Interim tag removed as Ryan McDonald named Prince Albert Raiders’ head coach

The Prince Albert Raiders are happy to announce that Ryan McDonald has been named the 16th head coach in franchise history, lifting the interim tag from the 2024-25 season.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to coach my hometown team,” McDonald said. “It feels like I’ve come full circle, being a five-year-old kid sitting in the stands watching the Raiders, then having the opportunity to play for the team, and now standing on the bench as head coach. It’s something truly special, and I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”

After Jeff Truitt’s dismissal on March 10, 2024, McDonald was named interim head coach, where he guided the Raiders to a 5-1-0-0 record to end the season, clinching the East Division title in the process. After the Christmas break, McDonald also took over for Truitt, who left the team due to medical reasons. McDonald went 10-4-0-1 in that stretch for a total record of 15-5-0-1 in 21 games as bench boss.

In the postseason, McDonald’s success continued in the first round, as Prince Albert erased a 3-1 series deficit to knock out the Edmonton Oil Kings in seven games before falling to the eventual WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers in round two.

“When Ryan came here as a guest coach, he was keen, wanted to learn, and asked good questions,” said Curtis Hunt, General Manager of the Raiders. “His track record since then showed his potential, including Sask Hockey, the Canada Winter Games, and the Canada U17 Team gold medal winning team he was a part of last year. I always believed he would be a head coach in our league. We’re excited about where we are today, excited about the group that’s coming back, and excited with the young man at the helm.”

The connection between McDonald and Hunt is more than just business. The two once wore Raider jerseys in their junior hockey careers, and Hunt even coached McDonald in Regina from 2004-06. With both of them now veterans among the hockey operations staff in Prince Albert, the sense of pride and culture from their playing days has certainly translated to their roles off the ice.

“The club is more than just a job,” Hunt said. “It’s unique in the fact that there’s another level for us. We’ve both put blood sweat and tears into this jersey, and it’s hard to find that level of passion elsewhere. It’s good for the club, and we’re excited to build on the culture that was here before us, during us, and certainly beyond.”