Crocker one of the longest serving Raiders of all time
Nick Nielsen-For the last five years, seeing Niall Crocker’s #24 jersey posted up in front of the net waiting for a tip or a rebound has been a constant for fans at the Art Hauser Centre. 288 regular season games and 21 games in the playoffs later, and Crocker’s time as a Prince Albert Raider has officially come to an end.
Originally Crocker joined the team after the 2019 draft where he was selected 22nd overall. He joined the team during the 2020-21 season where he played 23 of the 24 games that year, and by his 19-year-old year Crocker would get one of the ‘A’s on his sweater as an assistant captain.
“It’s been a crazy five years. I’ve loved every second of it. Being with the guys every day, playing for a great organization here, it’s been a lot of fun and I can’t thank my teammates and coaches enough for everything they’ve done for me and my billets and everything. So yeah, I loved my time here and I’m going to miss it.”
Even though the pandemic shortened bubble season robbed Crocker of a potential 40 games during his first year, Crocker finished sixth all time in regular season games played for the Raiders with 288. If we include playoff games, Crocker’s total reaches 309, tied with Jeff Nelson for eighth all time in games played including playoffs and regular season.
In his five years as a Raider, Crocker only missed eight games in total during the regular season, and a one game suspension near the end of this season stopped Crocker from playing two full seasons without missing a game. For any hockey player, getting a full five-year career in the WHL is something special, but doing it all with the same team made each game more special every time Crocker set foot on the ice.
“It’s pretty special. I got to play my whole career here. I can’t speak enough good words about the city, the fans, the people. It’s been crazy, when I came here, when I was 16, all the 20-year-olds and older guys say that five years goes by quick, but now that I’m here, it really does. So I’m just so grateful for all the opportunities and time I’ve had here and yeah, I’m going to miss it a lot.”
When it comes to the memories from his career, Crocker has a lot of moments to look back on fondly. The most stereotypical Crocker moment may have been his hat trick in Edmonton on January 19, 2024 with all three goals coming from his office, about two feet in front of the net battling for tips and rebounds.
That said, Crocker’s last year will be the one that’s most special to him. Finishing the season with the Raiders, not only did Crocker get to help his team raise a banner, but he also helped his team do something he had never done before.
“That last weekend we had against Saskatoon, the back-to-back home-and-home games, that was a crazy weekend just with the how much was on the line. To win the division and coming here for that game with the fans, it was crazy. So that obviously stands out, and then this playoff run was special for me. I mean, I’ve never won a series before, so that was awesome and I’m just so thankful to be here for all that.”
Crocker was great for the Raiders in this year’s playoff run, particularly in the series against the Oil Kings where he posted five goals in seven games.
Next season, Crocker will trade in the Raiders green, black and gold for the red and silver of the Ohio State Buckeyes in NCAA Div. I where he’ll join the likes of American NHL prospects Damien Carfagna, Brent Johnson, and Chris Romaine, as well as Swedish prospect Theo Wallberg who Crocker would’ve crossed paths with during the Senators camp at the start of the 2024-25 season. It’s going to be different starting a new chapter for college hockey, but it’s one that Crocker is excited about.
“I am excited. I can’t wait to get going. So I have to go in June I think for a bit there to see the campus and pick the courses and stuff, so that’ll be new. Yeah, I’m excited to get going.”
After wearing an ‘A’ on his sweater for the past two seasons, Crocker has been a leader and mentor to many during his time as a Raider. In one of the final moments together with this year’s team before everyone goes their separate ways, Crocker’s biggest piece of advice was to simply enjoy it while you can.
“We talked about it a little bit last night, just have fun. You’re with your friends every day, at the rink, just enjoy every moment, have a great time. All these guys now have experience in the playoffs, and I know they’ll be back next year and the year after that so they got to great young core here. I’m definitely going to stay in touch, I know they’ll stay in touch with me. So yeah, I’m excited for them and I’ll be watching.”
