From The Deer To The Dogs

I don't write about U SPORTS men's hockey very often because I don't keep tabs on it as closely as I probably should, but I do check the transactions records for all leagues when I can and a name popped on it today that surprised me. The player pictured to the left is Landon Kosior with the ECHL's Iowa Heartlanders, and it should be noted that he was a high-scoring, solid defender with the Prince Albert Raiders. Those two facts are important because you'll be seeing Landon Kosior patrolling the Saskatchewan Huskies' blue line for the foreseeable future!

After having Connor Hobbs be the quarterback on the blue line for a few years, it's not like the Huskies could replace him, his shot, or his vision with the puck easily. However, landing Kosior is virtually like have Hobbs back in the lineup. From 2021-23 with the Raiders, including his final season where he was the captain, Kosior recorded 35 goals and 73 assists in 128 WHL games. After signing with the ECHL's Iowa Heartlanders, Kosior played 19 games where he added two goals and 11 helpers in his professional debut.

Where Kosior stands out, for me, is his work on the power-play as the man at the top controlling the entire zone. He simply doesn't panic with the puck at any point which seems rare for rookie defenders. After all, mistakes cost players shifts, but it seems Kosior looked very comfortable in the Heartlanders' lineup based on these highlights.


In both instances above, Kosior controlled the puck in a tight space, found some room, and made good plays for two Iowa goals. Again, zero panic, smart plays, and great results!

For whatever reason, though, Kosior has decided to leave the Heartlanders to join the Saskatchewan Huskies in Canada West, giving them a scoring threat from the blue line every time he has the puck on his stick. As per the Huskies' roster page, it appears that Kosior will wear #3 to start his U SPORTS career, but that could change moving forward. Regardless of what number he wears, I'm sure the Huskies are excited to have him skate in the green-and-white, and they'll only be looking for big numbers on the scoresheets when they return to the ice on the first weekend in January.

I'll keep an eye on eligibility for this season as I'm not sure if Landon Kosior is eligible to join the Huskies immediately based on the fact that he was playing as recently as December 3 for Iowa. The rules for joining a team seem to fluctuate based on who is asking, so Kosior may have to wait until next season to play based on his professional season bleeding into a potential university season.

Even if he doesn't play this season, Kosior solidifies a very good blue line for the Huskies next season. If he does play this season, teams are going to have to be ready for another dangerous weapon in that Huskies lineup. I'll give full credit to head coach Brandin Cote for adding another potential star to his team for the foreseeable future because good offensive defenders like Landon Kosior don't leave pro hockey that often.

How do you gameplan for a potential all-star defender? Eight teams are going to have to solve that problem as Saskatchewan gets deeper and better with the addition of Landon Kosior!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!