A letter from the Christensen Family

Following the end of his WHL Career, Justice Christensen’s mother Vanessa sat down and penned this letter to the fans of the Raiders and the City of Prince Albert: 

As Justice’s time in Prince Albert comes to an end, I’ve been trying to find the right words—and honestly, I’m not sure there are enough to truly explain what this place has meant to our family over the last four years.
Prince Albert welcomed Justice with open arms and somehow embraced Todd and I right along with him. Over time, this city stopped feeling like a place we travelled to… and started feeling like home.
Through every season, every high and low, every long bus ride, every packed arena, every send off and welcome home, every heartbreak and celebration, this community wrapped around our family with kindness, support, and love in ways we will never be able to properly thank you for.

Curtis—thank you for giving Justice a chance. We always believed he could prove every team that passed on him wrong… he just needed someone willing to open the door. You did that. You believed in him when others didn’t, and that changed the course of his life—and ours. As parents, there is nothing more emotional than watching someone else see the potential in your child and give them the opportunity to become who they were meant to be. I may not have made him tall, but I sure tried to make him tough 🤣. We will forever be grateful to you and the entire Raiders organization for believing in him and giving him a place to grow, succeed, and become the young man he is today.

To all the coaches thank you for all the time, patience, support, and encouragement you gave Justice throughout these past four years. You taught so much more than just hockey — you taught confidence, teamwork, discipline, and how to keep pushing himself to improve every day.
Your guidance and dedication made such a huge impact, and will always be remembered. Thank you for making this such a special experience and for being such great role models.

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To Justice’s billet family, the Beres—Chris and Chelsey there truly are not enough words. Thank you for loving him like your own, for opening your home and your hearts to him, and for taking care of him through some of the most important years of his life. You celebrated him on the good days, lifted him up on the hard ones, and gave him stability when we couldn’t physically be there. As a mom, handing your child over to another family is one of the hardest things imaginable—but you made it easier every single day. Knowing he was safe, cared for, and loved gave us a peace I can never fully explain.
Sawyer, Beckett, and Boston — watching the three of you grow over these years has been such a special part of this journey. We loved celebrating your accomplishments, the big moments and the little ones, and Justice even attended his very first dance recital. 🥰
You made him laugh, gave him a sense of purpose, and yes… sometimes drove him a little crazy too. But more than anything, you gave him something truly special — a sister and two brothers.
You all became family to us, and that is something we will carry in our hearts forever. 💚

To the fans—hockey can be such an emotional roller-coaster, and somehow this community always found a way to make us feel seen, supported, and cared for. I can’t name you all, but the support you show these boys—and us as parents—is something truly rare. The hugs at the rink, the high fives, the cheers from the stands, the bracelets, the baking, the conversations in passing, the kind messages after games, the encouragement during hard stretches, even the offers of a place to stay… those moments mattered more than you probably realize. Thank you for making every trip to PA feel special.
A few special shout outs: Jordan for the pre-game hugs, Gloria for all the special treats and texts, Roger, Ann, and Darcy for the cabbage rolls and supper invites, Lynn and Cole for the hugs, smiles, and kindness 😍
And to Mitch and Ashley, Kim, Roger, Brooklyn, and Caitlin — thank you for the friendship, the memories, the laughs, the drinks, the moonshine peaches, and the marathon karaoke night that we’ll never forget. We truly hope this is not goodbye, but just the beginning of many more laughs, fun, and unforgettable memories together for years to come. 💚

To the team staff—especially those we’re lucky enough now to call friends—Kim, Mike, Cliff, Odette, Nick, Kyle, Gritty, Puff, Benny, Nikki (Todd’s private bartender 😉) and so many others behind the scenes… thank you. Thank you for the things nobody sees. For the long hours at the rink, the care you give these boys, the laughs during stressful moments, the shoulders to lean on, fun community events, and the friendships that grew from all of it. Some of my favourite memories from these four years have nothing to do with hockey itself, and everything to do with the people who make the Raiders the special team they are. 💚
I know I haven’t named everyone—otherwise this post would never end—but please know how much every single one of you has meant to us over these past four years.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge bus driver Al you travelled many miles sometimes in adverse weather conditions with precious cargo and every single time you got our boys there and home safely.  You became part of the team family, and we appreciate you more than words can express. ❤️

To the other player parents—what a special bond this crazy hockey life creates. The endless texts, the shared nerves, pacing the rink together, the superstitions, the laughs until we cried, the actual tears we cried, the meals, the drinks, the road trips, and all the moments in between… there is something so comforting about being surrounded by people who just get it. Thank you for becoming part of our lives and for making these years so much more meaningful.

Leaving Prince Albert doesn’t just feel like leaving a hockey team. It feels like leaving family. It feels like leaving home.
And if I’m being honest, a part of all three of our hearts will probably always stay here.
Thank you, Prince Albert, for giving our family so much more than hockey. You gave us friendships, memories, love, and a place that will forever feel like home.
No matter where life takes Justice, a piece of him will always belong here. And a piece of Prince Albert will always belong to us. 💚

🫶- Love Vanessa, Todd, and Justice