The Success Starts Here series features profiles on SJHL Alumni who are currently, or have played hockey at a post-secondary institution. Check out the full interviews every Thursday on the SJHL Insider Podcast and check back at SJHL.ca for profile pieces Wednesdays.
The physicality. The speed. The intensity. The passion. Every centimetre of ice contested.
These are all elements of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League game that can be seen and appreciated—sometimes even taken for granted—on a given night. But they are not guaranteed in every league.
For University of Saskatchewan forward and Melfort Mustangs alumnus Ben Tkachuk, living that reality in the SJHL for 162 regular-season games and 21 postseason contests between 2019 and 2023 has been of immeasurable value in his two-year USports career so far.
“Coming into USports and playing for a school like the University of Saskatchewan, I wasn’t really a highly touted prospect,” Tkachuk says.
“There are a lot of WHL alumni here with 200-plus games of experience and a lot of skill. For me, playing in the SJHL really moulded my game to be more defensive and to play a more physical brand of hockey.
“Maybe I didn’t appreciate that as much at the time when I was in the SJHL,” he continues.
“But when I got to USports, it was a part of my game that stood out and rounded out my style. I wasn’t able to keep up with these guys skill-wise the way I did in the SJHL, but in Melfort I learned to play hard defensively, work on faceoffs, and focus on all the little details that shaped me into being a 200-foot player.”
Tkachuk, 23, hails from Sherwood Park, AB, but has deep family roots in Gronlid, SK, just north of Melfort. Like so many, he is a second-generation SJHLer, and, like Ben would do in his final Mustang season in 2022-23, his father, Kelly, wore the captain’s ‘C’ for Melfort in the 1990-91 campaign. Ben and Kelly remain the first-ever father-and-son duo to captain the Mustangs.
Kelly, also from Gronlid, also suited up for the Battlefords North Stars and Melville Millionaires as a rugged yet skilled defenceman.
“(Playing for Melfort) was super special,” Tkachuk says.
“It wasn’t just special for me, but for my dad to see me do that as a 20-year-old. He was obviously super proud and happy that I chose to come to Melfort. It’s probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my entire life. We had such a special group every single year, and (head coach/GM Trevor Blevins) did so much for me, growing me as a person and as a player. It was such a blessing, and I’m just so grateful to have played there.”
The relationship with Blevins, himself a local to the area, is one that many Mustangs past and present have highlighted as life changing. Certainly, Blevins would give credit for moulding so many young men first to the players themselves and their families, but there is no doubt the reigning Canadian Junior Hockey League Coach of the Year has a gift for development.
“(Blevins) gave me a chance…he did so much for my career,” Tkachuk says.
“I got to know him really well, his family, and he’s just an awesome guy—a great person. I’m still in touch with him; he’s always checking in, and I’m super grateful for everything he did for me. If guys are willing to stay in Melfort instead of going to the WHL or BCHL, there’s a great reason to play for him. There’s a reason so many guys have stayed—he’s a great coach, Melfort is a great community, and there’s a culture there you want to be part of.”
As far as Blevins is concerned, the feeling is mutual.
“His character, his work ethic, the way he treats people—always respectful—he brought everything for the club,” says Blevins.
“His care for the organization was evident in everything he did. He was a fantastic leader for his teammates in the dressing room, really setting the culture and building on what we had established, then taking it to the next level. For me, it was an absolute pleasure to coach him. He showed up every day, worked hard, and always wanted to improve. I can’t thank him enough for everything he did for our organization while he was here. There were so many intangibles that might go unnoticed from the outside, but as a coach, you see them clearly.”
Fresh off a national bronze medal and a Canada West championship, Tkachuk and the Saskatchewan Huskies enter the 2025-26 season hungrier than ever to take that next big step and capture the USports Cup.
To date, Tkachuk has played in 48 regular-season games, plus six postseason contests, for a U of S club that once again has Canada West and National championship aspirations, while maintaining the potential to ice as many as 13 SJHL alums each night.
“There are so many benefits to playing USports and specifically at the University of Saskatchewan,” Tkachuk says.
“The facilities here are fantastic, our rink, Merlis Belsher Place, is world-class, and we have access to great staff, strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists—everything you need. The coaches, led by Brandin Cote, are great: super technical, detail-focused, and they connect with players on a personal level.
“And then there is a real brotherhood here,” he continues.
“I wasn’t sure how close it would be compared to Melfort, with all the priorities of a student-athlete, but it’s been awesome—we hang out all the time. I think you could ask every guy in our room and our coaches, and they’d say the main reason we won last year was how close our group was. That’s a big selling point for me: getting to compete nationally against teams from B.C. to the Maritimes is special, and I’m just so grateful for my time here.”
For Tkachuk, the lessons of the SJHL remain clear: hard work, selflessness, and trust in the team above all else. And as his journey continues, one truth stands out—whether in Melfort green or Huskies black and green, the foundation of his game was built on Saskatchewan ice.
Find the full episode of SJHL Insider, featuring our chat with Ben Tkachuk here.
