Raiders’ Rudolph might be wisest potential NHL Draft pick

Daxon Rudolph was named the WHL player of the week on Monday.

Daxon Rudolph may be the player that gives an NHL team the most value in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

The 17-year-old Prince Albert Raiders defenceman seems like a certainty to be selected in the first round of the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, which will be held June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, New York. In most debates for the upcoming draft, it is projected that Penn State University Nittany Lions left-winger Gavin McKenna, University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks defenceman Keaton Verhoeff and left-winger Ivar Stenberg of Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League will be taken with the top three picks.

Rudolph, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 202 pounds, was rated sixth among North American skaters in the midterm rankings released by NHL Central Scouting on January 12. Various NHL Entry Draft prognosticators have Rudolph potentially creeping in to be selected in the top 10 of the first round.

On Monday, Rudolph was named the WHL’s player of the week for the week ending on Sunday, January 18. He claimed the honour after recording two goals, four assists and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department helping the Raiders go 3-0 for the week in question.

This column of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

Hoping hockey executive Anholt avoids being cancelled

Politics of extreme right and left cast shadow on sports

Peter Anholt, left, watches the Hurricanes play in December 2015.

Being genuine and who you are might be the easiest way to get yourself cancelled in today’s world.

Actually, I saw an interview from veteran country singer Gretchen Wilson that was posted to YouTube on August 1, 2024 where she said it is difficult to be anything in the current day. We live in the age of Donald Trump holding the role of President of the United States of America for the second time, and in this age, society is more filled with division and hatred than ever before casting a shadow over all parts of life.

The extreme right and left wings in politics are locked in a cultural war, and in my mind, both of those extreme sides believe total victory will be achieved when the other side gets obliterated.

Unfortunately, the influence of the political world does cast a shadow on the sports world. In this backdrop, people in the sports world are going to take a fall, when they shouldn’t take a fall. There are problems in the sports world like any walk of life that are always in the process of being worked out, but when a bazooka is being used to take out a mosquito, people that should be in the sports world will ultimately no longer be in the sports world.

That brings us to this past January 9 in the WHL when the Lethbridge Hurricanes announced Peter Anholt, who is 65-years-old, had resigned as the club’s general manager effective immediately. Hurricanes senior advisor Barclay Parneta assumed the duties as Hurricanes general manager on that same day on an interim basis for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.

Last season, the Hurricanes finished sixth overall in the WHL with a 42-21-3-2 mark. Lethbridge loaded up to make a deep run in the post-season. The Hurricanes advanced to the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series where they were swept away by the eventual WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers 4-0 in a best-of-seven set.

This season, the Hurricanes found themselves at the start of a rebuild and were 12-27-0-1 at the time Anholt resigned. Lethbridge is currently second last in the 23-team circuit with a 12-32-0-1 record.

A WHL release from January 9 regarding Anholt’s resignation stated his departure follows the investigation of a historical personal conduct matter. The alleged matter, dating to 2015, involved a verbal interaction with a player that, as described, falls outside of the WHL’s Standards of Conduct with respect to threatening and intimidating language.

This follows WHL disciplinary action levied against Anholt and the Hurricanes this past November. On November 14, 2025, the WHL announced Anholt had been suspended for five games and the Hurricanes were fined $10,000.

The sanctions came following a WHL investigation that found Anholt breached the WHL Standards of Conduct through the use of intimidating behavior and language during a post-game address to players in the dressing room following the team’s 8-6 home ice loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings on October 29, 2025.

In a release on November 14, 2025, Anholt said, “My behavior and language in addressing our team did not meet expectations. The Lethbridge Hurricanes have always believed in providing a positive environment for our players. I accept the discipline issued by the WHL and will be committed to a higher standard moving forward.”

At that time, the WHL had imposed remedial measures that included supplementary education and support, enhanced monitoring and preventative steps to ensure there is no recurrence of similar conduct.

This past January 9, the WHL said in a release that the circuit was not aware of the historical allegation at the time the matter from November 2025 was handled. Both claims were filed via the league’s anonymous 1-800 WHL Respect hotline, which provides players, staff and others associated with the WHL with a confidential avenue to report concerns or incidents that may violate WHL standards.

The historical claim was investigated by the WHL Security Department.

The WHL also announced that along with his departure, Anholt has agreed to participate in counselling in the spirit of personal betterment. Anholt’s counselling will be sponsored by the Hurricanes and the WHL.

Before I go on, I just want to say that “Peter Anholt is a good man.”

Let me repeat myself.

Before I go on, I just want to say that “Peter Anholt is a good man.”

