From nearly undrafted to Raiders MVP: The Max Hildebrand Story
On Sunday night, Max Hildebrand was named the Most Valuable Player of the Prince Albert Raiders for the 2023-24 season. If you were to tell that to someone five years ago, they might have laughed in your face.
In 2019, Hildebrand was the second last pick in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, selected by the Raiders in the 13th round, 286th overall. Fast forward to this season, and Hildebrand is only one of two players selected by the Raiders in that draft class who are currently on the team. The other is Niall Crocker, who was Prince Albert’s first round pick.
“Getting picked there, I just came into camp wanting to give it my best effort and seeing what happened,” Hildebrand explained. “I had a good midget year that year. I went home and played a few good midget games, and then Curtis (Hunt) gave me the offer to sign with the team. I was obviously super excited about that, but I just wanted to take it one step at a time. I’ve come a long way since then, and I’m proud of myself for that.”
Hildebrand’s first taste of the WHL was an unconventional one, going back to the 2020-21 season. The Martensville, SK product was called up by the Raiders, but he had to join the club in Regina during the bubble season, where teams were living in the University of Regina dorms during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first few days, he couldn’t even interact with the team, as he was forced to quarantine by himself. From getting food delivered to his door to having to find ways to kill the time, Hildebrand reflected on that unique experience.
“Yeah I got there and didn’t really get to meet anyone,” he said. “I saw Curtis (Hunt) and Truey (Jeff Truitt) and Marc Habscheid. I had to quarantine in my own little dorm for I think it was 10 days. My test took forever to come back. I pretty much just played video games and did homework and slept the days away until I was let out. I think a couple of other guys had to do the same thing, and it wasn’t very nice.”
Fast forward to this season, and it’s been one to remember for Hildebrand. From being the backup for his first two seasons in the league to becoming the bonified starter between the pipes in 2023-24, the 19-year-old shared how being in the number one role has been.
“I knew that I had to be more consistent in my game and be ready to go every night to give us a chance to win. Off ice just keeping my body in good shape, staying healthy and being ready to go.”
Hildebrand had the support of now-former Raider netminders throughout his progression in the league. From the bubble where he learned the ropes from Max Paddock, to the last two seasons watching Tikhon Chaika, there has been no shortage of advice and learning which has helped improve his game.
“Paddy (Max Paddock) was a really good goalie in this league, and he taught me a lot. Just watching him in practice, his practice habits were really good, and obviously he was really good in game and very fun to watch. Chaiks (Tikhon Chaika) taught me a lot about the on-ice prep as well. He’s a really good skater. He played a lot of games, I think he has the record for most games played in a row, so he took great care of his body, and I was able to learn a lot from that.”
What is most impressive about Hildebrand is his stat line from one season to the next. In 2022-23, he played in 32 games, posting a 3.71 GAA and a .871 SV%, while finishing the season with an 11-14-3-0 record.
The turnaround to the 2023-24 season is remarkable. Hildebrand improved his numbers in every department, posting a 2.88 GAA and a .907 SV%, while having a 25-20-2-2 record. His GAA at the end of the season ranked 10th among all WHL goaltenders, while his SV% was tied for seventh. His 25 wins were tied for eighth most, and his 3,003 minutes played were the fifth most in the league. He made 1,407 saves this season, the sixth most, and also faced the sixth most shots at 1,551. All that while playing 51 games, the sixth most in the league, and the second most in the East Division.
With those numbers this season, it was almost a no brainer to give Hildebrand Most Valuable Player honours. With the way he was able to keep the team in the lead late in games, or his incredible performances in shootouts, (helping the team with five shootout wins in seven games), you could say he has been the biggest reason the Raiders punched their ticket to the postseason. However, with the award in his pocket, he was quick to say he couldn’t have done it without the help of his teammates.
“Obviously it’s a good accomplishment for me, and it’s definitely something that I can give some credit to my teammates for,” he said. “I don’t get 25 wins if Stan (Sloan Stanick) doesn’t have 30 goals and 84 points. I don’t have a good GAA if I don’t have Juice (Justice Christensen) and Goldy (Terrell Goldsmith) and Johnny (Eric Johnston) blocking all these shots. I’m proud of myself for that, and it’s a good accomplishment, but credit goes to my teammates as well.”
With the regular season in the books, Hildebrand and the Raiders are shifting their focus to the playoffs, where they will be faced with the task of taking down the best team in the Western Hockey League, the Saskatoon Blades. Hildebrand has some family ties attached to the Blades, as his father, Steve, is the Associate General Manager. Heading into game one on Thursday at SaskTel Centre, Max described the emotions heading into the postseason.
“I’m just trying to worry about what’s on the ice. I’ll have family and friends watching which is awesome. It’s just more games for me, that’s all I can think about. I just need to have confidence in myself and the team. It’s going to be a battle.”
Round one of the WHL Playoffs Presented by Nutrien begins on Thursday night for game one between the Raiders and Blades. Puck drop from SaskTel Centre is at 7pm. Game two goes on Friday night, same time and place. Prince Albert hosts their first postseason game on Tuesday, April 2nd for game three at the Art Hauser Centre at 7pm, and Wednesday, April 3rd for game four at 7pm. Game three will feature a pregame BBQ with game sponsor Lake Country Co-op.
Single game playoff tickets go on sale on Thursday at 9am.