Prince Albert Raiders - Feed https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/ Unapologetically P.A. Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:47:00 +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 Prince Albert Raiders https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/ 32 32 Raiders gearing up for potentially best NHL draft in 22 years https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-gearing-up-for-potentially-best-nhl-draft-in-22-years Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:47:00 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-gearing-up-for-potentially-best-nhl-draft-in-22-years Nick Nielsen - The 2026 NHL Draft is set for this weekend with Round 1 taking place on Friday, and the rest of the draft taking place on Saturday. With seven players on the last NHL Central Scouting list, the Prince Albert Raiders are set up to potentially have one of their best draft years of all time. It’s an exciting time for Raiders General Manager Curtis Hunt who plans to attend the draft this coming weekend in Buffalo. After talking with the players that went to the combine, he said the players have a lot excitement going in as well. “We do follow up with the guys. This year is an anomaly and because of the numbers, Bruno [Zarillo] and I will go to Buffalo and watch it live, looking forward to seeing the players and their families that do make the trip and certainly looking forward to hear that name followed by from the Prince Albert Raiders in the Western Hockey League. I think there’s a lot of pride involved for not just our scouters, but for teammates and of course our fans as well.” This year’s potential draft class from the Raiders is led by Daxon Rudolph, who is expected to be one of the top 10 picks in the upcoming draft. Also named in the latest NHL Central Scouting list are defencemen Benett Kelly and Matyas Man, forwards Alisher Sarkenov, Jonah Sivertson, and Riley Boychuk, and goaltender Michal Orsulak. With so many players potentially hearing their name called on the draft floor, Hunt said he himself is excited for what could possibly be one of the biggest draft classes the Raiders have ever produced. “I think the potential is there and certainly we believe in our kids. Nothing makes us happier than to see them realize that next step to be drafted by an NHL team and then, really give them a focus, and probably more important is that opportunity to go to a camp in the fall with the veteran players and just get a taste for how hard they work, how big, how strong, how fast, and the attention to detail because you just don’t know what you don’t know until you actually get there to see it.” The 2004 NHL draft was the last time the Raiders had three or more players selected in the same year. There, Kyle Chipchurra was drafted 18th overall to Montreal followed by the likes of his Raider teammates Dane Byers (48th overall, New York Rangers), Evan Schafer (105th overall, Florida), and Aki Seitsonen (118th overall, Calgary). The most Raiders drafted in a single NHL draft was back in 1986 when seven different Raiders were drafted that year. That year was highlighted by two first round picks: Pat Elyunik to the original version of the Winnipeg Jets at eighth overall, and Kim Issel at 21st overall to the Edmonton Oilers. Five other Raiders followed including:
  • Dean Kolstad (33rd overall, Minnesota North Stars)
  • Kevin Todd (129th overall, New Jersey)
  • Doug Hobson (130th overall, Pittsburgh)
  • Rich Pilon (143rd overall, New York Islanders)
  • Kenton Reid (194th overall, Buffalo)
With Rudolph expected to go somewhere in the top 10 of the draft, he’s poised to be one of the highest draft picks in Raiders history. Two Raiders have been drafted first overall in the team’s history, with Mike Modano to the Minnesota North Stars in 1988 and Chris Phillips to the Ottawa Senators in 1996. Leon Draisaitl is next on that list when he was drafted 3rd overall by Edmonton in 2014, and it’s after that where Rudolph is likely to find his spot amongst those Raider greats. Both Scott Harntell (Nashville; 2000) and Steve Kelly (Edmonton; 1995) were drafted 6th overall, the earlier mentioned Pat Elynuik 8th overall to Winnipeg in 1986, Dave Manson was taken 11th overall in 1985 to Chicago, and finally both Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg) and Denis Pederson (New Jersey) were both selected 13th overall Winnipeg in 2013 and 1993 respectively. While there are lots of players potentially being drafted this year, there are players that could watch the draft go by as a missed opportunity. Hubert Clarke and Owen Corkish are both in their second year of draft eligibility, and backup goaltender Steele Bass is in his first year, and those three players have not appeared on any NHL Central Scouting List. To that point, Hunt used last year’s Raiders captain Justice Christensen as a prime example of how opportunities can present themselves in different ways. “It’s just a moment in time. Keep practicing, keep playing. Play, play, play, get those reps, those game reps, because that’s what guys come and watch you 68 times for. You’re always on the radar as long as you keep playing.” Round 1 of the draft is scheduled for Friday beginning at 5:00 p.m. in Saskatchewan, and rounds two through seven will take place on Saturday starting at 9:00 a.m.]]> Raiders announce 2026-27 preseason schedule https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-announce-2026-27-preseason-schedule Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:53:36 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-announce-2026-27-preseason-schedule Tuesday, September 1 @ Saskatoon, which will be at 2pm. For information about season tickets for the 2026-27 season, click HERE. Stay tuned next week for more schedule details.]]> Prince Albert Billets Share Stories of Longstanding Connections https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/billet-families-in-prince-albert Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:19:55 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/billet-families-in-prince-albert