I have known Anholt since late 2002, and I consider him a good friend. I will always consider him one of my guys. We met when he came back to Prince Albert to once again become the head coach of the Raiders, and I was working full time as the sports reporter for the Prince Albert Daily Herald.

Anholt built a reputation as a Raiders hero as a defenceman from 1978 to 1981 when the team was still in the junior A ranks. He played on national championship winners in 1979 and 1981. When the club moved to the WHL before the start of the 1982-83 campaign, Anholt worked on the Raiders coaching staff as an assistant coach from 1986 to 1988 and was the head coach and director of hockey operations for the 1988-89 season.

I have always and still see Anholt as someone who is respected, accountable and personable. One of my best memories of Anholt for myself came when the Raiders were eliminated from the first round of the 2004 WHL Playoffs in Game 6 against the Brandon Wheat Kings in a contest played at the Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg. The Wheat Kings were forced out of their rink due to the annual Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon.

I was riding the bus with the Raiders at that time, and I had an important blood family issue to look after when we arrived in Winnipeg. Everyone on the team knew about the issue, and Anholt was a big pillar of support for myself.

When the bus arrived in Winnipeg the day before the game, I left to address the issue, and I didn’t see everyone again until Game 6 versus the Wheat Kings was played the next day.

After dropping a 4-1 decision to the Wheat Kings in Game 6, I interviewed Anholt after that contest. When the interview was done, he asked how things went on the blood family front. I said they went well.

Anholt smiled and said, “That’s good. Family is important.”

Before the start of the 2014-15 campaign, Anholt joined the Hurricanes as an assistant general manager. In case anyone forgot, it seemed like there was a death watch surrounding the Hurricanes when Anholt joined the team.

At the completion of the 2013-14 campaign, the Hurricanes posted a 12-55-2-3 record and missed the WHL Playoffs for a fifth straight season. Things were so bad at times during the playoff drought that the Hurricanes were having trouble securing a radio broadcast deal at one point, which is highly unusual for a WHL franchise. There were also times the Hurricanes existence in Lethbridge was also called into question.

In December of 2014, the Hurricanes named Anholt the team’s head coach and general manager as he worked to get the team turned around. Before the start of the 2015-16 campaign, Anholt hired Brent Kisio to be the Hurricanes head coach, while Anholt focused on the role as general manager.

The Hurricanes turned around on and off the ice and made the Eastern Conference Championship Series in 2017 and 2018. Lethbridge fell in six games to the Regina Pats in 2017 and the eventual WHL champion Swift Current Broncos in six games in 2018.

While the Hurricanes are in a rebuild in the current campaign, they are still a respected franchise, and they are expected to be part of the Lethbridge community long into the foreseeable future. Anholt played a major role in getting that franchise to that point.

Since 2022, hockey in Canada has been under a microscope since the legal issues came up regarding Canada’s entry that won gold at world juniors during the 2017-18 campaign. That saw five players be charged with sexual assault and then be acquitted. All sorts of fallout and all sorts of other issues came to the surface as a spinoff of the legal issues that came to the surface for those five members of Canada’s world junior team from the 2017-18 campaign.

To me, there has been more of a heightened pressure from the Government of Canada on sports bodies and organizations to create codes of conduct and make sure they are followed. There is also a push for sports organizations to have 1-800 hotlines where people can make anonymous tips about misconduct that are investigated by an objective third party, but I would say about 80 per cent of sports organizations in Canada don’t have the funding for an oversight body like that.

For a lot of sports organizations including national sports bodies, funding for an oversight body would take up their entire budget.

As for Anholt, he is personable, but he also wears his heart on his sleeve. He is genuine and honest, and if he thinks someone isn’t a good person or a team isn’t giving a good effort, he calls it as he sees it. Most of the time, his observations are correct.

I did worry that something like the post-game address on October 29, 2025 after the Hurricanes loss to the Oil Kings and the fallout afterwards could happen. I also should note that isn’t an everyday thing with Anholt, and it didn’t surprise me he owned that situation.

The historical matter from 2015 concerns me from the aspect of how skeletons in the closet from the past get treated. Of course, some skeletons are worse than others and is a bazooka going to be used to take out all skeletons.

Reflecting back to when Anholt came on board with the Hurricanes and his first couple of seasons on the job, there were players on that team that could be deemed as cancers and having attitudes. Anholt was trying to weed those types off the team. I also know if you are a cancer that Anholt will bluntly tell you that to your face.

Because Anholt is genuine, I know lots of people who have worked under him as a manager in hockey and manager in the working world outside of hockey who say he was the best boss they ever worked for.

