The 2023-24 season may be over on the ice, but there was lots of off-ice activity around the Saskatoon Blades’ offices Wednesday at SaskTel Centre.

The Bridge City Bunch conducted exit interviews with the players before they scatter for the summer while Blue and Gold hockey operations personnel made two selections in Wednesday’s W-H-L U-S Priority Draft and completed their strategy for Thursday’s Prospects Draft. Several veteran players spoke with the media about being eliminated Tuesday night by Moose Jaw in Game 7 of their epic Eastern Conference final series with Moose Jaw while Blades’ President and General Manager Colin Priestner also chimed in with his heart-felt thoughts about the season just-completed. Those media scrums can be found at the end of this story.

Otherwise, Saskatoon had the last pick in each of the two rounds of Wednesday’s W-H-L U-S Priority Draft and took California forward Mason Moreland in the first round and Texas defenceman Noah Morrison with the 44th and last pick of Wednesday’s proceedings. The first choice Wednesday was Braden Hordichuk, son of former Blades’ tough guy Darcy Hordichuk. The younger Hordichuk played for the Phoenix Junior Coyotes. The W-H-L Prospects Draft goes Thursday with Everett holding the first overall pick and the Prince Albert Raiders with the second and ninth selections. Saskatoon isn’t schedule to make a pick until the sixth round Thursday, but are working to try and move up in the Draft.