A historic rivalry takes an unusual turn following the PFC final
Winning a championship is one of the biggest moments in an athlete’s life! The feeling of hoisting a trophy can be difficult to describe to someone who has never played sports. Now, imagine that moment without a trophy.
That was the reality for the Regina Thunder football club on Oct. 18 following their Prairie Football Conference (PFC) final against the Saskatoon Hilltops in the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL).
The rivalry between Saskatoon and Regina is well-known, whether at the university, junior, or minor sports levels. The Hilltops and Thunder have met in this particular matchup for six consecutive years.
The championship has alternated between the two teams every year since 2021, demonstrating both clubs’ dominance in the province; however, this year was different.
The championship was once again held in Regina, approximately a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Saskatoon. As the previous season’s champions, the Hilltops were responsible for bringing the PFC trophy to Regina. However, they failed to do so.
Following the game, the Hilltops issued a public apology on social media, acknowledging their responsibility as defending champions to bring the trophy to Regina. The organization expressed regret that the Thunder could not celebrate their victory with the championship trophy.
The statement concluded: “You deserved your moment, and we are sorry we fell short in helping make it everything it should have been.”
The Thunder received the trophy the Tuesday following the final. By that point, the athletes and coaches were already focused on travelling east to compete for the Canada Bowl, the national championship of Canadian junior football.
Avery LeBlanc, one of the Thunder’s broadcasters and the brother of Thunder player Lorin LeBlanc, shared what he described as the board’s message:
“Members of the board have told families to completely stop talking about it because they want the national trophy anyways.”
He continued, “Every player and coach on the team was already focused on Sault after the [Oct. 18] win.”
However, questions remain about how the incident happened in the first place. LeBlanc questioned why the defending champions were responsible for bringing the trophy to the final.
“In my opinion, this is more on the PFC and the CJFL. Every league at that level in hockey takes all trophies back after the regular season. To even give Saskatoon the option to pull something like this is on the league rep,” commented LeBlanc.
The incident sparked debate on social media, with some fans questioning whether the trophy was deliberately left behind.
The Carillon reached out to CJFL commissioner Jim Pankovich, who declined to comment.
Although the Thunder celebrated their 2026 PFC championship without the trophy, they now have their sights set on an even bigger prize — the Canada Bowl.
The Thunder will face the Westshore Rebels in the Canada Bowl on Nov. 8 at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C.
