REGINA, SK
Melfort is looking to wipe the bitter taste of an early playoff exit from their mouths.
For the first time since the 2024/25 season, the Melfort Mustangs do not enter the campaign as defending champions.
The bad news from that is, of course, a level of disappointment from a year ago, one that started very slowly by Melfort’s high standards and ended in a first-round exit at the hands of the Battlefords North Stars.
But long-time head coach/GM Trevor Blevins is a master at turning the situation at hand into a positive fuel source, and they bring a dynamic, experienced team pulsating with momentum after a thunderous second half last year that saw them climb from 10th to 6th and strike fear into the hearts of all heading into the playoffs.
Veteran forwards Tristin Ziola and Dru Mushumanski will be expected to be elite forces on top of the Mustang line-up, while rookie defender Eric Grandberg, fresh off a brilliant season with the Saskatoon Blazers, is expected to be among the best first-years in the league.
The acquisition of Luke Dekay from the BCHL should add another game-breaking skill dimension, something they were missing at times a year ago.
The net looks very secure, with two 19-year-olds in Luke McKechnie, recently acquired from Devon in the AJHL, and Nick Kotai, the brother of ex-Melfort scoring machine Reilley, set to battle for ice time.
Blevins is all about competition at all spots, so this team will have few holes and be a brutally tough out every night – the minimum standard for a Blevins Mustang squad.
Let’s take a look at some key numbers from the Mustangs’ season a year ago:
SJHL Co-Director of Media Clark Munroe sat down with Head Coach/GM Trevor Blevins ahead of the 26/27 season and got his thoughts on the upcoming year.
