Meet the 2026-27 Cranbrook Bucks
A new season is here, and so is a new-look Cranbrook Bucks roster.
Head Coach and Assistant General Manager Roshen Jaswal takes over a group built around a core of returning players from last year’s historic playoff run, mixed with a large class of new forwards, defencemen, and a new tandem in net. The group opens the year this weekend at Western Financial Place against Okotoks on Friday and Trail on Saturday.
The Returners
The most important piece of continuity is up front.
Matthew Gilmore is back for a third season and is the top returning scorer from last year. The Marcellus, N.Y., forward put up 9 goals and 24 points in 52 games in 2025-26 and now has 55 points in 104 games as a Buck. He is the type of player who should be counted on to drive the offence early.
Mitch Patrick is another forward expected to make a bigger impact. After arriving from Nanaimo last season, Patrick produced 11 goals and 22 points in 39 games and added 11 more points in the playoffs. With a full training camp and a full year in the system, he is one of the players most likely to take a step.
Nathan Simm returns for his third season in Cranbrook. The Rossland product has 103 games in a Bucks sweater and gives the group a local presence, experience, and a reliable two-way game. Shane Tronoski, Konnor Bissell, and Teo Pisani are also back and give the forward group familiarity after playing meaningful minutes last season.
On the back end, Jeremy Poirier and Cadel Gourlay are the key returning defencemen. Poirier played 50 games last year and led returning blueliners with 14 assists. Gourlay appeared in 49 games and added 7 points in the playoffs. That pair gives Jaswal a foundation to build around as a mostly new defence group takes shape.
Who Can Make an Impact
Beyond the returners, this roster has several players who can push their way into bigger roles quickly.
Up front, new additions like Gryphon Watson-Bucci, Luc Trevors, Lucas Husted-Edwards, Chris Wright, Teghan Mullin, Brayden Gourley, James Larson, and Ty Ross will be competing for ice time right away. With last year’s top scorers moving on, opportunity is there for someone in that group to become a regular contributor.
On defence, Matthew Tarlton, Devin Smith, Liam Magnuson, Cole Willard, and Mykola Kosarev join Poirier and Gourlay. It is a bigger, younger group, and the players who adapt fastest to Jaswal’s structure will earn the minutes.
In net, both goalies are new. Jakub Hajek and Keegan Carswell will battle for the net as the season opens.
Early Injury Bug
The Bucks are starting off short some key returners as Bucks captain and top 10 BCHL scoring defensemen Jack McMinn, playoff standout goaltender Jason Tremblay, and shutdown veteran defensemen Matty MacDonald all will miss time to start the season.
A New Voice Behind the Bench
Jaswal takes over after last year’s run to the conference final, with Jeff Krichew as General Manager and Brock Sawyer as Assistant Coach. The message heading into opening weekend is straightforward: returning players set the standard, new players earn their place, and the group starts building immediately.
Hockey is back in Cranbrook. The first look at this team comes Friday night.
