ESTEVAN - The Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears' season came to an end on Thursday night in a 5-4 loss to the Saskatoon Blazers at Affinity Place.
Saskatoon won the best-of-five Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League quarter-final series in four games.
Game 4 was scoreless until late in the first period, when Brayden Smith and Dayne Beuker scored 31 seconds apart in the final minute for a 2-0 Blazers' advantage. They added to the lead when Dayton Deschamps scored on a power play in the second, but Aidan Mohan replied for the Bears 39 seconds later.
Saskatoon took a 5-1 lead when Smith and Shaan Basran scored 20 seconds apart early in the third, and it appeared they would cruise to victory.
But with their season on the line, Estevan staged a furious comeback. Talen Wallis scored a power-play goal with 6:20 to go in the third for Estevan. Riley Craigen gave the Bears some added momentum when he scored with 2:56 to play in the third, and the hope surged among the Bears and their fans when Thomas Ries tallied 47 seconds later.
That was as close as the Bears would come, as Saskatoon held on for the victory.
Kaden Perron had 26 saves for Estevan, while Grayson Malinoski stopped 26 shots for the Blazers.
The game wrapped up the most successful season in the Bears' history. They made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, they picked up their first-ever postseason victory, and they set franchise records for wins (18) and points (43) in a season.
It was the last game in minor hockey for the graduating members of the Bears. Perron and captain Carter Onrait are the two players who have been part of the Bears' organization for all three full seasons in franchise history.
Also graduating are forwards Taye Shukin, Evhan Allan, Chase Holt, Marc Belanger and Wallis, and defencemen Kyle McLellan, Ries and Craigen.
Ries was named a first-team all-star this year, and was a runner-up to Smith for the league's top defenceman award.
Saskatoon's next opponent has yet to be determined. The Blazers won the league last season and had the best record in the league during the 2023-24 regular season.