I know countless players who say he is the best coach they have played for and the best general manager they have played for. Whenever Anholt’s travels take him, it is common for him to have former players come visit him. I know of players who after they have gotten married would visit Anholt after games and brought their baby children to meet him.

I will say for sure that everyone who played for the Raiders from 2003 to 2005 loved playing for Anholt as a coach.

When Anholt goes to Prince Albert, he knows he has to leave his work behind. If he is at a WHL game at the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre, he knows he will barely see the game with all the people who want to come and visit him.

I could go on and on saying good things about Anholt and there are a lot more to share. I also know with the way things are politically with the extreme left and the extreme right in the current day that those who have their mind made up that Anholt is bad won’t be persuaded otherwise.

I’ve already seen some of that chatter on social media. It feels like those aren’t people who follow hockey normally, and are in this case extreme left wingers who want to jump in with rage to put on a show and like to talk down to others.

Folks in Prince Albert have seen lots of those when the Raiders have faced criticism when they have used their traditional Arab on skates logo for throwback usage. The online criticism and criticism overall comes from people who do not reside in Prince Albert and seem to reside in Toronto or Vancouver. Those people want to talk down and tell the folks in Prince Albert how they should live their lives.

In the current world, I believe Anholt’s biggest challenge is that he is too genuine, and he isn’t the ultimate example in being politically correct. For myself, I have found those that focus on being the ultimate example of being politically correct are often people I find I distrust, are not credible and are not genuine.

I just hope Anholt avoids getting cancelled and does return to hockey one day. With the Hurricanes and WHL sponsoring his counselling, I think that is a path he is heading towards.

If Anholt does get cancelled, I fear there are a lot of other good people in the sports world that could end up in that same predicament as well.

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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Not easy – Blades gut out 4-2 victory over Broncos

WHL basement dwellers make Saskatoon earn win

The Blades celebrate a third period goal from Elias Pul.

On paper, it appeared to be a “get right game” for the Saskatoon Blades.

In their last two outings on January 9 and Wednesday, the Blades dropped respective decisions to the Edmonton Oil Kings and Brandon Wheat Kings by identical 3-1 scores. The Oil Kings are sitting inside the top four in the WHL, while the Wheat Kings are in the top eight of the major junior circuit.

Looking to put an end to a two-game skid that came against quality opponents, the Blades welcomed the Swift Current Broncos to the SaskTel Centre for a WHL regular season clash. The Broncos sit firmly in the basement of the entire WHL. In their last outing, the Broncos were drubbed by the Pats in Regina 7-0 on Wednesday.

Elias Pul had the winning goal for the Blades on Friday.

However, the WHL is not NCAA college football where quality teams can get their collective confidence back by steamrolling a foe at the bottom of the standings. In the WHL, all teams can be competitive on any given night, so you can’t just pencil in a notch in the win column against foes near or at the bottom of the standings.

On Friday night, the Blades found themselves locked in a 2-2 draw with the lowly Broncos for much of the third period. Saskatoon entered the third holding a 2-1 lead, but that changed when Broncos 18-year-old centre Parker Rondeau scored 92 seconds into the frame.

Working on the forecheck in the Saskatoon zone, Rondeau threw the puck to the front of the Saskatoon net, got to the front of the net to retrieve the puck and scored the equalizer off a spin around shot. Rondeau’s goal came when both teams were playing four-versus-four hockey due to off-setting penalties.

Aiden Eskit stopped 32-of-35 shots in goal for the Broncos.

With 7:11 remaining in the third, Blades 19-year-old rookie import left-winger Elias Pul proved to be opportunistic at just the right time. As the hosts were applying pressure in the Swift Current zone, Pul pounced on a loose puck sitting in front of the Broncos goal and wired home his fourth of the campaign to put the Blades in front 3-2.

The tally was Pul’s first goal as a member of the Blades after being acquired in a significant trade with the Spokane Chiefs on December 9, 2025. Pul was playing in just his third game with the Blades after returning to the WHL having played for Germany’s entry at world juniors.

Saskatoon’s victory was finally sealed when captain Tyler Parr scored into an empty net with 42.2 seconds to play in the third to round out the 4-2 win to the delight of the 3,497 spectators in attendance. The win allowed the Blades to improve to 22-16-2-1 to sixth overall in the Eastern Conference.

Evan Gardner (#35) makes one of his 26 saves for the Blades.

The Broncos fell to 9-30-3 to continue to sit last in the entire WHL, and they are winless in their last five straight games recording four regulation losses and an overtime setback over that stretch.

