The lone 3rd-year defenceman graduating to the junior level from the Innovex Estevan Bears has announced his plans for the upcoming season.
Simon Preston (Regina, SK) has signed a Letter of Intent to play for the Neepawa Titans of the Maintoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) in the 2026-27 season on Thursday, April 23rd. The announcement was made on the team’s Instagram account.
Preston became the defensive rock on the blue line for the Bears during his two seasons with the team. Preston only registered four assists in his first season, but developed into a key shutdown defenceman by the end of the year and his ability to lay bone-crushing hits despite his 5’10 frame kept opposing forwards on their toes whenever Preston was on the ice. This past season, Preston showed more offensive flashes by jumping up in the rush regularly and contributed with 19 points (4G/15A) in 42 games.
Preston’s toughness shone through in the playoffs, particularly in the Bears’ quarterfinal series against Swift Current. In a very physical series, Preston was clearly playing Game 4 with a significant lower-body injury. He didn’t take a regular shift, but was engaged on the bench and remained ready to play if needed. After the Bears forced Game 5 the next night, Preston found a way to play his usual heavy minutes and helped shut down Swift Current’s offence in a 6-2 series victory.
Preston was named the Bears ‘Hardest Working Player’ for his efforts during the 2025-26 season, he also played in two games with the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs during the regular season.
Simon Preston is the 7th Bears’ player to commit from the 2025-26 Bears’ roster, following the recent decision by goaltender Evan Hutcheon to play with the SJHL’s Warman Wolverines.
