Hitmen outlast Raiders 3-1 in post-season style contest

Blake Vanek fires home the winning goal for the Hitmen.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – It felt like a playoff game that came in early November.

On Wednesday night playing before 2,630 spectators at the 2,580 storied and historic Art Hauser Centre, the host Prince Albert Raiders engaged in a WHL regular season clash with the visiting Calgary Hitmen where goals came at a premium. Both teams had golden chances to score, but when the dust settled, the Hitmen skated away with a 3-1 victory in a contest that had decent flow with only two minor penalties – both against the visitors – being called.

“That was a real playoff style game,” said Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald. “It was hard.

“It was heavy. You’re fighting for those inside inches. We know they’re a team that likes to play off the rush.

Blake Vanek (#18) celebrates scoring the winner for the Hitmen.

“I thought at times we gave into that a little too much. But again, it was a one-shot game most of the night, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end.”

The Raiders stormed out of the gate with an initial push holding a 7-1 edge in shots on goal. Just past the midway point of the opening frame, Raiders standout 17-year-old right-winger Ben Harvey had a glorious chance to score from midrange from the front of the Calgary net, but his drive was denied by the glove hand of Hitmen 18-year-old netminder Eric Tu.

The Hitmen proceeded to have a push back and the Raiders exited the scoreless opening frame holding a 9-8 edge in shots on goal.

Brandon Gorzynski had the Raiders lone goal on Wednesday.

At the 4:53 mark of the second, Hitmen 20-year-old centre Charlie Kresl intercepted a pass from Raiders 20-year-old rookie defenceman Jordan Murray being the Prince Albert net. Kresl passed the puck out to Hitmen rookie import right-winger Artem Katsuro in the right faceoff circle, and Katsuro wired home his eighth of the season to put the visitors up 1-0.

Raiders star import netminder Michal Orsulak, who had a strong night turning away 27-of-29 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders, took the bullet for the Hitmen’s opening tally saying he needed to make a stop in that moment to bail out Murray.

“I have to have a better read of the situation,” said Orsulak, who Raiders fell to 6-7-1-2 having their four-game winning streak snapped. “I didn’t know about the player in front of the net until after he scored the goal.

Artem Katsuro had the Hitmen’s first goal on Wednesday.

“I must be better in that situation.”

The Raiders evened the score at 1-1 at the 4:48 mark of the third period, when star 19-year-old left-winger Brandon Gorzynski slipped home a backhand shot for the equalizer.

The tie score didn’t last long. Just under five minutes later, Hitmen 19-year-old left-winger Blake Vanek drove up the right wing and wired home a shot to the top left corner of the Raiders net to put the visitors up again 2-1.

With 4:09 remaining in the third, the Raiders thought they tied the contest 2-2 when standout import centre Alisher Sarkenov popped home a loose puck at the right side of the Calgary net. The Hitmen made a coach’s challenge regarding the play being offside, and it video review didn’t need to take long to determine the play was indeed offside to negate the Raiders tally.

Michal Orsulak stopped 27-of-29 shot in goal for the Raiders.

Despite the disallowed goal, the Raiders came out and made a huge push. With less than two minutes to play, Harvey had three good chances from midrange to short range to score, but he was stoned by Tu.

McDonald was pleased with the push his Raiders showed after Sarkenov’s disallowed goal.

“I really liked our response,” said McDonald. “We continued to play north and get pucks under and generate some opportunities.

“Even with the six-on-five, it was still a one-shot game. We had a couple of really good looks that we weren’t able to convert on.”

After withstanding that flurry of chances, Kresl got the puck and jetted up ice. He got in alone on the empty Prince Albert net and deposited the disc into the empty cage with 57.4 seconds remaining in the third to round out the Hitmen’s 3-1 win.

Charlie Kresl had one goal and one assist for the Hitmen.

Tu stopped 29 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Hitmen (9-6-0-1).