When Friday’s contest started, it appeared an early good omen for the Saskatoon side might foreshadow a feel good night. The Blades jumped in front 1-0 just 1:48 into the first period as 18-year-old centre Kazden Mathies slid home his 12^th of the season from the front of the Swift Current net. The officials at first ruled no goal on the ice as Mathies drew contact with Broncos netminder Aiden Eskit.

The video review showed Mathies was guided into the Broncos puck stopper by a Swift Current skater, and the officials reversed the original ruling on the ice calling the goal good to allow the hosts take their one-goal edge.

Kazden Mathies had the Blades first goal on Friday.

Mathies’s tally did not spark a surge where the Blades would fill the Swift Current net with pucks. Instead, Eskit and Blades 19-year-old star netminder Evan Gardner played really sound. The Blades exited the opening 20 minutes with their 1-0 lead with the shots on goal being even at 11-11.

In the second period, the Broncos showed they weren’t going to mail Friday’s game in and evened the score at 1-1 at the 9:26 mark of the frame. Swift Current captain Hudson Darby gloved down a high Blades clear attempt at the Saskatoon blue line to create the scoring chance.

Darby skated in and put a shot on goal that was kicked out by Gardner. The rebound was directed out to Broncos rookie import left-winger Stepan Kuryachenkov. Kuryachenkov quickly potted home his eighth of the campaign for the equalizer.

Stepan Kuryachenkov scored the Broncos first goal on Friday.

Swift Current’s push back was strong enough to build a 21-16 edge in shots on goal with 10:17 remaining in the second.

However, momentum would jump back on Saskatoon’s side before the stanza came to an end. With 3:36 remaining in the second, the Blades pulled ahead 2-1 scoring on a two-man advantage.

Working the puck in the Swift Current zone, Blades standout centre Cooper Williams found himself with the puck off to the right of the Bronco net. Williams centred a pass to 20-year-old linemate Rowan Calvert in front of the Swift Current net. Calvert redirected the puck past Eskit for his team-leading 22^nd tally of the season for the power-play marker.

After 40 minutes, the Blades were still holding their 2-1 edge and had a 26-23 advantage in shots on goal. That set the stage for the dramatics in the third period.

Rowan Calvert netted a power-play goal for the Blades.

Gardner stopped 26 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Eskit turned away 32-of-35 shots to take the setback in net for the Broncos. The 17-year-old rookie netminder is still in search of his first career WHL regular season victory.

Pul had an assist to go with his goal. His assist came from a smart pass that helped set Mathies on a path to score the first goal of the contest. Blades 18-year-old import left-winger David Lewandowski, who was also a member of Germany’s entry at world juniors, picked up two assists in Friday’s win.

The Blades picked up the win they were expected to pick up on Friday, but improving to 4-0 against Swift Current head-to-head didn’t come easy. That has kind of been a bit of a theme for the Blades at home this season as they now have a 10-9-0-1 record at the SaskTel Centre. Saskatoon’s home record rates 16^th among the WHL’s 23 clubs.

On the road, the Blades are 12-7-2, which rates as the ninth best road record in the WHL. They hope their luck on the road will continue on Saturday, when they travel to Swift Current to face the Broncos again at 7 p.m. at the Innovationplex.

The Blades salute their fans after their win on Friday.

While the Blades have experienced some success on the road, the Broncos will likely do their best to make it difficult for the Saskatoon side to continue that success.

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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Boychuk’s patience and grit pays off for Raiders

Winger nets third period winner against Wheat Kings

The Raiders celebrate a winning goal from Riley Boychuk (#23).

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Riley Boychuk made sure the Brandon Wheat Kings weren’t able to get out of Prince Albert with a steal.

On Tuesday, the Raiders found themselves holding a 2-1 lead over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings after two periods in a WHL regular season clash played before 2,392 spectators at the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre. The Raiders were holding a 27-8 edge in shots on goal including a huge 20-1 edge in the second period.

At the 5:29 mark of the third, Wheat Kings 20-year-old offensive-defenceman Grayson Burzynski scored with a shot from the left wing to force a 2-2 tie. Wheat Kings 19-year-old netminder and Prince Albert product Jayden Kraus had seemingly turned into Calgary Flames legend Miikka Kiprusoff and was denying tonnes of glorious scoring chances.

Riley Boychuk had one goal and was a plus-two on Tuesday.

Just 2:06, Boychuk had the puck at the right side of the Brandon net with Kraus sprawled out to make another save. Boychuk deked around the goalie and tapped home a backhand shot to put the Raiders up 3-2.

That tally would hold up as the winner and sparked a surge as Raiders wingers Owen Corkish and Brayden Dube added singles to cement a 5-2 victory for the host side in a game that had its rougher moments. The win allowed the Raiders to improve to 4-0 in head-to-head meetings with their East Division rivals this season.

