Saskatoon, Sask.- Talk about making the most of your Chantz-es!
Former Moose Jaw Warriors forward Chantz Petruic has been named WHL Grad of the Month for February/March after a tremendous run in the 2025 Canada West Playoffs and Conference Championship win with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
Petruic tied for the Canada West playoff scoring lead with three goals and five assists for eight points in six games.
He excelled in big-time moments to help the Huskies claim their 12 conference title in program history on March 9, 2025.
Petruic scored the game-tying goal and added two assists- including a helper on the game-winning goal- against the 2024 Champion UBC Thunderbirds in Game 2 of their second-round series to force game three and stave off elimination.
He followed up the key performance by assisting the opening goal and scoring an insurance goal as the Huskies defeated the Thunderbirds 4-2 to move on to the Canada West Final.
It all came down to a winner-take-all Game 3 against the visiting Mount Royal Cougars at a packed Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon.
Petruic’s final assist of the postseason was his biggest as he dished to Vince Loschiavo (Kootenay ICE ‘A’, Moose Jaw Warriors, Edmonton Oil Kings) for the Championship-winning goal in a 3-0 win.
The 25-year-old business student helped Saskatchewan to a dominant 23-5 regular season record.
He scored a career-best 20 goals and picked up 17 assists for 37 points in 27 contests, tying for the conference lead in goals and tying for third in points.
Prior to the championship series, Petruic was also named to the Canada West First Team All-Canadian roster, along with his Huskies teammate Roddy Ross (Seattle Thunderbirds / Regina Pats).
Petruic, from Moose Jaw, Sask., suited up for his hometown Warriors in the 2016-17 season.
He tallied four assists in 55 games in the WHL before going on to pot more than 200 points and 110 goals in four seasons with the Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Petruic and the Huskies will now battle for a national title at this weekend’s U SPORTS University Cup in Ottawa, Ont.
Saskatchewan is ranked second among the eight competing teams, with the Canada West runner-up Mount Royal Cougars clocking in at fifth.
The Huskies kick off the U-Cup on Friday, March 21 against the OUA bronze medallist Queen’s University Gaels in a quarterfinal tilt.
Semifinals will take place on Saturday, March 22 with the national champs being crowned on Sunday, March 23.
All eight games from the event will be broadcast live on CBC Sports digital platforms.
In partnership with Canada West universities, numerous WHL Scholarship recipients each year are also awarded additional financial assistance from their university to receive Western Canada’s Premier Hockey Scholarship.
The WHL has awarded nearly 8,000 scholarships to graduate players since 1993.
The WHL is the leading supplier of hockey scholarships in Western Canada and offers one of the most comprehensive scholarships in North America.
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
About Canada West
As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes who excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university-level high-performance sports programs throughout Western Canada.
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