While hockey season is still a few months away, preparations are underway for the upcoming season. That means the search for billet families is on for the likes of the Prince Albert Raiders, Mintos, and Northern Bears. Between the three teams, there were 54 players from outside of Prince Albert last year that needed homes to stay in during the 2025-26 season. But it’s about a lot more than just offering kids a place to rest their heads during the hockey season. Brooke Wozniak has been billeting with the Raiders since the 2021-22 season and has hosted players like Max Hildebrand as well as Brock Cripps last season, and she said that you extend your family by welcoming a player into your home. “Next summer we’ll probably go visit [Brock] there, and even just typical like sharing TikToks and reels and letting them know that we’re thinking of them. That kind of thing we do too. Honestly it’s the same communication as if it was my own son gone out to B.C. now, and Max, it was super easy because he was in Martensville, so we’d see him at Berry games and all summer we’d see him basically.”
Tammy Logan is the billet coordinator for the Mintos and has been billeting since 2007, and housed the now graduated Barret Berger last year. She said that her kids have grown up with billets coming in and out of the house over the years, and that has helped her kids grow up with a role model right in their own home. “When they were little, they idolized them, they wanted to hang out, they were playing mini sticks, they would go to the games. Then now as they get older, they become friends, and for a while they were going to school together. Now my sons are older, but they still touch base. The other day I ran into my billet that I had last year, and he starts chatting with me and saying, ‘oh yeah, I was talking to Waylon’, and they make those connections and those bonds as well.” Candice Dawson has been a billet for the Prince Albert Raider Northern Bears for 12 years. That time included when her daughter, Paige, played with the team and has housed players like goaltender Maggie Schell last season. She said that the connection formed with their first billet is still going to this day even as the family has grown larger. “One of our very first billets actually, we’re still in contact with her parents who we’ve been in contact with ever since. They’ve had kids. We’ve went and watched their boys play hockey. They’ve watched our kids play hockey. So that’s exciting to see them grow and develop as well into adults.” When people are asked about billeting, the biggest reason people say that they can’t do it is because of the time commitment. Wozniak thought the same when she got into billeting with a household that already had three kids running around, but she said it’s proven that they have more time than they thought. “I can tell you it’s 100% worth it. It’s an experience unlike any other, and it just makes the home even more complete. These kids are just wonderful additions to have come into our houses. So I say, yeah, everyone needs to try it.” If you’re interested in billeting for any of the three teams, you can reach out to the Raiders office here, you can reach the Mintos via email at mintosu18aaa@gmail.com, and you can reach the Bears at panorthernbears@gmail.com. — nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com PAnow.com
]]> Raiders announce 2026-27 home opener https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-announce-2026-27-home-opener Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:19:37 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-announce-2026-27-home-opener 2026 NHL Draft Profile | Daxon Rudolph https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/2026-nhl-draft-profile-daxon-rudolph Tue, 09 Jun 2026 21:35:00 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/2026-nhl-draft-profile-daxon-rudolph Daxon Rudolph is more than familiar with carrying the weight of being a top draft pick. The Lacombe, Alta. product was called first overall in the WHL Prospects Draft by the Prince Albert Raiders back in 2023, joining the ranks of players like Connor Bedard, Matthew Savoie, Dylan Guenther, and, more recently, projected top NHL Draft picks Gavin McKenna and Landon DuPont. Needless to say, expectations have been high for the young man in Hockeytown North. “Being a first overall pick, it comes with a little bit of pressure,” Rudolph admits. “But I mean, at the end of the day, hockey is fun, and we’re all playing the game we love, so you try not to think about it. Once that puck drops, you’re just playing the game you love and trying to do it to the best of your ability.” The 6-foot-2, 205-pound, right-shot defenceman hasn’t just brought his best- he’s consistently been one of the best across the WHL. Rudolph’s sophomore season saw him earn an ‘A’ before pumping out 28 goals and 78 points in 