While the setback provided learning opportunities for the Raiders in video study, McDonald said his team did their share of good things on the night too.

“You look at our start the shot clock is 7-1 right off the bat,” said McDonald. “I really liked our start.

“When we stuck to what makes us successful, we were able to turn lots of offensive possession time. Our forecheck, I thought our F1, as we continued to adjust we were able to turn pucks over and sustain o-zone time. From a breakouts standpoint, they’re a team that hunts hard whether it is on the forecheck or re-attacking in the o-zone.

Alisher Sarkenov had a goal overturned via a video review.

“You’ve got to play on the move. You’ve got to play quick, and you’ve got to make sure your first and your second touches are clean. I thought when we were able to do that, we were able to exit with pace and get going.”

The Hitmen return to action on Friday when they travel to Saskatoon to face the Blades (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

The Raiders get back at it on Saturday when they travel to Red Deer to face the Rebels (6 p.m. local time, Marchant Crane Centrium).

Looking towards the future, McDonald said a game like the one his Raiders lost to the Hitmen on Wednesday will ultimately help toward building towards preparing for the type of hockey that is played in the post-season.

The Hitmen celebrate their win on Wednesday.

“They (the Hitmen) track well, and they force you into making hurried plays,” said McDonald. “You’ve got to play on the move, and that is where those margins are extremely thin.

“(It was) a really good learning lesson for our group. Our group has done a great job of continuing to grow and continuing to learn through the start of the season. I expect us to continue to do the same.”

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 and Broncos part of WHL’s boat load of surprises

Brandon Gorzynski had a pair of goals in their road win last Saturday.

Just when you think you have the WHL figured out, the circuit’s teams throw a curveball your way.

Those kinds of developments happen in the sports world in general, but they have a greater chance of happening in major junior hockey due to the fact the players are aged 16 to 20. The early part of the WHL season has provided lots of surprises and time will tell if these surprises play out to be longer term trends.

A couple of surprise teams have been the Prince Albert Raiders and the Swift Current Broncos. The Raiders finished second overall in the WHL and topped the Eastern Conference with a 52-10-5-1 mark and were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. They advanced to the WHL Championship Series falling in five games to the Everett Silvertips.

The Raiders returned 14 players from last year’s squad and stumbled out of the gate going 4-6-1-2 to sit second last in the Eastern Conference. That wasn’t a spot most would have picked the Raiders to be in this season. Most would see the Raiders sitting comfortably in a playoff position.

The Broncos have been writing a rags to riches story in the early part of the campaign. In the 2025-26 campaign, the Broncos finished second last in the entire WHL with a 15-44-4-5 mark.

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

Reminder – WHL is a great league

Brock Cripps controls the puck at the point for the Prince Albert Raiders.

Forget all the fan freaks out over winning and losing, the WHL is a great league.

With that said, having the fan investment towards a team where there are freak outs over wins and losses is a good thing too. That type of emotional investment adds extra attachment to the teams fans cheer for and the leagues those teams are in with a “my team is the best bias.”

If you take time to go to any WHL rink as a spectator that has no attachments to either competing teams, you will see that a high level of competitive hockey is being played. You appreciate the game as a game that is played at a fast pace.

Plus, you won’t have to pay around $600 a seat to do that like you would at an NHL regular season contest for the Edmonton Oilers or most other Canadian teams. You can attend games in most WHL rinks for about $30 a seat, while the U.S. based teams do have a touch higher pricing but nowhere near NHL pricing.

Even with the NCAA Division I ranks being able to raid the major junior level of the game this season and last, the WHL is still a great league.

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

Family reasons have me at WHL rinks on sporadic basis

Barret Jackman in 2000 at the then Agridome.

It is true that life can come at you fast. 

On Friday, October 2, I was originally set to work the Saskatoon Blades WHL home contest at the SaskTel Centre. A family development that came up on Wednesday, September 30, has me out of all WHL rinks since that time. 

