2017-18 Humboldt Broncos still bring out best in humanity

The Elgar Petersen Arena set for a vigil on April 8, 2018.

    The tributes came in early and often over social media lines on Monday for a team seemingly everyone still takes to heart.

    Monday marked the second anniversary of the tragic bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior A hockey team on April 6, 2018. 
    The bus carrying the Broncos, who are one of Canada’s most storied junior A teams, was traveling to Nipawin to play a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoff game, and it collided with a semi-truck just north of Tisdale.

    The crash resulted in the deaths of 10 Broncos players including captain Logan Schatz, Logan Boulet, Adam Herold, Logan Hunter, Jaxon Joseph, Jacob Leicht, Conner Lukan, Evan Thomas, Parker Tobin and Stephen Wack.

    Head coach and general manager Darcy Haugen, assistant coach Mark Cross, play-by-play voice Tyler Bieber, stats expert Brody Hinz, athletic therapist Dayna Brons and bus driver Glen Doerksen were all among the total of 16 people who were killed.

A Saskatchewan farm yard display supporting the Broncos in April of 2018.

    The 13 survivors in players Graysen Cameron, Brayden Camrud, Kaleb Dahlgren, Bryce Fiske, Xavier LaBelle, Matthieu Gomercic, Derek Patter, Nick Shumlanski, Tyler Smith, Ryan Straschnitzki, Jacob Wassermann, Layne Matechuk and Morgan Gobeil have all ventured on in life with various physical injuries and emotional battles.

    Camrud and Patter were in the Broncos lineup when they opened the 2018-19 SJHL regular season on home ice at the Elgar Petersen Arena falling 2-1 to the Hawks.

    In the months after the crash, support poured in for the Broncos from seemingly everywhere including the province of Saskatchewan, the rest of Canada and the entire world.

    A GoFundMe campaign for Broncos players and staffers raised over $15.1-million with donations coming from over 141,900 individuals and entities in just under two weeks.

    It is crazy to think Humboldt residents Sylvie Kellington and Caitlin Hergott originally had the small goal of raising funds to cover parking costs for the families visiting hospitals with the GoFundMe campaign.
    Their efforts became the largest GoFundMe campaign ever in Canada and is still the fourth largest in the world.

A Swift Current fan with a Humboldt Broncos support sign in April of 2018.

    In Canada, the Broncos bus crash became one of those “where were you when” moments, because at the time it happened, no one wanted to believe it was true.

    In a lot of ways, it became the ultimate one degree of separation moment, because it seemed like everyone interacted with someone who was a family member or had a personal connection with the 29 individuals on the bus.

    In Swift Current, the Humboldt Broncos bus crash took on extra meaning. The WHL’s Swift Current Broncos suffered through a single-vehicle team bus crash on December 30, 1986 resulting the deaths of players Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff.

    The Swift Current bus flew off the highway having hit a patch of black ice shortly after leaving town on route to a road game in Regina to play the Pats.

    In April and May of 2018, the sticks were out for Humboldt at the Swift Current Broncos bus crash memorial. Inside of Swift Current and the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex during playoff games for the WHL’s Broncos, you didn’t have to look far to see a sign of support for Humboldt.
    The WHL’s Broncos would win the WHL title in May of 2018. In the season the WHL Broncos had their bus accident in 1986-87, the Humboldt Broncos captured the SJHL title.
    At the moment, the current day hasn’t been the greatest of times for the world.

#SticksOutForHumboldt at the Swift Current Broncos bus crash memorial.

    The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has a number of countries in the world including Canada observing lockdown measures.

    At the time this post went live, over 81,000 people in the world and 375 individuals in Canada have died due to complications related to COVID-19.

    In Canada and the United States, shutdowns started to happen on March 11, when the NBA elected to postpone play causing a series of dominoes of postponements, cancellations and shutdowns to follow.

    For about four weeks now, the population of the world has been bombarded with anxiety inducing news regarding COVID-19.

    As strange as it sounds, it seemed like a ray of light to turn on the social media accounts on Monday morning and see tributes posted from various people and entities for the 2017-18 SJHL Broncos team. There were pictures of people once again leaving their sticks outside their doors for the Broncos players who have passed on to use.

    People are still holding those that were part of that Broncos team close to their hearts.

    A few of the surviving Broncos players posted gracious notes as well thanking the support they received throughout the world and noting they still miss their buds who passed away in that crash. A number of parents of Broncos players posted heartwarming notes too.

A Humboldt Broncos tribute jersey and puck from 2018.

    Tuesday is “Green Shirt Day” for organ donor awareness and registration in honour of the “Logan Boulet Effect.” Boulet, who was one of the players that passed in the Broncos bus crash, wanted his organs donated if he passed away, and his actions resulted in six lives being saved.

