Prince Albert Timberjaks forward Keethan Isbister (#92) was named the PJHL's Most Valuable Player for the 2024-25 season. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

Hometown hockey

Isbister returns: Home is where the heart is for PJHL MVP

Jan 5, 2026 | 8:40 PM

The rest of the hockey season for the Prince Albert Timberjaks just took an unexpected twist with the return of last year’s league MVP.

After starting the hockey season with the Creston Valley Thunder Cats in British Columbia’s Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), Keethan Isbister is returning to the team and the league he led in scoring last season.

“I wanted to try a new adventure while being young and not having tons of responsibility yet… wanted to live in the mountains and see what that’s about and it really helped me grow as a person and I’ve come back way more mature. I love the team, but home is where it’s at for me.”

Isbister was named the PJHL’s Most Valuable Player last season. (Facebook/P.A. Timberjaks)

Isbister tallied 77 points in 40 games last season with the Timberjaks. In the 26 games he played with the Thunder Cats before returning home this week, he scored 16 goals and 27 assists. Surprisingly, Isbister’s hockey career began relatively late compared to most players; he didn’t start until the age of 12.

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“We won a lot of tournaments, and I just had fun in the house league and then once U18 AA came along, that’s when my development really started to grow and Global Sports Academy (now Trach Academy) at Carlton High School, they took my play to a whole new level.”

He played with the U18 AA team for two seasons in P.A. and then joined the Timberjaks in the Junior B ranks. His breakout year came in his second season — last year, when he won MVP.

“He’s definitely an asset for us to get back,” said team president Ken Malenfant. “He’s going to fit in really well with the group that we’ve put together. We’ve got some new guys that have really stepped up, some young guys that he’ll play with and guys from last year, of course. So, he’ll complement what we’ve started to create here and the coaching staff is very excited about having him in the lineup starting tomorrow night.”

The Timberjaks have a record of 10-14-0-3 (Wins-Losses-Ties-Overtime Losses) and currently sit fifth out of six teams in their division. Isbister is expected to give them an offensive edge.

“He’s got a 200-foot game. He’s very hungry to get the puck. And he’s just a great, great guy to have in the room,” Malenfant said.

Isbister said when he steps onto the ice in his Timberjaks jersey Tuesday night, he hopes to be someone who can lead the way and set the tone for everyone else.

“I’ve got a lot of buddies who I grew up with here that are still on the team, so I’m thankful for that. My plan is to just try and help out as much as I can and try and get them higher in the standings with more wins and see what we can do in playoffs.”

The Timberjaks host the Saskatoon Quakers at the Northern Regional Rec Centre Tuesday night. Puck drop is 8 p.m.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com