This feature takes a look inside the Huskies locker room with head coach Brandin Cote to explore how a cohesive, relentless roster is shaping another championship-calibre season at Merlis Belsher Place.

The cold air inside Merlis Belsher Place carries a certain sound in the winter months, the scrape of blades on ice, the murmur of fans gathering in green and white and the sharp anticipation only reproduced by watching a Huskie sports team play. At the University of Saskatchewan, Huskies men’s hockey has long been one of the campus’s most spirited traditions. This year, the program not only carries through momentum, but also belief in something more.

Head coach Brandin Cote sees it every time his players step onto the ice. “We’ve got a really good team again this year,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Sheaf. “We recruited some really good new guys, and we’re lucky to have quite a few players from last year’s team return. We’ve got a good mix.”

That balance between weathered and junior athletes is shaping the Huskies into a rounded team with the depth and leadership necessary to compete deep into the season. Though the preseason brought a few injuries, the roster has stabilized, and key contributors have started to regain form. The team opened strongly, hit a small lull before their bye week, and now gears up for an important stretch that will help define their season.

“I really believe we’ll be right in the mix at the end of the year,” Cote said. “We have the team that can take another run at it, just like we did last year.”

Last season marked one of the program’s strongest campaigns in recent memory. Saskatchewan finished first in Canada West, earning home-ice advantage through the playoffs and energizing the campus with a deep post-season run.

“It’s a fine line between winning and losing,” Cote said. “We found a way to get first overall in our conference last year, which really helped us to be able to have home ice.”

Finishing atop the Canada West standings gave Saskatchewan a crucial advantage: playoff games in front of their own fans at Merlis Belsher Place, where momentum tends to swing quickly and the Huskies’ depth shines. Cote said earning that top seed “really helped to propel us” through the conference postseason, setting the tone for another deep playoff run.

That push eventually carried Saskatchewan to the U Sports national championship in Ottawa, where their season ended in a razor-thin semifinal against Concordia, a single-game elimination that could have gone either way. “It was a really good experience for our guys to see what it takes to win in that tournament,” Cote said. “It’s very difficult because it’s only a one-game elimination … but to go there and see it firsthand was big for our group.”

The loss left the team hungry, sharpening their focus as they entered the new season looking to take the next step.

One of the most unique pieces of the program’s development was their preseason trip to Europe, a project years in the making. It offered the players a chance to play exhibition games against professional clubs overseas, learn from new styles of hockey and build team chemistry far from home.

“It was a huge undertaking,” Cote said. “So we were very lucky to have an alumni step up to help us with that. And then [through] other various fundraising initiatives that we did with our team were able to get that planned and organized.”

“[That experience] really checked all the boxes with how that unfolded,” he said. “Play some good hockey and help them prepare for our season, and also be exposed to potential opportunities to play pro hockey in Europe.” 

“Guys got to see different parts of the world that they normally wouldn’t.”

For recruits considering the program, opportunities like that matter. For returning players, it reinforces what makes Huskies hockey special: investment and community.

Ask Cote to describe the on-ice identity of this year’s Huskies, and he points to three pillars.

“Relentless, connected and pace,” he said. “Those are really the three indicators that we talk about.”

Relentlessness means constant pressure, forechecking aggressively, challenging for every puck, denying opponents time and space. Connectedness refers to structure: playing tight, supporting each other, making quick passes and maintaining close support everywhere on the ice. And pace, the signature trait of the Huskies’ system, demands that the team skate efficiently and make fast decisions.

“To play with pace, you have to be connected and relentless,” Cote said. “They all tie into each other.”

It’s a style that has shown itself in flashes, impressive penalty kills, stretches of dominant control and games where the offence flows naturally. But the Huskies are still chasing full consistency.

“We’re seeing lots of good things … but we want [a] more offensive finish,” Cote said. “Last year, our power play was the best in the country. This year, we’re doing lots of good things, but we haven’t quite found the finish yet.”

Even so, the underlying structure is strong, and the group has bought into the identity.

“So we work on these daily, we work on these weekly,” he said. “In the playoffs, that’s where we have to really see that come out.”

With a roster that blends experienced veterans and emerging young talent, leadership has naturally spread across the team.

