2026 started on the right foot for the Humboldt Broncos as they defeated the Warman Wolverines 3-1 on Sunday afternoon in their first game back following the Christmas break.
It was a comeback victory for the Broncos, who scored all three of their goals in the final period.
Warman jumped ahead early in the first, capitalizing on a turnover in their own end. The Wolverines advanced into the Broncos zone with an odd-man opportunity, where Benett Leibel finished off the rush, netting his fifth goal of the season to open the scoring.
The momentum began to swing in Humboldt’s favour in the second period, as the Broncos outshot the Wolverines 8-4. However, despite two power play opportunities, the Broncos were unable to convert and remained down by one heading into the final frame.
With a strong sense of urgency to start the third period, the Broncos earned an extended 5-on-3 power play after the Wolverines were assessed a pair of penalties for shooting the puck in their own zone.
Humboldt capitalized on the advantage as former Warman Wildcat Jeter Korte scored his ninth goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Despite reshuffled forward lines, Korte’s former linemates Connor Miller and Jacob Strizzi picked up the assists on the power play marker.
Korte’s new line then delivered the game-winning goal. Zach Bansley found Korte in the slot from behind the net, and after his initial attempt was denied, Logan Flint followed up on the rebound to score his fifth goal of the year, putting the Broncos ahead.
Rylan Hue sealed the victory with an empty-net goal to finish off the scoring.
Charlie Tritt made his first start for the Broncos since December 7 and was especially sharp in the final minutes, preserving the lead for the green and gold. The 20-year-old netminder finished with 24 saves in the win.
Humboldt’s power play went 1-for-7, while Warman was held scoreless on two opportunities.
Following the game, Associate Coach Carter Hansen said the Broncos were able to rebound from a slow start, improving as the game went on before taking control in the third period. He added that special teams played a key role in the win.
“I know special teams is a big, big issue for us going into the break. So it was nice to see that we won the special teams battle tonight, didn’t give up a power play (goal), but we had one ourselves.”
With the parity in the SJHL this season, the Broncos now find themselves in a tight four-point race on a nightly basis, beginning Friday night when they host the Nipawin Hawks. Hansen says a few days of practice ahead of their next matchup should be beneficial.
“I think that’s really going to set us up nicely to get back into having our usual schedule, hopefully have our conditioning back then, and then we can just keep stacking up wins as we go.”
Friday’s game against the Hawks will mark the Broncos’ first home game of 2026 at the Elgar Petersen Arena. Coverage on 107.5 Bolt FM and Discoverhumboldt.com begins at 7:15, with the opening faceoff set for 7:30.
Blaine Weyland, Discover Humboldt
