WHL Morning Skate: April 9, 2025
NEED TO KNOW
– The Raiders won three straight games to advance to Round Two of the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien
– Prince Albert has won its first playoff series since lifting the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL Champions in 2019
– Aiden Oiring scored six times in Round One to sit second in playoff goals among all WHL skaters
TOP PERFORMER- APRIL 8
Seattle Kraken prospect Lukas Dragicevic came up big for his team when it mattered most. With the Raiders facing elimination for three straight games, the 6-foot-2, 196-pound defenceman came alive for four goals and three assists in three games, highlighted by Tuesday’s four-point outing to punch Prince Albert’s ticket to Round Two. Dragicevic leads his team in points and is second in postseason scoring among all defenders with five goals and seven assists for 12 points in seven games. Tuesday marks his highest-scoring postseason game and second four-point night of the 2024-25 season (regular season + playoffs).
RESULTS
Oil Kings (0), Prince Albert (5)
Prince Albert wins 4-3
Max effort = major results. WHL Eastern Conference First Team All-Star goaltender Max Hildebrand saved his best for last with a 30-save shutout to eliminate the Oil Kings in Game 7 in front of a sellout crowd at the Art Hauser Centre. The Raiders fan favourite went 4-3-0-0 in Round One with a 2.02 goals-against average, a .941 save percentage and one shutout while facing the second-most shots of any goalie in the 2025 Playoffs (222). Prince Albert alternate captain Aiden Oiring buried the series-clinching goal midway through the first period and rookie forward Ty Meunier added some insurance by pouncing on an Oil Kings turnover and roofing the puck for his first-ever WHL postseason goal. The rest was gravy, with Dragicevic, Niall Crocker and 2024 WHL Champion Rilen Kovacevic each lighting the lamp to give Prince Albert its first series win in six years.
THREE STARS
1- Max Hildebrand, PA
– 30-save shutout
2- Lukas Dragicevic, PA
– 1G-3A
3- Aiden Oiring, PA
– 1G-1A
ON TAP
The WHL Playoffs resume on Thursday, April 10, when the Calgary Hitmen host the Lethbridge Hurricanes to open Round Two.
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