The Hawks will open the 2025 - 26 SJHL season Friday in Melfort. (Photo courtesy Rhesa/Richard Petersen)

By Clark Stork

Plenty of Optimism

Hawks open season with plenty of optimism

Sep 19, 2025 | 12:16 PM

The Nipawin Hawks open the 2025 -26 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season Friday in Melfort against the Mustangs.

The Hawks went through a rebuild last season and finished in 11^th place overall in the 12-team league. With 17 returning players and the entire leadership group intact, head coach Tad Kozun said the team has a different feeling this year.

“We are looking forward to getting back at it,” Kozun said. “Last year we knew it was a little bit of a rebuild and had a young team with some growing pains. We turned it around in the second half, but just because we did that, it doesn’t mean it’s going to come easy.”

The Mustangs are the back-to-back champions and are expected to be among the favourites again in the SJHL this campaign. Kozun admits some talk across the league has the Hawks as a potential top team with all the returning players, however Kozun said other teams will be keying in on the veterans as the season gets going.

“Teams know we have a lot of returning guys, so we have to be ready to go, we have to prove ourselves and it starts with tonight,” Kozun added.

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Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Northern Lights Palace. The pregame show on 750 Beach Radio of Nipawin Chrysler Dodge Hawks Hockey will begin at 7:15 p.m.

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