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By Ben Tompkins

Mustangs' 20s

The guy who always has your back; Nolan Roberts player profile

May 8, 2025 | 3:00 PM

The Melfort Mustangs are back at the Centennial Cup, which means their eight 2004-born players only have two weeks left in their junior hockey careers.

The hope is that it will be their best and most memorable times of their lives.

In the case of defenceman Nolan Roberts, even when things aren’t going well, he always has your back and never backs down.

Possibly the most feared man in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Roberts is as tough and as strong as they come, and a guy that everyone wants on their team.

Now, he brings that same mentality into Calgary for this year’s National Championship, as he hopes to help his team cap off an unforgettable season.

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“It’s amazing to get to experience winning the league title two years in a row, and there’s no better feeling than doing that in front of the home crowd at the Palace when it’s rocking. I don’t think you can get a better atmosphere in the SJHL, so I’m pretty thankful for the last two years… we went into Centennial last year and you can’t get closer than we got, so we’re looking to redeem ourselves,” Roberts said.

“I think we had our fun, we celebrated, and now it’s time to lock in and be that team that we were in the finals against Weyburn. Just grind teams down and wear them out and put that puck in the back of their net… our mouths are watering and we’re ready to go. We’re desperate from last year, and we have more of an idea of how the tournament layout works, how important those early games are, and how important it is to rack up some goals. We want that banner.”

The now 21-year-old from Brandon, Manitoba, came to Melfort ahead of the 2023/24 season, as he’s been a part of both championship teams.

In 122 combined regular season, playoff, and Centennial Cup games, Roberts has 12 goals and 35 assists for 47 points, along with 487 penalty minutes.

The club’s community ambassador this year has greatly enjoyed his time in northeast Saskatchewan and is trying to soak up every last minute as it comes to an end.

“I’ve kind of had that motto all year, just take everything in and regardless of the outcome, you gotta appreciate the process. I think it’s just looking at the process right now and appreciating that, and just appreciating the room of guys and the coaching staff that we have as well… we’re never gonna have a home game wave in Melfort again, but we couldn’t have ended it in a better fashion. It’s definitely a little bit sad to think about, but I’m so thankful for my two years I’ve had here,” added Roberts.

“My main focus is just to enjoy every last moment I have in Melfort and make the most of it… I definitely know that nowhere is accepted quite like the Mustangs in Melfort, so I am extremely thankful for my time here. It’s just a great community and atmosphere of billets and everyone that helped around the team, and just everyone in town accepts everyone, and they treat us extremely well here. It’s been a great experience, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Less than 14 days remain now for Roberts and the rest of the 20-year-olds.

One thing for sure is that they have another amazing opportunity that lies ahead, and regardless of the outcome, they will never forget their time together.

“It’s a great group of guys, and I don’t think we could have asked for much better, honestly. Half of us were here last year, and we were a pretty close group, and then every guy we brought in is just as good as the guy next to him, so we couldn’t really ask for much more. We’re pretty close, and we’re going to be brothers for the rest of our lives,” concluded the future University of Guelph Gryphon.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

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