    Boulet succumbed to his injuries and passed away on April 7, 2018.

    As news of Boulet’s actions spread, over 100,000 people signed their organ donor cards in the days and weeks that followed.

    Over the course of Monday and Tuesday, the hashtag phrases of #SticksOutForHumboldt, #HumboldtStrong, #BroncosStrong and #LoganBouletAffect were shown to be alive and meaningful.

    Even as time passes, that Broncos team from that tragic bus crash in early April of 2018 is still bringing out the best in humanity.

CFL postpones start of regular season, other notes

CFL action has been put on hold until at least the start of July.

    The CFL is still hoping to play a full regular season, but its start has been postponed until the beginning of July.

    On Tuesday, the CFL released a statement from commissioner Randy Ambrosie stating the regular season won’t begin until at least the start of July due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The regular season was slated to start on June 11 with the B.C. Lions traveling to Edmonton to face the Eskimos.

    In part of the statement, Ambrosie said, “Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones. We salute the heroic efforts of those on the front lines of our health care system and our supply chain.

    “And, we are grateful for the leadership being shown by all levels of government. We respect the decisions being made by the federal government, provinces and municipalities on behalf of our safety, and we will continue to follow their directives. These include indications from Canadian cities that they will not allow sporting event to take place before the end of June.”

    On Friday, Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi said that Calgary’s ban on all public events until June 30 includes CFL and NHL games should those leagues resume before then.

    Toronto mayor John Tory announced last week his city is cancelling events through June 30 that require city permission. That ban did not extend to sporting events, but Ontario provincial gathering bans would factor in.

RB Andrew Harris (#33) and the Blue Bombers are the Grey Cup champions.

    Ambrosie also said in Tuesday’s statement, “While it is now clear that the 2020 CFL season won’t start before the beginning of July, we are committed to working with our teams, the Players’ Association, TSN and RDS to play a full season or as close as we can come to one. We recognize this may require creativity, and we are preparing for multiple scenarios.”

    The CFL previously announced on March 30 that training camps would be postponed until further notice.

    The last time the Grey Cup was not awarded was 1919 due to a lack of interest along with a rules dispute between the leagues that competed for the trophy at the time. The game was cancelled from 1916 to 1918 due to Canada’s participation in the First World War.

    The Winnipeg Blue Bombers downed the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12 in last year’s Grey Cup held at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alta.

    This year’s Grey Cup is slated for Nov. 22 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

    In wrapping up Tuesday’s statement Ambrosie said, “We realize there are more important things on Canadians’ minds right now than games of any sort. But we also know Canadian football has long been a source of pride and unity for our country and – when the time is right – we can play an important role in its recovery.

    “Until then, let’s all be pragmatic enough to do what we need to do to stop the spread of this virus and protect one another.”

Jayda Sachs with the Fedoruk Cup in 2019.

• Jayda Sachs has elected to bring her hockey career close to home. After playing one season with the University of Waterloo Warriors women’s hockey team, the 19-year-old forward, who is from Warman, Sask., decided to leave the Warriors to join the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team. The Huskies announced the addition of Sachs on Monday. Last season, Sachs played 23 regular season games with the Warriors collecting one goal and four assists. Due to the fact she is transferring between U Sports programs, Sachs has to sit out a full year before playing for the Huskies. From 2014 to 2019, Sachs played five seasons in the SFMAAAHL split between the Prince Albert Northern Bears and Saskatoon Stars appearing in 138 regular season games collecting 30 goals and 61 assists. She was a member of the Stars teams that captured the Fedoruk Cup as SFMAAAHL champions in 2018 and 2019.
• On Monday, Prince Albert Raiders captain Zack Hayes signed an AHL contract for the 2020-21 campaign to play with a new team in Henderson, Nevada, which will be the AHL affiliate for the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. The defenceman appeared in 60 regular season games for the Raiders this past season posting seven goals, 16 assists and a plus-37 rating in the plus-minus department. From 2016 to 2020, Hayes appeared in 272 career regular season games with the Raiders posting 15 goals, 64 assists and a plus-97 rating.
• Tyrell Schroeder of the Saskatoon female midget A Comet Predators was named the Evan Thomas Memorial Sportsperson of the Year by the Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association on Tuesday. The 15-year-old forward has played in the SMHA for the last 10 seasons all in the Comets system. Schroeder has maintained a 90 per cent average in her Grade 10 studies, and she also played on her school’s volleyball team. She will receive a $500 scholarship award. Thomas, who this award was named after, was one of the players that passed away tragically in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash on April 6, 2018.

    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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Moe break out of rut, powers Raiders to 4-2 victory

Spencer Moe delivered a big two-goal night for the Raiders on Friday night.

    PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Spencer Moe admitted he will play a little more free and easy going forward.

    On Friday, the 19-year-old right-winger potted his first two goals of the season including the winner to push his Prince Albert Raiders to a 4-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes in a WHL regular season contest at the Art Hauser Centre.

    Moe scored his winner with 4:51 to play in the third period to break a 2-2 tie and give the Raiders a 3-2 edge to the delight of 2,502 spectators in the building.

    His linemate in 18-year-old rookie centre Ilya Usau sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 17.2 seconds remaining in the third.

    Heading into Friday’s game, Moe had just two assists in the Raiders previous seven outings. He admitted he was gripping the stick a little too tightly.

The Raiders celebrate Spencer Moe’s first period goal.

    “It makes me relieved,” said Moe. “A lot of stress was building up on me.

    “I think with the two goals today it has kind of put me back to where I really wanted to be and how I really wanted to start the season.”

    Moe got out to a good start on Friday scoring at the 11:28 mark of the first period to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Taking a setup pass from Usau, Moe blasted home his first of the year from the front of the Lethbridge goal.

    The speedy Calgary product said he really could feel the stress lift at that point in the game.

    “I could feel it off my back,” said Moe, who stands 5-foot-7 and weighs 170 pounds. “I felt a lot better.

    “Just the fact the first one was out, I was hungrier, and I felt a lot better.”

    Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid was pleased to see Moe break out of his rut.

Spencer Moe looks for an opening to score on a second period breakaway.

    “I was happy for him,” said Habscheid. “He has been snake bit a little bit.

    “The first couple of goals of the year, so he’ll skate a little bit lighter tomorrow.”

    The Raiders, who are rated fifth in the CHL Top 10 rankings, ultimately needed Moe to break through on the scoreboard, because Friday’s contest with the Hurricanes was a battle.

    Lethbridge evened things up at 1-1 just under two minutes later when 16-year-old rookie left-winger Ty Nash fired home a backdoor setup from linemate Justin Hall. 
    The tally was the first WHL career goal for Nash.

Spencer Moe had just two assists this season entering Friday’s game.

    Prince Albert went ahead 2-1 with 3:38 remaining in the second when overage star defenceman Zach wristed home a point shot through a screen.

    Overage defenceman Koletrane Wilson pulled the Hurricanes even at 2-2 with 5:39 to play in the third.

    Moe netted his second of the night and the winner to put the Raiders up 3-2 just 48 seconds after Wilson’s tally.

    On an offensive rush, Moe converted a set up pass from left-winger Cole Fonstad to break the 2-2 tie.

    “We were just doing a normal neutral zone transition there,” said Moe, who was stopped on a second period breakaway chance. “I kind of caught up to the middle there and gave it to Fonny (Fonstad) on the side.

    “I beat my checks up the ice, and he just gave it to me right in the middle. I just happen to find the back of the net there.”

Cole Fonstad had three assists for the Raiders.

    The line of Moe, Fonstad and Usau combined for seven points. Moe had his two goals, Fonstad had three assists, and Usau had a goal and an assist.

    Entering Friday’s game, Fonstad had a goal and two assists, while Usau had two goals and an assist. Both had appeared in all of the Raiders first seven games along with Moe.

    “We’re building chemistry,” said Moe of the line that was formed this season. “It’s been growing every game.

    “We’ve been playing pretty good, but we haven’t been producing a lot. In the past couple of games, we’ve been producing, which is a good thing to see.”

    Last season, Moe played in 66 regular season games for the Raiders posting nine goals, 24 assists and a plus-14 rating in the plus-minus department. He centred the Raiders third line and was often utilized as an energetic checker during the team’s run to winning the WHL championship.

    Moe knows that his role is a lot different this season, as the Raiders graduated a number of forwards from last season.

Ilya Usau had a goal and an assist for the Raiders on Friday.

    “I am a fourth-year guy on this team,” said Moe. “I am supposed to be one of the veteran guys that the younger guys and everyone can lean on.

    “That wasn’t a role for me last year, especially with the players that we had, but now it is on all the other guys, older guys’ shoulders there. We just have to step up our game.”

    Boston Bilous made 32 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders. The Raiders won their third straight improving to 6-0-2.

    Bryan Thomson, who is a 17-year-old rookie netminder, turned away 21-of-24 shots to take the setback in goal for the Hurricanes (3-3).

    Habscheid said the Hurricanes provided a big challenge for his side.

    “It was a struggle,” said Habscheid. “This game didn’t come easy.

The Raiders salute the Art Hauser Centre faithful after Friday’s win.

    “I thought Lethbridge worked hard. They played heavy. It was a good game for us to feel that, because we had to grind it out.

    “We had to find a way. We didn’t have our A-game for sure, but in the end, you have to find a way to win.”

    The Raiders return to action on Saturday when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors (5-2) at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

    The Hurricanes head to Saskatoon on Saturday to face the Blades (5-3-0-1) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    Early on in the season, Moe likes the fact his Raiders will keep battling for a win no matter what challenges come their way.

    “We have a mindset now,” said Moe. “We’ve been through what happened last year winning a championship and knowing what it takes.

    “We’re hungry for it. We hate losing. It is something that will strive us for the rest of the season.”

Warriors add SFMAAAHL all-time great Howe to coaching staff

Olivia Howe stopped to chat with @mosaicincanada Warriors TV about being named our new Coaching Assistant. pic.twitter.com/QG7PfyqAom

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) October 11, 2019

    The Moose Jaw Warriors turned a few heads in the hockey world on Friday with an outside the box coaching hire.

    The Warriors have added a Saskatchewan female hockey great to their coaching staff in Olivia Howe. Howe will be a coaching assistant with the team after serving as a guest coach during the club’s training camp.

    Howe will help out the Warriors with on ice practice sessions and being an “eye in the sky” during game days.

    It is believed Howe is the first female to be named to a WHL team’s main coaching staff. As an added bonus, the 25-year-old is a product of Moose Jaw as well.

    “It’s been really surprising the feedback and reaction I’ve got,” said Howe on a video interview posted on the Warriors Twitter page. “I’m really excited to start here.

    “It’s a great opportunity. Being from Moose Jaw, it’s just awesome.”

    In a video interview on the Warriors team website, Alan Miller, who is the club’s general manager, said Howe impressed during her stint as a guest coach. As a result, talks ensued with head coach Tim Hunter, associate coach Mark O’Leary and assistant coach Scott King about finding a way to keep Howe with the team.

    “She came in here, did a very good job and made a strong impression on our hockey staff and our coaching staff,” said Miller. “We wanted to find an opportunity to bring her on to our hockey staff.

    “Working with Mark O’Leary, Scott King and Tim Hunter, we’ve put together this job description and this position and this opportunity for Olivia to help our team. We believe that it is an exciting opportunity for her.

    “We think that she will do real well, and she is a great addition to our club.”

    Howe enjoyed the opportunity to work the Warriors training camp.

    “Alan (Miller) asked me to do the training camp, and it was really exciting,” said Howe. “I didn’t hesitate, obviously.

    “I just needed to get out there and be at this level of hockey working with the males out here. It has been really exciting. It is definitely a lot different coming from the female game, so there is a lot to learn.”

    Howe ripped up the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League for four seasons from 2008 to 2012 as a skilled forward with the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox. She became the circuit’s all-time leading scorer piling up 107 goals and 100 assists for 207 points in 106 regular season games.

    Howe helped the Hounds win the Esso Cup in 2011 as Canadian national female midget AAA hockey champions.

    She also attended Hockey Canada’s female under-18 selection camps in 2010 and 2011.

    Following her time with the Hounds, Howe, who stands 5-foot-10, joined the NCAA women’s ranks and became a star with the Clarkson University Golden Knights for four seasons from 2012 to 2016. She appeared in 152 overall games posting 42 goals and 58 assists.

    She helped the Golden Knights win their first NCAA title in 2014.
    After graduating from Clarkson, Howe returned to Wilcox to become an assistant coach with the Notre Dame Hounds team that played in the Junior Women’s Hockey League. She has scouted the women’s game for Neutral Zone, which is a hockey scouting news site that identifies and ranks prospects for the NCAA and U Sports.

    “It is great to have another perspective in the dressing room and in the coaches’ office – a female, who has played at the highest level in the NCAA and won a national championship,” said Hunter in a video interview on the Warriors website. “She is a real tall girl, so she has a real presence on the ice.

    “She speaks loudly to the players (and very) direct. She’s got a good message, and we are excited for her.”

    The Warriors fell 4-1 on home ice at Mosaic Place to the visiting Vancouver Giants on Friday night.

    Howe isn’t the first female coach to join the staff of a high level hockey team on the men’s side in Western Canada over the last few months.

    In July, Venla Hovi, a former star with the University of Manitoba Bisons women’s team and Finland’s national women’s team, joined the staff of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets as a hockey development coach. Hovi helped the Bisons win a U Sports national title in 2018 and Finland win a silver medal at this year’s women’s world hockey championships.

    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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Legacy of spectacular Raiders season will live on forever

The Raiders celebrate winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    The Prince Albert Raiders relished in a 2018-19 campaign that you couldn’t script for the most part.

    How could anyone envision a campaign that sees star netminder Ian Scott score a goal during the regular season.

