Melfort Mustangs on a hike near Banff, Alberta on Sunday (Melfort Mustangs/Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

Mental and Physical break

Mustangs spend off day in Banff, hosted for dinner by alumn

May 12, 2025 | 10:35 PM

The Melfort Mustangs had two days in between their second and third round-robin games at the Centennial Cup this past weekend, and they made the most of it.

Needing some time away from the rink during the busiest and most important time of the year, the Mustangs got to have a barbecue supper at the house of an alumn Saturday night, before heading out to Banff Sunday morning for a hike and some lunch.

“It was great, a lot of the guys are a little worn down, especially mentally, so it was good to get out of the hotel, get out there to Banff and be up close and personal with the mountains. It was really nice, and all the boys loved it,” said forward Owen Nelson.

“Dinner was great, it was good to see a lot of the guys from last year’s team, there were a few there, and we got to watch the Oilers game and have a great meal, so it was awesome, and thanks to them for putting that on for us.”

The barbecue supper was held at Nolan Henderson’s house, a Calgary native who spent last season in Melfort.

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As for the trip to Banff, it was a first for Nelson, a native of Prince Albert.

“It’s a beautiful place, being up close with the mountains, it’s awesome, you see them from far away sometimes, but when you’re right up there, it’s an even better experience. The town was great too, we had lunch there and just got to walk around for a bit, so it was great, all the boys liked it… It was good to get the body moving and get away from the game for a bit, but still stay active. A lot of cool sites to see out there, and the boys were loving it,” Nelson added.

“As for the dinner, it was good to get all the boys together somewhere we could hang out and watch the game and just be ourselves, it was great.”

The Stangs return to action Tuesday morning against the Rockland Nationals. Puck drop is set for noon.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8