Due to dealing with a family matter, I won’t be in WHL rinks as much as I originally planned at the start of the current season, and I will be in WHL rinks on a sporadic basis for the foreseeable next few weeks. 

Coving WHL games live in the rink is my happy place. When I am with friends, I will talk about the development. Lots of my family members don’t do the public spotlight thing, so details of the development won’t be posted here. 

The WHL is an outstanding league, so I hope you all make it to games in any of the league centres. Looking forward to the day of getting back live in a WHL rink again and that includes going as a ticket buyer as a fun escape.

Tootoo battles McNeill

Jordin Tootoo of the Brandon Wheat Kings battles Grant McNeill of the Prince Albert Raiders in a game in February of 2003 at the Art Hauser Centre, which was still then known as the Comuniplex. These two are both great guys, and I loved how hard they competed.

Bedard fun to watch

Connor Bedard is seen in action at the Brandt Centre in the WHL Playoffs in April of 2023. At the moment, he is the best player I’ve seen in the 28 seasons I have covered the league.

McKenna provided thrills

Gavin McKenna is seen in action on the road at the Art Hauser Centre in the WHL Playoffs in April of 2025. McKenna has incredible vision when it comes to playmaking, which you are seeing currently as a rookie in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Raiders celebrate WHL title win in 2019

For those who were at the Art Hauser Centre on May 13, 2019, it was one of the greatest nights to be at the storied and historic rink. The Prince Albert Raiders celebrate winning the WHL title and hoisting the Ed Chynoweth Cup at the only home they’ve known after Dante Hannoun scored the overtime winner in Game 7 of the WHL Championship Series.

Blades goal celebration

The Saskatoon Blades celebrate a goal from Hunter Laing this past September 26 at the SaskTel Centre. At that point, I was rolling early covering my 28^th WHL season. Little did I know at that time, life would change for me in four days.

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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Crazy final week of regular season sees Hilltops host PFC semifinal

Luke Bednarek finished third in the PFC with 563 receiving yards.

Anyone who was able to predict how the final week of the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference regular season played out should bet on a major money lottery.

Entering the final week of the regular season for the PFC, the Saskatoon Hilltops needed to beat the visiting Winnipeg Rifles at Saskatoon Minor Football Field to lock up second place in the conference and the right to host a PFC semifinal contest. If the Hilltops lost, it opened the door to them slipping to third place and starting the post-season on the road for the first time since 1990.

On Saturday, October 3, the final week of the PFC regular season opened with the Edmonton Wildcats hosting the Edmonton Huskies at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta. If the Wildcats lost, the Hilltops would lock up second place in the conference.

In a back-and-forth contest, Huskies kicker Lorenzo Monus booted a 47-yard field goal to put the Huskies up 31-28 with 2:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. Inside the final 20 seconds of the fourth, Wildcats star running back Darien Currie ran in a touchdown from 10 yards out to give the Wildcats a 35-31 victory.

That result officially eliminated the Huskies and Rifles from post-season contention.

One day later on Sunday, October 4, the Hilltops stepped on to SMF Field knowing that if they didn’t beat the Rifles they could be going to Sherwood Park to face the Wildcats. The Hilltops jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter but fell behind the Rifles 22-10 at halftime. The Rifles, who knew they were playing their last game of the 2026 CJFL campaign, would pull out a surprising 27-11 victory.

When that contest ended, everyone with the Hilltops thought they were going on the road to face the Wildcats in Sherwood Park to open the CJFL playoffs. The only thing that could throw a wrench into that development was if the Calgary Colts could defeat the undefeated Regina Thunder at Leibel Field in the Saskatchewan capital.

Entering that game, the Thunder were 7-0, had outscored all their opponents 304 to 78 and were rated first in the CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings. At halftime, the Thunder were up on the Colts 28-7, and it is safe to assume most in Saskatoon who saw that score thought that contest was a done deal.

The Hilltops celebrate an interception from Hudson Arneson.

