Alexander Suzdalev had played several games at SaskTel Centre before, but his first in a Saskatoon Blades jersey was one to remember.
Making his home debut with the Blades on Wednesday night, Suzdalev was involved in four of the team’s first five goals of the night, recording a hat trick before the end of the second period and leading the way to a 7-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants.
It was a breakout night for the Washington Capitals prospect, forming immediate chemistry with linemates Fraser Minten and Brandon Lisowsky.
“It’s a lot of talent, for sure it’s a lot of talent,” Suzdalev said. “You can see that in the practices we have a lot of good players. I think if we can stick together as a group, we can do great things.”
The Blades are hoping Suzdalev will be the missing piece they’ll need towards a WHL championship run, trading for the towering winger and a 2025 sixth-round pick in a blockbuster deal with the Regina Pats on New Year’s Eve.
Going back down Highway 11 were import defenceman Samuel Barcik, rookie forward Zach Moore, unsigned prospect Dayton Deschamps, a 2026 first-round pick, a third-round pick in 2026 and a 2025 fourth-round selection.
Swapping out Pats navy for Blades blue and gold has taken some adjustment for Suzdalev, but he’s ready to help contribute to what he hopes will be a lengthy playoff run.
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“For sure the (first) couple days were a little weird but I’m getting used to it now,” Suzdalev said. “Forgetting last year’s playoffs, of course, it’s a new start and we’re going for a championship.”
Coming over from his native Sweden last year to play in his first WHL season, Suzdalev torched the league with 38 goals and 86 points in 66 games before adding another 10 points against Saskatoon in a memorable seven-game opening-round playoff series.
“It feels really good, great player in Suzy and a great guy,” Blades captain Trevor Wong said. “Obviously it’s good to have him on our side now.”
Suzdalev’s partnership with former Pats phenom Connor Bedard was well documented throughout the season, helping to form one of the most dangerous lines in all of junior hockey.
A player who gave Blades head coach Brennan Sonne fits is now fitting into his own system.
“How do you guard or check somebody that’s in the corner who can go top-shelf from the goal line on a one-timer bullet?” Sonne said. “As hard as that was to defend, I hope it’s the opposite and he’s difficult to defend for other teams because he’s elite.”
Following the announcement of the trade, Blades president and general manager Colin Priestner received a pair of texts from a certain former linemate of Suzdalev’s.
“I got a text from Connor Bedard,” Priestner said. “(His mom Melanie) and Connor both texted me like, ‘Salt of the earth human being, one of Connor’s best friends.’ Connor was like, ‘You guys are going to love him,’ and that was great.”
Spending his early childhood in Russia, Suzdalev has since formed a friendship with Blades sniper Egor Sidorov, with whom he’s rooming and sharing the same language, on and off the ice.
“He will bring on our team lots of skill for sure,” Sidorov said. “He’s a funny guy, positive, he’ll bring that (positivity) too.”
Following his debut season in the WHL, Suzdalev went back overseas and signed with Mora IK of the Swedish tier-two league, where he dressed in 13 games before being returned to junior hockey by the Capitals.
That stint is something Suzdalev said he’ll be leaning on over the back half of the WHL season.
“I’ll take some experience with me playing against men for sure,” Suzdalev said. “It’s a hard game, more mature, more structured. So I’m trying to take that in here and do the best that I can do.”
The Blades roster is now set following the WHL trade deadline, capped off with Saskatoon adding veteran defenceman John Babcock from the Kelowna Rockets.
Combined with the additions of Suzdalev, Minten, Easton Armstrong, Grayden Siepmann and Rhett Melnyk, the Blades are among a small group of teams that are expecting to contend for a WHL championship this spring.
“You want to win and you want to be the best you can be,” Suzdalev said. “That’s for sure our goal and we’re going to do everything we can to do it.”
Suzdalev’s addition is one that will provide added firepower to Saskatoon’s top-six forward core of Lisowsky, Minten, Wong, Sidorov and Armstrong, according to Priestner.
That gives the Blades their best chance in a decade at finally winning the franchise’s first Ed Chynoweth Cup.
“This is our chance at destiny,” Priestner said. “It’s our chance to make our own destiny and manifest destiny is what we can do. We have the pieces, there’s no excuses. We have the coaches that we want, we have the players we want, we have the trainers we want, we have the staff we want.
“We have all the horses to get this done.”
The Blades have not lost in regulation since Nov. 22 and will look to stretch their point streak to 17 consecutive games on Saturday night when they host the Victoria Royals at 7 p.m.
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