Prince Albert Raiders looking to take leap from playoff team to division contender

With a caller skipper successful tow, the Prince Albert Raiders accidental they’re acceptable to go a menace nighttime successful and nighttime retired connected the crystal this 2024-25 WHL season.

The Raiders named 19-year-old defender Justice Christensen arsenic the 49th skipper successful franchise past this week arsenic the squad prepares for their archetypal crippled of the play connected Friday nighttime hosting the Regina Pats.

“I deliberation we’re close there,” said Christensen. “The past mates of years that I’ve been here, we’ve done the close things and we’ve strived to beryllium the champion that we can. I deliberation this twelvemonth we person the radical that tin bash it.”

After missing the WHL post-season successful 2022-23, the Raiders were capable to marque a resurgence this past outpouring qualifying for playoffs arsenic the eighth effect earlier falling successful 5 games to the Saskatoon Blades.

What followed was a engaged off-season for wide manager Curtis Hunt, swinging a brace of blockbuster trades which saw sniper Ryder Ritchie and antiaircraft stalwart Terrell Goldsmith moved to the Medicine Hat Tigers and Tri-City Americans, respectively.

In their place, the Raiders volition relying connected WHL veterans Tomas Mrsic and Lukas Dragicevic who volition soon beryllium returning from NHL grooming camps with the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Kraken.

“They cognize the league,” said Raiders caput manager Jeff Truitt. “They cognize what it takes, they’re drafted for a reason. Two interaction guys who similar the puck, velocity and we privation them to proceed their development.”

One changeless successful Prince Albert volition beryllium Max Hildebrand, acceptable to instrumentality for a 4th and last WHL play aft emerging arsenic a existent fig 1 goaltender past year.

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The Martensville merchandise finished the 2023-24 regular play with a 2.88 goals against mean and a .907 prevention percentage, some bully capable to decorativeness top-10 successful the league.

“I deliberation it was conscionable my mindset knowing that I was going to beryllium the feline successful the nett each azygous crippled beauteous much,” said Hildebrand. “Just having that comfortableness and assurance successful myself to assistance my squad and springiness them a accidental each night.”

The Raiders volition beryllium looking to instrumentality that adjacent measurement into competing for an East Division title, buoyed by a trio of elite prospects from the 2023 WHL Draft successful Daxon Rudolph, Riley Boychuk and Ty Meunier acceptable to marque their debuts arsenic full-time rookies.

They bring a operation of skilled younker and seasoned leadership, which Truitt is wanting to effect successful greater consistency.

“The biggest happening for maine is we get amended each period oregon abbreviated increments here,” said Truitt. “Hopefully towards the extremity we’re peaking and we’ll fto the chips autumn wherever they may.”

Prince Albert volition unfastened the 2024-25 play astatine 7:00 p.m. astatine the Art Hauser Centre against Regina, earlier hitting the roadworthy Saturday to instrumentality connected the reigning champion Moose Jaw Warriors.