2026 Huskie Men’s Hockey ‘Off The Leash Luncheon’ Award of Recognition Winner Kerry Preete

by Michael P.J. Kennedy, Ph.D.

Beginning in 2009, the Huskie men’s hockey “Off the Leash Luncheon” has recognized an individual or group which has made “contributions over a period of years to the betterment of Huskie men’s hockey or its alumni.”

The 2026 winner of this award, Kerry Preete, has certainly made such contributions to both the current team and the alumni. As a player, he suited up with the Green and White for four seasons; 1980-81 to 1983-84 including being an integral part of the Dogs’ national championship group in 1983. Lifetime he tallied 41 points in 78 regular season contests, but his primary role was that of a defensive stalwart on whom his teammates could  consistently rely.

Born to Jim and Marion Preete in Melfort, Kerry and siblings Judy and Marlene grew up on the family farm. Farm responsibilities were taken on by the entire family and  his mother was also an elementary school teacher. For Kerry, it was early exposure to agriculture and then playing  hockey which shaped his future.

After primary school in Melfort, he attended high school in Melfort and then in Prince Albert where he played junior hockey for the Prince Albert Raiders, then in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). He continued his hockey career with the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos and upon graduation in 1979, attended Camrose College  in Alberta where he had a successful season for the college hockey team. He decided that he would get a university degree and made the choice to enrol at University of Saskatchewan: “I met Dave King (Dave had known me from my attending the Billings Bighorn’s camp when he was their head coach) that summer [1980]  in Waskesiu. He convinced me to come to camp and tryout. It was an easy decision to come back to Saskatchewan and the U. of S. I knew the education at the U. of S. was world class and appreciated a chance to play for Dave King if I could make the team.”

His years as a part of the leadership group among the Huskies combined with his academic course work helped Kerry Preete shape a very successful career. In addition to the demands of school and playing interuniversity hockey, he noted: “I did enjoy the opportunity to teach at the Huskie Hockey Schools that Dave [King] had us do across the province during the summer and breaks we had in our schedule. This is where I became interested in coaching and teaching younger players.”

Since 2021 he has been co-owner, managing partner, and governor  of the Portland Winter Hawks in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He also coached and volunteered with minor hockey in St. Louis where he attended Washington University and received an MBA in 1999. His University of Saskatchewan Bachelor’s degree in Commerce was awarded in 1985.

After graduation from U. of S., he worked in marketing and distribution at Monsanto in Canada and then in the United States where he rose through the ranks in a thirty-three year career that included serving as director of global product management, vice president of U. S. markets, president  of global crop protection and chemicals, and ultimately as executive vice president and chief strategy officer. The former Huskie forward has also served on the Board of Directors for Univar Solutions Inc., and continues to be a Board Member for Corteva Agriscience and Avient Corporation.

With so much success in his career, he has continually given back, whether in the establishment with wife Bonnie of the Bonnie and Kerry Preete Research Fund at Washington University Medical Centre,  his involvement with minor hockey in the States, or his major contributions to Huskie Hockey.

The father of three boys, Ryan, Brendan, and Jared, Kerry has indeed given back in numerous ways to the programme that helped him reach personal and professional success. He is a founding member of, generous donor to, and ongoing active solicitor for the Huskie Men’s Hockey Excellence Fund which provides support (tutoring, experiencing European competition, video production, etc.) for the current players. Among his many contributions, the Melfort native has been a leading hand in the Huskie Mentorship Programme, providing today’s players with opportunities to connect with alumni to discuss and explore career paths and take part in  internships and prepare for their careers after university and hockey. He also has been a key to the establishment of the Alumni Executive Committee, bringing together former Huskies to connect with each other and with today’s coaches and team members.

For his many efforts on behalf of the Green and White, this very active alumnus  has been described by one of his nominators for this Award as “…always looking for ways to keep the program strong and remain a top program in the country… and keeping consistent communication with alumni and Huskie staff and coach.”  

When asked what has influenced him in giving back so much to Huskie Hockey, the  current Arizona resident is quick to credit the influence his years with the Dogs have had: “The impact was very significant….The career doors it opened, people I have met, and life lessons learned that influenced my career and personal life all relate back to those four years playing with the Huskies.” “It is just good to give a little back to a program that has given me so much. As I have said many times, so much of what has happened in my life and career wouldn’t have been if it weren’t for the Huskies. Things I learned from Dave King and the guys I played with such as leadership, how to deal with adversity, what it means to be a good teammate, importance of teamwork….were factors that influenced my career.”

Giving back to the Huskies has included being a leader among many of his contemporaries; his fellow alumni who have become lifelong friends and fellow contributors: “My best friends today include many of the guys I played with…. When we get together as a group, it is a very special time. I think the bonds we formed as a group having a lot of team success, but also going through some significant disappointments as a group strengthened that bond.  We all shared many of the same important values that kept the group close.”

Today it is Kerry Preete and his fellow Huskie alumni who demonstrate continually those values developed as student-athletes. As a leader among his peers, he has shown the way in numerous initiatives for the benefit of the current team including  the Alumni Executive Committee, the Huskie Men’s Hockey Excellence Fund, and the Mentorship Programme. He is gratified to see  in addition to assistance for on-ice performance “…the things [he and fellow} alumni are doing to support the players to prepare for a career after hockey” as well. “ The other very gratifying aspect is to see how the Huskie Hockey program and what we are doing as alumni is being supported by Huskie Athletics (Shannon Chinn) and the University administration.

In addition to Chief Athletics Officer Chinn and her staff, he makes note of the support from head coach Brandin Cote and how former coach Mike Babcock “… reached out when he was coaching and suggested I could help out the programme. He provided me the prodding to get more engaged.”

When asked what it means to receive the Award of Recognition, Preete said: “It is an absolute honour to be acknowledged by fellow alumni as well as others who are associated with the Huskie programs. …I am humbled to be put with a group of people who have been recognized in the past and it is incredible to be part of that group.”

Thank You and Congratulations Kerry Preete!

SOURCES CONSULTED

Grainger, John. “Fund to Cement Hockey Team’s Legacy.” Green and White Alumni News. Alumni.usask.ca/give/impact/ (2 March 2023). N.p. Accessed 21 May 2026.

Kennedy, Michael P. J. Dogs on Ice: A History of Hockey at University of Saskatchewan.  (2^nd edition) Regina: Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, 2015.

“Kerry J. Preete.” Investors.contra.com/board-member/kerry-j-preete. (21 May 2026) N.p.

Preete, Kerry. Personal Correspondence with Michael P. J. Kennedy (13 July 2026): N.p.

Zary, Darren. “Huskies Alumnus Kerry Preete Gives Back to U. of S. Hockey Program.”       Saskatoon Star Phoenix (26 January 2023). N.p.  Accessed 21 May 2016.