Among the forwards, Cote highlighted several Huskies who have taken meaningful steps this season, beginning with first-year winger Conner Roulette, a highly regarded recruit who he said is “starting to find his groove” as he adapts to the pace and structure of U Sports hockey.

 Veterans Chantz Petruic and Dawson Holt, both fixtures in the lineup and in the dressing room, continue to anchor the front end, serving as longtime leaders who, in Cote’s words, “propel our offence and do things right on both sides of the puck.” 

On the blue line, fourth-year defender Rhett Rhinehart has emerged as one of the team’s most reliable presences, with Cote describing him as “our most consistent player on both sides of the puck, a big physical force” capable of shaping the game at both ends. 

Third-year defenceman Landon Kosior remains equally important, even if his early-season numbers have been quieter; Cote emphasized that “he’s doing a lot of the right things” and continues to be “such a key part of our team.” 

In goal, the Huskies boast rare depth and internal competition, led by veteran Jordan Kooy, who has carried forward the strong form that defined Saskatchewan’s elite defensive identity last year. He is joined by Bryan Thomson, a first-year goalie fresh from pro hockey who is still settling into the university game but gaining momentum with each outing, while rookie James Venne pushes both from behind, a dynamic Cote believes will serve the team well as the season progresses.

 When asked to describe the personality of the group in one word, Cote chose “cohesive.” “Our guys hang out with each other all the time,” he said. “They support each other. They enjoy coming to the rink. And above anything else, you need that to win.” 

Cote said that even in moments of adversity, like their recent two-game skid, the team hasn’t panicked. Instead, they’ve stayed steady and optimistic. “We’re going through a bit of a blip, but the guys have handled it really well,” he said. “They’re encouraging each other, staying the course, understanding what we need to get better at.” He described a group that jokes around, keeps the mood light, and arrives at the rink ready to work. “To perform, you’ve got to enjoy coming to the rink. And I think our guys do that really well.”

Cote also reflected on how his own coaching style has evolved.“I really feel that my core values have stuck throughout, and that’s really what we talk about with some of our team identity stuff,” Cote said. “It’s what’s important to me, but my ability to adjust certain things as we move forward has evolved. I think how it’s evolved is just being able to understand and communicate with each individual. That’s something I’ve continued to evolve with.

“When I first came in, I might have been a little bit more team-oriented, but as you go, you really have to learn it’s all about the team. But it’s also about trying to get every player to be at their best. It’s not a one-size-fits-all model,” he said. “Leaning on my ability to communicate with each player and being upfront and honest with them in a respectful manner is something that’s evolved with me from the time I’ve been here.”

He also credits his staff for much of the team’s success.

“I wear a lot of hats, but I’m fortunate to have a great support staff. Leaning on them has been a big part of our success, and it will continue to be as we move forward.”

The Huskies have already had their share of memorable games, but none stand out to Cote quite like their home opener against Mount Royal University, a rematch of the Canada West final. The banner-raising ceremony, the sold-out crowd and the tight back-and-forth game created an atmosphere that embodied the spirit of Huskies hockey. “That one sticks out,” Cote said. “A sold-out arena, physicality, back-and-forth play and our guys were ready. Those experiences are what make playing here special.”

The coach said home ice, when energized by students, can be a game-changer. “The more students we get out, that’s what our guys love, is when they walk out of the tunnel, to see that student section full and energetic, and it really does elevate our game when we have that,” he said.

With major matchups ahead, including a crucial series against UBC, rivalry games with Regina and a January showdown with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, the Huskies want the student body behind them.

“There are lots of really important games coming up,” Cote said. “Those rivalry games, community events like the teddy bear toss, hockey fights cancer night, they’re always well attended. And if we get to host playoffs again, those are fantastic events.”

His message to students was simple: “We’ve got a fantastic group. We have a great opportunity to do something special. It’s an exciting brand of hockey, and student support really elevates us.”

As the winter season builds and the team sharpens its identity, the Huskies are chasing not just another banner; rather, they are focused on building a culture that’s cohesive and relentless, shaped by shared goals, pressure-tested experiences and a belief that they can finish what last year started.

For Cote and his team, every practice, every shift and every home game in front of students is another chance to push toward something bigger.