“I think it was a complete game all around,” said Boychuk, who has nine goals and 34 assists in 39 regular season outings in the current campaign. “I think, obviously, we played them lots.

Riley Boychuk has nine goals and 34 assists in 39 games.

“They are a big rival with us. It is going to get rough out there, getting intense, division rivals. Our first (period), we kind of let them into it a little bit. I think the second we had a lot of chances.

“I think the credit to their goalie (Kraus) he played really well. I think credit to us though we stuck with it. In the third, it kind of opened up there.”

Boychuk, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 165 pounds, showed off a bit of a feisty edge too on Tuesday night. That was best seen in a scrum that occurred with 3.6 seconds remaining in the third period.

The scrum escalated when Wheat Kings star 20-year-old right-winger Luke Mistelbacher punched Raiders 17-year-old right-winger Jonah Sivertson to the ice. Boychuk jetted immediately into the fray with teammates following suit. The officials quickly got the situation under control and Boychuk received a roughing minor and a 10-minute misconduct among the off-setting penalties that were handed out.

Luke Mistelbacker gave the Wheat Kings an early 1-0 lead.

During those feisty moments, Boychuk kind of mirrored the playing style of his head coach Ryan McDonald, who built a reputation as a feisty forward that could score during his WHL playing days with the Regina Pats and Raiders from 2004 to 2009.

“First, it is a big compliment to be in the same mention as him (McDonald),” said Boychuk, who was a plus-two in the plus-minus department on Tuesday night. “I think it is just trying to add that to my game.

“That situation there, Sivy (Sivertson) is a great guy on the team. I know he’d do the same for me. He (Mistlebacher) has got to get his punch in, especially at the end of the game, right?

Jayden Kraus makes one of his 39 saves on Tuesday.

“You want to stick up for your teammates, and that is not just me doing that. It is everybody that game in. If anybody else was on the ice, it would be the same for all of us.”

McDonald appreciated the effort Boychuk put in during Tuesday’s victory over Brandon.

“Chucky (Boychuk) is a tremendously smart hockey player,” said McDonald. “He has tremendous vision.

“You saw his patience on the goal. He has a fantastic defensive stick. At the end coming to the aid of a teammate and mixing it up a little bit, that is what our group does.

“They stick up for one another.”

Daxon Rudolph had the Raiders first goal on Tuesday.

The Wheat Kings broke on to the scoreboard first in Tuesday’s clash at the 6:50 mark of the opening frame. Wheat Kings 16-year-old rookie left-winger Prabh Bhathal sprung Mistlebacher in on the Prince Albert goal with a sleek pass. Mistlebacher snapped his 21^st of the season past Raiders star import netminder Michal Orsulak.

The Raiders evened the score at 1-1 while working on a two-man advantage at the 9:51 mark of the opening frame. Raiders star 17-year-old defenceman Daxon Rudolph sniped a seeing-eye shot past Kraus for the equalizer and his 19^th tally of the campaign.

In the second, Kraus was putting on a clinic denying waves of Raiders scoring chances that came his way. With 7:18 remaining in the second, Raiders 19-year-old defenceman Linden Burrett cut to the front of the Brandon net with the puck and slid home a backhand shot underneath Kraus to put the hosts in front 2-1. Burrett’s goal was the 16^th shot on net in the frame for the Prince Albert side.

Linden Burrett scored for the Raiders in the second period.

That set up the dramatics in the third period.

Heading into the third, Boychuk said the Raiders were focused on pushing forward. After Burzynski scored the third-period equalizer for the Wheat Kings, Boychuk said the Raiders kept pushing forward ultimately resulting in his goal.

“I think it started with the second (period),” said Boychuk. “I thought we were playing well.

“We only let up one shot in the second right there, so our message in the room was to keep going and don’t let up there. I thought that we did a really good job at the start of the third. They got a good shot there, lucky bounce, good shot, so on the bench, we just said stick with it.

Grayson Burzynski had the Wheat Kings second goal on Tuesday.

“I think that was a big goal there to get that momentum back.”

McDonald was pleased Boychuk ultimately netted the winning goal and that the effort of his squad never wavered at any point on the night.

“We just continued to build the game, and it was just a fantastic 60-minute effort from our group,” said McDonald. “The guys just stuck with it.

“They just kept inching forward and pushing forward and pushing and pushing until it finally broke. Chucky (Boychuk) scored with a fantastic patient opportunity where he gets the puck and is able to work around the goaltender.”

