On Thursday, Sep. 18, the Saskatoon named Tyler Parr the 64th team captain in franchise history. The 20-year-old has spent his entire career in Saskatoon, first joining the team in 2021-22, and last season, he put up career highs across the board with 20 goals and 61 points. Now, he’s the face of the franchise for 2025-26 and will follow in the footsteps of some of the team’s greatest leaders.
“I can’t even put it into words,” said Parr after he was named captain. “The captains I’ve been with in the past, Aidan De La Gorgendiere, Trevor Wong, Ben Saunderson, guys that have taught me a lot over the years, and to try to be one of those guys to some of the younger guys on this team is a huge honour.”
The choice for captain was an easy one. Parr has always worn his heart on his sleeve and played with passion, which is what the Blades have tried to emulate since last season. That’s a great sign for this season, as the Blades are expected to improve on their 2024-25 record and push for not only first place in the East Division, but be a playoff threat.
The Perfect Leader for a Young Team
Parr has always been seen as a strong locker-room presence. Last season, he was named an alternate captain alongside fellow 2005-born Rowan Calvert, and he reveled in the opportunity to be a positive influence on a roster undergoing some significant changes.
“I’ve hoped to be a leader my whole career,” said Parr back in October 2024. “I’ve thought I’ve done a good job of being there for guys, but now to have a letter on my chest is pretty special. It’s something you dream of as a young kid, to be a captain in the Western Hockey League is pretty cool.”
Others have spoken up about his ability to lead the team. To help with the announcement, last season’s captain Saunderson returned to the Blades dressing room. “I’m passing the torch onto a guy I learnt from every single day last year,” he said before handing Parr a new jersey emblazed with the ‘C.’ “A guy that would drop anything he’s doing to come help you, whether that’s on the ice or off the ice. A guy that is going to hold every guy accountable in this room, but also hold himself to that same standard.”
Calvert, who also received some votes from the team to be the next Blades’ captain, echoed Saunderson’s sentiments, saying, “He’s a leader, I know it’s cliché, but he is a Blade five-year guy. He’s been here, he does all the ups, all the downs, he’s buddies with everyone in that room.”
There have been some incredible highs and lows over the past five seasons for Parr. Last season, the Blades were expected to be bottom feeders; Saskatoon had gone all-in for the 2023-24 season, and after losing the WHL Conference Final to the Moose Jaw Warriors, they saw an exodus of veteran talent, including Alexander Suzdalev, Fraser Minten, and Egor Sidorov. That left the team with a much younger core, and the few remaining veterans had a big job ahead of them to get the inexperienced group accustomed to playing in the WHL. But the team bounced back, becoming the first team in the league to secure 10 wins and sat in first place in the East for nearly half the season.
“There’s nothing crazy that’s going to get thrown at me that I don’t really know how to handle,” said Parr. “A lot of stuff that some of these new guys or younger guys are going through, I’ve gone through and I can relate to them.”
Parr Puts Saskatoon in a Great Place to Win
While many teams across the WHL are reeling from losing top stars to the NCAA, the Blades brought back every eligible player to their roster for 2025-26. Paired with their expectation-defying 2024-25 season, the expectations are much higher for the upcoming campaign.
“I expect that we take a step this year,” said head coach Dan DaSilva. “Last year, there were very low expectations in terms of where we were going to finish in the standings. Our process has not changed this year. The expectations are higher, there’s more excitement, there’s more potential. We need to work and compete the way we did last year if we are to have the same type of success this year.”
Related: 3 Saskatoon Blades to Watch in 2025-26
The Blades are in a great spot to take over the East. They have one of the best goalies in the WHL in Evan Gardner, two strong NHL prospects in Hunter Laing and David Lewandowski, and a 2025 Rookie of the Year finalist with Cooper Williams, who also could be a top pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. With the added chemistry and experience they have from playing together last season, they’ll be a strong contender all season long.
The fact that this group chose Parr as their captain reflects the high standard the Blades have placed on themselves. As a top-six forward, Parr had a huge season in 2024-25 — nearly doubling his previous career highs in goals and points — but he still played a hard-nosed style and didn’t let opponents get away with anything. Although he doesn’t view himself as an enforcer, he enjoyed the more physical side of the game and led the Blades with four fights last season. He isn’t shy about always giving his all and trying his best, and expects others to follow his example.
“We all have the same goal here, we want to bring a championship here to Saskatoon,” said Williams. “We’ve never won it here before. So we feel we have a special group here that can bring a championship here.”
Over his five seasons, Parr has come to embody the Blades spirit: he’s hardworking, dedicated, and committed to growing together and getting better every day. He is a true team-first player, and so it’s hardly a surprise he was chosen to lead this group into a deep playoff run. Once they’re there, there’s no telling what could happen. Maybe it could result in Saskatoon’s first title in franchise history. This team has defied expectations before, and they’re more than happy to do it again.
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