General Manager Curtis Hunt speaks on Import Draft and roster

Category: ArticleJuly 3, 2025

Nick Nielsen- With the conclusion of the CHL Import Draft, the roster for the Prince Albert Raiders is nearly set for training camp coming up in September. With some trades over the last few months, the roster is going to look a little bit different from what it did last year, but a lot of that core that was tempered through last year’s playoff run is still present.Starting with what the Raiders are losing from 2024-25, the biggest hole is the one in goal as Max Hildebrand graduates from the team, along with his fellow overagers Niall Crocker and Rilen Kovacevic. Up front, the Raiders are also losing Tomas Mrsic to the NCAA Div. I so he can play with his brother Mateo at Colorado College, and on the back end the Raiders have traded Matteo Fabrizi to Lethbridge while Vojtech Vochvest signed with his hometown team in Czechia.

The Goaltending Situation

That leads us to what the Raiders already have and what they’re bringing in. In goal, last year’s backup goaltender Dimirti Fortin is entering his 19-year-old season, and the young Steele Bass will be looking to crack the roster at 17-years-old. Now with the addition 18-year-old 6’4 Czech goaltender Michal Oršulák from the CHL Import Draft, Raiders General Manager Curtis Hunt is expecting to see a battle for the starting job this season.

“I think with Fortin returning as a 19-year-old and I think ready to grab the ball, I told him it wasn’t just going to be given to him, and then to make this pick, an 18-year-old goaltender who has had some international experience, he’s played on the small ice before and we look forward to getting him into camp and having a real good competition there. And let’s not overlook Steele Bass. Steele’s a good young goaltender, I know he only got in the one game but I think right now we put ourselves in a real good spot as an organization and I think for the players to come in and compete for that one or two spot is exciting for us and the fans.”

The Raiders also have the rights for goaltender Cooper Anderson, but he is no longer in that mix as he’s signed a deal to play college lacrosse after winning a major lacrosse tournament with his high school last month.In regards to Oršulák, Hunt explained that the Raiders scouting staff saw a lot of potential in his game. With experience in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, Hunt believes Oršulák not only wants to be here, but also has an upside in experience many of the other available goaltenders didn’t have.“Coming across to these tournaments is good experience for him as well. I think the club team he played on, I was told, wasn’t a great team. So a lot of shots there. Then the last part is, he maybe fell off a little bit at the World Championships in Houston, and I think he’s a player with something to prove, and I’m looking for that fire when he gets here for training camp.”

Matyas Man

Now looking at defence, the Raiders added another big man from Czechia in the form of 19-year-old Matyas Man. Standing at 6’5, just like Fabrizi last year, Hunt said that fans could see Man play a similar role.

“Great competitor, he’s a player that probably had an opportunity to play some pro in Europe, but he wanted to come across and have an opportunity to play in the little rinks, give the NHL guys a good chance to look at him. I think you’re probably not far off with that [Fabrizi] comparison. I think he probably moves better, skates very, very well and I think when you look at our defence in composition, I think he’s going to help push that group a little further.”

Man will join a Raiders defence already including 20-year-olds Lukas Dragicevic and Justice Christensen, 19-year-olds Linden Burrett and Tyrone Sobry, and 17-year-old Daxon Rudolph. The team will also see the likes of 2024 2nd overall pick Brock Cripps make his full time WHL debut, along with young guns like Bennett Kelly and Liam Myhre trying to crack the lineup.

History from Kazakhstan

Finally on to forwards, and the Raiders may have found an answer for the loss of Rilen Kovacevic’s hardnosed offense in the CHL Import Draft as well. In the second round, the Raiders selected their first ever Kazakhstan born player, 18-year-old forward Alisher Sarkenov. At 6’0, 172 pounds, Sarkenov has a physical style of play and a confidence to his game that will serve the Raiders well.

“Big, strong winger, moves extremely well, got a great release, left shot, and that’s maybe an area that we lost a little this year moving into the season and we’re thinking he’s the guy that can come and step in. Late birthday, so it becomes his draft year, so big motivation there. He has a brother in the league with some real good success in the postseason, I think there’s motivation there, and we’re real excited.”

Hunt added that he can already see Sarkenov slotting on to a line with the newly acquired 19-year-old Max Heise, who the Raiders signed originally drafted in 2021 55th overall. Standing at 6’3 but also with some scoring touch, Heise along with Sarkenov holds the potential for a great checking line that can still threaten offensively while shutting down another team’s top forwards.

Looking ahead

Sarkenov and Heise both join a roster that includes 20-year-olds Aiden Oiring, Brayden Dube, and Harrison Lodewyk, 19-year-olds Evan Smith and Jackson Kostiuk, 18-year-olds Ethan Bibeau, Oli Chenier, Dayce Derkatch, and 17-year-olds Riley Boychuk and Ty Meunier. With the likes of Ben Harvey, Kyle Obobaifo, Jonah Sivertson, and Connor Howe all looking to crack the roster, the forward unit may be the most competitive at camp this coming season.

There will no doubt still be changes ahead of the season. Even without Fabrizi and Vochvest, the Raiders still have five 20-year-olds on the roster for next season with Justice Christensen, Lukas Dragicevic, Brayden Dube, Harrison Lodewyk, and Aiden Oiring, and the team can only keep three. While some moves will have to be made, Hunt expects the biggest change on this year’s opening night roster to come from the growth and development some of the younger players coming into the season.

“I probably make a ghost roster every week, and the biggest challenge is you just don’t know how much growth you get in the summer. It’s incredible how these kids grow and mature. They get another year under their belt, players come into camp knowing there’s new opportunity as we graduate players and players move on through natural attrition. It’s a little early for me to speculate, but in the end I just look forward to seeing the guys when they get back.”

Overagers

While Christensen, Dube, and Oiring all have announced college commitments, they are not following those commitments until after their WHL eligibity is over. Dragicevic also has his entry level deal in the NHL already signed with the Seattle Kraken, and he may be missing at the start of the season with NHL camp.