This afternoon, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League announced its award winners for the 2025–26 regular season, and a trio of Yorkton Terriers came away with well-deserved hardware.
Gabriel Courchesne captured the Leo Parker Award, presented to the league’s top scorer. He finished the season with 80 points, leading the SJHL in assists while also ranking second in goals.
Cash Lanigan was named SaskMilk Rookie of the Year following an outstanding debut campaign. The Regina native made an immediate impact in Yorkton, quickly becoming a fan favourite with his hard-nosed, tough-to-play-against style. Beyond the physical edge, Lanigan’s finishing touch and playmaking ability set him apart—earning him time on the top power play unit while becoming a key contributor on the penalty kill. He finished second among rookies in scoring with 48 points, with his 19 goals also ranking second.
Lanigan enters the playoffs red-hot, recording points in nine of his last ten games.
On the back end, it comes as no surprise that Thomas Ries was named SuperU Defenceman of the Year. Ries does it all for the Terriers—quarterbacking the power play, killing penalties, and logging nearly 25 minutes a night, all while sacrificing the body without hesitation.
Ries said he was excited when he found out, adding that his phone was blowing up with messages.
“Obviously, it’s a huge honour to win an award like this in such a historic league. It means a lot to me, and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates helping me out,” said Ries.
The Humboldt product led all defencemen with 16 goals and tied for the league lead in points with 48.
Three other Terriers were also recognized as finalists. Courchesne was nominated for both SGEU Most Valuable Player and Bourgault Forward of the Year honours. Wins leader Callum Creig was up for SaskTel Goaltender of the Year, while Yorkton’s Jye Zawatsky was a finalist for Canterra Seeds Saskatchewan Player of the Year.
You can catch Lanigan, Ries, and the rest of the Terriers this Friday night when they host the Melville Millionaires in Game One of the SJHL First Round. Puck drop is 7:00 PM. Get your tickets online at https://tickets.yorktonterriers.com/ or at the box office.