While the Thunder played a large contingent of their reserve players in the second half, the unfathomable happened. The Colts outscored the Thunder 39-2 in the second half to post a shocking 46-30 victory.

That win allowed the Colts to improve to 4-4 to force a three-way tie in the standings with the Hilltops (4-4) and Wildcats (4-4) for second to fourth in the conference.

Had the Hilltops and Wildcats finished tied in the standings, the Wildcats would have finished second. The two sides split their two head-to-head regular season meetings, but the Wildcats held the standings tiebreaker having outscored the Hilltops 41-39 in those two encounters.

It seemed like no one knew how the standings tiebreaker would play out for a three-way tie due to the fact the Hilltops, Wildcats and Colts didn’t play a balanced schedule between themselves. Section 7 of the PFC Rules and Regulations stated a percentage formula of points for and against in the head-to-head games between the three squads determines placing in the standings.

The formula is:

Percentage = Total Points For ÷ (Total Points For +Total Points Against)

That formula is often used in standings tiebreakers in minor hockey. Under that formula, the Hilltops placed second in the conference with a percentage of 52.8 per cent followed by the Wildcats at 51.2 per cent and the Colts coming in at 46.0 per cent.

As a result, the Hilltops host the Wildcats in one PFC semifinal today at 1 p.m. at SMF Field. The Colts again hit the road to take on the Thunder (7-1) in the other PFC semifinal today at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field.

For the Hilltops, the road to success in the post-season is anything but guaranteed. The Hilltops are the defending CJFL champions, but after starting out 3-1, they have gone 1-3 over their final four contests.

The two head-to-head clashes between the Hilltops and Wildcats were held back in August. On August 16 at SMF Field, the Wildcats downed the Hilltops 28-22. On August 30 at Emerald Hills Regional Park, the Hilltops prevailed 17-13 over the Wildcats.

Corbin Ebben finished fifth in the PFC with 607 yards rushing.

On defence, the Hilltops have given up the second fewest points in the PFC at 184. Unlike past years, the Hilltops haven’t dominated in the turnover battle.

Under defensive coordinator Jeff Yausie, the Hilltops are notorious for having a 3-to-1 or a 4-to-1 edge in the turnover battle. Usually, that turns into anywhere from 14 to 28 points on the scoreboard for the Hilltops when that happens.

This season the Hilltops have 18 total takeaways and 16 total giveaways for a plus-two rating in the takeaway-giveaway category. In the 2025 regular season, the Hilltops had 36 total takeaways and 24 total giveaways for a plus-12 rating in that statistic.

Opposing teams in 2026 have given themselves much better shots at gaining victory over the Hilltops by not turning the ball over.

Offensively, the Hilltops have still picked up yards. Star running back Corbin Ebben finished fifth in the PFC with 607 rushing yards coming off 95 carries including two that went for touchdowns. Breakout running back Brody Komarnicki finished sixth in the PFC with 483 yards rushing coming off 101 carries including five that went for major scores.

Starting quarterback Griffin Sander completed 151-of-239 passes for 1,871 yard and six touchdowns, while throwing seven interceptions.

Receiver Luke Bednarek finished third in the PFC with 563 yards receiving coming on 35 catches including two that went for touchdowns. Charles Sawi had 41 catches for 447 yards and one touchdown. His receiving yardage total was good for seventh best in the PFC.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant is still the all-time wins leader in Canadian post-secondary amateur football with 258 victories between the regular season and post-season. While the Hilltops 4-4 record is their worst in the regular season since going 4-4 in 1983, the potential is still there for the current Hilltops to have a memorable finish in the post-season.

There is a cliché that exists that says, “Legends are made in the playoffs.”

The Hilltops hope to get excited for a few post-season games in 2026.

The Hilltops have seen lots of legends get made in the playoffs since this current modern version of the club was created in 1947. If they can get one or two more turnovers and get one or two more major scores in a game, that might make the difference in more Hilltops players become team legends in 2026.

