But when he was asked on Friday whether if he was happy with the decision to give up the game of hockey, there was no hesitation.

“Yeah, 100 per cent,” said Pilon. “I don’t want to look back at it all and regret anything. I’m happy with where I am today and my life, how it is.”

Pilon is taking Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan, while also pursuing a career with the Saskatoon Police Service—something Pilon has always been “passionate” about.

But he hasn’t given up on hockey fully.

This weekend, Pilon is in Prince Albert for the 2nd Annual Senator’s Cup All First Nations and Metis Community Tournament at the Art Hauser Centre. His Sandy Lake Chiefs lost their opening game 7-5 to the Buffalo Jets in the double elimination tournament.

The decision to leave the Western Hockey League and possibly a professional career was not one he made lightly.

“I’m not going to go too in depth in it. It’s a decision that I made for my life and what I wanted for my career—I enrolled in school,” said Pilon. “It was a tough decision, it’s a sport I’ve been playing all my life.

“I’ve come with some great accomplishments that I’m proud of, but it was a decision I made for my life and I’m just moving on with it.”

Pilon has still kept busy with the game of hockey. Throughout the season, Pilon played senior men’s hockey with the Warman Wildcats this season, scoring 26 points in 13 games and a scoreless playoff game.

During his WHL career, Pilon had 116 points in 193 games as a defenceman. He started his career with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who drafted him third overall in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft. After demanding a trade midway through the 2013-2014 season, Pilon ended up on the Wheat Kings for the final 111 games of his WHL career.

In 2012, Pilon received a bronze medal in Youth Olympic Games in Austria, along with Prince Albert Raiders forward Reid Gardiner and now-Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt., who was a co-coach of the team.

jdandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea