Raiders’ Habscheid sits alone in sixth for WHL coaching wins

Prince Albert downs Swift Current 4-2 for victory 549

Marc Habscheid mans the Raiders bench in September of 2019.

During his coaching career, Marc Habscheid is often showered with praise from his players that might be greater than any championships he’s won or the victories he’s piled up.

After being guided by Habscheid, it is common for players to refer to him as the best coach they’ve ever had. Players will also say they couldn’t imagine playing for another coach after being coached by Habscheid or it was hard at first to play for another coach after playing under Habscheid.

When players start playing for another coach, they will at times have a habit of comparing what that coach was doing to what Habscheid would do in various circumstances often concluding Habscheid would handle things better.

On Saturday in a bubble environment without fans in attendance at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Habscheid hit another milestone in his coaching career. When his Prince Albert Raiders doubled the Swift Current Broncos 4-2, Habscheid picked up his 549th head coaching win of his WHL regular season career.

The victory allowed Habscheid to move one win ahead of Ernie “Punch” McLean to sit alone in sixth spot on the WHL’s all-time career regular season wins list. McLean is best remembered for being the head coach of the rough and tumble New Westminster Bruins teams that won the Memorial Cup as CHL champions in 1977 and 1978.

Habscheid took up coaching in the 1996-97 season when he became the head coach and general manager of the Melfort Mustangs in the junior A Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Swift Current, Sask., product’s coaching career came right after a lengthy playing career.

Marc Habscheid sits sixth on the WHL’s career wins list.

From 1979 to 1982, Habscheid played one partial season and two full seasons as a star centre for the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades piling up 107 goals and 169 assists for 276 points in 148 career regular season games. He was a member of the Canada’s first ever gold medal winning team at world juniors in the 1981-82 season.

In the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he was selected in the sixth round and 113^th overall by the Edmonton Oilers, who had stars like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

Habscheid played seven games with the Oilers in 1981-82 and would earn a full-time spot in the professional ranks the next season. His NHL stops included spending time with the Oilers, Minnesota North Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames.

Habscheid played his final professional season with the Augsberger Panther in 1995-96 before joining the Mustangs as head coach and general manager.

After one season with the Mustangs, Habscheid moved up to the WHL ranks as head coach and general manager of the Kamloops Blazers in 1997-98. During his career in the WHL, Habscheid would also serve stints as the head coach and general manager of the Kelowna Rockets and the Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria Royals franchise.

In Kelowna, Habscheid led the Rockets to a WHL title in the 2002-03 campaign and a Memorial Cup title as the tournament hosts in 2003-04. 

Marc Habscheid has coached with four different WHL franchises.

In the 2004 WHL playoffs, the Rockets advanced to the Western Conference Championship series before falling in a series deciding Game 7 to the Everett Silvertips, who were skating through a Cinderella expansion season.

Habscheid was hired as the Raiders head coach on November 1, 2014 as a midseason replacement for Cory Clouston.

When Curtis Hunt became the Raiders general manager before the start of the 2015-16 campaign, Hunt and Habscheid became a hockey power couple. They restored the luster of the Raiders franchise to a level that hadn’t been seen in some time.

Under their watch, the Raiders would finish first overall in 2018-19 WHL regular season standings with a 54-10-2-2 record. The Raiders advanced on to win their second WHL title in team history on Dante Hannoun’s epic Game 7 overtime winner in the WHL Championship series at the Art Hauser Centre.

Hannoun’s winner in May of 2019 gave the Raiders a 3-2 victory in Game 7 over the Vancouver Giants that will live forever in the hearts of the Raiders faithful.

In all of Habscheid’s coaching stops, the players he coach always turned out to be first class citizens. His teams won with class and lost with class, and it should be noted that winning was often the norm.

Curtis Hunt, left, and Marc Habscheid have made the Raiders go.

On the ice, the biggest thing he did was allow his players the play the roles they were suited for. Skilled players who scored were skilled players who scored and were encouraged to execute creative plays.

Defensive players played defence. In goal, Habscheid’s netminders usually had the confidence to shine in big moments.

Overall, Habscheid instilled confidence in his player that they could accomplish big things as long as they focused on getting better every day. He also makes coming to the rink enjoyable.

In Saturday’s win over the Broncos, the Raiders received an inspired performance from overage power forward Justin Nachbaur, who had a goal, two assists and engaged in a first period fight with Broncos overager defenceman Kaleb Bulych.