    The same goes for winning a league title on home ice in Game 7 in overtime. That Raiders pulled that off on May 13 before a sellout crowd of 3,289 spectators at the 2,580 seat Art Hauser Centre.

    Overage centre Dante Hannoun had the honours of netting the winner with 1:35 remaining in overtime tapping home a backdoor feed at that right side of the Vancouver Giants goal. He converted a beauty pass from linemate Noah Gregor.

Brett Leason celebrated scoring a number of goals for the Raiders.

    Hannoun’s tally gave the Raiders a 3-2 victory and sent the faithful at the Art Hauser Centre into a joyful celebration that might have been unmatched in the history of the club’s storied home rink. It delivered the Ed Chynoweth Cup to the Raiders as WHL champions.

    That goal is destined to become the building’s signature moment and a legend that will live on forever in “Hockey Town North.”

    For the Raiders and their fans, it was a season under the sun that was a long time coming. Entering the 2018-19 campaign, the Raiders hadn’t experienced a whole lot of success in the 13 previous campaigns missing the playoffs seven times and being eliminated in the first round six times.

    In the 2018 post-season, Prince Albert almost pulled off a major upset.

Noah Gregor had a stellar final WHL campaign for the Raiders.

    The Raiders, who were 32-27-9-4 in the 2017-18 regular season, went the distance before falling in seven games to the Moose Jaw Warriors, who led the 2017-18 WHL regular season standings at 52-15-2-3, in the first round.

    The Raiders were tied 4-4 late in the third period in that Game 7 with the Warriors before falling 5-4.

    Prince Albert entered the 2018-19 campaign with legitimate hopes of having a special season like when it advanced to the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series in 2005. The Raiders fell in seven games to the Brandon Wheat Kings in the conference final that year.

    The Raiders were carrying a core group of eight players in Brayden Pachal, who became the team’s captain this season, Parker Kelly, Zack Hayes, Max Martin, Spencer Moe, Cole Fonstad, Sean Montgomery and Scott.

Dante Hannoun will always have a special place in the hearts of Raiders fans.

    That group was with the team in 2016-17 when the Raiders finished third last in the WHL with a 21-44-5-2 record.

    People in Prince Albert watched that likable and well-mannered group grow together and hoped their hard work would pay off in a big way with big accomplishments.

    Still, optimism was tempered. It seemed there was still a slight fear that maybe special seasons weren’t meant to come the Raiders way and that fate might ultimately conspire to bring down the team.

    No one expected the chips to fall like they did.

    The Raiders topped the WHL’s regular season standings with a 54-10-2-2 record.

Spencer Moe (#11) gets set to take a draw for the Raiders.

    The only time the club posted more regular season wins in the WHL came in the 1984-85 campaign, when the Raiders recorded a record of 58 wins, 11 losses and three ties.

    Prince Albert went on to win the WHL title and the Memorial Cup that season.

    During the 2018-19 campaign, the Raiders topped the CHL’s Top 10 rankings for a number of weeks and were rated second in the final installment of those rankings.

    The fans in Prince Albert realized early that something special was at hand. They started to pack into the Art Hauser Centre early in the campaign, and the team averaged standing room crowds of 2,615 spectators over 34 regular season home dates.

Zack Hayes was solid defensively on the back end for the Raiders.

    It was a big jump from the 2,050 spectators the Raiders averaged for 36 home games in the 2017-18 campaign.

    During the 2019 playoffs, attendance at Raiders games never dipped below 3,000 over a run that included 12 home contests. The sellout figure of 3,289 became a fixed sight over the last 10 of those games as people brought in milk crates, stools and boxes to stand on to see the action on the ice.

    When doors opened an hour before game time, fans ran to get their standing room spots.

    Faith in the Raiders always existed in Prince Albert. The 2018-19 campaign finally saw that faith be rewarded and the fans soaked in every moment of the journey.

Sean Montgomery (#25) wins a battle on the boards for the Raiders.

    The Raiders received a shot in the arm with a breakout season by 19-year-old right-winger Brett Leason, who shot up to star status. He led the Raiders in regular season scoring with 36 goals and 53 assists for 89 points, while posting a plus-55 rating in the plus-minus department in 55 regular season games.

    Leason and Scott earned spots on Canada’s world junior team.

    In the WHL post-season, Leason emerged as the club’s top scorer there too with 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points in 22 appearances.

    Gregor, who has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks, showed he is ready for the next level piling up 43 goals and 45 assists for 88 points to go with a plus-49 rating in 63 regular season games.

The passion of the Raiders faithful could not be denied.

    The WHL rights to the star overage centre were acquired from the Victoria Royals last June.

