Building Blue: Leaning on his Experience, Sawyer Mynio Embraces Third Run at WHL Playoffs

There is nothing like playoff hockey, and Vancouver Canucks’ prospect Sawyer Mynio knows that more than most players his age.

During Mynio’s draft season in 2023, his Seattle Thunderbirds won the WHL playoffs and earned a spot in the Memorial Cup. At the time, Mynio was 17 years old and already had 40 WHL playoff games under his belt.

He was primarily used as a depth defenceman who specialized in the penalty kill for the Thunderbirds. Still, those two years of playoff experience helped him feel confident about what he could accomplish this year as his new team, the Calgary Hitmen, looks to run the table in the WHL and punch their ticket into the Memorial Cup.

Mynio was dealt to the Hitmen following the World Junior Championships, where he worked his way into the lineup and looked steady on Canada’s backend.

“It’s awesome going to a team that wants you that bad. Obviously, they gave up a lot for me: a couple of players and quite a few picks. For them to believe in me like that, it’s pretty cool. And just being on a contender again, like I was a couple of years ago, is a good feeling. It’s a good group here,” said Mynio.

“I knew a few of the guys from growing up playing against them in the summer and doing things like that, and I played with Tanner Howe on the world junior team. I clicked with him right away, and we live together. It’s nice having some relationships like that,” said Mynio.

Mynio’s role with the Hitmen in his 19-year-old season is on another level than what it was a few years ago with the powerhouse Thunderbirds team that had 17 NHL draft picks.

“It is super exciting. I’m logging a lot more minutes than I was two and three years ago,” said Mynio. “I’m super excited for the challenge of playing more in big playoff games. Playoffs are an exciting time, and it doesn’t get any better than that. I’m super excited for it to get going.”

The 6’1”, 181-pound defenceman is playing heavy minutes on the Hitmen and the duo of Mynio and 2024 7th overall pick Carter Yakemchuk give the Hitmen plenty of strength on defence.

Mynio aims to be a calming presence on the back end of the ice and in the locker room. He will use his playoff experience to help the group stay focused on the goal of winning the WHL playoffs with the Hitmen. He feels confident going into the postseason and knows he learned a lot from his first two runs at the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

“Just knowing how to handle it all,” said Mynio, feeling that the past playoff experience will help him this time around. “Not every game is going to go your way. Some nights, you might lose, you might win every game, but it’s about how you handle it. You’re not going to sweep every series, and the adversity in the playoffs is big. Having that experience is nice for me.”

With the World Juniors, getting traded, and soon, the WHL playoffs, Mynio has had a busy year, to say the least. He was able to take a week off after the World Junior Championships but joked that it feels like he is playing every second day with the ramp of the second half of the WHL season.

The minutes and continuous play keep Mynio focused; he sees this as a stepping stone toward becoming a professional player. He wants to be a reliable player in the playoffs who drives play while also showing that he is ready for the next step in his young hockey career.

“I just want to play a real solid game every night,” said Mynio, describing his expectations for his game in the playoffs. “Obviously, my next step here is playing in the AHL or even NHL next year. My plan is to play pro hockey next year. These playoffs are an opportunity for me to prove that I can play pro. I’m just being an efficient puck-mover on the back end, joining the rush when I can, and killing penalties.”

In terms of what Mynio is feeling best about in his game, he believes it is his speed and how he can move with the pace of the game. When Mynio is on his game, he can speed up the pace or slow it down when need be.

His two-way game has come a long way since the Canucks drafted Mynio in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and in what he hopes is his final season in the WHL, Mynio wants to leave it all on the line and be a leader for a Hitmen team that is full of talent and primed to make a strong push for the WHL championship.

The WHL playoffs begin on March 29th, and we will be sure to keep you covered on how his Hitmen team does through their postseason run.