SASKATOON, Sask. - The University of Saskatchewan Huskie Women's Hockey team is just hours away from officially dropping the puck on the 2025-26 Canada West regular season. With a returning veteran core and a talented group of young student-athletes, the Huskies are looking to put together a bounce back campaign and return to the conference postseason.
2024-25 Season Recap
Regular Season: 5-17-6 / 8th Overall
CW Team Ranks
Offence: 32 GF, 8th / 12.8 PP%, 5th
Defence: 75 GA, 7th / 77.1 PK%, 9th
Season Leaders (RETURNING)
Goals: 9 -
Bronwyn Boucher
Assists: 8 -
Kendra Zuchotzki
Points: 12 -
Bronwyn Boucher
Wins: 5 -
Colby Wilson
Save%: .935 -
Colby Wilson
The 2024-25 regular season saw the Huskies record a 5-17-6 record, snapping a nearly two-decade streak of playoff appearances after the team finished nine points behind the Regina Cougars for the third playoff position in the East Division. Despite finishing in eighth-place overall, the Huskies were a stronger team than their record would indicate with ten of their losses coming by a single goal.
Now hungry and motivated to get back to the postseason, a strong core of veterans return ready to lead the 2025-26 edition of the Huskies in
Jayde Cadieux,
Bronwyn Boucher,
Paris Oleksyn,
Sara Kendall,
Kendra Zuchotzki,
McKenna Bolger, and
Colby Wilson. This experienced group will join forces with several exciting young athletes such as
Peppi Virtanen,
Jacquelyne Chief,
Avery Gottselig, and Evy West among others, creating a talented lineup poised for a bounce back season.
"With another year of Canada West experience under their belt, our young Huskies team is eager to build on the 2024–25 season," said
Steve Kook, entering his 21st year behind the Huskies' bench. "Now featuring a balanced mix of youth and veteran players, this group is hungry to return to the postseason after missing it for the first time since 2006–07. With goaltending looking to be a strength early on, thanks to three experienced veterans anchoring the position, consistency and offensive contributions across the roster will be key to achieving our goal of playoff hockey."
The Huskies are set for an early challenge to open the 2025-26 season, with the team traveling to Calgary to take on the Mount Royal Cougars in the first of six meetings this season. The Cougars open the season ranked third in the Canada West coaches poll, receiving a pair of second place votes, while the Huskies rank eighth between the Regina Cougars in seventh and the MacEwan Griffins in ninth. Following their season-opening road trip, the Huskies will head to an early season bye week before making their season debut at Merlis Belsher Place on Friday, October 17 against the Trinity Western Spartans.
2025 Canada West Coaches Poll (First Place Votes)
1. UBC Thunderbirds - 67 points (4)
2. Alberta Pandas - 59 (1)
3. Mount Royal Cougars - 56 (2)
4. Trinity Western Spartans - 49
5. Calgary Dinos - 48 (2)
6. Manitoba Bisons - 39
7. Regina Cougars - 35
8. Saskatchewan Huskies - 27
9. MacEwan Griffins - 16
2025-26 Huskie Women's Hockey Recruiting Class
(Name / No. / Position / Ht. / Major / Hometown / Previous Team)
Evy West / #9 / D / 5-7 / Arts & Science / Winnipeg, MB / Winnipeg Avros AAA
Ella Clarke / #10 / F / 5-2 / Arts & Science / Saskatoon, SK / Prince Albert Northern Bears AAA
Jessica Anderson / #19 / F / 5-9 / Agriculture & Bioresources / Roland, MB / Pembina Valley Hawks AAA
Peppi Virtanen / #20 / F / 5-5 / Arts & Science / Hameenlinna, Finland / HPK, Auroraliiga
Kara Mitenko / #26 / F / 5-7 / Engineering / Calgary, AB / Edge School CSSHL
FORWARDS
The 2025-26 edition of the Huskie forwards features a veteran group of student-athletes, led by fifth-year forward and captain
Sara Kendall (Ponteix, SK). A proven offensive performer, Kendall has appeared in 70 games, recording 25 points (12 G, 13 A) and will be expected to continue that trend in the latest Canada West campaign. The Huskies 2024-25 leading goal scorer,
Bronwyn Boucher (Sturgeon County, AB) also returns for her final season in green and white. Responsible for nearly a third of Saskatchewan's scoring last year after appearing in all 28 contests, Boucher will once again be relied on to put the puck in the back of the net as she approaches 100 games played. Fifth-year
Paris Oleksyn (Saskatoon, SK) and fourth-year
Jayde Cadieux (Cold Lake, AB), are also expected to be significant contributors this season with Oleksyn coming of a shortened season in which she appeared in just 15 games while Cadieux finished second in team scoring with 11 points (4 G, 7 A).
Newcomer
Peppi Virtanen (Hameenlinna, Finland) joins the Huskies from overseas where she appeared for HPK of the Auroraliiga, the highest level of women's hockey in Finland. With HPK she recorded 26 points (9 G, 17 A) in 32 regular season games before adding three points (1 G, 2 A) in 14 playoff contests.
DEFENCE
Fifth-year
Kendra Zuchotzki (Dorintosh, SK) is set to lead the Huskie blueline in her final season. An experienced player with 102 games played, Zuchotzki has demonstrated not only her reliable defensive play over her career, but also her ability to contribute offensively with 37 career points (12 G, 25 A). Just a season ago, the Arts & Science student finished third in team scoring with nine points (1 G, 8 A). Joining Zuchotzki on the blueline is
Jacquelyne Chief (Onion Lake, SK), who despite entering just her third season, has played nearly 50 games and now enters a pivotal season as she comes into her own within the lineup. Looking to take another step in her sophomore season in
Avery Gottselig (Regina, SK). Named the Huskie Rookie of the Year last season, Gottselig recorded seven points (3 G, 4 A) in her first season of Canada West hockey and has quickly shown she has the confidence to be a productive player night in and night out.
New to the Huskie back end is Evy West (Winnipeg, MB), who joins the Huskies after suiting up for the Winnipeg Avros in 2024-25. In 25 games with the Avros, West recorded 20 points (4 G, 16 A) before adding to her season total with seven points in 14 postseason contests.
GOALTENDERS
Leading the way for the Huskies between the pipes will once again be
Colby Wilson (Fort St. James, BC), who returns for her second season as the Dogs' starter. Named the team's Most Valuable Player in 2024-25, Wilson started 22 games recording a goals against average of 2.09 and a save percentage of .935 in addition to being between the pipes for all five of the Huskies' wins. Behind Wilson, the Huskie coaching staff will evaluate third-year
Emma Backman (Saskatoon, SK) and second-year
Clara Juca (New Westminster, SK) on a weekly basis to determine the backup duties. In what will be a fierce competition, both goalies will be looking to make their mark after appearing in just seven games combined a season ago.