68 games to help the Raiders secure a 52-win season and a second consecutive East Division title while playing his way into the history books. He ranked third in goals and points among all WHL blueliners. In addition to being named a finalist for WHL Defenceman of the Year (he was also a finalist for Scholastic Player of the Year in 2025) and making the Eastern Conference First All-Star Team, Rudolph set a franchise record for powerplay goals by a defenceman (13) while tying Raiders legend and current Winnipeg Jets alternate captain Josh Morrissey’s record for single-season goals by a Prince Albert rearguard. “I honestly didn’t know if I was going to get there,” Rudolph added. “It was a kind of becoming news near the second half of the year when I was getting close, but just to hear a guy like that… He’s obviously had such a great NHL career and been at the Olympics, Four Nations, things like that. So it’s super special, and the stuff that he did here, it’s awesome. To be able to tie that record was definitely a cool moment, and something I’ll definitely remember forever.” And that was just the regular season. At the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, Rudolph logged two helpers before captaining Team East to a 5-4 win at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game, where he scored the overtime winner. The 18-year-old did some of his finest work in the playoffs, where he put up a whopping 27 points (9G-18A) in 19 games to reach the WHL Championship Series. Rudolph tied Seattle Kraken prospect and Everett Silvertips forward Julius Miettinen for the postseason scoring lead and tied for second in game-winning goals with three. “His offensive ability is one thing,” Raiders bench boss and 2026 WHL Coach of the Year finalist Ryan McDonald said. “The way he can make reads, the way he makes plays, the way he gets his shots through the net, the way he creates time and space offensively. Then you flip to the defensive side- how he defends his stick, how he closes, how he communicates, how he gets in front of pucks again, how he continues to get pucks going north in a real hurry in a transition situation. Very hard pressed to look at him and only think he’s 17 years old or just, you know, turning 18. He’s mature beyond his years, and his leadership skills and his qualities and his care for his teammates are something that are just truly special.” Those are the qualities that made him a first-overall pick at 15 in major junior. Now, he’s expected to go in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. Rudolph is ranked fifth among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in the agency’s final rankings and recently participated in the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine alongside 89 of the top prospects from around the world. In a draft class that has showcased a particularly talented crop of defencemen, Rudolph has done all he can to set himself apart. “He plays a unique game in this draft class,” NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr said. ” He’s got the ability to drive the offence, generate offence and finish, and he does it while making it look like it’s easy. He’s such an effortless skater. And you know, he’s thick from top to bottom. And I’m not saying in a way where he’s heavy, he’s just solid. So he’s already a good physical package, and he’s got all the offensive tools.” Now, it’s time to see which NHL team thinks Rudolph has the right tools to build a Stanley Cup contender. Round One of the 2026 NHL Draft is set for Friday, June 26, at the KeyBank Centre in Buffalo, N.Y.  ]]> Cootes named a finalist for CHL Sportsman of the Year Award https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/cootes-named-a-finalist-for-chl-sportsman-of-the-year-award Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:49:51 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/cootes-named-a-finalist-for-chl-sportsman-of-the-year-award th.]]> Rudolph, Orsulak, and Sivertson attending NHL Combine https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/rudolph-orsulak-and-sivertson-attending-nhl-combine Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:19:05 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/rudolph-orsulak-and-sivertson-attending-nhl-combine Rudolph: Ranked #5 NA Skater Rudolph set career highs in every category this season. He led the Raiders in assists (50), points (78), and was second in goal scoring (28). The blueliner also led the team with 13 powerplay goals, breaking Josh Morrissey’s record for most powerplay goals by a defenceman in franchise history. Rudolph also had 22 powerplay assists, ranking first on the team. He was tied with Alisher Sarkenov for the most game winning goals on the team (6). The 17-year-old’s regular season success translated into the playoffs, where he once again led the team in scoring. Rudolph scored a team leading nine goals, and added a team leading 18 assists for 27 points. Orsulak: Ranked #2 NA Goaltender Orsulak took on a 36 game workload in the 2025-26 regular season, representing Czechia at the 2026 World Juniors in the middle of it. The import netminder recorded a staggering 28-4-3-1 record, with a 2.22 GAA (best in WHL) and .907 SV% (5th best in WHL). Orsulak also tallied four shutouts, tied for second most in the WHL. In 20 playoff games, Orsulak finished with a 13-6-1-0 record, a 2.80 GAA, and a .895 SV%, as he backstopped the Raiders to the WHL Championship Series. He was a silver medal winner with Czechia at the aforementioned 2026 World Junior Championship. Sivertson: Ranked #53 NA Skater Sivertson led the Raiders in rookie scoring in 2025-26. His 17-year-old season was impressive, as he scored 24 goals and added 29 assists for 53 points. The Regina, SK product finished the season with a +46 rating, five powerplay goals, and a rookie leading 160 shots on goal. Last season, Sivertson played a big part in helping the Regina Pat Canadians capture the Telus Cup, the national U18AAA championship.]]