Orsulak stopped 15 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders, who improved their East Division leading record to 29-6-4. The Raiders are also rated fifth in the CHL Top 10 Rankings that were released on Tuesday. Kraus turned away 39 shots to take the setback in net for the Wheat Kings, who have lost five straight falling to 22-17-1.

Owen Corkish had the Raiders fourth goal on Tuesday.

The Wheat Kings get back at it on Wednesday when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the Blades (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

The Raiders return to action on Friday when they travel to Lethbridge to take on the Hurricanes (7 p.m. local time, VisitLethbridge.com Arena).

Before heading on the road to Lethbridge, McDonald thought it was great for his Raiders to get a nice bounce back win on Tuesday after dropping a tough 5-3 decision to the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday at the Hauser.

“This is a group that any time we leave points on the table they are not happy,” said McDonald. “It is a very determined group.

“We had a real good practice yesterday. It was very snappy. It was very direct.

“We did some great learning in video, and guys went out there and applied it tonight. We got to our pace and got our skating legs in a real hurry. We just kept pushing and kept wearing them down until it finally went.”

Riley Boychuk, left, gives a young fan a souvenir stick.

McDonald likes the resilience his players have displayed this season.

“That is the real power of our group is we don’t change, (and) we don’t waver,” said McDonald. “We just continue to play the same way.”

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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Opportunistic Oil Kings give Raiders slip in 5-3 win

Miroslav Holinka (#92) soaks in scoring the winner for the Oil Kings.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – The Edmonton Oil Kings proved that if you give them an inch they can take a mile.

On Saturday playing before a standing room crowd of 2,817 spectators at the 2,580 Art Hauser Centre, the Oil Kings, who were rated sixth in the CHL Top 10 Rankings release on Tuesday, took on the host Prince Albert Raiders, who were rated third in the CHL Top 10. The clash was viewed as a heavyweight showdown coming just past the midway point of the WHL regular season.

The Raiders outshot the Oil Kings 37-21 in the contest, but the visitors skated away with a 5-3 victory for their eighth win in a row, which brought an end to Prince Albert’s six game winning streak. 

Miroslav Holinka has points in 11 straight games.

With the victory, the Oil Kings improved to 29-7-3-1 to sit two points up on the Raiders, who fell to 28-6-4, for second overall in the Eastern Conference. The Raiders, who have two games in hand on the Oil Kings, still sit comfortably in first place in the East Division.

The Oil Kings trail the Eastern Conference leading Medicine Hat Tigers by one point for first overall in the conference. The Tigers downed the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 7-4 in Medicine Hat on Saturday night improving to 29-6-3-2 with their 17^th win in a row. Medicine Hat’s winning streak equals a team record set back in the 2006-07 campaign, when the Tigers won their fifth of their six total WHL titles.

“You’re always continuing to build throughout the season,” said Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald. “We’re just after Christmas.

Braeden Cootes had one goal and one assist for the Raiders.

“Every game is important. I really liked our effort. I thought we were very relentless.

“In the second period, they had their push. They had some areas that they took advantage of. Again, we answered right back, and that third period, I thought we continued to put our foot on the gas.”

The two sides entered the third period locked in a 3-3 tie.

At the 7:34 mark of the third, Oil Kings 20-year-old star import centre Miroslav Holinka roofed a shot to the top left corner of the Prince Albert goal with a chance alone in front of the net to put the visitors up 4-3. Holinka converted a beauty setup pass from Oil Kings captain Gavin Hodnett that came from behind the Raiders goal.

Ethan Simcoe made 34 saves in goal for the Oil Kings.

With an assist earlier in the game and the goal, Holinka improved his consecutive game points streak to 11 contests netting 12 goals and 11 assists over that time.

The Raiders pressed to get the equalizer outshooting the Oil Kings 15-5 in the frame. Prince Albert’s arguably best chance to even the score came with 1:50 remaining in the third when breakout star right-winger Max Heise fired a drive from the right faceoff dot that was swallowed up by Oil Kings star netminder Ethan Simcoe.

With 12.9 seconds remaining in the third, Oil Kings star 19-year-old import right-winger Max Curran sealed the victory for the visitors with an empty-net goal.

Owen Corkish does the fly by after scoring the Raiders first goal.

“I think we just didn’t get the bounces, and it goes that way,” said Raiders star centre Braeden Cootes. “They’re a really good team over there.

“That is a playoff-type game and a potential playoff series. It stings, but we’ll learn from it. We’ll just get better.”

Saturday’s clash was the first time the Raiders and Oil Kings went at it since the passing of the WHL trade deadline on Thursday and since the world juniors wrapped up on Monday. Cootes was playing his second game for the Raiders since being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds on Tuesday. Star defenceman Carter Sotheran was skating in his third game for the Oil Kings since being acquired in a trade with the Portland Winterhawks earlier that same day.

