Broncos Battle Hard But Come up Short in Saskatoon
Published on January 16, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Swift Current Broncos News Release
The Swift Current Broncos dropped a 4-2 decision to the Saskatoon Blades on Friday night at the SaskTel Centre in the fourth meeting of the season between the East Division rivals.
The Broncos came out with strong momentum in the opening frame, generating speed through the neutral zone and several quality rush chances early. Despite the positive start, it was Saskatoon who struck first, as Kazden Mathies opened the scoring just 1:48 into the game to give the Blades a 1-0 lead after one period. Shots were even at 11-11 through the first 20 minutes.
Swift Current responded in the second period with a hard working effort from Stepan Kuryachenkov. The Broncos forward made a strong defensive play at the blue line to keep the puck in the zone before finishing the play himself to tie the game 1-1 at 9:26, with Hudson Darby picking up the lone assist. Later in the period, the Blades regained the lead on a 5-on-3 power play, as Rowan Calvert scored at 16:24 to make it 2-1 heading into the third.
The Broncos showed resilience early in the final frame. With the teams skating 4-on-4, Parker Rondeau found the back of the net to tie the game 2-2, scoring his sixth goal of the season. However, the Blades answered back midway through the period when Elias Pul netted the eventual game-winner at 12:49.
Swift Current pulled goaltender Aiden Eskit in the final minute for an extra attacker and generated a few solid shot opportunities, but Tyler Parr sealed the win for Saskatoon with an empty-net insurance goal at 19:01.
The Blades outshot the Broncos 36-28 and held the edge in the faceoff circle, winning 37 draws compared to Swift Current's 20. The Broncos went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Saskatoon finished 1-for-3. Eskit delivered a strong performance in goal for Swift Current, stopping 32 of 35 shots.
With the loss, the Broncos' record falls to 9-30-3-0. The two teams will meet again on Saturday, January 17, when Swift Current hosts the Blades at the InnovationPlex.
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