The Saskatoon Blades have announced five players as the club’s leadership group for the 2024-2025 season.
The honour of captain has been bestowed upon 20-year-old defenceman Ben Saunderson. The fifth-year Blade becomes the 63rd captain in franchise history. The news was broken to the team Monday after practice at SaskTel Centre, but Saunderson found out beforehand.
“I actually got a text from Tanner Molendyk saying congrats,” chuckled Saunderson. “He didn’t know I didn’t know yet. So, I kind of had a bit of an idea. Thanks to Moly for ruining that one.”
Former captain Trevor Wong made an appearance to pass the torch to Saunderson. Wong served as the Blades’ captain last season, leading the club to a Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the top regular season team with a 50-13-2-3 record.
“He’s the ultimate teammate,” Wong said. “If you think about Benny, he’s an unbelievable friend. He’d come pick me up when there was a snowstorm. Little things like that come to mind when I think about Ben.”
Saunderson was selected by the Blades in the fifth round, 89th overall at the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft. The Carberry, MB product has 195 career games with the Blue and Gold, recording six goals, 50 assists, and a plus-48 rating in that span. The left-handed shot’s best season came in 2023-2024, scoring a career-high five goals and 31 points in 67 games. Saunderson’s plus-39 was tied for fifth in the WHL last season among all defenceman. Working closely with Saunderson for the past three seasons as an associate coach, first-year head coach Dan DaSilva believes Saunderson is someone who embodies what it means to be a Blade.
“The way he is with the guys, he really knows what we expect out of the players,” DaSilva said. “He’s really great in the community too. That’s really important for me, someone who’s willing to go to those community events and put the time in. He was one of the first guys back at the beginning of the year, worked the hockey school, did the White Buffalo Youth Lodge backpack event, and that stuff goes a long way with me.”
Saunderson brings a wealth of playoff experience into his leadership role. The six-foot-one blueliner has two goals and 11 points in 35 career playoff games. Saunderson was part of the 2022-2023 Blades team that reverse-swept the Red Deer Rebels to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Saunderson scored an overtime winner in Game 2 of Round 2 against the Rebels last year, helping the Blades to a sweep and return to the Eastern Conference Final for a second straight year.
“I like to do everything I can on the ice to be a good leader,” Saunderson said. “I’m pretty vocal in the dressing room. That’s kind of the way I go about it.”
The Blades named four alternate captains to serve alongside Saunderson. 2005-born forwards Tyler Parr and Rowan Calvert, 20-year-old forward Brandon Lisowsky, and Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk sport an “A” on their jersey this season.
Parr’s in his fourth year with the Blades, scoring 19 goals and 44 points in 154 career WHL games. Selected in the third round, 55th overall by the Blades in 2020, the La Salle, MB native’s ready to take on a new challenge with the Blue and Gold.
“The goal has been to be a leader,” Parr said. “I don’t think it matters if there’s a letter or not. I’m definitely happy with how I’ve developed as a teammate and I think I’m in a good spot.”
Calvert entered his third year with Saskatoon, boasting 18 goals and 22 assists in 141 career WHL games. The 19-year-old winger netted a career-high 10 goals and 15 assists in 68 games last season. Calvert was selected in the ninth round, 187th overall during the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft. He’s had many good leaders to look up to.
“Charlie Wright was one for sure,” Calvert said. “When I was 16, Nolan Maier was a true leader, true professional, and did everything the right way. There’s a lot of them. I can’t think of them all off the top of my head, but those are two that stick out to me.”
Lisowsky remains away with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 227-game WHL veteran has 121 goals, 104 assists, and 225 points in his career. The 20-year-old sniper lit the lamp a career-high 42 times last season along with 38 assists. Molendyk is still away with the Predators after Nashville selected him in the first round, 24th overall at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The silky-skating blueliner owns 22 goals and 91 assists in 189 career games.
“You go through the years together and grow up with guys who are close to you, it’s weird to think we’re all old and on the leadership group now,” Calvert said. “It’s super special and it adds to the tightness of our group.”
The Blades started the season 3-0 after back-to-back wins against the Swift Current Broncos and a 4-3 victory against the Brandon Wheat Kings. DaSilva believes with a younger core in Saskatoon this season, he’s confident in the leadership group to pass down the high standard the organization expects.
“They’re great guys that we feel really comfortable with to lead our team into battle every night,” DaSilva said. “Not just games, but practices, days off, around the rink. and how we expect players to be in the community.”
“It’s important to be a guy that your teammates trust to come talk to about anything,” Saunderson said. “Hockey, life, a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes. Being a good person. A lot of people don’t see what goes on in the dressing room and away from the rink.”
The Blades next game is Wednesday, Oct. 2 at the Scotiabank Saddledome against the Calgary Hitmen. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
