https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/author/bsmith/ Unapologetically P.A. Sun, 03 May 2026 15:00:10 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://media.chl.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2026/03/13222146/512-150x150.png https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/author/bsmith/ 32 32 https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/68133-2 Sun, 03 May 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/68133-2 SETTING IT UP: The Prince Albert Raiders are one win away from reaching the WHL Final. They picked up a 6-3 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers in game five on Friday night to take a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference Championship. 2025-26 HEAD TO HEAD (REGULAR SEASON): January 24, 2026 @ PA: Raiders 5, Tigers 1 January 17, 2026 @ MH: Raiders 8, Tigers 5 December 3, 2025 @ MH: Tigers 7, Raiders 1 November 29, 2025 @ PA: Tigers 3, Raiders 2 SEASON SERIES TIED AT 2-2-0-0 TALE OF THE TAPE: Raiders:                                               Tigers: Goals For: 39, Goals Against: 14         Goals For: 42, Goals Against: 23 PP: 25%, PK: 77.8%                             PP: 24.1%, PK: 87.9% CORKISH POTS HAT TRICK IN GAME FIVE: Owen Corkish struck twice in the second period, and scored an empty netter with 2:31 left in regulation, which put the Raiders up 5-3 at the time. His empty netter was the insurance goal in the contest, as the 18-year old recorded his first WHL hat trick. RUDOLPH NAMED WHL PLAYER OF THE MONTH: A strong playoff showing so far from Daxon Rudolph has been recognized by the WHL. On Thursday morning, the 17-year-old defenceman was named WHL Player of the Month of April. Rudolph has 19 points in 13 playoff games in 2026, which includes a four point performance in game four’s win over the Tigers on Wednesday. The blueliner leads the Raiders in scoring, and is tied for first in the WHL playoff scoring race with Matias Vanhanen of the Everett Silvertips. CRIPPS NAMED WHL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Raiders defenceman Brock Cripps was named Sandman WHL Rookie of the Week for his efforts over the weekend. In two games against the Tigers, the 16-year-old recorded three assists in game one. In 11 playoff games, Cripps has three goals and 10 assists, as well as a +8 rating. WINNER HEADS TO EVERETT: If the Raiders win tonight, they will head to Everett to take on the Silvertips in the WHL Final. If the Tigers win tonight, game seven will be on Tuesday night at the Art Hauser Centre.]]> https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-move-one-win-away-from-whl-final-with-6-3-game-five-win-over-tigers Sat, 02 May 2026 03:52:25 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-move-one-win-away-from-whl-final-with-6-3-game-five-win-over-tigers https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/game-notes-round-three-game-five-vs-medicine-hat Fri, 01 May 2026 16:32:30 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/game-notes-round-three-game-five-vs-medicine-hat GAME NOTES]]> https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/game-preview-round-three-game-five-vs-medicine-hat Fri, 01 May 2026 15:00:48 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/game-preview-round-three-game-five-vs-medicine-hat SETTING IT UP: The Prince Albert Raiders picked up a much deserved win in game four on Wednesday night, 6-3 over the Medicine Hat Tigers. The win tied the Eastern Conference Championship series at 2-2, as the scene shifts back to the Art Hauser Centre for game five tonight. The Raiders recovered nicely after a heartbreaking overtime loss in game three, in a contest they did everything in but come away with the win. It’s now a best of three series, and importantly, game four’s win gave the Raiders home ice advantage back. 2025-26 HEAD TO HEAD (REGULAR SEASON): January 24, 2026 @ PA: Raiders 5, Tigers 1 January 17, 2026 @ MH: Raiders 8, Tigers 5 December 3, 2025 @ MH: Tigers 7, Raiders 1 November 29, 2025 @ PA: Tigers 3, Raiders 2 SEASON SERIES TIED AT 2-2-0-0 TALE OF THE TAPE: Raiders:                                               Tigers: Goals For: 39, Goals Against: 14         Goals For: 42, Goals Against: 23 PP: 25%, PK: 77.8%                             PP: 24.1%, PK: 87.9% RUDOLPH NAMED WHL PLAYER OF THE MONTH: A strong playoff showing so far from Daxon Rudolph has been recognized by the WHL. On Thursday morning, the 17-year-old defenceman was named WHL Player of the Month of April. Rudolph has 19 points in 13 playoff games in 2026, which includes a four point performance in game four’s win over the Tigers on Wednesday. The blueliner leads the Raiders in scoring, and is tied for