Transition to Truitt
should be seamless
 |
| Marc Habscheid raises the Ed Chynoweth Cup on May 13, 2019. |
Anyone that has interacted
with junior hockey knows that hoping someone would coach a team forever is an
unrealistic notion. For the people of “Hockey Town North,” they saw Habscheid
as a natural fit to be the head coach of that franchise, and during his time
with the team, the Raiders classic positive traits shone like they hadn’t since
the legendary storied era of Terry Simpson.
The Raiders were
indeed the team of Dave Manson and Mike Modano – the franchise where honour
still matters. The players had a great work ethic and were skilled, tough and
classy.
The coaches and team
staffers gave the club a family feeling that gave the club a renewed stronger
link to the community.
Of course, one of the
all-time great Raiders moments was made during Habscheid’s days. That was the team’s
Game 7 win in the 2019 WHL Championship Series at the Art Hauser Centre where
Dante Hannoun’s overtime winner gave the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the
Vancouver Giants.
The sellout crowd of
3,289 spectators at the 2,580-seat building on that May 13th day in
2019 erupted like never before as they watched their Raiders raise the Ed
Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions. That was part of a magical Raiders season that
saw the team finish first overall in the WHL regular season with a 54-10-2-2
record.
Those moments were so
great that no one amongst the Raiders faithful wanted to speak about what it
would be like when Habscheid moves on. In junior hockey especially in the major
junior ranks in which the Raiders play, coaches and management move on just
like players do.
For Habscheid, that
day came this past July 14, when he resigned his position as head coach of the Raiders.
The 59-year-old wanted a new challenge and a
professional opportunity in Europe becoming the first head coach of the Bemer
Pioneers Vorarlberg located in Feldkirch, Austria, would do just that.
Marc Habscheid mans the Raiders bench in September of 2019.
Jeff Truitt, who is
one of Habscheid’s long time friends, was promoted from the role of Raiders
assistant coach to head coach on July 22. Keaton Ellerby, who is a former NHL
defenceman and alumnus of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and Moose Jaw Warriors,
would be hired as a new Raiders assistant coach on August 2.
Truitt, who is
57-years-old, joined the Raiders staff as an assistant coach before the start
of the 2018-19 WHL championship season. He played a big role as a players’
coach in the Raiders success taking on a spot that was held by Manson.
Following the 2017-18 campaign, Manson left the Raiders to become an assistant coach with the Bakersfield Condors, who are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Manson is now an assistant coach with the Oilers.
Ellerby, who is
33-years-old, will be taking on his first coaching position since retiring as a
player having played last season with the Sheffield Steelers of the Elite Ice
Hockey League in the United Kingdom. The Priddis, Alta., product will be
focusing his attention on the Raiders defence, and his experience in the
professional ranks will help him greatly in that role.
The transition with
Truitt taking over as head coach and Ellerby coming on board as an assistant
coach should be seamless for the Raiders.
Still, Raiders
supporters must have felt a slight sense of panic when news broke that
Habscheid was leaving. Habscheid became Raiders head coach on November 1, 2014 as a midseason replacement for Cory Clouston.
Marc Habscheid sits fifth on the WHL’s career wins list.
Before Habscheid arrived, Raiders supporters had a compromised confidence in their team. Until Habscheid came on board, the Raiders hadn’t made it past the first round of the WHL playoffs since reaching the Eastern Conference Championship Series in 2005, where they fell in a heartbreaking seven-game series to the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Peter Anholt was the head coach and Donn Clark was the general manager of a Raiders club in 2004-05 that was extremely popular in Prince Albert that went on a playoff foray that was known locally as “The Run.”
In the years leading up
to Habscheid’s arrival, it felt like there was a plateau to any type of success
the Raiders could potentially achieve. When Habscheid became the Raiders head
coach, it came as a surprise to the Raiders faithful.
Habscheid was a star
coach that experienced a fair amount of success in the WHL. While he grew up on
a farm just outside of Swift Current, Raiders supporters never thought someone
like Habscheid would become a head coach of their team, especially given the
fact he didn’t have any ties to the Prince Albert area.
