Over 80 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League alumni made an impact on Canadian University hockey this past year.
Here is a breakdown of a few of the biggest seasons SJHLers had on USports in 2025-25 by conference.
Up next is the Ontario University Athletics’ West Division, which includes clubs in Quebec as well. We split up the OUA as there were 43 SJHL alums in Canada’s middle university conference.
YOU CAN FIND THE EAST DIVISION ROUNDUP BY CLICKING HERE.
Last season was a terrific year for former Humboldt Broncos star Rayce Ramsay and his University of Toronto team. The Varsity Blues finished second in the tightly-packed East, and Ramsay, who holds the SJHL record for wins in a season (41) in 2021-22, posted a sparkling 1.77 goals against average and .935 save percentage with two shutouts in OUA play in 2025-26. Despite not being the Varsity Blues No. 1 man in the regular season, the third-year goaltender took over the job in the postseason and responded with a .922 save percentage in five games played.
If York University is the OUA East team for SJHL fans to cheer for, the University of Windsor would be a great choice among West clubs. Former Kindersley Klippers captain Logan Linklater had a stellar rookie campaign a year ago, posting 17 points in 32 regular and postseason contests for the Lancers. He is joined there (and even lives with) fellow Kindersley native and Klippers alum Tylin Hilbig, who appeared in 10 games, and the younger Hilbig, Ethan, who has just finished his Klips’ career, will also be living with those two. Former Weyburn Red Wing Kirk Mullen notched six goals for the Lancers on the year. At the same time, Sal Collora (Estevan) and Jacob Boucher (Humboldt) were also young regulars at the school, located right on the Ontario-Michigan border.
The best season for any SJHL alumnus in the OUA belonged to Olivier Pouliot, a one-time Estevan Bruins dominant winger at Lakehead University, whose 24 points led the Thunderwolves in scoring. He was terrific in the Bruins’ 2021-22 SJHL championship and Centennial Cup hosting campaign. His teammate was another ex-SJHL champion, Alex Izyk, who played in 91 games for the Battlefords North Stars between 2023 and 2024, and also won an SJHL championship en route to a Centennial Cup silver medal. He was a regular on the Lakehead back end as a rookie. Former Kindersley Klippers defender Brendon Borbely also got into nine contests for the Thunder Bay-based school.
Former Weyburn Red Wings captain Max Monette played his classic checking role well in 22 games for the University of Waterloo as a freshman last season, and was joined on the Warriors by ex-Melfort Mustangs forward Marco Lopez.
Rylan Thiessen was a workhorse for the 2021-22 Centennial Cup participant Flin Flon Bombers, and has already played in 81 contests for Brock University. He and ex-Nipawin Hawks star Zander Stewart help make a talented, well-rounded Badgers defence corps.
Speaking of that great 21-22 Bombers club, their elite goaltender Cal Schell transferred to the University of Guelph last off-season from NCAA DIII, and went 6-5-1 with a .903 save percentage while making the most starts of any Gryphons netminder.
Rugged former Humboldt Broncos’ defender Chase Lacombe has picked up where he left off from the SJHL at Nipissing University, where he has played in all but one of the Lakers’ regular season games over the last two campaigns. His 138 SJHL contests, all with Humboldt, have stood him in good stead to be reliable at that level as well.
Finally, it was a very tough season for Wilfrid Laurier University, but that meant opportunities for ex-Notre Dame Hound Evan Benwell, as well as Estevan Bruins’ alum Caleb Petrie, and Dylan DiTomaso, who had a cup of coffee with the Nipawin Hawks in the 2019-2020 season.
