Former Huskies celebrate Canadian collegiate hockey supremacy

NANAIMO, B.C. — A Vancouver Island post-secondary institution’s recent hockey victory was elevated by the performances of some former Fort St. John Huskies.

Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners captured the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) title on Friday, March 6th with a 3-2 victory over the University of Victoria Vikes.

The BCIHL operates as an independent intercollegiate league, not affiliated with the top university sports association in Canada, U Sports. It consists of six schools throughout the province.

Former Huskies captain Kurtis Lee and former defenceman of the year, Brandon Modde, now currently suit up for the Mariners, who finished the regular season with a record of 17 victories to just two defeats and an overtime loss.

A native of Whitehorse, Lee played parts of four seasons for the Huskies, with a personal-best of 33 goals and 48 assists for 81 points in the 2022-23 Strike Group North West Junior Hockey League (NWJHL) season.

He had a goal and seven assists for the Mariners in the 2025-26 BCIHL season.

Meanwhile, Modde, a defenceman, last played for the Huskies in the 2023-24 season after a career which saw him win defenceman of the year in consecutive seasons.

After a season at Marian University in Wisconsin, Modde joined the Mariners for the 2025-26 season. He had five goals and 17 assists for 22 points in 14 games for VIU.

A post from their former club says they are “proud to see two Huskies alumni continuing to succeed at the next level and bringing home another title.”

Lee and Modde’s former club, the Fort St. John Huskies, are currently in the NWJHL finals against the La Crete Lumber Barons.