Raiders mascot PIMS makes his rounds at the Art Hauser Centre.

The Raiders came out on fire outshooting the Oil Kings 12-4 in the opening frame. The hosts finally broke through on the scoreboard with 1:49 remaining in the first when rookie 18-year-old left-winger Owen Corkish potted home a shot from the front of the Edmonton net.

At the 5:39 mark of the second, the Raiders pushed their edge up to 2-0. Cootes tipped home a shot in front of the Edmonton net that came in from the point off the stick of 19-year-old defenceman Linden Burrett to give the hosts their two goal edge. That tally was Cootes first goal as a member of the Raiders.

“It is always nice to score, obviously, and get more comfortable,” said Cootes, who made his Raiders debut on Friday in a 6-1 win over the Swift Current Broncos at the Hauser. “I thought it was a lot better today.

Lukas Sawchyn (#95) does the fly by after scoring for the Oil Kings.

“Yesterday was kind of a pretty crazy day getting here and just trying to get going. Today kind of felt more normal, just a normal game day. I got to have a normal sleep and a nap, so it felt better out there.

“It was nice to get the first one.”

The Oil Kings proceeded to go on a tear scoring the next three goals in the frame to go ahead 3-2. Lukas Sawchyn, Blake Fiddler and Noa Ta’amu all had singles for Edmonton in the surge. Sawchyn scored from the left side boards, Fiddler with an on ice shot from the point and Ta’amu with a screen shot from midrange.

Blake Fiddler scored the Oil Kings second goal on Saturday.

With 73 seconds remaining in the second, Heise potted a laser from close in at the right side of the Edmonton net to even the score at 3-3. That set the stage for the dramatics in the third period.

Michal Orsulak turned away 16 of 20 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders. Simcoe stopped 34 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Oil Kings.

The two sides went at it twice earlier in the season with each contest being decided in overtime. On October 18, 2025, the Oil Kings slipped past the Raiders 3-2 in extra time at the Art Hauser Centre. On December 7, 2025, the Raiders edged the Oil Kings 4-2 in overtime at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Going forward Cootes is looking to build more chemistry with his new team.

“You get better each day, and we want to peak at the right time,” said Cootes, who had an assist to go along with his goal on Saturday. “That is obviously the playoffs.

Max Heise scored the Raiders third goal on Saturday.

“I just have to come in here and do my part and try to be the best player I can be and be a good leader. I just try to keep getting better and get more chemistry with them. Once we get a few weeks and a month as just a team, I think we’ll do a lot of damage.”

The Raiders return to action on Tuesday when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

The Oil Kings get back it on Wednesday when they return home and host the Medicine Hat Tigers (7 p.m. local time, Rogers Place).

The Raiders and Oil Kings will go at it once more in the regular season. That last encounter will take place on Sunday, March 8 at 4 p.m. local time at Rogers Place.

Ethan MacKenzie (#47) chases Maddix McCagherty (#17).

Looking back and noting the two sides met in the first round of the 2025 WHL Playoffs where the Raiders took the set with a 5-0 win in a series deciding Game 7, McDonald said there is not a lot separating the two clubs.

“I think these two teams have played each other a lot over the last four or five or six months,” said McDonald. “We’re very familiar with the group over there.

The Oil Kings celebrate their win on Saturday night.

“Again, these are two really good teams slugging it out. The margins are very thin as you continue to go through the game. It is all about just continuing to strive for that 60 minutes.”

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 land biggest fish in Cootes before trade deadline

Curtis Hunt went deep like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. when it came to this year’s WHL trade deadline.

The WHL trade deadline is passed on Thursday at 7 p.m. Saskatchewan time. A total of nine deals were made on the deadline day itself, and pretty much all those transactions equate to a team sending a player to another team in hopes of getting more ice time and a restart.

On Tuesday, the Raiders executed their final deal before the deadline and it was a blockbuster. They landed Seattle Thunderbirds captain in 18-year-old centre Braeden Cootes. Cootes just finished helping Canada win bronze at the world juniors that wrapped up on Monday in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Cootes started the campaign playing three regular season games with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks selected the Sherwood Park, Alta., product in the first round and 15^th overall in the NHL Entry Draft held last June. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canucks on July 9, 2025.

After being returned to the Thunderbirds, Cootes appeared in 17 regular season games posting 10 goals, 13 assists and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department before departing to join Canada’s squad for world juniors. He had a pair of goals in seven games for Canada at world juniors.

