Wednesday Night in the Dub: Raiders, Hitmen put hot streaks to the test in final WHL match ahead of holiday break
‘Tis the season for free hockey.
Two of the hottest teams in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference go head to head in the final edition of Wednesday Night in the Dub before the holiday break.
The Prince Albert Raiders are fresh off a victory in Edmonton and have gone on a 7-2-1-0 run in their last 10 games, while the host Calgary Hitmen are on an 8-2-0-0 streak.
Prince Albert slipped by Calgary in a scrappy 4-3 affair back on December 6 in the Raiders’ Teddy Bear Toss game.
The tilt saw 11 powerplays handed out and a combined 73 shots on net as Niall Crocker potted the game-winning tally with less than five minutes to play.
Both teams have staked their claim for a postseason run by bolstering their roster with major trades for NHL prospects.
Prince Albert has seen St. Louis Blues pick Tomas Mrsic pop off for his most productive season in the WHL, tallying a team-leading 17 goals- 10 of which have come on the powerplay.
The Hitmen added Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Tanner Howe in a blockbuster move, though the gritty forward will miss tonight’s game as he prepares to represent Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Speaking of World Juniors…
Ottawa Senators prospect Carter Yakemchuk has gone on an absolute tear since being snubbed from Hockey Canada’s selection camp in early December.
The 2024 seventh-overall pick has three goals and three assists in his last three games, setting a new franchise record for points by a defenceman with 160 (65G, 95A).
His 1.21 points-per-game rank fourth among all WHL blueliners since joining the Hitmen late as one of the last cuts from Senators camp.
At the opposite end of the ice, 2023 Seattle Kraken second-rounder Lukas Dragicevic has been a force in Hockeytown North.
The 19-year-old ranks second among all WHL blueliners in points with 35 and is closing in on his 200th career point.
Prince Albert also features promising young talent in defenceman Daxon Rudolph and forward Riley Boychuk, who were selected first and second overall, respectively, in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
The pair have combined for 14 points in their rookie campaigns and won gold with Canada White at the 2024 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
Calgary forward Ben Kindel’s playmaking has taken center stage with the shifty centreman averaging 1.55 points per game- netting him a ‘B’ rating from NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Kindel is currently rolling on the second-longest active point streak in the WHL with 10 goals and 15 assists in his last 13 outings.
Between the pipes, Calgary’s Eric Tu is pacing all starting rookie goaltenders with an admirable introduction to the league- which includes his first shutout against the Prince George Cougars.
Veteran Max Hildebrand has continued to put up solid numbers for Prince Albert- and he’s sitting at 49 careers with a chance to hit the 50-victory milestone when the puck drops at 7:00 p.m. MST.
All Wednesday Night in the Dub featured games will be free to stream on WHL Live and the WHL’s YouTube Channel.
STAT PACK
Prince Albert Raiders | Calgary Hitmen | |
Record | 15-10-3-0 (4th East) | 16-9-3-1 (3rd Central) |
Leading Scorers |
Aiden Oiring (12G, 28A, 40PTS) Tomas Mrsic (17G, 20A, 37PTS) Lukas Dragicevic (5G, 30A, 35PTS)
|
Oliver Tulk (14G, 31A, 45PTS)
Ben Kindel (19G, 25A, 44PTS) Carter Yakemchuk (12G, 17A, 29TS) |
Leading Goaltender | Max Hildebrand (12-6-3-0, 3.31GAA, .908 save percentage, one shutout) | Eric Tu (6-4-2-1, 3.34GAA, .887 save percentage, one shutout) |
Powerplay | 30.2% (1st) | 20.8% (14th) |
Penalty Kill | 72.6% (18th) | 73.6% (16th) |
NHL PROSPECTS
Prince Albert Raiders
D- Lukas Dragicevic (Seattle Kraken)
F- Tomas Mrsic (St. Louis Blues)
Calgary Hitmen
F- Carson Wetsch (San Jose Sharks)
F- Tanner Howe (Pittsburgh Penguins)
D- Axel Hurtig (Calgary Flames)
D- Kalem Parker (Minnesota Wild)
D- Carter Yakemchuk (Ottawa Senators)
Top 2025 NHL Draft Eligibles (per NHL Central Scouting)
Prince Albert Raiders
F- Ethan Bibeau (W)
Calgary Hitmen
F- Ben Kindel (B)
F- Brandon Gorzynski (C)
F- Sawyer Mayes (W)
SOUND OFF
Tomas Mrsic
On Prince Albert’s hot streak:
It was a slow start for sure, new bodies coming in, teammates getting to know each other on the ice and off the ice. Ever since that losing streak, we’ve shifted a bit. I think we’ve just been working a lot harder in practice. A lot of things have been clicking for us, which has been good and leading to success.
On leading Prince Albert’s league-best powerplay:
I think we’re just a simple power play. We like to put pucks on the net. (We) can also do creative things as well, which makes us a pretty dangerous power play. We’ve got a lot of tools on that power play that make it good. So it’s been great so far.
On what makes Calgary a difficult opponent:
They’ve definitely added a bunch of good players, so they’re a really good team. I think we’ve got to come into the game on Wednesday just knowing it’s going to be a tough game, a hard-fought game- as it was last game. I think it got pretty chippy there, so we’ve got to be ready for that as well.
On former minor hockey teammate and WHL opponent Carson Wetsch:
He’s a tough guy to play against. He likes to get you off your game. He’s also a really good power forward, drives the net, likes to stay at the net and get greasy at the net… Off the ice, he’s a really good guy.
Carson Wetsch
On Calgary’s recent success:
I think we’re all just buying into the systems at this point. Everyone’s playing their part. Everyone has a different role in this team, and when those roles connect you can see what we can do, and we’re winning the games.
On rising to the occasion in big moments:
My game’s a hard working game, throwing hits and getting inside the ice, like in the inside areas. I think that was just the biggest thing for me. Even on the Teddy Bear Toss goal, I was just getting inside the ice, and I was meant to get a nice pass and feed it in.
On Calgary’s last outing against Prince Albert:
They’re a difficult team, but their barn’s pretty hard to play in. That PA rink is a hard place to play… They’re a super hard-working team and a chippy team, so I think we’re just going have to match that tonight, and I think we’ll be all right.
On former minor hockey teammate and longtime WHL opponent Carson Wetsch:
He’s a super skilled guy. He always seems to find the open ice around there, and he’s got a lethal shot, so I think we’re just going to have to limit him as best as we can.