The San Jose Sharks gave the Saskatoon Blades a present on Thursday.
The N-H-L team returned 19-year-old centre Tristen Robins (pictured) to the Bridge City Bunch, just in time for the start of the 56th W-H-L regular-season Friday evening. Robins was San Jose’s second round pick in the 2020 N-H-L Draft. The Brandon product, who turns 20 in November, could’ve played in the American Hockey League this season, but the Sharks maintained their recent record of returning overage players to their junior teams. The addition of Robins gives the Blue and Gold four 20-year-olds, meaning one will have to be traded or released from the roster within two weeks time. Saskatoon will welcome Robins back as he led the team in the scoring in the COVID-19 shortened 2019-20 season with 73 points, including 33 goals, in 63 teams. In the 2021 East Division “Dubble” in Regina, an injury shortened Robins’ season to 16 games in which he posted 10 goals amongst 23 points.
It remains to be seen if Robins will be in uniform Friday night when the Bridge City Bunch opens their 56th season in Moose Jaw. The Blue and Gold are 29-24-2 (ties) in season-openers and have won the last three in a row…all on the road, the Hub season in Regina included. Saskatoon will open a season against Moose Jaw for just the fourth time. The Blades have won all three previous season-openers against the Warriors, once in Moose Jaw…a 4-3 victory on September 24, 2004. That was the last time Saskatoon opened a season against Moose Jaw. In the just-completed pre-season, the Bridge City Bunch posted a 3-1-0 record, the Warriors were 4-1-0. In the Hub season, the Blue and Gold were 16-5-3, good for 3rd place, while Moose Jaw was 8-13-3, good for 6th place. The Blades beat the Warriors in three of four meetings in the Hub. All-time, Saskatoon has a 152 wins, 104 losses, 12 ties and 6 extra time losses to Moose Jaw. The Blades have 25 players listed on their roster…15 forwards, eight defencemen and two goalies. One of the defencemen, 17-year-old Ben Saunderson, is sidelined with an Upper Body Injury and not expected to play Friday. Saskatoon has six players on their roster who are on the verge of making their W-H-L regular-season debuts. The return match is Saturday at SaskTel Centre. Face-off time both nights 7 p.m with all the action on CJWW beginning with the pre-game show at 6:30.