> One last look at the 2025-26 Raiders season https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/one-last-look-at-the-2025-26-raiders-season Mon, 25 May 2026 17:48:21 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/one-last-look-at-the-2025-26-raiders-season Nick Nielsen- What a season. Over the course of the last week, I have had a ton of friends, family, and fellow Raider fans asking me about the year and how it went, and I keep coming back to a quote that a fellow broadcaster said to me ahead of the WHL Finals: “There’s 11 teams in either conference fighting to make the finals every year, so you’re lucky if you get to call a final in 11 years. You’re getting to do it in your second.” While there’s still a bitter taste from how the season ended, what a privilege it was to tell the story of the 2025-26 Prince Albert Raiders. What a special group of people to come together to and earn a championship opportunity. “Extremely proud of our group,” said Raiders Head Coach Ryan McDonald. “They worked extremely hard from day one, and again didn’t relent and continued to push right till that last game.” Looking back to the start of the season, expectations were high in Prince Albert, but not so much around the rest of the league. The Raiders came into this season having lost their 2025 WHL Goaltender of the Year, leading scorer, and half of their defensive core from the East Division Champion Raiders of last year. A lot of people had the Raiders fighting for the top spot in the East Division against the likes of Saskatoon and Brandon, but not dominating the East Division like they did. Here in Prince Albert though, Raider fans were excited. All summer felt like this was building up off the momentum at the end of 2025, and with some surprises in camp like invite Owen Corkish, the two Czech members of the Raiders being ready for the World Juniors, and young prospects including the likes of local boy Connor Howe coming to camp further ahead in their development than expected, the tone was set early for a great year ahead. “When I look back at camp, the presence from day one was just absolutely phenomenal. They put their work boots on, they worked every single day tirelessly throughout the year, continued to get better. As we continued to have success, they continued to fall in love with the details and habits and execute them every single day and weren’t worried about the outcome, they worried about the process.” While the last three games in the Art Hauser Centre finished with the wrong result for Raiders fans, there are still a slew of memories made on the ice from this past season. The early November U.S. road swing where the Raiders went 5-1-1. Returning the favour from last year and beating Vancouver 6-0 on home ice. The four-game stretch at the end of December that saw the Raiders average eight goals per game. The ceremony honouring Michal Orsulak, Matyas Man, and Braeden Cootes for what they did at the World Juniors. Shutting out the Blades at even strength for over 19 periods of hockey. Two more banners to add to the rafters. The fifth 50-win season in franchise history. This year was full of great memories, and despite that bitter taste from the finals still in the mouths of the players during exit interviews, McDonald said by the end of the meetings players all left talking about the great moments from 2025-26 season. “Extremely positive. Guys are heartbroken for what we weren’t able to achieve, but again, when they sat back and looked at it, just extremely proud of the accomplishments of what we were able to accomplish throughout the season.” What you don’t hear about are the stories off the ice. The post-warmups nod from Riley Boychuk on the bench before he headed back down the tunnel into the dressing room. The sprinting to the bus after a longer than expected Ferris Wheel ride in Seattle. The singing of Happy Birthday in a crowded Rosetown Dairy Queen. The way every team meal had someone sitting next to someone they hadn’t sat next to before. This team had a special way of making you feel like you’re just as important to their group as the teammates beside them, and I think it’s fair to say that fans felt that closeness as well. They say history is written by the victors, and so the Prince Albert Raiders of 2025-26 will not be the heroes of this year’s WHL story. But here in Prince Albert, this team will always be heroes. I’ll end things off with a look at next season, and where our players are set to go. All of this below is pure speculation and does not reflect any intentions from the Raiders coaching staff, the organization, or the players themselves. Everything below is either my own opinion, speculation I’ve seen online or heard from other members of the media, or fact stated by a release. 20-year-olds moving on (2005): Justice Christensen
  • Currently joining the Grand Rapids Griffins in their AHL playoff run. Christensen has signed his AHL entry level deal, and will play with the Griffins next year.
