Okotoks, AB (September 19, 2025) – The start of the Okotoks Oilers 2025-2026 season has arrived as they host the Sherwood Park Crusaders tonight at 7:05 p.m. MST at Viking Rentals Centre.
The Green Army will be introduced to the team prior to puck drop. Oilers fans will see a healthy mix of returning players and newcomers to the team, with players from across Canada, the USA and even one from Denmark in Markus Jacobsen (Odense, Denmark).
One thing that will be noticeable right away is the size the Oilers added to the roster this season. Assistant captain and returning Oiler Hunter Sawka (Cochrane, AB) agreed that the size of the team has gotten bigger, and thinks it will help them this season.
“Yeah, definitely,” Sawka said after being asked if the team’s size got bigger. “Sometimes last year, we got pushed around a bit I think, but this year, we’ve definitely got a bigger team. So, just clearing guys’ net front, being able to get to the net will be a lot easier.”
Oilers captain Brett Wilson (Calgary, AB) reiterated Sawka’s statements, saying the big bodies that are added this year will have teams second-guess about trying to run the Oilers with hits and feels the Green Army should expect more hits to be thrown from Okotoks’ side of the ice.
When it came down to picking players for the team, Tyler Deis, Head Coach and GM of the Oilers, mentioned the size of the team was something they wanted to upgrade, but it didn’t come at a cost of skill as they also fit the mold of what the Oilers were looking for.
“I think it’s a bit of both, but I think it’s more the fit. At the end of the day, we just want players that are able to play in this league with the pace that you have, and that’s probably first and foremost. But, it’s one of those things were we did know that we had to get a bit bigger on the backend and be a little bit stronger,” Deis said.
He added that while they did add size to the backend, he expressed that some of the smaller defensemen on the team bring a spark and a “big punch” in helping the Oilers continue to be successful.
While new players come and go in junior hockey all the time, the Oilers this season also added a new face, but as a bench boss in Corban Knight, as he takes the role of Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development.
“Corban is obviously a local player who played on the team and then has that experience of playing, especially on the technical and tactical part of it. He’s obviously going to push me and make me better in those areas, too. I ask him a lot of questions, you know, I’m older and he’s a younger player that just (ended his professional playing career), it’s just a right fit with bringing him in here and making our program better,” Deis praised the new addition of Knight to his staff.
While there is a lot of new coming to the Oilers this season, the Green Army can also be excited that there is less turnover than last season, with a ton of familiar faces hitting the ice. That includes having the new leadership group consist of returning players with Wilson as captain, along with Sawka, Ryder de Nys (Canmore, AB) and Jacob Goudreau (St. Albert, AB) as assistant captains. Jamie Hikida (Richmond, BC), Ben Vatis (Vancouver, BC), Michael Kowalski (Chicago, IL), Joey Meredith (Toledo, OH), Teo Pisani (St. Albert, AB), Luke Calabria (Huntington, NY), Logan Broten (Chaska, MN), and Grady Gustafson (Williams Lake, BC) are the other returning players from last season who have been named to the 2025-2026 BCHL Okotoks Oilers as of opening night.
“I think the biggest thing is we’ve got a lot more kids coming back. Last year we started fresh in the sense of having a lot of new faces and stuff. We are bringing in a bunch of guys that have experience in the league which is a huge thing. We’re excited about that,” Deis added about the returning players.
Deis added that having the leadership group stocked with returning players this season is only going to help as they have a strong grasp of what it takes in the league and will be able to help relay that to the new talent joining the Oilers.
“I think just having that experience, everyone knows the structure a little bit better going into the season, so we’re a bit more prepared,” Wilson said about the leadership group having played together last season. “We are all a little bit tighter as a group, so to speak, to start. Just being able to feed off each other and support each other, have their backs no matter what. Just sets off a better foundation going into this year.”
Sawka agreed with Wilson and Deis in their thoughts of the amount of returning players will only help the organization this season.
“Yeah, definitely, that will help for sure. Just knowing the system, stuff like that, knowing Okotoks the town, and the league will definitely help,” Sawka added.
He is no stranger to new starts with the Oilers as he is the longest tenured active player for the organization, with his first game with the Green and Gold dating back to the 2021-2022 season. Sawka is in his last season with the Oilers as his junior career will come to a close at the end of the season and will plan on joining former Oiler Sam Huck at University of Western Michigan next fall.
“You know it’s my last year of junior hockey, so I’m just excited to get going with the new group of guys and just see what kind of culture we can build here and how far the team can go,” Sawka said.
Sawka, Wilson and Deis are all excited to get going and face competition across the BCHL while making some noise in the Interior East Division which include the Oilers, Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Sherwood Park Crusaders and the Spruce Grove Saints.
“We’re a fast, hard checking team, so, I mean, we can play against any kind of style, but, we haven’t see all the teams yet, and not all the rosters were made when we were playing them in preseason,” Sawka assessed the Interior East Division.
“I think it’s probably going to be the strongest one, or toughest,” Wilson said about the Oilers division. “We haven’t played all the teams, but from what it looks like in the rosters and what you’re hearing, it’s going to be tight and anyone’s going to have a chance to win every night.”
“I know that every game is going to be tough, but thats another reason why we went and decided to join this league. You know that every game is going to be a hard game,” Deis added.
Deis would also explain that with the forever changing landscape of junior hockey, each season brings something new.
“Just with the movement with hockey and junior hockey, you can’t really tell what’s going on here. It’s changed so much, junior hockey has changed so much over the last year or so. Going into this, it’s another unknown. I do know that this league is going to be strong and it’s going to be really good. But, it’s just one of those things, hockey’s just changing,” Deis explained.
The new faces on the Oilers like Jakobsen, Harvard commit Michael Mikan (Edina, MN,), former Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers goaltender Dane Gillis (Chestermere, AB), former OHL defenceman Will Haley (Cobourg, ON), and Ethan Anderson (Stratford, PE) from the maritimes, just to name a few, are all exciting additions to the organization this season. Wilson mentioned he’s excited to play with the new group which included his linemate to start the season in Mikan.
“Well, right now I’m starting the year with (Mikan) and I’m really excited. He’s fast and he’s got a lot of skills. So, again, he’s a young guy, so, we’re (Sawka and WIlson) going to have to get him up to speed with the systems and all, but, I’m really excited to play with him,” Wilson said about Mikan.
The Oilers are excited to showcase their skills and push for a successful 2025-2026 BCHL season in front of their fans.
“I think it’s just good hockey. Whoever comes into this rink, it’s going to be fast, it’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be aggressive, it’s going to be skilled. I think that’s the quality of hockey that we play right now, it’s really good. Watching that in our rink, the pace of the play and the pace of the game is really exciting. We made that decision to move to the BCHL for that reason,” Deis said.
“I think they’re just going to see a hard team that plays with passion and just gives their heart every night. I think we’re going to win a lot of games this year,” Sawka added.
“Should be pumped to have good hockey coming in the rink. It’s been awhile since last season and this year we’re just jumping up another level,” Wilson finished off.
The start of the 2025-2026 BCHL season for the Oilers is moments away. To make sure you don’t miss any of the action, purchase season tickets at https://tickets.okotoksoilers.com/events/35047-2025-2026-season-tickets
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
