With the trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, the Humboldt Broncos attention is now aimed at finishing within the top eight spots of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League standings to claim a playoff position.
2025 has been a slow start for the Broncos, following an overtime loss to the Kindersley Klippers, the green and gold suffered back-to-back losses against the Flin Flon Bombers at the Elgar Petersen Arena on the weekend.
In Sunday’s loss to the Bombers, Humboldt stumbled out of the gates, falling 3-0 in the first period. After the game, assistant coach Carter Hansen said despite a little bit of a push back, the team’s performance was flat in the back half of the game.
“It just felt like we weren’t coming back in that game,” said Hansen.
“I don’t know where the pride has gone, we need to find it for us, our fans are still showing up every night, we got a lot to play for here in Humboldt.”
In 11 games since the beginning of December, the Broncos have slipped due to a 2-8-1 record. To reverse their recent trend, Hansen says the team must rely on the leadership of their 20-year-old players.
“As a 20-year-old you can’t let how your season goes, especially when we’re a couple months away going into the playoffs, we can’t have be the way how we end the season off especially as an older guy, so I think it starts with them they we can accept anything less than the best we can be.”
Hansen pointed out the newest 20-year-old players on the team goaltender Dazza Mitchell, forward Cade Kennedy and defenceman Liam Rodman have been welcome additions to the team following their respective debuts.
The Broncos travel to Wilcox on Wednesday night for the sixth matchup against the Notre Dame Hounds. Humboldt has won three of the five contests so far this season, but the Hounds have taken two of the last three games including the last time the two teams met at the Duncan McNeil Arena on November 27.
With a key home-and-home set on the weekend against the Battlefords North Start, Hansen says it’s imperative for the Broncos to get a road victory against Notre Dame to give them momentum for another pair of divisional games on the weekend.
Following tonight’s game in Wilcox, the Broncos and Hounds will meet two more times this season, both in Humboldt.
Coverage for tonight’s game begins on Bolt FM at 7:15, with the opening faceoff at 7:30.