The Saskatoon Contacts celebrate their third goal of the game during a 5-3 win over the Prince Albert Mintos at the Art Hauser Centre on Dec. 3, 2025. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW)

By Logan Lehmann

Onto the next

Contacts escape P.A. with win as late penalty trouble sinks Mintos

Dec 3, 2025 | 11:14 PM

The Prince Albert Mintos had to swallow a tough pill on Wednesday night after falling 5-3 to the Saskatoon Contacts at the Art Hauser Centre.

The loss comes after defeating the Battlefords Stars back on Nov. 25, also coming at home. The loss puts the Mintos at 10-9-1-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) on the campaign.

The Contacts jumped out in front midway through the first after a ton of offensive pressure, scoring not once but twice in the span of just 14 seconds to swiftly take a 2-0 lead. Shortly after, the Mintos broke the ice with their first of the night off the tape of Carter Wingert to cut into the deficit. The shots were 17-5 Saskatoon after the first.

It didn’t take long for the Contacts to restore the two-goal lead after Denys Lupandin’s shot from the top of the circles found its way under the arm of Jaden Blanchette less than three minutes into the second. It remained 3-1 for majority of the period until the final minute when Xander Pritchard potted his team-leading eighth of the season to make it a one goal game.

P.A. got lucky to start the final frame as they tied it 3-3 just seven seconds in. After Cruz Stacey won the draw for the Mintos, Noah Gibson dumped the puck into the corner and took a weird bounce, surprising netminder Felix Derksen who misplayed the puck and guided it into his own net for the embarrassing equalizer.

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However, the Contacts began to run away with the game by capitalizing on a pair of late Prince Albert penalties. Kohen Volk and Charlie Kay both scored on the man advantage less than two minutes apart to represent the final nails in the coffin, as the Contacts ran back to Saskatoon with a 5-3 win.

Blanchette made 37 saves for the Mintos in the loss, while Derksen collected the win with 21 stops.

P.A. looks to get back into the win column this weekend when the host the red-hot Moose Jaw Warriors for two games at the Art Hauser Centre. Saturday’s game is set for 3:30 p.m., while Sunday has a 1:30 p.m. start.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com