Hildebrand named WHL Goalie of the Year
After a tremendous 20-year-old season, Prince Albert Raiders netminder Max Hildebrand is the recipient of the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy as WHL Goalie of the Year.
Hildebrand led the league in games played (55), and his numbers were astonishing. His .918 save percentage ranked second in the league behind Everett’s Raiden LeGall (who played 32 less games), while his 2.87 goals against average ranked 10th. The Martensville, SK product registered three shutouts and had a 33-16-5-0 record.
On the back of his performance through the regular season, the Raiders clinched the East Division title, finishing with a 39-23-5-1 record. The Division was on the line on the final weekend of the season, where Prince Albert picked up a pair of wins over the second place Saskatoon Blades. A 3-2 overtime win in Saskatoon and a 4-3 win on the final game of the season clinched the banner for the Raiders, and guaranteed home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
In the 2025 WHL Playoffs, the Raiders came all the way back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Edmonton Oil Kings to force, and win, Game Seven at the Art Hauser Centre. Prince Albert won Game Seven by a 5-0 final, where Hildebrand stopped all 30 shots he faced to guide the Raiders into the second round.
While Prince Albert was swept in the second round by Medicine Hat, Hildebrand still put up incredible numbers in the playoffs: a .919 save percentage and a 3.05 goals against average.
Hildebrand is committed to Bemidji State in the NCAA for the 2025-26 season.