Once Habscheid
arrived, it felt like he had always been a part of the community. He knew the
Raiders history well and made it a focus his Raiders teams would emulate the
positive characteristics the successful Raiders teams of the past did.
When Curtis Hunt
became the Raiders general manager before the start of the 2015-16 campaign,
his arrival was a joyful surprise too for the Raiders faithful. 
Jeff Truitt raises the Ed Chynoweth Cup on May 13, 2014.
As player, Hunt
was a rookie defenceman with the Raiders when the team won the WHL championship
and the Memorial Cup as CHL champions in 1984-85, and he later became the
Raiders captain in his final season with the team as a player in 1986-87.
Habscheid and Hunt
kind of became a hockey power couple. During the 2016-17 season, they assembled
a core group of eight young players in forwards Sean Montgomery, Parker Kelly,
Cole Fonstad and Spencer Moe, defencemen Brayden Pachal, Zack Hayes and Max
Martin and netminder Ian Scott.
They took their lumps in the first half of the 2016-17 campaign and played tough hockey in the second half of that season finishing with a 21-44-5-2 record.
The Raiders faithful
were impressed by how much that group improved along with that group’s maturity
and work ethic.
A guarded feeling
started to take root in Prince Albert that something special might be coming with
the Raiders again. Hunt kept adding pieces and Habscheid kept making things
come together.
The Raiders made the WHL playoffs in 2017-18
with a 32-27-9-4 record and fell in tough seven game first round series to the
Moose Jaw Warriors.
When the Raiders won
their first seven straight games to start the 2018-19 season, the Art Hauser
Centre was packed from about October 13, 2018 onwards. 
Dante Hannoun (#17) reacts to his OT goal to win the 2019 WHL title.
It was in the minds of the Raiders faithful that the special season was happening, and no one wanted miss a thing.
It got to the point there were ticket buyers who would make 90-minute drives in from out of town to see the Raiders play at their storied home rink.
Of course, the team finished first overall in the WHL regular season standings and proceeded to win the league title on Hannoun’s overtime winner in Game 7 of the league championship series in writing a spectacular tale for the 2018-19 campaign.
Along the way, Habscheid was able to play into the fact the fans enjoyed watching the Raiders down their archrivals in the Saskatoon Blades, which saw Habscheid have some verbal exchanges with former Blades head coach Mitch Love. You almost forgot that Habscheid was a star Blades centre from 1979 to 1982.
Many fun team building things happened along the way too. That was best seen on February 9, 2019, when Habscheid picked up his 500th career WHL regular season win as a head coach with a 6-5 victory over the Hurricanes in Lethbridge.
The Raiders did a fun team picture in the dressing room where Habscheid wore a top hat the team usually gave to the hardest working player.
The team proceeded to head to a Lethbridge
area Dairy Queen, where Habscheid paid for whatever the players wanted to order
as part of the milestone celebration.
Curtis Hunt, left, and Marc Habscheid were a great Raiders duo.
It also meant a tonne to Habscheid when the
2018-19 WHL champion Raiders rallied to support him after his father, Nicholas,
passed in June of 2018.
When the Raiders faithful
reflect on those memories and the fact Habscheid has the fifth most career regular season wins in the history of the WHL at
582, there is a little fear at
first when you hear he is leaving.
Still, Hunt remains
the Raiders general manager and Truitt has built a career as the good guy coach
who wins wherever he goes. They will continue to build a Raiders team that is
in a reload phase but still made the WHL playoffs last season with a 28-35-4-1
record.
The Raiders are still
in good hands for the foreseeable future. The team’s faithful will be able to
get behind a team they can be proud of.
With that said,
Habscheid’s era with the club will be one that will always be celebrated, and
he will always identify with the team.
Habscheid showed it is
still possible for the Raiders to reach the biggest heights and achieve the
biggest dreams.
Marc Habscheid and Jeff Truitt enjoy the 2019 WHL title win.
If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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