Badgers cap extraordinary season with provincial title

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

The Shaunavon Badgers capped off their centennial season with a double banner celebration.

The Badgers posted a 6-4 victory over the Rosetown Red Wings on St.

Patrick’s Day at the AGT Centre.

With the victory, the Badgers swept the Red Wings to capture the best-of-three Senior C Provincial final in two games.

The period counts were 2-1 and 5-3 for the visitors.

Tyson Goffinet was on fire with a hat trick and an assist to pace the Badgers’ attack. Luke Hunter triggered a goal and an assist. D-man Kain Stevenson and J.J. Hunter potted the other Badgers’ tallies. J.J.’s marker came in the opening frame by going five-hole on Wings’ netminder Noah Martens.

Tyler Logan of the Badgers led the assist derby with three helpers while Tanner Kendall had a pair of assists. Single helpers went to Greg Coburn and Dyson Stevenson.

It was the Jared Jagow show for the Red Wings. Jagow drilled his first goal high glove side and also went upstairs for his second goal. The veteran Rosetown player added two more tallies for an outstanding four goal night. Interestingly, Jagow was part of a Rosetown squad that beat the Badgers in the provincial final almost exactly 15 years ago in March of 2011.

Cole Cadieux registered a 19-save effort to pick up the win in goal for Shaunavon.

The contest was a very physical battle right to the end Badgers’ captain Dyson Stevenson credited the team’s second line for their strong play.

“I’m not sure we were at our best, but we got some really good secondary scoring, which we needed,” offered Badger captain Dyson Stevenson.

“That’s how you win championships, on nights when some struggle to get going, other guys step up. And that’s what happened in the last game.”

It capped off an extraordinary season for the Badgers, one that many longtime fans of the club rank at or near the top.

For Stevenson, the championship was especially rewarding. Dyson had spent the previous decade playing professional hockey, after a junior career with the Regina Pats. His professional journey took him all over the United States and into Europe.

After retiring from the professional ranks he returned to his hometown with the hope of fielding a competitive local senior hockey team – one that might compete for a provincial title. He was instrumental in helping recruit the return of players such as Luke Hunter, J.J. Hunter, Greg Coburn and Dale Hunt – to go along with a strong returning core of players. This squad is comprised almost entirely of local players who grew up playing in the local minor hockey system.

The work paid dividends. The Sr. Badgers went 22-0 on their way to a league title. In three rounds of provincials, their only loss came against the Assiniboia Rebels in Assiniboia. They rebounded from that defeat a day later by beating the Rebels 8-1 in the deciding game. In hindsight, Assiniboia was probably the second best “C” team in Saskatchewan, but the provincial draw is based on geography, not rankings.

“When we started the season we couldn’t predict how things might unfold,” said Stevenson. “We just set out to win as many games as we could. But finishing the season without losing a single game at home – that was special.  In the end it takes a whole team – all 20 or 25 guys

– to accomplish what we did, and that’s what I’m most proud of. It doesn’t just happen with one player or one line. And that’s what I am most proud of.

“I’m excited for all the guys, and the town too,” he added. “Not many teams get to say they won the last game of the season.”

Stevenson also had high praise for the fans who supported the team throughout the season. The Badgers drew record attendance this year. The

50/50 draws at each game was an indication of just how big the crowds were, with several winnings topping the $3,000 mark and one even exceeding $4,000.

Fans also travelled on buses to all three provincial road games for the Badgers.

“We definitely want to send out a huge thank you to the community and all the fans who filled our rink throughout the season,” offered Stevenson. “Even at the last game in Rosetown, I think we had more fans in their rink than they did.”

It marked the second provincial crown for the senior team in 100 years.

The Badgers first senior provincial title was over the Esterhazy Flyers in 2013 in the B division.

That team featured three players on the current team, J.J. Hunter, Luke Hunter and Tanner Tetrault. A fourth current player, Corey Bailey, served as the team’s stick boy that season. Bailey has another unique connection to Shaunavon hockey history as he was also a member of the community’s first-ever provincial champion. That was the SHA Pee Wee “C”

champions of 2009. That squad, by the way, featured a number of players on the current provincial senior championship team, including Bailey, Adam Peterson, Kain Stevenson, Darcy French and Kyle Goffinet.

The win over the Red Wings served as a bit of pay back over Rosetown.

In 2011, the Badgers advanced to their third consecutive provincial championship series, and in each case they lost.

The 2011 final was against Rosetown, with the Red Wings clinching the title in a 5-4 thriller played in front of bursting-at-the-seams Jubilee Arena. It was the last game ever played at the Jubilee Arena. Jared Jagow of Rosetown played a big role in that game for the Red Wings. Luke Hunter, J.J. Hunter (who had three goals and an assist in the final

game) and Tanner Tetrault also played in that contest as well.

The Badgers also lost in the provincial final in 2012, this time to Drake, before finally claiming the coveted SHA title in 2013.