Alberta Hockey primed for a thrilling post-season

Canada West hockey playoffs start this weekend, and the University of Alberta has two very different quarterfinal setups. The Golden Bears are heading into a tough road series in Saskatoon. The Pandas get home ice and the pressure that comes with it.

Golden Bears vs. Saskatchewan, best-of-three quarterfinal at Merlis Belsher Place

Alberta is the number three seed at 11-13-4 in conference play. The University of Saskatchewan is number two at 19-7-2.

This matchup has history and recent context pulling in opposite directions. Alberta won the quarterfinal series over Saskatchewan in 2024 (2-1). This season, Saskatchewan owned the regular-season meetings with home wins of 7-4 and 6-2.

In the two conference games in Saskatoon in late January, Saskatchewan outscored Alberta 13-6, taking games 7-4 and 6-2. The Huskies generated 34 shots in the 6-2 win and 31 in the 7-4 game, while the Bears managed 20 and 32 respectively. Carter Stebbings factored in heavily in the 7-4 result with a hat trick, and Saskatchewan’s depth was evident again in the 6-2 game, with five different goal scorers.

Alberta got multi-point nights from Adam Hall and Tyson Laventure in the higher scoring game, but they couldn’t catch up to the Huskies’ high scoring total.

Look at the top-end scoring profile. Saskatchewan has multiple players near the top of the conference points list: Chantz Petruic (18 goals), Dawson Holt (36 points), and Conner Roulette (35 points). They can score in different ways, and their power-play threats show up in the stat lines too, like Holt’s seven power-play goals.

Alberta’s leading producer is Adam Hall at 26 points in 27 games (15 goals, 11 assists), plus significant power-play production (nine PP goals, four PP assists). For the Bears, the path to wins usually looks tighter: stay connected defensively, keep special teams steady, and keep the score total low.

The stakes are simple. The winner advances to play the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the semifinal. UBC’s season numbers explain why that is a daunting task: the Thunderbirds finished 23-2 with a plus 81 goal differential (148 goals for, 67 goals against), and they also roster the most dangerous goal scorer in the league in Sasha Mutala (46 points ). For now, Alberta is focused on taking Saskatchewan, but the path to the 2025–26 Canada West title offers no easy games.

Pandas vs. Manitoba, best-of-three quarterfinal at Clare Drake Arena

Alberta is the number two seed in the West at 12-9-7 in conference (16-20 overall). The University of Manitoba is number three at 13-9-6.

This one will be tight. The teams split their regular-season series. Alberta won 5-4 in overtime, then Manitoba responded with a 4-2 win. That tells you what the series might look like: competitive games, likely decided late, with a premium on special teams and goaltending swings.

The bigger conference picture gives the Pandas some context. Alberta finished with 61 goals for and 60 against, basically dead even on differential. That is not dominant on paper, but they have been able to find wins in close games. Manitoba finished 71 for, 65 against with a small positive differential. Both teams have the clutch-factor, but only one can move onto the semifinals.

Individually, Alberta’s scoring is spread. Abby Soyko (19 points) leads the Pandas in the top 20 list, with Jadynn Morden (18), Natalie Kieser (18), and Holly Magnus (17) right there too. That depth can be important in the postseason.

The winner advances to a semifinal hosted by Mount Royal University, the one-seed in the East at 19-7 with a plus 24 scoring differential. That is a strong opponent in a neutral-host setup, and it means that if the Pandas find a win this weekend, they will have to immediately prepare for another hard-fought battle against the best-of-the-best.

What to watch this weekend

For the Bears: Can they keep Saskatchewan’s top line production from turning into multi-goal periods, and can they generate enough offense to win on the road against a team that already beat them 7-4 and 6-2?

For the Pandas: Can they use home ice to control the pace, win tight games, and lean on structure in a series that already produced a one-goal overtime game?

Two series, two different tests, and no room for mistakes.

It’s time for playoff hockey.