first in the WHL playoff scoring race with Matias Vanhanen of the Everett Silvertips. CRIPPS NAMED WHL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Raiders defenceman Brock Cripps was named Sandman WHL Rookie of the Week for his efforts over the weekend. In two games against the Tigers, the 16-year-old recorded three assists in game one. In 11 playoff games, Cripps has three goals and 10 assists, as well as a +8 rating. WINNER HEADS TO EVERETT: The Everett Silvertips swept the Western Conference Championship series, meaning the Scotty Munro Trophy winners will play at home against the winner of the Raiders and Tigers in the WHL Final. Game six of this series is on Sunday night in Medicine Hat, where one team will be a win away from reaching the final.]]> https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/daxon-rudolph-named-tempo-whl-player-of-the-month-for-april Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:38:47 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/daxon-rudolph-named-tempo-whl-player-of-the-month-for-april Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today 2026 NHL Draft-eligible prospect Daxon Rudolph of the Prince Albert Raiders has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Month for April, Fuelled by Co-op.   Rudolph, an 18-year-old product of Lacombe, Alta., recorded 13 points (6G-7A) and a plus-2 rating in 10 games, as the Raiders find themselves tied 2-2 with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series presented by Nutrien.   Ranked fifth among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft, Rudolph has been a two-way force on the blueline for the Raiders.   The 6-foot-2, 202-pound right-shot rearguard logged three multipoint performances during the month of April, including a four-point (2G-2A) outburst Wednesday, April 29, to help the Raiders claim a 6-3 victory, tying the WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series at 2-2.   Rudolph started Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Championship Series with a power-play goal to open the scoring 10:16 into the first period. He added another power-play tally 25 seconds into the second period, giving Prince Albert a 3-1 lead. From there, the second-year defenceman added assists on second period goals by veterans Aiden Oiring and Maddix McCagherty as the Raiders padded their advantage. At the end of the night, Rudolph was named first star of the game for his four-point effort.   With 19 points (8G-11A) in 13 post-season contests, Rudolph is tied for the lead in WHL Playoff scoring with Matias Vanhanen of the Everett Silvertips. The highly-touted blueliner has secured three game-winning goals to this point in the playoffs, tied for second among all WHL skaters.   Registering 78 points (28G-50A) in 68 regular season games, Rudolph finished third among all WHL defencemen in scoring during the 2025-26 campaign. He was named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team for his performance, and is also a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL Defenceman of the Year.   Originally selected by the Raiders with the first overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Rudolph has notched 119 points (35G-84A) in 132 career WHL regular season games. During the 2025-26 season, he represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge and also captained Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass.   Rudolph and the Raiders return to the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Championship on Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m. MT. Stream all the action FREE on Victory+.   Tempo WHL Player of the Month September / October: JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers November: Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets December: Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers January: Jacob Kvasnicka, Penticton Vees February: Carter Bear, Everett Silvertips March: Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets]]> https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-tie-eastern-conference-championship-series-with-6-3-win-over-tigers Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:31:51 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-tie-eastern-conference-championship-series-with-6-3-win-over-tigers https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/game-preview-round-three-game-four-medicine-hat Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:00:58 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/game-preview-round-three-game-four-medicine-hat SETTING IT UP: The Prince Albert Raiders will look to even the Eastern Conference Championship series tonight in Medicine Hat as they take on the Tigers in game four. The Tigers won 2-1 in overtime in game three last night to take a 2-1 series lead, in a game that the Raiders deserved to win. Daxon Rudolph scored the lone goal in the loss for the Raiders. Prince Albert will have to shake it off and head into tonight with a short memory, as they look to take home ice advantage back in this series. 