(Submitted photo/Stacey Simpson)

By Ben Tompkins

Playoff Hockey

Trojans set for first-round matchup with defending champion Blazers

Feb 25, 2025 | 5:21 PM

The Tisdale Trojans know who they will face in the first round of this year’s SMAAAHL Playoffs, and it’s a familiar opponent.

Tisdale will battle the two-time defending champion Saskatoon Blazers, the team which eliminated them from last year’s postseason.

“I think the rematch is on everyone’s mind,” explained Trojans’ head coach Wes Rudy. “The Blazers have had a lot of success the last two years and I think everyone on our team is excited to play them. To be the best you have to beat the best and they’re the champions until someone takes them down. The fact we get a chance to face them right away, there’s just nothing better than that.”

The two clubs met in last year’s semi-final series, in which Saskatoon won three games to none.

While that was disappointing for Tisdale, it was still a successful season, getting back to the playoffs for the first time in a couple of years, and digging themselves out of a 2-0 hole in the first round against Warman.

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“There’s no denying that at the start of last year’s playoffs, there was a lot of nerves in our players. A lot of them had never played hockey of that magnitude or really experienced the playoffs. We’ve had discussions with this year’s group and I see a lot more excitement this time around,” Rudy added.

“We split with Saskatoon during the season and their team definitely has confidence and knows how to win and those are some things that we’ll have to overcome. At the end of the day, you just have to beat these sort of teams and be prepared no matter who you’re facing.”

Both clubs have taken one another down twice this season, with the Blazers winning 6-3 and 5-3, and the Trojans winning 7-6 and 2-1.

Tisdale finishes the year as the fifth-place team with a 25-13-6 record good for 56 points.

Meanwhile, Saskatoon currently has two games remaining on their schedule, but they are locked into fourth place with a record of 27-21-3 through 42 games so far, good for 57 points.

Game 1 of the series is set for Monday, Mar. 1 at the SaskTel in Saskatoon at 7 p.m.

Games 2 and 4 (if necessary) will be in Tisdale at the Recplex on March 5 and March 9, with 8 p.m. and 7 p.m. puckdrops respectively.

Meanwhile, Games 3 and 5 (if necessary) will also go back in Saskatoon on March 7 and 10, both with 7 p.m. puckdrops.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8