Mann-Northway Northern Bears forward Olivia Trann (#6) is one of nine returning players for the 2025-26 season. Here, she's seen carrying the puck in a game against the Saskatoon Stars at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert on Feb. 15, 2025. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW)
Offseason check-in

Northern Bears welcome new recruits and familiar faces in busy offseason

Jun 29, 2025 | 9:36 AM

The Mann-Northway Northern Bears have been keeping busy behind the scenes this offseason as the team begins to prep for the new hockey year.

The Bears have signed nearly 20 players to the 2025-26 roster already after some players graduated from the team or moved onto post-secondary programs for next season.

Northern Bears Head Coach Steve Young said he’s feeling good about the group they have signed.

“It’s one of those years now where our ’08s are in their last year so we have limited ’08s, so the bulk of our ’09s are coming back, which is the uniqueness of our team. We’re at the 2010 age now and, you know, we feel we’ve added some good defensemen, a goaltender, and some forwards that can help complement the ’09s and ’08s.”

In total, the Northern Bears signed nine first-year AAA players to next year’s team, including forwards Reyn Siklenka, Adyson Wallin, Lea Hildebrant, Andie Marshall, and Macy Clarkson, defencemen Jana Simonson, Aidyn Konechny, and Kasey Marshall, and goaltender Avery Brunen. P.A. also signed netminder Maggie Schell for next season, who joins the team from U18AAA RHA Winnipeg.

The club is also welcoming back nine returnees for 2025-26, including forwards Londyn Hoffman, Olivia Trann, Emma Christison, Zoey Krienke, Gracie Reed, and Jersie Andersen, and defencemen Shelby Booy, Rowan Clement, and Addison Davidge.

The Bears saw eight players age out and cross the stage in their high school graduation this year, saying goodbye to Liz Udell, Jordyn Fidler, Marly Dumanski, Annika Neufeldt, Ella Clarke, Caprice Harder, Nikita Krayetski, and Zayda Summach. Some graduates also committed to post-secondary programs, including Neufeld to Olds College, Dumanski to Lakeland College, and Udell, Summach, and Harder to Medicine Hat College.

“I think in the last few years, for sure, women’s hockey continues to grow and the college opportunities become more and more,” said Young, when asked about some players reaching the next level. “We’re very happy and very fortunate to have [that] amount of girls go this year and I think we could have had some more.”

He continued that helping the players succeed is all part of the job.

“They come to us, we want to make sure they have the capabilities to leave as a mature person and a mature hockey player and get their opportunities.”

Unlike the roster, Young said that there will be no changes to the coaching staff for next season.

The schedule for the 2025-26 Sask. Female U18AAA Hockey League (SFU18AAAHL) season is set to be announced in early July.

loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

On Bluesky: @loganlehmann.bsky.social

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