The goal, assist and the fight allowed Nachbaur to pick up the “Gordie Howe hat trick” for the night.

Dallyn Peekeekoot, who is a 16-year-old rookie centre from the Ahtahkakoop First Nation in Saskatchewan, scored his first career WHL goal tallying 67 seconds into the first period to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead.

After Broncos defenceman Sam McGinley evened things up at 1-1 at the 15:46 mark of the opening frame, Nachbaur scored with 2:50 remaining in the first to put the Raiders up 2-1.

Justin Nachbbaur had a “Gordie Howe hat trick” on Saturday.

Overage centre Spencer Moe scored early in the second to increase the Raiders advantage to 3-1.

Broncos rookie right-winger Josh Filmon, who turned 17-years-old in March, scored on a breakaway early in the third to cut the Raiders lead to 3-2.

Raiders veteran centre Eric Pearce sealed the 4-2 win scoring into an empty net with 47.5 seconds remaining in the third.

Overage netminder Max Paddock made 19 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders (4-6-2). Veteran 19-year-old netminder Isaac Poulter turned away 22-of-25 shots to take the setback in goal for the Broncos (3-8-1).

Star centre Ozzy Wiesblatt picked up three assists for the Raiders, while 19-year-old veteran centre Reece Vitelli had a pair of helpers.

The Raiders return to action on Monday in the Regina bubble against the Brandon Wheat Kings (8 p.m., 900 CKBI).

The bubble environment is being utilized due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

So far during the shortened 24-game developmental 2020-21 campaign, the Raiders have dealt with a rash of injuries. They also weren’t able to bring in bring veteran Belarusian forward Aliaksei Protas and Belarusian forward newcomer Vladislav Shyla to Canada due to how the COVID-19 pandemic has played out.

Marc Habscheid raises the Ed Chynoweth Cup in May 2019.

With all that noted, Habscheid has the patience to allow newcomers to learn and grow playing in the WHL. While he will be challenging and providing road maps for ways that players can improve and be better, Habscheid knows there will bumps in the road and won’t panic.

When the developmental season comes to an end, you can bet the Raiders players will depart for their respective homes believing they had never played for a better coach.

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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Paterson hatty powers Blades comeback win over Raiders

Josh Paterson (#61)  enjoys his hat trick goal with Chase Wouters.

    PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Josh Paterson admitted it is pretty fun when his Saskatoon Blades can ruin the Raiders parade in Prince Albert.

    The 18-year-old right-winger said his team can hear the heckles of the Raiders fans behind their bench in “Hockey Town North,” and that the Blades players know all about the Art Hauser Centre tradition of playing the Guess Who’s “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” any time an elite Saskatoon based hockey team loses in the building.
    On Thursday night, the Blades had the last laugh erasing a 3-1 deficit after the first period to pull out a 6-4 victory to disappoint most of the 2,312 spectators in attendance.

    Paterson was pleased his side could silence the hecklers and put the playing of “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” on ice.

    “It makes it pretty extra sweet just to stick it to them,” said Paterson, who had his first career hat trick and an assist in the win. “They are our rivals right up the road, and we like to beat them every time we can.”

    During the first period of Thursday’s clash, it appeared to would be an early New Year’s Eve party night for the Raiders and their fans. 

Josh Paterson had an assist to go with his three goals.

    The hosts jumped out to a 3-1 lead with goals coming from Parker Kelly, Eric Pearce and Carson Miller. Paterson’s first goal of the night provided the lone reply for the Blades.

    The Raiders shelled Blades 16-year-old goalie Nolan Maier holding a 21-12 edge in the shots on goal department in the opening 20 minutes. Maier made a number of big stops to keep his side in the game.

    The Blades found traction at the 4:12 mark of the second period, when centre Chase Wouters knocked home a pass from linemate Braylon Shmyr from across the front of the Prince Albert goal to cut the Raiders lead to 3-2.

    At that point, Prince Albert had chances to pull ahead further, but Maier made robbery stops on Raiders wingers Cole Fonstad and Brett Leason to keep the Blades deficit at one goal.

Braylon Shmyr had two goals and two assists for the Blades.

    With 2:07 to play in the second, Paterson scored from in close for his second goal of the night to force a 3-3 tie.

    Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said the way the second period unfolded played a big factor in the final outcome of the contest.

    “They got that one to make it 3-2, and then we had a bunch of chances to go up 4-2,” said Habscheid. “I thought their goaltender was real good tonight.

