As the Yorkton Terriers chase another Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League title, a key voice from their last championship run believes the blueprint for success hasn’t changed.
Former captain and Moosomin product Devon McMullen, who led Yorkton to its 2014 championship, says the current group is in a familiar position — one that requires trust and patience.
“Just stick with what got you there,” McMullen said. “We were down in big moments too, but we trusted each other and the game plan. If you do that, you give yourself a chance.”
McMullen, who spent four seasons with the Terriers and played over 250 SJHL games while producing steady offensive numbers as a two-way forward, remains closely connected to the organization despite now living in Watertown, South Dakota. After a U SPORTS stint with the University of Regina Cougars, he transitioned into a chiropractic career, where he now works alongside his wife while raising two young children.
More than a decade removed from his junior career, McMullen says Yorkton still feels like home.
“Yorkton’s always going to have a special place for me,” he said. “The teammates, the billets, the fans — those are bonds you never lose.”
Those relationships, built during back-to-back championship seasons in 2013 and 2014, remain the defining part of his experience.
“When you talk to the guys now, it’s like no time has passed,” he said. “It’s the memories and what you accomplished together — that stays with you.”
McMullen also vividly remembers the playoff atmosphere, especially during the 2014 final.
“You think you know what a sold-out rink is,” he said. “But then you see people lined up everywhere, packed in, loud the whole night — it was unbelievable.”
That same energy is expected as Yorkton hosts the Flin Flon Bombers in the league final — a factor McMullen believes could be critical.
He points to resilience as the defining trait of his championship team, which battled through deficits in both the Western Canada Cup and RBC Cup en route to a national title.
“It sounds cliché, but we never quit,” he said. “Even in the final game, we were down and found a way to tie it late and win in overtime. Sometimes it just feels like it’s meant to be.”
Among his favourite moments are winning at home, celebrating with family, and a chaotic late-game sequence in 2014 that helped spark a comeback.
“I wasn’t even supposed to be on the ice,” McMullen recalled. “Jumped on, threw it at the net, and we tied the game. Stuff like that — you don’t forget it.”
As this year’s Terriers look to bring another championship back to Yorkton, McMullen’s message is simple:
“Bring it home, boys. It’d be special to see that trophy back in Yorkton again.”
