On Nov. 21, 2025, Saskatoon Blades’ prospect Ryley Budd made his long-awaited Western Hockey League (WHL) debut, starting in goal against the Swift Current Broncos. The 17-year-old netminder had received multiple call-ups since he signed with the team, but never had the chance to play any minutes with the team until now.
In his first WHL game, Budd faced 15 shots from the Broncos and turned away all but two, helping him hang onto his first win in what promises to be a fruitful junior career. He showed off high-end reflexes and adaptability, tracked the puck well, and, most importantly, made big saves when he needed to.
Projecting a player’s career after just one game, especially while they’re still in junior, is, to put it nicely, misguided. So many things can happen over the course of a few weeks, let alone several months. But, with current starter Evan Gardner looking at possibly turning pro in 2026-27, the Blades will need to look to their next best goalie, and Budd is finally being given a chance, and he showed the team exactly what they needed to see.
Budd’s Bumpy Start to 2025-26
Budd joined the Blades as arguably the most enticing goalie prospect the team has had in years. When he was taken 42nd overall in the 2022 WHL Draft, he became just the third goalie to be drafted by Saskatoon in the second round since 1990, and was described as having “an outstanding work ethic.” A year later, Budd won the Canadian Sport School (CSSHL) U18 Top Goalie award in 2023-24 after one of the best goaltending seasons in league history. He was the Blades’ future in net, but apart from several call-ups in 2024-25, including five between February and March, he had yet to see any WHL action.
2025-26 should have been Budd’s year, as every other top goalie over the past several years started in their 17-year-old season. But the Blades already had Gardner and Ethan McCallum locked into their crease, and the listed 18-year-old Taye Timmerman had a very strong training camp, leaving the Blades with too many goalies and not enough spots.
“We think there are four guys who are WHL-level goalies,” said president and general manager Colin Priestner following this season’s training camp. “We’re going to have a couple of good goalies start the year in Junior A. It’s just the way it is; you keep two goalies, and we think we have four really good ones.”
Budd joined the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) to start the season, which he had played with a few games the previous season. After seven games, he had three wins, 192 saves, and a .881 save percentage (SV%). Only three other U18 goalies had started a game in the league, and only one – teammate Nathan Salisbury – faced more shots. Timmerman, meanwhile, was placed with the Warman Wolverines, just 15 minutes away from the Blades’ home arena. With Budd over four hours away, he was suddenly fourth on the team’s depth chart through no fault of his own.
But last weekend finally gave Budd the break he needed. After returning from their Alberta road trip, several Blades got hit with the flu, including Gardner, McCallum, and Timmerman. Suddenly, the team with too many skilled goalies didn’t have enough, and Budd was told to get down to Saskatoon ASAP. The following morning at Blades’ practice, he was told he was finally starting his very first WHL game.
Highs and Lows from Budd’s First Game
Although he only saw 15 shots against the Broncos, it wasn’t an easy first game. Swift Current has a young, fast team that loves to charge the net and find gaps and holes in a team’s defence. However, Budd proved difficult to beat.
The Broncos’ first goal came in the middle of the first period from a tipped-in shot from the point, which was the only real hole the Broncos found during the game. Their only other goal came partway through the second, when Budd came way out to play the puck behind his own net, but accidentally hit the goalpost, allowing Anthony Wilson to easily put the puck in the empty net.
“It sucks in the moment, but I just had to push through it, and the guys had my back, which is great,” said Budd after the game. “When a moment like that happens in a big game for me, it’s hard, it’s hard to take that, and these guys were all here for me. Jack (Kachkowski), he came to me, lots of other guys came up to me, all giving me taps, telling me it’s going to be good, just keep playing, keep going, you got this. That’s huge, having that support group behind me. It helps with the confidence.”
Related: Saskatoon Blades’ 2025-26 Top Performers After 23 Games
Allowing a goal like that can ruin a game for a young goalie, but the team made sure Budd felt like he was doing great, because he was. “Budder was good,” agreed head coach Dan DaSilva. “It’s never easy. He came in late last night, with all the illnesses we’ve had this week, to three goaltenders and some forwards as well, a bit of a funky week in that way, but I thought that Ryley did a great job. It’s his first WHL start, first career win, very happy for him, it’s been a long time coming, and he really, really deserves it. I thought he was solid in there, made a save when he needed to, and I’m happy for him.”
Blades Are Set for the Future
Budd’s first game was a blur. “It was just such a relief. I didn’t even know how much time was left, so I didn’t even hear the horn, actually,” he added in the post-game interview. “I’ve been watching on TV for the last few years, backed up a lot of games, and to actually be out there and being on there with them, it was really special. This was a pretty great night.”
The biggest takeaway from the night was how much Budd felt part of the team. When he allowed the second goal, the Blades rallied around him, helping him stay calm and focused. It likely helped that there were a few very familiar faces among the blue jerseys.
“Me and Coop (Cooper Williams) have been playing together in camps, playing against each other since we were super young,” said Budd, “and to have a special bond like that with a guy like Coop, even guys like (Zac) Olsen, I’ve got a little funny baby picture of us on the ice, it’s cool having those relationships with guys I’ve grown up with, with Coop especially. It’s really cool to have those moments and be here with them and grow our hockey careers together.”
Budd’s relationships with Williams and Olsen could result in an even better team next season, especially if those two forwards decide to stick around for one more season before joining the NCAA. Williams already changed his college commitment to stay and help Saskatoon win a title, so there’s a possibility he’ll delay it again to play with his close friend, as could Olsen, who committed to Colorado College next season.
If his first game is any indication of his trajectory, then the Blades are in very good hands for the next several years. He’s not the tallest goalie at 5-foot-11, but he has high-end reflexes and good positioning, which helps him make saves look easy. He’s a great successor to the crease that Gardner has owned for the past two seasons, keeping the Blades in the playoff hunt.
