When Lukas Hansen stepped away from the Saskatoon Blades to start the 2024-25 season, it was treated like any other injury. The pre-game report simply stated personal reasons, and apart from a mention ahead of their Oct. 6 loss to the Swift Current Broncos, nothing was ever said about his decision or a timetable for his return. Then, when he returned on Nov. 1 as the Blades left for B.C., the team was just as quiet about it, as though it was another mundane roster transaction.
But it wasn’t just another roster transaction. After a successful training camp and a promising preseason, Hansen chose to focus on his well-being, which required him to take a break from hockey. When he returned, it was his teammates and friends who knew how important his decision was and the example it set both on and off the ice. That’s the mark of a true leader – doing what needs to be done, regardless of how hard it is.
A Rocky Start in Saskatoon
Hansen didn’t have the easiest start to his junior career. His rookie season in 2020-21 was cut short by injury, limiting him to just two Western Hockey League (WHL) games and four with the Winnipeg Bisons AAA team. The following season wasn’t much different with concussions and a shoulder injury limiting him to just 28 WHL games. So, when he returned to Saskatoon for the 2022-23 season, he was pencilled in as a depth forward.
But after a very strong training camp and excellent preseason, suddenly Hansen was among some of the Blades’ top forwards. “The easiest way to say it is that he’s the most improved forward in terms of what maybe we were expecting,” said head coach Brennan Sonne. “He missed so much last year and then he was kind of done for the year. He’s been a huge (surprise). We’re pumped. We think he’s played so well. We think he’s gained his speed, at least a few steps. He looks fantastic right now” (from “‘Most improved’: Lukas Hansen scoring on the rebound for Saskatoon Blades,” Saskatoon StarPhoenix – 16/09/2022).
Related: Canada’s World Junior Team is in Good Hands with Tanner Molendyk
Hansen was always a talented player. The Blades selected him 28th overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft after a 43-goal, 85-point season with the U15 Winnipeg Warriors, where he served as the team’s captain and formed a dangerous duo with future Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Jayden Perron. But sitting for so long put a lot of mental strain on him that wasn’t easy to overcome.
“Yeah, I mean, I was here but I wasn’t,” said Hansen. “I didn’t feel like I was part of the team most days. There were some dark days. It was hard, but I used that – I learned from that a lot – and I’ve applied that to this year. You know, things are looking brighter so far and I hope that continues for me.”
A Different Team and a New Perspective
Everyone knew that 2024-25 was going to be very different than 2023-24. With Trevor Wong off to the University of Saskatchewan after graduating from the WHL and Fraser Minten, Egor Sidorov, Easton Armstrong, and Alexander Suzdalev off to play professional hockey, Hansen had a great opportunity to be a top producer on a young team. Even Sonne was gone, taking a job with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the American Hockey League (AHL). Leadership and experience would be worth their weight in gold, and Hansen had plenty of both.
However, many of the new leaders felt a lot of pressure to bring this team back to the Conference Final after their crushing loss last season at the hands of the Moose Jaw Warriors, and whether they could do that again was anyone’s guess. Captain Ben Saunderson spoke about finding different ways to win, while new coach Dan DaSilva reiterated his mantra of growing every day. Others mentioned their bitterness about the loss and how they felt they could win; Rowan Calvert, whose brother played on the Warriors, was constantly reminded of how close they had come to the franchise’s first win.
Initially, Hansen looked primed to take on a much more prominent role and was one of the most impressive players at training camp, helping his team finish second in the intrasquad tournament. But, before the Blades’ home opener against the Swift Current Broncos, he decided to step away indefinitely. After all, some things are more important than hockey.
When Hansen returned to Saskatoon for the first time since his departure on Nov. 15, it was clear that he wasn’t the same person he was a year ago. Things felt different, both on and off the ice. “Different in a lot of ways,” he added. “I have a new perspective on what’s important to me and what my goals are now. So, coming back here, I’ve had to shift my mindset a lot so I can focus on myself and how I can be better and we’ll continue to feel good being back.”
Just like his injury in 2020-21, Hansen was never fully away from the team, remaining in contact with the Blades and his teammates. “I’ve had lots of help too,” he said. “The Blades have been amazing for me, they’ve set me up with lots of help…they’ve helped me immensely and it’s been amazing.”
“The last three years I’ve kind of been developing the same role just more,” Hansen continued, “And now, this year, I’m older, I’m 19, I had a start I wouldn’t have anticipated obviously but now I’m just trying to get back into the flow of things, grow every game and take on that new dynamic of the team and help the best way I can.”
Hansen Is the Blades’ Glue
There’s a good reason why the Blades wanted to keep Hansen around. Not only is he a talented player, but his reputation with his teammates and in the dressing room is difficult to compare. “He’s a huge part of our team,” said Tanner Molendyk, who was drafted by the Blades the same year as Hansen. “He’s a glue guy in the room and then you see what he does and he takes on top lines every game and shuts them down every time, props to him.”
Few players can go out on the ice, block a slapshot and then get up and score a goal. He’s passionate about his play on the ice, but when he gets off, he’s relaxed and ready to take on the next challenge, no matter what it is. He’s the type of player that holds a team together.
Lukas Hansen unleashes an absolutely 🔥 shot to tie the game pic.twitter.com/aYxwAE3Kdy
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) November 6, 2024
“It’s huge,” said Tyler Parr, another longtime teammate of Hansen’s. “He’s a huge spark for us. He does so many things well for us, he’s one of the best backcheckers and forecheckers on the team, one of the best penalty-killers on the team, and he’s a great leader in the room, so we really missed him for those 13 games. Super happy to have him back. He’s picked up right where he left off, pretty impressive, you know, to miss 13 straight games and then come in and just the same guy so it’s really good to have him back.”
Coach DaSilva, who joined the Blades in Hansen’s rookie season as an assistant coach, echoed those thoughts, saying, “He’s a big part of our team and are we ever happy to have him back healthy and playing. He’s regaining his form now, it takes a little while when you’ve been out so long, but he’s now playing like we expect him to play.”
Even the newer players have seen how much he means to this team. “He’s obviously a huge addition,” said Ben Riche, acquired by Saskatoon during the 2023-24 offseason. “A great centreman who plays the defensive side of the puck very well. You see the end of the third period (against the Edmonton Oil Kings) on the six-on-five and he blocks a huge shot that probably could have won us the game. His being back is a big lift for our locker room. It’s a lot of depth added for us and we’re very happy to have him back.”
Not all leaders have a letter on their jerseys. They lead through example, playing hard on the ice and being a role model off of it. They’re the voice everyone respects, regardless of their place in the depth chart. For the Blades, that person is Hansen. He’s not one of the Blades’ leadership group, nor is he one of the most experienced players after he missed most of his rookie season due to injury. Yet his high work ethic, calm demeanour, and thoughtful approach to his team and his health have made him one of the most impactful players on the team.
Sign up for our NHL Prospects & Draft Substack newsletter
