The Blackfalds Bulldogs have added at least three new players to their lineup for the 2026-2027 BCHL season, bringing fresh talent from Minnesota and Montreal to central Alberta.
The new signings include 18-year-old defenceman Colton Whiterabbit from Mahtomedi, Minnesota. Whiterabbit stands six-foot-four and weighs 195 pounds, and played 28 games last season for Chisago Lakes High School. The Bulldogs also added forward John Kartsonakis, a 19-year-old from Montreal, Quebec, who played U18 AAA Prep Hockey for Culver Military Academy in Indiana. Kartsonakis is six feet tall and 178 pounds. Rounding out the recent additions is defenceman Gavin Karl, 18, from Excelsior, Minnesota, who played high school hockey for Minnetonka High School.
The Bulldogs are reloading after a strong 2025-26 season where they finished 37-15-2, good for second in the Interior East Division and fourth overall in the league. That record marked the biggest year-over-year improvement in the BCHL. The team’s playoff run ended in the first round against the Sherwood Park Crusaders on April 13, 2026. Several key players have since graduated, including captain Joey Melo, all-stars Nikita Ivashchenko and Noah Mertz, and others.
Ryan Tobler, who was a BCHL Coach of the Year finalist last season, oversaw the turnaround after taking over as head coach in December 2024. His status for the 2026-2027 season has not been officially confirmed by the team. The Bulldogs have now signed at least nine players for the upcoming season from across North America, including Minnesota, Montreal, Arizona, and other regions.
The Bulldogs play at the Eagle Builders Centre in Blackfalds and joined the BCHL for the 2024-2025 season after previously competing in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