This column of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

Power player powers Oil Kings, comes up empty for Blades

Max Curran (#8) celebrates scoring a second period power-play goal.

The power play can giveth, and the power play and taketh away.

The Edmonton Oil Kings and Saskatoon Blades learned that lesson in a huge way in a head-to-head WHL regular season clash played before 3,934 spectators on Friday at the SaskTel Centre. The visiting Oil Kings went 3-for-6 with the man advantage and skated away with a 3-1 victory.

The Blades came up empty on six power-play opportunities and had to wonder what might have been. Saskatoon entered the contest having scored on 39-of-134 power-play chances on the campaign for a 29.1 per cent success rate to rate fourth overall in the WHL. The Blades penalty kill was about middle of the pack with a 77.9 per cent success rate entering play on Friday.

Max Curran scored two power-play goals for the Oil Kings.

Edmonton’s power play entering play on Friday was 28-for-139 for a 20.1 per cent success rate, which was in the bottom half of the league. The Oil Kings were also tied with the Wenatchee Wild for giving up the most short-handed goals against at eight. The penalty kill was a different story for Edmonton as the Oil Kings had an 81.8 per cent success rate entering play on Friday to sit in the top four on the circuit.

The win was a sixth straight for the Oil Kings, who improved to 28-7-3-1 to sit in a tie with the Prince Albert Raiders (28-5-4) for second and third overall in the Eastern Conference. Edmonton was rated sixth in the latest CHL Top 10 Rankings that were released on Tuesday, while the Raiders are third.

Evan Gardner makes one of his 26 save in goal for the Blades.

The Blades saw their four game winning streak come to an end on Friday. They fell to 21-15-2-1 to sit fifth overall in the Eastern Conference.

Going into Friday’s contest, it wasn’t expected the Oil Kings would outshine the Blades on the power play. That ended up being exactly what happened.

The Oil Kings broke on the scoreboard first scoring on the power play on their first shot of the game at the 4:06 mark of the opening frame. Oil Kings import right-winger Miroslav Holinka had the puck along the left wing and fed a pass across the front of the Saskatoon net to star centre Max Curran positioned by the right faceoff circle.

Curran, who helped Czechia win silver at the world juniors that concluded on Monday in Minnesota, one-timed home his 12^th of the season to give the visitors their one-goal edge.

Miroslav Holinka had a pair of assists for the Oil Kings.

With 8:30 remaining in the first, the Blades had a huge chance to pull even on the scoreboard. Blades rookie import left-winger Elias Pul deflected a point shot from the front of the Edmonton net only to be denied by Oil Kings reliable 17-year-old rookie netminder Parker Snell.

At the 4:06 mark of the second, the Oil Kings pushed their advantage out to 2-0 scoring their second power-play goal that was almost a carbon copy of their first. Holinka had the puck up high by the left point and slid a pass to the right side of the Saskatoon net to Curran. From a bad angle, Curran slid home his second of the contest and 13^th of the campaign to give Edmonton a two-goal advantage.

Isaac Poll had the Blades lone goal on Friday.

Oil Kings star 19-year-old defenceman Ethan MacKenzie picked up assists on both of those first two power-play goals. MacKenzie was playing his first game with the Oil Kings after having helped Canada win bronze at the world junior that wrapped up on Monday.

By the time the second period came to an end, the Blades had failed to score on five of their chances with the power play. They still managed to gain some momentum before the second frame ended.

With three seconds remaining in the second, the Blades got a big traction goal from sophomore 18-year-old defenceman Isaac Poll. Poll had the puck by the right side boards in the Edmonton zone above the right faceoff circle and floated home a shot for his first tally of the campaign to cut the Oil Kings lead to 2-1.

Blake Fiddler scored a key third period power-play goal.

The Oil King proceeded to get a key dagger goal at the 4:38 mark of the third period scoring their third power-play marker on the night. Edmonton defenceman Blake Fiddler took a shot from the point that deflected off a couple of bodies into the Saskatoon net to push the visitors lead out to 3-1.

With 6:56 remaining in the third, Blades 17-year-old right-winger Zach Olsen was given a double minor for high sticking and that infraction will be automatically reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension. The Oil Kings were unable to build on their lead on that four-minute power play.

Evan Gardner turned away 26 shots taking the setback in goal for the Blades. Snell stopped 19 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Oil Kings, who have won two-of-three meetings with the Blades this season.

The Oil Kings return to action on Saturday when they travel to Prince Albert to take on the Raiders (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

The Oil Kings celebrate their win on Friday night.

The Blades are off until Wednesday when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

Going forward, the Blades will be looking to rediscover their prolific touch on the power play.

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.