Brayden Dube
  • Committed to Bemidji State University in NCAA Div. I, where he will join former Raider Max Hildebrand.
Aiden Oiring
  • Committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha in NCAA Div. I, the same place where Christensen had committed before signing in the AHL.
Next year’s 20-year-olds (2006): Max Heise
  • Has made his commitment to play his next season at Michigan State University in NCAA Div. I, but online speculation started to surface that he could be instead returning to the WHL next year.
Maddix McCagherty
  • Has not made a commitment for next season.
Evan Smith
  • Has made a commitment to play with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in NCAA Div. I, but his commitment does not specify whether he is committed to play in the NCAA next season or after his 20-year-old season.
Matyas Man
  • Has not made a commitment for next season. Ranked 176th overall in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings list among North American skaters.
Linden Burrett
  • Just like Smith, Burrett also has a commitment to play for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in NCAA Div. I, but his commitment does not specify whether he is committed to play in the NCAA next season or after his 20-year-old season.
Next year’s 19-year-olds (2007): Alisher Sarkenov
  • Ranked 149th overall in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings list among North American skaters.
Brandon Gorzynski
  • Likely to spend preseason with the Dallas Stars, but has also made a commitment back in July of 2025 to his hometown University of Arizona in NCAA Div. I. His commitment does not specify whether or not he will play there next season, or at the end of his WHL career.
Owen Corkish
  • Has made a commitment for the 2028-29 season to the University of St. Thomas in NCAA Div. I. Expect him to return to the Raiders next season.
Braeden Cootes
  • Was the first 18-year-old to play a regular season game for the Vancouver Canucks since Petr Nedved in 1990-91, and Cootes played three games at the NHL level before being sent back down. Cootes will likely start the season with the Canucks again, and with newly adjusted rules to allow NHL teams to assign one 19-year-old player to their AHL affiliate, Cootes has possibly played his last game as a Raider.
Hubert Clarke
  • Showed in one playoff game that he’s ready to step into a full-time role with the Raiders.
Michal Orsulak
  • Ranked second overall in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings list among North American goaltenders.
Next year’s 18-year-olds (2008): Riley Boychuk
  • Ranked 162nd overall in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings list among North American skaters.
Jonah Sivertson
  • Ranked 53rd overall in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings list among North American skaters.
Benett Kelly
  • Ranked 107th overall in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings list among North American skaters.
Daxon Rudolph
  • Ranked fifth in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings list among North American skaters. Rudolph will likely start the season in the NHL this year, and depending on where he’s drafted, could even see an extended look during the regular season.
Steele Bass
  • Likely to return next season, and could be ready to split more time with Orsulak next season.
Next year’s 17-year-olds (2009): Ben Harvey
  • A bigger and stronger Ben Harvey should scare a lot of teams next year. At 16-years-old, Harvey played first line minutes at times during the year, and scored big goals during the playoffs playing lower down in the lineup.
Liam Myhre
  • Joined the Raiders as an extra defenceman during the playoffs. Played one game this year with the Raiders, and three the season prior as a 15-year-old.
Brock Cripps
  • Played some big minutes during the playoffs and showed that he will be an elite defenceman in this league.
Connor Howe
  • Often the Raiders 13th forward during the playoffs last year, but will be ready for a big step forward next year.
Kyle Obobaifo
  • Joined the Raiders as an extra forward during the playoffs after losing in the AEHL U18 semi finals, after winning the championship last year.
Next year’s 16-year-olds (2010): Athens Shingoose
  • Last year’s 16th overall pick joined the Raiders for part of the playoffs this year. In his first year of U18, Shingoose posted 15G-16A-31P in 30 games with the RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg Prep team in the CSSHL.
Walker Bergen
  • Last year’s 39th overall pick posted 5G-12A-17P in 44 games as a defenceman with the Warman Wildcats U18 AAA team.
The Raiders drafted nine other players during the 2025 prospects draft that all have a chance at earning their spot.]]> Raiders mourn the passing of Mark Odnokon https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-mourn-the-passing-of-mark-odnokon Mon, 25 May 2026 15:24:19 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/raiders-mourn-the-passing-of-mark-odnokon Heart, soul, and knuckles of the Raiders https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/heart-soul-and-knuckles-of-the-raiders Fri, 22 May 2026 15:12:15 +0000 Kyle Kosowan https://chl.ca/whl-raiders/article/heart-soul-and-knuckles-of-the-raiders