The University of Saskatchewan Huskies compete within the Canada West Universities Athletic Association conference as part of Canadian Interuniversity Sport. In order to win a CIS championship, which is top honours in the country’s university athletics, teams must qualify and win their conference’s playoffs, and win the CIS playoffs — the only exception in qualifying for playoffs is that the host school automatically competes. Other conferences in the CIS include the Ontario University Athletics, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec and the Atlantic University Sport.
Coming off the 2010-11 season, the Huskies saw a few of their teams put up their strongest showings in history. This year, a few of the Huskies’ teams have rosters in place to win conference championships and some star players to break national records. Other teams, of course, will finish at the bottom of their division as they have young rosters and are rebuilding for the future.
After qualifying for the CIS playoffs four years in a row from 2005 to 2008, the Huskies men’s hockey team has not made the national tournament for the last three years.
It will be difficult to break that streak this season following the recent losses of Steve DaSilva and Zach Sim.
According to the StarPhoenix, both players will not be back next season after making the choice to play in Saskatchewan’s senior hockey ranks.
DaSilva, regarded as the Huskies top recruit in recent years, has attended several National Hockey League training camps and was named CIS most outstanding rookie in his first year with the Huskies. He was the Huskies’ second-highest point-scorer behind Kyle Bortis last season.
Sim would have been the Huskies’ only defenceman who was not a first or second year player this season.
Regardless, with 22 players returning from last year, a first place finish in the Canada West and a CIS playoff spot are not unimaginable.
Bortis will return to the roster this season and is expected to be the Huskies’ top scorer once again.
He will be helped by fifth-year captain Kyle Ross and former Saskatoon Blade Derek Hulak.
Ross, along with former Kootenay Ice most valuable player Andrew Bailey, was named Canada West second team all-star after putting up 23 points in 28 games. Bailey had 24 and is also returning for the Dogs.
Hulak played for the Saskatoon Blades from 2006 to 2010. He is expected to have a huge impact for the Huskies this year after an injury midway through last season cut his season short.
Defence might prove the only weakness as all the Dog’s blueliners lack significant CIS experience.
Matt Delahey and Brett Ward are expected to step up and lead that group of young defencemen.
Third year goaltender David Reekie comes into this season with a .920 save percentage. He was the 2007-08 United States Hockey League goalie of the year.
Typically, when a hockey team brings in seven rookies, it’s a rebuilding year.
However, with at least nine fourth- and fifth-year players this season, the Huskies will still be competitive in the Canada West.
They are led by the 2009-10 CIS most valuable player Breanne George and 2010-11 Canada West second team all-stars Kristen Bews and Cara Wooster.
George, a centre from Saskatoon, sits seventh on the Canada West’s all-time career points list with 126, and seventh on the conference’s all-time season points list with 46. Her 28 goals in the 2009-10 season are tied for the most goals in one season by any Canada West athlete.
Wooster spent two years playing in North Dakota before coming to the Huskies last year. She put up 40 points for the Dogs last season to share top-spot in the Canada West along with George and Hayley Wickenheiser — yes, that Hayley Wickenheiser.
On the blue line, team captain Bews will be joined by fifth-year Kelsey Fenton to shut down opposing offences.
Fourth-year Mackenzie Rizos will start in net for the Dogs and sports an impressive resume. While playing in Lethbridge, she was the Canada West nominee for the 2008-09 CIS Marion Hilliard award, which honours a student athlete who excels at academics and in the community. She was also an academic all-Canadian and second team Canada West all-star in 2008-09.
As for rookies, head coach Steve Kook could not say who he expects to step up and take on a major role as he has yet to see them in game action.
Kook was the Canada West coach of the year in the 2009-10 season and expects the Huskies to land a national playoff spot this year. He said they will be helped by the fact that the playoffs are in Edmonton this year, meaning the Canada West conference can send two teams to compete.