Forward Trevor Wong joins the Huskies after a 101-point season in his final year of junior hockey with the Saskatoon Blades. Photo courtesy Huskie Athletics/Saskatoon Blades.

By Ryan Flaherty

key addition

Huskies men’s hockey team adds local fan favourite

Aug 29, 2024 | 4:59 PM

He may hail from the west coast but after spending the last three years of his junior hockey career in Saskatoon, Trevor Wong considers the city his second home and he’s sticking around for a while longer.

The former Saskatoon Blades captain is the first member of the Huskies 2024-25 recruiting class to be officially announced and he’s already busy getting acquainted with his new team.

Wong says his familiarity with the surroundings and the high calibre of the Huskies program were key factors in his decision to don the green, white and black.

“I just got really comfortable with the city and meeting other people throughout the city. Obviously the U of S is a great school. I toured it in the summer, got a chance to see the facilities and it’s a great spot, so I’m happy to be here and hoping to help out the team any way I can,” he said.

It’s rare that a player who hails from B.C. would choose to play his U SPORTS hockey at USask and Huskies head coach Brandin Cote is more than pleased that the Vancouver-born Wong decided to go against the grain. But that’s not the only reason Cote was pleasantly surprised to have a chance to bring the skilled forward into the fold.

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“With his elite skill, you think especially with the year the Blades had and he had, that he’s gonna get an opportunity to play pro hockey. He had opportunities to do that, just not the right fit…as the off-season went on conversations between us got a little more involved,” Cote said “It all just sort of fell into place and worked out.”

The numbers speak for themselves, with Wong coming off an overage year that saw him put up 15 goals and a WHL-leading 86 assists in 68 regular season games, plus another four goals and 16 assists in 16 playoff contests. The previous year, he totaled 86 points in the regular season and 21 points in the playoffs. In both of those campaigns, he didn’t miss a single game.

“We’re deep at centre but when you add a guy with his vision and skill set, he aligns with a lot of our higher-end guys that can put the puck in the net and there’s lots of options there. He just adds another weapon to a group that didn’t really lose any of our top forwards,” Cote said.

Beyond the impressive stats, however, it’s Wong’s intangibles that make him such a significant addition to the Huskies. He’s a proven leader with loads of playoff experience after helping the resurgent Blades make back-to-back Eastern Conference Final appearances in each of the last two seasons, and his work ethic is second to none.

“When your best players are your hardest workers it makes the coach’s life a lot easier. It sets another standard for everybody else,” Cote said.

Wong will have ample time to adjust to his new surroundings, with the Huskies scheduled to play eight exhibition games before opening the season on October 4 at home against the Regina Cougars.

“I think (U SPORTS) is a very underrated level (of hockey). Lots of people overlook it but I’m excited to help out the team and it’s back to playing against older guys who are faster and stronger than the Western League, so I’m excited to take that step,” Wong said. “I’m excited to be back in the city and excited to be playing in front of some people I know.”