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Lodge family reunion another milestone in family’s hockey journey

Courtesy Tanner Chubey, Saskatoon Blades

The name Kohen Lodge has become familiar with Saskatoon Blades fans throughout the 2024-25 season. The name “Lodge” has been around the Western Hockey League (WHL) well before Kohen’s name appeared on the stat sheet. His father, Erik Lodge, joined the Red Deer Rebels as a skills coach in the 2015-16 season. Prior to the 2017-18 campaign, Erik was named an assistant coach for Red Deer and still is to this day.

The father-son duo shared a special moment on January 7, 2025, as the two went head-to-head on their respective WHL clubs for the first time.

“That picture of us between the benches meant a lot to me,” said Kohen, “Knowing I’ve got to where I am now and playing against him was a really cool experience.”

Kohen was called up to the big club as an affiliated player (AP) from the Red Deer Chiefs U18 AAA squad to start 2025. After two home games at SaskTel Centre and a road victory against the Moose Jaw Warriors, Kohen remained with the team as they traveled to his hometown of Red Deer. Erik says finding out his son would be playing against him at the WHL level was a special moment for him.

“All our family and friends are asking me, ‘Is he in?’ Then, he got the green light,” said Erik, “It was neat to go to the rink and know he’s in the dressing room down the hall, and that he was going to be on the ice competing against us. That’s something not a lot of people get to experience. To have that was awesome and an emotional moment for me.”

Kohen said there was also the added bonus of playing in his hometown for the first time in his WHL career.

“I was a Little Rebel for the Memorial Cup year in 2016,” said Lodge, “Standing on the blue line with the Rebels then, to coming here now and playing in that rink was a really cool experience.”

Kohen credits his love for hockey to his father’s influence and involvement in the game growing up.

“He was basically the only reason I am where I am now,” said Lodge, “From all the skills on the ice and life lessons off the ice, he’s been around me my whole life and helped me work on my skills, even if that meant coming out early in the mornings at 7:00 a.m. with me to work on things.”

The 16-year-old winger grew up playing minor hockey in Red Deer. During his WHL draft-eligible season in 2022-23, Lodge recorded 29 goals and 25 assists for 54 points in 32 games with the Red Deer Rebels U15 AAA squad of the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL). The left-handed shot made his biggest impact in the postseason, scoring seven goals and nine points in five games before the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.

“I had a pretty good feel that he was supposed to get picked kind of thing,” said Erik,  “That was a super emotional day for us too.”

The Blades drafted Lodge in the ninth round (195th overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects draft.

“We were told that he was probably going to go significantly lower than where he did,” said Erik, “He went to school as a normal day. He’s seeing other guys go and I said to him,’This is a cool day, if it happens, it happens. If not, the process doesn’t stop here.’ Then, Saskatoon picked him and that was super exciting for us.”

WHL alumnus Blake Gustafson played under Erik with the Rebels for three seasons between 2019-2022. At the beginning of his 20-year-old season in 2022-23, Gustafson was acquired by the Blades where he was later named an alternate captain. Drafted in the tenth round (207th overall) by the Rebels in 2017, the former Blades blueliner offered words of encouragement to Kohen after he was selected by the Blades.

“The day I got drafted, he texted me and was like, ‘Hey buddy, great job getting drafted.’ He was a big role model in my life and helped me get through it. He helped me with the focus you need and let me know to keep working and keep getting there. He sent a text that said, ‘They’ll find you if you’re a good player. If you keep working, the coaches and staff will find you.'”

Kohen jumped to U18 AAA for the 2023-24 season with the AEHL’s Chiefs. In 38 games as a 15-year-old, Lodge recorded 13 goals and 16 assists with 32 penalty minutes. Lodge signed his Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Blades in March 2024 before going on to score two goals and two assists in five playoff games.

“He’s always thought of himself as an underdog guy that is chasing guys and wants to pass them,” said Erik, “Right from day one the Blades have said, ‘We don’t care where players get picked. We don’t even care if they get picked. We care that you get better every time we see you.'”

After an impressive training camp and preseason, Kohen cracked the Blades’ opening night roster to begin the 2024-25 season. Not only did Kohen dress in the season opener on the road against the Swift Current Broncos, but he also scored the opening goal of the season for Saskatoon 8:04 into the game.

It was a crazy experience,” said Kohen, “To score the first one in the first game was pretty cool. The team every game after was really awesome for me to see and the teammates were great.”

https://twitter.com/BladesHockey/status/1837303932667805820

The Rebels’ season opener wasn’t until the following night on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Erik says the Rebels organization told him Kohen’s first game was a big moment and that family comes first.

“We go into Swift Current and it was a pretty full barn that night,” said Erik, “We decided to stand at one end not thinking much of it, and then he comes down on that end to score and celebrates not even knowing where we were right in front of us. It was something even if you dreamt it up, I don’t know if you could have dreamt it up that perfectly.”

Kohen has continued to contribute offensively, beginning his WHL career with a three-game point streak (2G, 1A). The 5-foot-10 winger rejoined the Chiefs U18 AAA squad after six games with the big club at the beginning of October. Kohen’s averaging just under a goal per game with 14 goals and 12 assists in 15 games. The ninth-round pick joined the Blades again for four games prior to the WHL Christmas break and again to begin 2025.

In the first of what both hope to be many meetings in the WHL between the two of them, Kohen got the first laugh over his father. 60 minutes wasn’t enough to decide Kohen’s homecoming against the Rebels, forcing overtime at the Peavey Mart Centrium. The Blades sealed the deal 3-2 in the extra frame to pick up their first win of the season against Red Deer.

“You want to see him do well and help his team do well,” said Erik, “Obviously, watching as a coach, you want your team to do well too. It was a unique experience and one that I’ve never experienced, but I’m so glad I did.”

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