    Hard-working career Raiders centre Sean Montgomery had a big personal season the squad’s followers were hoping would come his way. He piled up 29 goals and 30 assists for 59 points to go with a plus-41 rating in 67 regular season games.
    Import left-winger Aliaksei Protas took on hero status in the post-season netting 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points to go along with a plus-12 rating in 23 games in the WHL playoffs. 

    The Raiders had a starting six on defence that was one of the best in the CHL in Pachal, Hayes, Max Martin, Sergei Sapego, Jeremy Masella and Kaiden Guhle. They were arguably one of the best groups of six the Raider have ever placed on the ice to protect their back end.

The Raiders faithful cheer one of the team’s goals.

    Scott was a clutch last line of defence in goal.

    All the work of general manager Curtis Hunt and head coach Marc Habscheid came to fruition. The pair has worked together building the team since the start of the 2015-16 campaign.

    Habscheid joined the Raiders partway through the 2014-15 season and Hunt came up board before the start of the 2015-16 campaign.

    Both men have been popular with the fans in all their years with the team. Hunt was also a Raiders defenceman back in their 1984-85 Memorial Cup winning season.
    Even when you walk into the team’s business office, there is a warm family type feeling there among that group headed up by business manager Michael Scissons.

At times it felt like the fans were on top of Raiders goal celebrations.

    As a whole, the organization is all class. The class came through when deaths had an impact on the club.

    On April 6, 2018, Raiders prospect and defenceman Adam Herold passed away in the bus crash involving the junior A Humboldt Broncos. Herold played four career regular season games with the WHL club and made strong friendships during his time with the squad.

    Last summer, Habscheid’s father, Nicholas, passed away and the bench boss said his players were big in helping him through that.

    Last December, Ron Gunville, who was the Raiders director of player personnel, passed away as well. In March, former Raiders player, head coach and general manager Donn Clark passed away too. Clark was inducted on to the Raiders Wall of Fame in his final days of life.

    The memory of all four men was prevalent during the Raiders run to winning the WHL title.

Parker Kelly, left, and Brayden Pachal do their handshake after a win.

    When the Raiders won the WHL title, the team picture at centre ice with the Ed Chynoweth Cup was heartwarming. The family that was made up of good people was happy and on the league’s mountaintop sharing that moment with the community.
    The only thing the Raiders weren’t able to do was win the Memorial Cup. They went 0-3 in the CHL championship tournament.

    That will ultimately just be an epilogue.

    The overriding memory of the 2018-19 season will be the fact the Raiders finished first in the WHL’s regular season standings and won the league crown both for the second time in team history. It has been a 34-year wait for the Raiders and their fans to go through those experiences again.

    The Raiders received a shot in the arm, and it was deserved shot that was long overdue. “Hockey Town North” is once again a force on the hockey map.

Scott claims CHL goaltender of the year honours

Ian Scott earned CHL goaltender of the year honours for the stops he made.

    Ian Scott achieved a first for the Prince Albert Raiders, when it came to the CHL awards.

    On Saturday, the CHL’s major individual awards were handed out as part of the Memorial Cup tournament festivities going on in Halifax, N.S., and Scott was named the winner of the goaltender of the year award.

    The Calgary product, who turned 20-years-old in January, became the first goalie from the Raiders to ever win the CHL goaltender of the year award, which was first handed out in the 1987-88 campaign.

    Scott, who has signed an NHL entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, had an outstanding season posting a 38-8-3 record, a 1.83 goals against average, a .932 save percentage and eight shutouts.

Ian Scott makes a kick save during a post-season game in Edmonton.

    His goals against average, save percentage and shutout totals were all regular season club records.

    In his 49 regular season appearances, Scott, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 183 pounds, collected two assists, and he scored a goal. Scott scored his goal shooting the puck into an empty net in the Raiders 3-1 victory at the Art Hauser Centre on Nov. 16, 2018.

    During the WHL playoffs, Scott continued his impressive performance. He played in all of the Raiders 23 games in the WHL post-season posting a 16-7 record, a 1.96 goals against average, a .925 save percentage and five shutouts.
    When the Raiders won the WHL title, Scott was named the MVP of the WHL playoffs.

Ian Scott stops a shot in Game 7 of the WHL final.

    Scott has played in four complete seasons with the Raiders. Over that time, he has appeared in 175 career regular season games posting an 87-64-14 record, a 2.90 goals against average, a .905 save percentage and 11 shutouts.

    Scott is the Raiders all-time career leader in regular season victories. He is eligible to return to the WHL for an overage season, but he is expected to play next season somewhere in the Leafs professional system.

    Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid was nominated for Brian Kilrea coach of the year award, but that honour went to Mario Pouliot, who is the head goal of the QMJHL champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
    Bowen Byram, who is a Vancouver Giants defenceman, was named the top prospect. Jason Robertson of the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs claimed honours as the top scorer.