    “We couldn’t make it 4-2, and then they tied it. We kind of made a couple of mistakes. They cashed in on them.

    “We had chances, and we didn’t cash in on them. I thought that was the difference.”

    Paterson tucked in his hat trick marker from right in front of the Prince Albert goal at the 3:28 mark of the third to put the Blades ahead 4-3. The Raiders proceeded to have a big chances to get the equalizer, but overage centre Devon Skoleski was stoned on a golden scoring opportunity by Maier.

    With 5:59 to play in the third, Paterson burst down the right wing and fed a pass across the front of the Prince Albert goal, which was knocked home by Shmyr to give the Blades a 5-3 edge.

Parker Kelly had the Raiders first goal on Thursday.

    Leason scored with 1:42 to play in the third to create some drama, but Shmyr sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 45.6 seconds to play.

    Shmyr had two assists to go along with his two goals, while Wouters had three assists to go along with his tally. The line of Shmyr, Wouters and Paterson combined for 12 points on the night.

    Blades head coach Dean Brockman said his coaching staff got the message across to their players that their effort in the first period wasn’t good, and they needed to play with more energy the rest of the way. The Blades players found another gear after that point.

    “It was the biggest game of the year, and we have to find a way to claw back,” said Brockman. “After that (first intermission meeting), I thought our guys found ways to do things right.

    “When you find ways to do things right, you are probably going to win games.”

    Ian Scott turned away 33 of 38 shots to take the setback in goal for the Raiders. Maier turned away 38 shots to win his sixth straight start for the Blades.

Nolan Maier made 38 stops in goal for the Blades.

    Habscheid said the Blades young netminder deserves high marks for his effort.

    “He (Maier) doesn’t get out of position,” said Habscheid. “He’s always in position.

    “If you are going to beat him, you have to beat him. He doesn’t beat himself. He just stays in position.

    “He is square, and he competes. He’s played well for them.”

    Paterson enjoyed netting his first hat trick, but hewas more excited about how his side played as a whole.

    “I thought we had a great all around team effort,” said Paterson. “Maier was outstanding in the nets.

    “Everyone else contributed really well.”

    Combined with Wednesday 4-2 victory over the Raiders in Saskatoon, the Blades improved to 17-17-2-1 to hold one of the two wildcards spots in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with 37 points.

The Blades and Raiders engage in a scrum.

    The Memorial Cup hosting Regina Pats hold the other wildcard position posting a 17-18-3 record for 37 points in the standings.
    The Pats defeated the Brandon Wheat Kings 5-4 in Regina on Thursday night.

    The Raiders fell to 13-16-5-2 to sit four points back of both the Blades and the Pats.
    Prince Albert has one game in hand on Saskatoon and two games in hand on Regina.

    Raiders 17-year-old left-winger Justin Nachbaur was given a major for cross-checking and a game misconduct in the first period, and those infractions will automatically be reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

    Blades captain Evan Fiala went down late in the third period after getting hit in the face with the puck on a Raiders shot attempt.

The Blades celebrate their win over the Raiders.

    The overager won’t miss any action.

    “He (Fiala) was getting stitches when I looked in,” said Brockman. “He is a pretty tough competitor.”

    On the milestone front, Shmyr has now scored exactly 200 regular season points in his WHL career coming on 91 goals and 109 assists. The Calgary product has played 265 career regular season games split between the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Blades.
    Russian import defenceman Mark Rubinchik appeared in his 100th career WHL regular season game all with the Blades.
    The Raiders return to action on Saturday, when they host the Pats at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.
    The Blades return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Swift Current to take on the Broncos (26-8-2).
    The Broncos fell 8-2 to the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Thursday night.

Hebig signs NHL deal with Oilers

Cameron Hebig signed an NHL contract with the Edmonton Oilers.

    The Blades celebrated some excitement on Thursday morning before the traveled to Prince Albert for their clash with the Raiders.

    Overage centre and Saskatoon product Cameron Hebig signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. Hebig, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds, leads the Blades in scoring with 28 goals and 23 assists.

    In 233 career regular season games with the Blades, Hebig has 85 goals and 101 assists. He missed all of last season with an upper body injury that was never clearly diagnosed.

    Hebig came into the current campaign with the goal of getting himself back on the radar of NHL scouts. On Thursday, he received a big reward for his efforts, and the news was appreciated by his teammates.

    A large number of the Blades players retweeted the news of Hebig’s NHL contract signing on Twitter.

    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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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.