Meadow Lake’s Roddy Ross has left his mark on university sports. The University of Saskatchewan (USask) Huskies recently celebrated a season of remarkable achievements, both on and off the field of play, at its 2025 edition of Huskies Salute. Ross, a member of Canoe Lake Cree Nation, was chief among those recognized when he was presented with the E. Kent Phillips Trophy for being the school’s most outstanding male athlete. The awards ceremony took place April 2.
“Well, my years at the University of Saskatchewan have come to an end,” Ross posted via social media just days later. “It’s been the best four years of my life, and I’ve learned so much both on and off the ice.” The E. Kent Phillips Trophy marks the culmination of an exceptional year between the pipes for Ross. Leading his team to the 12th conference championship in program history, Ross was previously named the Canada West Goaltender of the Year, a First Team All-Star, and Second Team All-Canadian after leading the conference with a 1.99 goals against average and .928 save percentage. “His remarkable consistency was on full display in the postseason, highlighted by a 30-save shutout in Game 3 of the Canada West Final which propelled the Dogs to claim the conference banner,” reads a story posted to the USask website. Ross also dazzled on the national stage, posting a 1.00 GAA and .932 save percentage in three University Cup starts and helping the Huskies to USports bronze with his efforts.
“His stellar play throughout the season and in crucial moments has etched his name into Huskies history, becoming the latest name in a long line of Huskies men’s hockey excellence,” the website continues. Meanwhile, Ross described the last couple of months as a “whirlwind.” “We ended up winning our league, which was a huge accomplishment,” he noted.
“We placed third at nationals, not the result we were hoping for, but I’m grateful to walk away with a medal. I was lucky enough to be named Goaltender of the Year for CanWest, USports Second Team All-Star, and the University of Saskatchewan’s Male Athlete of the Year in my final season. I’m incredibly proud of the recognition I received, it means a lot.” Ross, who studied arts and science at USask, also made it clear he couldn’t have achieved so much success on his own. “None of this would have been possible without the love and support from my amazing fiancée, Cass Derocher, as well as my family and friends,” he added. “A special thank you to my reserve, Canoe Lake Cree Nation, and to our chief and council for their continued support. I will always be proud to represent Canoe Lake.” More recently, Ross made the move to the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL to finish the season strong and help push for a playoff run.
Meanwhile, other USask Huskies Salute event saw eight individuals (including Ross) honoured with major awards, with countless more recognized for their athletic and academic achievements as well as the impact they made in the community.
The other top award winners included: Gabrielle Flaman (volleyball), the Pat Lawson Trophy for female rookie of the year; Trevor Wong (hockey), the Howard Nixon Trophy for male rookie of the year; Kaitlyn Harrison (cross-country/track and field), the Valerie Girsberger Trophy for allaround female athlete; Jake Neufeld (track and field), the Rusty MacDonald Cup for all-around male athlete; Gage Grassick (basketball), the Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy for most outstanding female athlete; Lisa Thomaidis (basketball), the Colb McEown Trophy for coach of the year; and Taevan Athmer (men’s volleyball), the Dr. Walter Hader Trophy for student trainer of the year. Meadow Lake’s Avery Pearson, a highly decorated track and field athlete at USask, was nominated for the Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy for most outstanding female athlete, the prize that ultimately went to basketball athlete Gage Grassick.