The Mann-Northway Northern Bears are riding a five-game win streak as they try to move up in the standings before playoffs. (Image Credit: Mark Peterson Media/Facebook)

By Logan Lehmann

Down to the wire

Mintos continue to slide, Northern Bears heating up amid final push for playoffs

Feb 10, 2026 | 12:27 PM

Playoffs are around the corner for Saskatchewan’s AAA hockey leagues, with Prince Albert’s teams looking to boost their positions in the standings with minimal games to go. 

For the Mintos, they have five games to go in the regular season and sit four points out of the eighth and final playoff spot, while the Northern Bears are hot with a five-game win streak under their belts heading into the final four games of the schedule. 

The bad luck continued for the Mintos in southwestern Saskatchewan this past weekend when they closed out their season series with the Swift Current Legionnaires. Prince Albert, who entered the two-game weekend on a seven-game losing streak, dropped both contests at the Innovation Iplex, falling 2-1 in a shootout on Saturday and 7-3 on Sunday. 

The pair of defeats now makes it nine straight losses for the Green and Gold, who have now lost 17 of their last 18 games dating back to Dec. 7. Their last win came back on Jan. 14 when the Mintos downed the Battlefords Stars 7-3 in North Battleford. 

Heading down the final stretch of the schedule, the Mintos sit tenth in league standings at 12-21-4-2 (W-L-OTL-SOL), good enough for 30 points. P.A. only sits ahead of Yorkton (6-27-3-1) and Notre Dame (3-32-1-2) and trails both the Saskatoon Contacts and Tisdale, who are currently tied for the final playoff spot at 34 points. The Contacts and Trojans also have nearly identical records, with Saskatoon holding a 16-21-1-1 record with five games left while Tisdale dons a 16-22-2-0 record with four games to go.  

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The Mintos don’t hit the ice until the weekend when they face Notre Dame in back-to-back games. Then, they’ll go to Tisdale in what could be a midweek do-or-die contest on Feb. 18, before heading to Regina that following weekend on Feb. 21 and 22 as P.A. closes out the regular season against the top-ranked Pat Canadians. 

Tisdale has the Warman Wildcats next up on their schedule on Sunday followed by their game against the Mintos. The Trojans will also have a tough final set of games as they trek to Estevan to face the fourth place Bears on Feb. 20 and 21.  

For the Contacts, Saskatoon will battle Regina on Tuesday, head to Swift Current for back-to-back games against the Legionnaires on Feb. 14 and 15 and wrap up the season in Notre Dame on Feb. 21 and 22. 

Meanwhile, the Battlefords (16-18-3-2) sit in seventh and can become the next team to punch their ticket into the postseason if they win their next game against the second place Saskatoon Blazers on Wednesday, and if the Mintos lose against Notre Dame on Saturday. 

Puck drop for P.A.’s Saturday game is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre. 

How the Sask. Male AAA Hockey League stands as of Feb. 10, 2026. (Image Credit: SMAAAHL/screenshot)

Northern Bears heating up as playoff picture becomes more clear 

The Mann-Northway Northern Bears continued to roll this past weekend at the Art Hauser Centre, sweeping the defending provincial champs. 

The Bears rallied for back-to-back wins over the Saskatoon Stars, winning 3-1 on Saturday and 4-3 in overtime on Sunday. The pair of victories helps P.A. improve to 8-12-3-3 (W-L-OTW-OTL) where they still sit sixth in the standings with four games to play. 

Since there are only seven teams in the league, everybody plays in the first round of the playoffs except for the first-place team who gets a bye into the semifinals. That team being the Battlefords Sharks, who only have one regulation loss to their name and sit comfortably in first at 18-1-3-1 with seven games remaining on their schedule. 

Behind them is Regina (14-8-3-1) and Swift Current (15-8-0-2) in second and third place and are only separated by two points. Then it goes Weyburn (11-15-0-2), Saskatoon (10-11-1-2), and Prince Albert, all of whom are also separated by two points and are in the hunt for fourth place. Cemented in last place this season is Notre Dame, who have yet to win in regulation and stand with a 0-21-1-0 record. 

In the fourth-place race, Weyburn currently holds that spot with 35 points and two games to go, while Saskatoon has the best odds to move up in the standings as they are fifth with 34 points and six games left. P.A. still has room to improve too, however their chances for fourth are slimmer as they have 33 points and two games less than the Stars. 

Three of the Northern Bears’ final four games come against Notre Dame with the first coming on Feb. 14. Then the team will travel to Wilcox for two more dates with the Hounds on Feb. 20 and 21, before closing out the season on Feb. 24 in Saskatoon. 

The Stars will face off with Notre Dame this weekend on Feb. 15 and 16, before playing a mashup of teams, including the Battlefords on Feb. 20, P.A. on the 24 and Regina on the 26. They’ll close out the year with one more game against the Battlefords on March 1. 

Weyburn’s final two games are spread over the next two weeks. Their next game is on Wednesday in Regina, and their last game on the schedule is Feb. 21 against the Battlefords. 

How the Sask. Female U18 AAA Hockey League stands as of Feb. 10, 2026. (Image Credit: SFU18AAAHL/screenshot)

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com