Ian Scott, left, took MVP honours in the WHL playoffs.

    Justin Almeida of the Moose Jaw Warriors picked up the sportsman of the year award. Charle-Edouard D’Astrous of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic claimed honours as the humanitarian of the year.

    Netminder Dustin Wolf of the Everett Silvertips was named the scholastic player of the year. Quinton Byfield of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves claimed rookie of the year honours.

    Ty Smith of the Spokane Chiefs took home the defenceman of the year award. Alexis Lafreniere of the Oceanic was named the player of the year.

    The Memorial Cup title game will conclude the CHL’s 2018-19 campaign. It is set for Sunday and features the Huskies taking on the host Halifax Mooseheads in an all-QMJHL tilt (5 p.m. Saskatchewan time, Sportsnet).

    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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Raiders’ core group enjoyed journey to WHL’s peak

Raiders LW Parker Kelly, right, always makes time for the fans.

    PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Parker Kelly is in his element, when he is amongst the fans.

    The Prince Albert Raiders power forward, who recently turned 20-years-old, soaked in every moment of a rally held for the team on Thursday night at the Art Hauser Centre. The rally concluded with the Raiders players signing autographs for a lengthy stretch after the formal part of the program for the fans.

    Kelly was smiling away and being his jovial self, while greeting the team’s supporters. The Camrose, Alta., product was intent on signing every autograph request and satisfying every picture query.

Parker Kelly in action for the Raiders in the WHL final.

    Thursday’s rally attracted about 600 fans, but sometimes it was hard to pin down the estimate. It was obvious some of the team’s faithful came fresh from games at the neighbouring softball fields as young players were still wearing the uniforms of their local minor ball teams.

    Some came from the neighbouring track facility and were wearing their track and field gear.

    Kelly was happy to see all the supporters, who came down to celebrate what was a special and remarkable season for the Raiders.

    After going through a 13-year stretch where they missed the playoffs seven times and were eliminated in the first round six times starting in 2006, the Raiders had their season in the sun in 2018-19.

    They finished first in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 54-10-2-2 record and were rated second in the final CHL Top 10 rankings.

The Raiders faithful give their team a standing ovation on Thursday.

    They won the WHL final in a 3-2 victory in overtime in Game 7 against the Vancouver Giants with overage centre Dante Hannoun scoring the winner. With that win, the Raiders captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    Prince Albert advanced to the Memorial Cup tournament in Halifax, N.S. and bowed out after posting an 0-3 record. The Raiders closed play at the Memorial Cup on Tuesday falling 5-2 to the OHL champions Guelph Storm.

    Kelly was pumped to see the turnout on the final night the 2018-19 Raiders would get together as some members of the team were slated to start returning home on Friday.

Raiders fans had their picture taken with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    “It is unbelievable,” said Kelly. “It is kind of starting to sink in now.

    “You see all the people here after a long work day coming to support us, a little celebration we had tonight, it is really cool to see all the support we have and how many people love coming to watch us play. We appreciate it so much.

    “It is such an underrated town. It has to be one of the best places to play, when it is packed. We really appreciate these guys.”

    Kelly was part of a core group of eight players that were with the Raiders in 2016-17, when the club finished third last in the WHL with a 21-44-5-2 record. The other members from that group included Brayden Pachal, who became the team’s captain this season, Zack Hayes, Max Martin, Spencer Moe, Cole Fonstad, Sean Montgomery and netminder Ian Scott.

    Together, they pushed the Raiders into the playoffs with a 32-27-9-4 regular season record in 2017-18, where they fell in a heartbreaking seven game first round series to the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Raiders centre Sean Montgomery, right, satisfies a fan request.

    That set the stage for the magical campaign in 2018-19, where the Raiders topped the WHL standings and won the WHL title for the first time since the 1984-85 campaign. The 1984-85 Raiders were able to capture the Memorial Cup as CHL champions.

    Kelly was part of the team’s WHL Bantam Draft class in 2014 with Scott and Hayes and was proud the core group from the 2016-17 campaign could grow and persevere.

    “I go back to what Habby (Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid) said in his interview about us getting sand kicked in our faces and us being made fun of,” said Kelly. “All I can just say is look at us now - we’re champs.

    “We’re going to have rings on our figures. I’ve been through thick and thin with those guys, and you know what, we’re going to be brothers for life.”

Sean Montgomery was a heart and soul career Raiders player.

    Montgomery is the elder statesman of the entire Raiders team. The Calgary, Alta., product was selected in the sixth round and 114^th overall in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.

    He would go on to play a team record 345 career regular season games for the Raiders collecting 72 goals and 72 assists. Montgomery enjoyed sharing the ride with the core group of eight that has been together since the 2016-17 season.

