Why are more Prince Albert athletes finding opportunities after high school?

A quick review by paNOW found dozens of Prince Albert high school graduates have gone on to play at least one game at the post-secondary or professional level across eight different sports over the last five years.

Hockey accounts for the largest share of those athletes. Among the most recognizable names are Gabe Klassen and Tanner Howe, both of whom have signed professional contracts, while Stryker Zablocki continues to build an impressive resume south of the border. The Carlton grad is a U18 World Champion and enters her second season at Northeastern University after being named Hockey East Women’s Player of the Year.

While hockey remains the city’s most visible pathway to the next level, opportunities are increasingly being found in a variety of sports.

Volleyball has emerged as one of the strongest examples. At least five Prince Albert athletes from the Class of 2025 alone committed to post-secondary programs, including Abby Wasutyk, Matt Lefebvre, Reuben Veith, Kiera Hayes and Cate Rapin.

Quintal credits much of that success to the development opportunities now available to athletes both inside and outside the traditional high school season.

“Our community’s done a good job developing coaches that provide competitive opportunities for these athletes. There’s also more training opportunities outside of the traditional high school season. In high school volleyball, we’re seeing more athletes make provincial teams, going off and playing club teams at national championships, and they’re getting exposed to higher, better competition at a younger age.”

Football has also created opportunities for local athletes beyond graduation. Several former Prince Albert high school players are currently competing in the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL), continuing their careers after graduating from local programs such as Carlton and St. Mary. Others have moved on to U Sports programs, like Zane Litzenberger at the University of Regina and Tazmin Smith-Windsor at the University of Saskatchewan.

Lacrosse is another sport that has produced a growing list of athletes moving on to higher levels of competition, following the success of the Prince Albert Predators organization, including the Jr. B club’s four consecutive Prairie Gold Lacrosse League championships.

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Over the last several years, athletes such as Davin Ikert, Bauer Swystun, Kade Beaton, Caidyn Prediger and Thomas Ratt have continued their careers after high school. More recently, Aidan Horn, Brayden Rieger and Chase Lehner have also made the jump.

The Jr. B Predators head coach and general manager Lucas Wells believes increased exposure has played a major role.

“We’re seeing higher level teams here in the city and social media is being used as a main tool, and teams advertising their players and getting their players’ names out there. [We’ve] seen a lot of successful Prince Albert teams in recent years, whether it’s ball, lacrosse, hockey, just about any sport.”

Wells added that Saskatchewan athletes have developed a strong reputation among American programs, particularly in lacrosse.

“Those guys really kind of set the bar and got the kids’ names out there.”

“In the lacrosse world, the American teams really like Canadian box [lacrosse] players because they can finish in tight, they can shoot from outside and they’re not scared of the physical contact,” he continued. “They’re a big draw and I believe Saskatchewan kids are a lot tougher than some kids that play lacrosse in other provinces, so I think that gritty hard-working attitude goes a long way.”

As another high school sports season begins across Prince Albert, the athletes taking the field, court and course this fall will be chasing provincial championships. For some, it may also be the first step toward opportunities that extend well beyond graduation.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

by Logan Lehmann

Why are more Prince Albert athletes finding opportunities after high school?

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