2025-26 HEAD TO HEAD (REGULAR SEASON): January 24, 2026 @ PA: Raiders 5, Tigers 1 January 17, 2026 @ MH: Raiders 8, Tigers 5 December 3, 2025 @ MH: Tigers 7, Raiders 1 November 29, 2025 @ PA: Tigers 3, Raiders 2 SEASON SERIES TIED AT 2-2-0-0 TALE OF THE TAPE: Raiders:                                               Tigers: Goals For: 39, Goals Against: 14         Goals For: 42, Goals Against: 23 PP: 25%, PK: 77.8%                             PP: 24.1%, PK: 87.9% CRIPPS NAMED WHL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Raiders defenceman Brock Cripps was named Sandman WHL Rookie of the Week for his efforts over the weekend. In two games against the Tigers, the 16-year-old recorded three assists in game one. In 11 playoff games, Cripps has three goals and 10 assists, as well as a +8 rating. THE DIFFERENCE: The Tigers switching from Carter Casey to Jordan Switzer in goal has served well for them. Switzer has allowed just one goal in his two starts this series. COOTES NAMED WHL MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER: For the first time in franchise history, the Raiders have a WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player award winner. Braeden Cootes was named the recipient of the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy last Wednesday. In 45 regular season games split between the Raiders and Seattle Thunderbirds, Cootes scored 24 goals and totaled 63 points, while recording just eight penalty minutes. UP NEXT: Game five is on Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre.]]> https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-outplay-tigers-but-fall-2-1-in-overtime-in-game-three Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:13:40 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-outplay-tigers-but-fall-2-1-in-overtime-in-game-three https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/game-preview-round-3-game-three-medicine-hat Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:00:26 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/game-preview-round-3-game-three-medicine-hat SETTING IT UP: The Eastern Conference Championship series shifts to Medicine Hat for game three tonight, where the Prince Albert Raiders will look to take a 2-1 series lead over the Tigers. After winning game one by an 8-3 final, the Raiders fell 5-0 in game two, and 1-1 is where the series stands heading into tonight’s action. 2025-26 HEAD TO HEAD (REGULAR SEASON): January 24, 2026 @ PA: Raiders 5, Tigers 1 January 17, 2026 @ MH: Raiders 8, Tigers 5 December 3, 2025 @ MH: Tigers 7, Raiders 1 November 29, 2025 @ PA: Tigers 3, Raiders 2 SEASON SERIES TIED AT 2-2-0-0 TALE OF THE TAPE: Raiders:                                               Tigers: Goals For: 39, Goals Against: 14         Goals For: 42, Goals Against: 23 PP: 25%, PK: 77.8%                             PP: 24.1%, PK: 87.9% CRIPPS NAMED WHL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Raiders defenceman Brock Cripps was named Sandman WHL Rookie of the Week for his efforts over the weekend. In two games against the Tigers, the 16-year-old recorded three assists in game one. In 11 playoff games, Cripps has three goals and 10 assists, as well as a  +8 rating. EIGHT MULTI POINT NIGHTS: Eight different Raiders had at least two points in game one. Daxon Rudolph, Max Heise, Brayden Dube, Evan Smith, Alisher Sarkeov, and Braeden Cootes all had two points, while Brock Cripps and Aiden Oiring notched three. COOTES NAMED WHL MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER: For the first time in franchise history, the Raiders have a WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player award winner. Braeden Cootes was named the recipient of the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy on Wednesday. In 45 regular season games split between the Raiders and Seattle Thunderbirds, Cootes scored 24 goals and totaled 63 points, while recording just eight penalty minutes. UP NEXT: The Raiders and Tigers will battle again on Wednesday night in game four. Game five is Friday night in Prince Albert.]]> https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/cripps-named-sandman-whl-rookie-of-the-week Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:00:03 +0000 Brad Smith https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/cripps-named-sandman-whl-rookie-of-the-week