    “That has been awesome,” said Montgomery. “We’ve had a few tough years, but we learned from those years and grew from them and now we won.”

    The Raiders acquired Pachal in a trade with the Victoria Royals on Jan. 9, 2017. Pachal remembered the taunts he first endured with the Raiders after joining them for the second half of the 2016-17 campaign.

    “We didn’t forget that, and now we are at the top,” said Pachal. “We lost with class, and now we’ve won with class.

Captain Brayden Pachal addresses the team’s faithful on Thursday.

    “It is an amazing feeling. Obviously, becoming close with all those core guys is amazing, but at the same time it is tough. There are a lot of us that won’t be back next year.

    “We played our last game as a group together. It is a tough one. It is bittersweet.”

    Habscheid has gotten emotional talking about his team since the club concluded play at the Memorial Cup. He has a big sense of pride for his players and what they accomplished this season.

    The veteran bench boss said it has been fun seeing the journey the core group of eight has been on together since the 2016-17 season.

    “We just stayed with it,” said Habscheid. “We just kept believing and kept working.

    “You know hard work pays off, and it showed. These guys are league champions, and they resurrected a franchise that needed a little shot in the arm. They provided that for the franchise and for the city.”
    Kelly admitted there were stretches this season where he was really locked in and focused on the task at hand.

A scene that will be remembered forever in Prince Albert.

    During those stretches where the team is working hard day after day, Kelly said he might have not taken enough time to reflect how fun the ride has been.

    The prospect of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators said events like the rally that was held for the Raiders on Thursday more than made up for the times he might have been too locked in.

    “You kind of miss how fun a whole season is with your brothers and playing with them every night, going to war with them,” said Kelly. “When you finally get to raise a trophy and have a celebration like this, it is unbelievable.

    “There are really no words to put it other than it is just so surreal right now. Like we always say, we’ll be brothers forever and we’ll walk together for the rest of our lives.”

Huskies punch ticket to all-QMJHL Memorial Cup title game

    The Memorial Cup’s title game will be a rematch of the QMJHL championship series.

    On Friday, the QMJHL champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies slipped past the OHL champion Guelph Storm 6-4 in a Memorial Cup semifinal game before a sellout crowd of 10,595 spectators at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S.

    The Huskies and Storm entered the third period locked in a 3-3 tie.

    Huskies centre Felix Bibeau scored the first two goals of the third to put Rouyn-Noranda up 5-3.

    With 73 seconds remaining in the third period, Storm captain Isaac Ratcliffe scored his second of two goals on the night to cut the Huskies lead to 5-4.

    Huskies captain Rafael Harvey-Pinard sealed victory for his side scoring into an empty net with 2.9 seconds remaining in the third. Harvey-Pinard had two assists to go with his goal.

    Alex Beaucage, Joel Teasdale and Tyler Hinam had singles for the Huskies. Jack Hanley and Cedric Ralph replied with singles for the Storm.

    Samuel Harvey stopped 34 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Anthony Popovich turned away 33-of-38 shots to take the loss in goal for the Storm.

    Huskies offensive defenceman Noah Dobson was stopped on a penalty shot.

    With the win, the Huskies will play for the CHL championship advancing to the Memorial Cup title game on Sunday to play the host Halifax Mooseheads (5 p.m. Saskatchewan time, Sportsnet).
    The only other time there was an all-QMJHL title game at the Memorial Cup came back in 2006, when the QMJHL finalists Quebec Remparts downed the host and QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats 6-2 in 2006.

    The Huskies beat the Mooseheads 4-2 in the best-of-seven QMJHL final. The Huskies downed the Mooseheads 4-3 in a round robin game on Wednesday.

    The Huskies topped the QMJHL regular season standings with a 59-8-0-1 record and were rated first in the final CHL Top 10 rankings.

    The Mooseheads finished first in the QMJHL’s Eastern Conference in the regular season with a 49-15-2-2 mark and were rated eighth in the final CHL Top 10 rankings.

    Friday’s game brought an end to a remarkable run for Guelph. The Storm finished eighth overall in the OHL’s regular season with a 40-18-6-4 mark.

    Guelph trailed the London Knights 3-0 in a best-of-seven second round series and rallied for four straight wins for a 4-3 series victory.

    In the best-of-seven Western Conference final, the Storm fell behind the Saginaw Spirit 3-1 before rallying for three straight wins to take the series 4-3.

    In the best-of-seven OHL final, the Storm fell behind 2-0 to the Ottawa 67’s before rallying for four straight wins to take the series 4-2.

    At the Memorial Cup tournament, the Mooseheads, Huskies and Storm all had 2-1 records in the round robin portion of the tournament.

    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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