Photo courtesy: sasksportsphotography.com

By Ryan Flaherty

special teams deliver

Undermanned Wolverines end year with win over Broncos

Dec 20, 2025 | 2:20 AM

In a matchup of two teams playing at less than full capacity, the Warman Wolverines found enough energy in the reserve tank to defeat the Humboldt Broncos 3-2 at Elgar Petersen Arena in their final game of 2025.

A nasty virus swept through several SJHL locker rooms in recent days, leading to at least one game being postponed earlier in the week. Both the Wolverines and Broncos were hit with the bug, forcing Warman to play Friday’s game a man short while both squads dressed players who were well below 100 per cent.

Still, the Wolverines looked like the sharper team to start and they were rewarded on the game’s first power play with Carter Bergen beating a screened Brady Holtvogt for his seventh goal of the season at the 8:18 mark of the opening period.

Despite entering the night with just an 11.7 per cent success rate on the power play, the visitors made it two-for-two later in the frame as Bennett Leibel scored eight seconds into Warman’s next man advantage, netting his fourth of the year on another shot that benefited from traffic in front of the Broncos goaltender.

The home side trimmed the lead in half before the break with Gabriel Kaminski keeping the puck on a two-on-one rush and sliding it past Griffin Wright for his second goal of the season.

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In the second, the Wolverines fired 16 shots on Holtvogt but could not put one past him and with just over a minute left, Brayden Skogstad leveled the score with his third of the campaign.

The Broncos played their best hockey in the final period, putting 19 shots on Wright but the rookie netminder stood tall, making several key stops to preserve the tie. Then with just under four minutes remaining, moments after a Wolverines power play expired and with another delayed penalty coming to the Broncos, Kayden Yeaman deflected a Pherson Loehndorf shot past Holtvogt during the six-on-five to put Warman back on top.

Loehndorf assisted on all three Wolverine goals on Friday.

Yeaman’s second goal of the season would prove to be the difference as Wright held the fort with a few more saves down the stretch including a denial of Owen Chapman on a shorthanded breakway and a pair of point blank stops in the final minute after the Broncos pulled Holtvogt for an extra attacker.

Humboldt held a 45-37 edge in shots on goal but Warman won the special teams battle, scoring twice on seven chances with the man advantage and killing off all five Bronco power plays. Wright earned his fourth win between the pipes, making 43 saves, while Holtvogt stopped 34 shots in defeat.

The Wolverines close out 2025 sitting fourth in the Nutrien Division and 11th overall at 8-21-2. The Broncos, who have lost 10 of their last 12 contests, are third in the Nutrien Division and eighth in the overall standings with a record of 15-12-2.

The Wolverines will return from their holiday break on January 3 when they host the Yorkton Terriers before welcoming the Broncos to the Warman Home Centre Communiplex the following afternoon.

Every Wolverines home and away game is broadcast live on SaskNow.com.

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X: @RFlahertypxp