Melfort Mustangs’ Director of Player Personnel, Rick Oakes - right, will serve as Team SJHL's General Manager at the 2026 Viking Cup (credit/SJHL)

By Ben Tompkins

Team SJHL

Mustangs’ Oakes to manage at Viking Cup

Dec 9, 2025 | 5:36 PM

Melfort Mustangs’ Director of Player Personnel, Rick Oakes, will be the General Manager for Team SJHL at the 2026 Viking Cup.

Oakes will be joined by the head coach and general manager of the Estevan Bruins, Drew Kocur, and league alumnus Turner Ripplinger as the staff for the event.

The tournament, which has been on hiatus since 2006, will take place at the Encana Arena in Camrose, Alberta, from December 27, 2025, to January 4, 2026.

“The revitalization of the Viking Cup is going to be a great opportunity for players to showcase the abilities they have, and hopefully they can open some doors for some new opportunities moving forward,” Oakes said in an SJHL press release.

“I’ve worked with Drew over the years when he was part of the Prairie Storm for the Pilot Butte Storm program, as part of the Prairie Junior Hockey League, and (I’ve) always had a lot of respect for his abilities.”

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The plan is to send a team of all-stars, primarily born in 2005 and 2006, to represent the league and showcase their talents to post-secondary institutions.

Along with a U20 SJHL All-Stars team, there will be a Czechia University Selects club, as well as the SAIT Trojans, Augustana Vikings, and Midland University Warriors competing in the event.

“There’s some special talent around the league, especially in that 20-year-old age group. It’ll be good to allow them to showcase themselves and the recognition they deserve for some guys who have made considerable contributions to our league over the last three years,” Oakes added.

“It’s exciting to see the nominations come in from teams, and maybe players you’ve never had the opportunity to watch as much as you should have in the past, but seeing their names come forward and having the chance to pick them and be on a select team or an all-star team is pretty exciting.”

Oakes has been with the Mustangs’ organization since 2015, previously serving as head scout for the Estevan Bruins for twelve years, as well as the Kindersley Klippers for an additional two.

He also has previous experience in the WHL, having scouted regionally for both the Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Red Deer Rebels.

In his current role, Oakes works closely with the Melfort coaching staff and management team to identify, evaluate, and recruit talent to the organization.

The Viking Cup previously ran from 1980 to 2006, drawing elite University, College, Junior, and U18 National teams from across Europe and North America.

The tournament served as a scouting ground for NHL talent, with more than 400 tournament alumni having gone on to be selected in NHL drafts.

The event is now being revived and reimagined by the Augustana Vikings Hockey Alumni Association, a non-profit dedicated to preserving and growing the legacy of the Viking Cup.

All proceeds from the tournament will go to the Augustana Vikings Hockey Alumni Association to support future Viking Cups and Vikings Hockey.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8