2026 Canada West Final features ten former Blades
The 2026 Canada West Final for University Men’s Hockey is flooded with former Blue and Gold representation.
It’s a rematch for the 2025 final as the defending champions in the University of Saskatchewan (UofS) Men’s Hockey Team visit the top-seeded Mount Royal University (MRU) Cougars Men’s Hockey Team in a best-of-three final starting Friday, March 6 at the Flames Community Arena in Calgary, AB. No matter who wins the series, both teams are guaranteed a spot in the U Sports National Championship in Halifax from March 19 to 22. The Huskies roster former Blades Conner Roulette (F), Josh Pillar (F), Rhett Rhinehart (D), Ben Saunderson (D) and Nolan Maier (G), while MRU boast Vaughn Watterodt (F), Jayden Wiens (F), Justin Lies (F), Blake Stevenson (F), and Nolan Ryan (D).
UofS Huskies Men’s Hockey
The first of two former Blades searching for back-to-back U Sport glory is Huskies forward Josh Pillar. The right-handed shot has 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points in 67 games across three seasons with the UofS. The Warman, SK native was drafted by the Kamloops Blazers 14th overall in the 2017 WHL Prospects Draft. Pillar registered 52 goals and 97 assists for 149 points in 229 games across five seasons. Following 29 points (11G, 18A) in 22 games during the COVID-19 bubble season, Pillar was drafted in the fourth round (127th overall) by the Minnesota Wild. The 6-foot winger was acquired by the Blades midway through the 2021-22 season, scoring nine goals and 14 assists in 45 career regular season games.
Rhett Rhinehart is also chasing a repeat in his fourth season with the Huskies. The man known as “Rhino” played in 261 career WHL games between the Prince Albert Raiders, Prince George Cougars, and Blades between 2017 and 2022. The 2001-born blueliner scored 23 goals and 67 assists across his career, 12 goals and 34 assists coming in 95 games with the Blades over three seasons.
Nolan Maier joined the UofS halfway through the season after spending the three-and-a-half seasons playing pro in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the ECHL. The Yorkton, SK native suited up five seasons for the Blades in between the 2017-18 season and 2021-22 campaign. In 216 career WHL games, Maier set plenty of goalie franchise records such as wins (122), shutouts (12), saves (5,788), and games played (216). The 24-year-old netminder rocked a .905 save percentage (SV%), and a 2.89 goals against average (GAA) through his five-year Western Hockey League (WHL) career. Maier’s 122 wins is the second most in WHL history by a goaltender. Maier was drafted in the second round (25th overall) by the Blades in the 2016 WHL Prospects Draft. Following his WHL career, Maier signed with the ECHL’s Reading Royals ahead of the 2022-23 season. Maier spent two seasons with the Royals and earned a 27-26-9 record in 64 games. After a stint with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners in the 2024-25 season, Maier played seven games with the Idaho Steelheads of the same league.
Conner Roulette’s in his first season with the Huskies. The former Dallas Stars draft pick was named the Canada West Rookie of the Year after scoring 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 28 games. The 5-foot-10 winger was a perennial 20-plus goal scorer over his WHL career, culminating in a 108-point (45G-63A) final season in 2023-24, earning a berth on the 2024 WHL U.S. Division Second All-Star Team.
MRU Cougars Men’s Hockey
Vaughn Watterodt is on of four returning Cougars hungry for vengeance after last year’s finals loss. Watterodt committed to the Cougars midway through the 2024-25 season after the 20-year-old winger appeared in 26 games with the Victoria Royals. The 20-year-old winger became a fan-favourite during his two-and-a-half seasons with the Blades after he was acquired in December 2021 from the Kamloops Blazers. The Rosetown, SK native scored 32 goals and 41 assists in 173 games with the Blades. The man known as “Doof” had his best offensive season in 2022-23 when he scored 18 goals and 16 assists in 68 games. Watterodt was a part of both runs to the Eastern Conference Final, finishing with seven goals and 18 points in 39 career playoff games.
Jayden Wiens is in his second season with the Cougars, scoring 17 goals and 32 assists for 49 points in 53 career games. The 5-foot-9 centre was the Blades’ eighth-round (155th overall) pick in the 2018 WHL draft. The Carrot River, SK native scored 44 goals and 39 assists for 83 points in 166 games with Saskatoon between the 2019-20 and 2022-23 season. Wiens potted eight goals and two assists in 18 games during the Blades’ 2023 Eastern Conference Final run. Wiens played his graduating WHL season with the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2023-24, scoring a career-high 25 goals and 44 points in 67 games.
Justin Lies is also in his second season with the Cougars. The Flin Flon, MB native played one season with the Blades in 2022-23, scoring a career-high nine goals and 14 assists in 56 games. The 6-foot-2 power forward was originally drafted by the Vancouver Giants in the third round (56th overall) in the 2018 WHL draft. Prior to his time with the Blades, Lies played 120 games with Vancouver across three seasons, scoring 12 goals and 18 assists. The right-handed shot played his 20-year-old season in 2023-24 for his hometown Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). Lies scored 41 goals and 35 assists in 55 games, helping the Bombers to the SJHL Final with 14 goals and five assists in 14 games. The Bombers lost the best-of-seven series to the Melfort Mustangs in six games
Blake Stevenson is in his fourth season with MRU. The Calgary, AB native’s lone season with the Blades came in the 2021 bubble season where he scored seven goals and seven assists in 21 games. Stevenson played 184 WHL games between 2017-18 to 2021-22, scoring 50 goals and 54 assists between the Blades, Tri-City Americans (who drafted Stevenson in the sixth round in 2018), Calgary Hitmen, and Red Deer Rebels.
Ryan Nolan is in his first season with the Cougars. Nolan dressed in 25 games with the Blades in the 2021-22 season scoring one goal and three assists.
Canada West Playoffs | Final Series
Saskatchewan Huskies vs Mount Royal Cougars
Game 1 – Friday, March 6, 2026 | 8:00pm CT
Game 2 – Saturday, March 7, 2026 | 8:00pm CT
Game 3 – Sunday, March 8, 2028 | 7:00pm CT *if necessary*
