2024/25 Melfort Mustangs Championship Team (file photo/northeastNOW)

By Ben Tompkins

2025/26 Season Preview

Process equals results; Mustangs trusting experience as two-time defending champs

Sep 19, 2025 | 10:14 AM

It’s no secret, the Melfort Mustangs have been the team to beat in the SJHL the last two seasons, and the hope is it stays that way for the 2025/26 campaign.

Everyone in the organization though, knows it’s a long year and the only way to achieve greatness is to do the work, trust the process, and not get too far ahead of yourself.

“Our process is simple, and it’s really what we’ve done here for years. We focus on each player improving every day as much as possible, with whatever it might be, we take a bottom-up approach with each of our guys, and we take pride in that. As coaches, it seems to be a recipe that works,” explained Melfort head coach and general manager Trevor Blevins.

“The mentality of it is that the results will take care of themselves, so we don’t focus on the end game or the end result. When you do focus on those things, you get ahead of yourself, and you don’t do the things that you need to do, shift by shift, or even on a nightly basis to be successful. For our group and for how our style is, it’s literally that it’s shift by shift and how you’re going to contribute and give us a chance for a win on that given night.”

The Mustangs are returning nine forwards, three defencemen, and a goalie from last year’s squad – a handful of whom have played on both championship teams.

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For Blevins, that means they know how to play on every inch of the ice and have the experience to know what it takes to accomplish what they set out to achieve.

“We pride ourselves on a 200-foot game, and we feel that you can’t be one-dimensional. You have to have both (offence and defence), and you can’t sacrifice one for the other. I’m not worried about age on the back end or age up front… we will be a 200-foot team,” he added.

“When it’s time to play defence, we buy in, we’re stingy, and we’re hard to play against, but because of that, we generate offence. To me, it’s about getting the puck back and going to work, and you have a group of players that buy into the fact that they’re going to take away time and space and be hard to play against. All that equates to more time with possession of the puck, which should generate more goals.”

Blevins announced his leadership group earlier this week, all of whom are 20-year-olds, and three of the four are entering their third full seasons in a Blue and Green uniform.

According to him, as long as the back-to-back champs know that everything has been reset to zero, with all 12 teams beginning on a level playing field, he trusts his group to get it done.

“We’re excited about all our leadership, everyone who puts on a Mustang sweater has leadership qualities, and we feel that they each bring something different. As far as those four individuals, they understand the culture, they understand what is needed to be successful each day, and we’re excited for them. They all lead by example, they play the right way, and they’re great in the community and with our organization,” Blevins said.

“As long as we don’t get ahead of ourselves and think we’re arrogant because of it, you can be confident, not cocky, and I feel we have that mentality. As long as we don’t think we’re champions, or don’t think we have to work as hard each night to be successful, I think that’s going to be a big piece of our mental game here to start the year. Our guys are hungry and ready to go because we have a target on our back.”

The Stangs begin their quest for the three-peat Friday night at home against the Nipawin Hawks.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8