Folk proud to be a Huskie

“I knew this was going to be my last year, but it hasn’t sunk in that this is it for the regular season,” he said. “Maybe that is knowing that we have playoffs coming up and the hope that we will be back for a home playoff game.”

The Huskies currently sit in fourth place in the Canada West conference standings, just five points behind the top-ranked University of Alberta. With where they sit in the standings, they are currently poised to host a playoff series at Merlis Belsher Place.

But Folk and the team are focused on this weekend, knowing they have fans back in the building. Folk will also have some special guests in the house to help him celebrate this milestone in his Huskies career.

“I’ll have family and friends coming for the weekend,” he said. “I just feel excitement, but that’s just like any other weekend. Being back at home and having fans back in the building will be exciting.”

The25-year-old Regina product played four seasons in the Western Hockey League, majority with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He knew he wanted to take advantage of the WHL Scholarship program and head to university to get an education and play with the Huskies.

“I don’t think it was necessarily something I knew I wanted to come back to Saskatchewan, but I truly felt that the UofS and the Huskies were the best option for me – in school and with hockey,” he said.

Folk graduated last year from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree from the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. With the uncertainty with COVID-19, he wanted to finish his degree, but is currently completing a communications certificate through the Ron and Jane Graham School of Professional Development on campus as he wraps up his playing eligibility.

“We had to take a couple courses as electives in Ag and I really liked the (communication) courses, so it was a good way to bridge my gap,” he said. “I wanted to stick around for five years to play hockey, so it worked out well.”

As much as the focus for Folk to help the team and his teammates secure another championship, he is also thinking about what comes next in his life after university. He has been working part-time with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) in Regina and is looking for the right opportunity.

“I’ve always thought that whatever my career would be, I just want to work at place that is doing good things and I can work with good people. I really don’t have any goals set in mind for what kind of job,” he said. “After that, I hope to find some hobbies that I can do outside of work.”

Not only has Folk grown on the ice – he has matched his career point total for the Huskies with an offensive burst last weekend – but he has also grown personally.

“I think I’ve done a lot of growing in my personal life and hockey as well. I think with time, you gain a better perspective of who you are and how that translates to all the things in life. Just being able to understand that and comfortable in my own skin and my position on the team. Just understanding my role and do what I do well and how I need to improve,” he said. “I think just having a better self awareness in the last four years and I think that has allowed me to be myself and work hard. It’s been paying off decently this season.”

As Folk looks to the next stage of life, he is excited to still stay connected to the Huskies program and become a member of their alumni.

“To be a part of the Huskies and to continue to be a part of the alumni, I just have no doubt that I made the right choice, and I am super excited to continue that relationship with the UofS and see where it goes,” he said. “I am really excited to finish this season and become an alumnus and excited to see how the program develops. It continues to be a place where young men want to come play hockey and go to school and have a positive impact on the city of Saskatoon.”

by Katie Brickman-Young

Folk proud to be a Huskie

What's Trending