were unable to catch up to Martensville.
Scoring twice for the Chiefs (including one unassisted goal) was Fortier, while Hujber, Larsen, Livingstone, Stewart, Keyowski and Krahn each contributed one goal.
On offence, the Chiefs made a total of 36 shots on Carrot River’s goal, while Grunerud blocked 17 of 21 shots for Martensville.
Finally, the Chiefs travelled to the Rod Hamm Arena in Saskatoon on Saturday, October 3, to take on the Saskatoon Royals.
This ended in a 4-2 victory for the Chiefs, who initially trailed the Royals by two goals until midway through the second period when Shewchuk scored Martensville’s first goal, assisted by Hujber and Kieran Patterson.
Two more goals were then scored by Meszaros (assisted by Fortier and Tetreault-Yaremko) and Broden Wotherspoon (unassisted).
Now leading 3-2, Wotherspoon notched a second goal off assists by Meszaros and Brody Collins to give the Chiefs the win.
The Chiefs managed 24 shots on goal while Mercier blocked 14 of 16 shots for Martensville.
In the lead-up to Thanksgiving Monday, the Chiefs are set to host the undefeated Saskatoon Westleys once again this Wednesday, October 7 and Saturday, October 10.
Martensville Chiefs player Troy Shewchuk moves in to take a shot on the Saskatoon Westleys’ net on Saturday, September 26. The Chiefs lost this game 6-2 but went on to win their next three games.
Nathan Miller and Saskatoon Westleys player James Hirschfield go for the puck.
Hayden Meszaros and a Westleys player battle for the puck seconds after the faceoff.