CANORA – The thing about winning a championship is, it makes teams hungry for more winning.
After defeating the Rocanville Tigers in the SEHL finals last season, the Cobras, under new General Manager Casey Mydonick, are looking to go after another league championship and also pursue success at provincials.
Mydonick, who is taking over from Cal Homeniuk, said the time was right to make the transition.
“Cal was general manager and president for a while, and always knew he wanted to only do it for a couple years,” said Mydonick. “He sensed the team was close to a championship, so he wanted to see it through. But then he decided it was time to make the change. Plus I hurt my shoulder near the end of last season, so that kind of fast-tracked the process.”
In addition to playing for the Cobras the last several years, Mydonick has also served as the team’s vice-president and assistant general manager, giving him a wide ranging picture of team operations.
Mydonick will be working closely with a former teammate, Tanner Denesowych, who has taken on the role of Cobras president. Both will only be available as players on an emergency basis, preferring to focus on their new off-ice roles.
“I have worked with Tanner ever since the team was brought back, and I’m looking forward to continuing that, and working with the new board.”
Mydonick is expecting the majority of the players from last year’s championship team to return for the coming season, with a few key additions. Any changes will be confirmed by the time the season opens on Nov.8, when the Cobras host the Theodore Buffalos.
Mydonick said he is looking forward to his first season as Cobras GM.
“I enjoy communicating with people, and that I’ll be involved in all aspects of the team now.”
Cobras practices in preparation for the new season got underway on Oct. 15.
New schedule is out
At a recent SEHL meeting, it was decided to increase the regular season from last year’s 14 games to 16 for 2025/26, according to a league release.
Each team will play home and home with other clubs within their division and then one game (home or away) against the opposite division with rivalry games making up the remainder.
The playoff format will remain unchanged with all teams being seeded as one division with first playing eighth, second versus seventh, third meeting sixth, and fourth squaring off with fifth in the league quarter-final (best of three).
What’s new for this season will be how seventh and eighth are decided. Seventh will play 10th and eighth will go up against ninth in a best of three series with the winners getting the 7 and 8 seeds. Should the series be tied after two games, sudden death overtime will take place upon the conclusion of game two with the winner moving on to the quarters.
This move is expected to add excitement for more teams, especially during the playoff run.
The semi-finals will remain a best of five as per previous years and the league final will, unofficially, be a best of five although the two remaining teams will have the option to schedule a best of seven if the two clubs agree.
Commissioner Mike Stackhouse said, “The league is shaping up to be our most competitive year since the inception of the SEHL.”
“By all accounts the teams that were strong last year will be again and there are teams poised to take the next step as well. Clubs like Esterhazy and Churchbridge have been busy recruiting some new players to give them a better shot at being closer to the top of the standings.”
The Russel Rams will make the SEHL an 11-team league for the coming season, with all 10 teams are returning from last season.
“While it's been a few years since they've had a senior hockey team, their community is well known for icing a strong club so I would look for them to be a formidable team right away.” said Stackhouse.
Stackhouse expects the Cobras to be in the mix as they strive to defend their championship.
“They have a strong nucleus of players and their fan support has been great, which is important for them to maintain the talent level they've worked so hard to attract.”
In addition to the Nov. 8 home opener, other Cobras upcoming home games include Nov. 15 versus the Swan Valley Axemen and Nov. 21 against the Preeceville Pats.
The last home game before Christmas is Dec. 19 versus perennial rival Theodore Buffalos.
The final home game of the season takes place on Jan. 17 with the expansion Russell Rams coming to town.
After last season’s championship and being named SEHL Coach of the Year the last two seasons, Darren Schwartz returns behind the bench for the Cobras.
Mydonick said the league is consistently getting better, which will make it challenging for the Cobras to repeat.
“Everyone is excited about last year and winning the championship, we made a big effort in keeping the team together as much as possible and adding a few players. We’re looking forward to hopefully a long playoff run in provincials and going after the league championship again.”
In addition to Mydonick and Denesowych, other 2025/26 Cobras board members, directors and game day organizers are:
Vice president: Kevin Ludba
Secretary: Morgan Gatenby
Treasurer: Clarissa Mydonick
Social Media specialist: Shelby Stefanyshyn
General Manager: Casey Mydonick
Player Rep: Kody Rock
Director: Karen Wilgosh
Director: Dean Wilgosh
Bar Manager: Dwayne Mydonick
The Cobras continue to look for a game announcer and a second player rep.
Those who have been part of the Cobras family in the past include:
President: Dean Wilgosh
Vice President: Casey Mydonick
Secretary: Karen Wilgosh
General Manager: Cal Homeniuk
Player Rep – Tanner Denesowych
Player Rep- Kody Rock
Game announcer – Pat Miechkota
“Thank you to the past board members, and to Cal Homeniuk for their dedication to the team, and for the volunteers who help make this team successful,” concluded Mydonick.
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