This piece first appeared in the Saskatoon Hilltops game program on October 11, 2026.

Hilltops’ Komarnicki brings the boom on the ground

Power running back breaks out in third year with team

Brody Komarnicki is having a breakout season with the Hilltops.

Running with power will always be in Brody Komarnicki’s football DNA.

The third-year running back is having a breakout season with the defending CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops. After the team’s first six games, Komarnicki has carried the ball 86 times for 435 yards and five touchdowns.

Komarnicki’s style is unmistakable. He hits the hole hard and runs over and through the opposition. The style goes back to Komarnicki’s roots in the game when he played for the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints Football team, whose head coach at the time is current Hilltops offensive line coach Donnie Davidsen. 

“When I first started playing, I always wanted like those big runs, and it is good to still have those big runs,” said Komanicki, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 205 pounds. “I was just dancing around a little too much.

“He (Davidsen) basically is just like you see that first hole and you hit it hard and north-south always. Then after that once you get into the open room, then you can start kind of dancing a little bit and make your cuts and all that. You always want positive yards.

“If you can hit that gap hard and get a couple of yards there, then you can dance. You don’t want to be dancing in that backfield and get negative yards. Donnie definitely put that into my head in high school and it worked out then, so I’m trying to apply it to Hilltops now.”

Komanicki, who resides in Warman, focused on playing basketball until his Grade 10 year starting in September of 2021. At that time, he wanted to give football a try and enrolled at Bishop James Mahoney as Warman High School didn’t have an outlet to play high school football.

At Bishop James Mahoney, Komanicki started playing on the Saints junior team before moving up to the senior team before the end of his Grade 10 season. He was ecstatic that he gave football a try.

“It was just the team,” said Komarnicki. “You have 12 guys out there and all working together.

“Obviously, I like the physicality. I hadn’t played a physical sport like a contact sport until football. It was just unique having special teams and all that.

“It was just all around the whole just the makeup of football was definitely what caught my eyes.”

Komarnicki would help the Saints advance to the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association’s 5A 12-a-side football provincial championship game in his Grade 11 season on November 11, 2022. The host Saints prevailed over the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles 18-15 in that contest at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Komarnicki said his love for football was built due to the great experience he had with the Saints. As Davidsen was serving as the Hilltops offensive line coach while coaching the Saints, Komarnicki said the wheels were put in motion to join the Hilltops.

Brody Komarnicki in action for the Saints in 2022.

“He (Davidsen) didn’t influence it directly,” said Komarnicki. “I looked up to Donnie in high school, and we always talked about Hilltops being like a future opportunity.

“I would come to the high school camps, and I loved the coaching style. Whenever I did talk to “Sarge” (Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant), I loved everything I heard and his style of the game and his views. I agree with it a lot.

“Definitely, it helped like influence in a sense. It is just they’re so similar. It is just what I know.”

Komarnicki joined the Hilltops following his high school graduation for the 2024 campaign. By the campaign’s end, he was awarded the team’s Past Presidents Trophy as the club’s rookie of the year, while also being named to the PFC’s all-rookie team.

Sargeant said Komarnicki was a pretty natural fit.

“He is one of our toughest football players,” said Sargeant. “He certainly plays the game the way I appreciate it and the way we appreciate it.

“What a hard-nosed individual, and he motivates the team around him. The game plan is going to centre around him at times just like it will (star running back) Corbin (Ebben). We believe with those two guys being heavily involved in that run game it is only going to make it better instead of having one of them on the bench.”

Sargeant said Komarnicki came to the Hilltops with a solid base in the game having played for the Saints.

“He (Komarnicki) got coached the right way,” said Sargeant. “Any BJM player that has come into our system, boy, they’ve been game ready, and they’ve been able to handle all the moments.

“It has been great to have high school coaches coach with you. It keeps you connected to what is going on there as well. When you have a coach that has coached him, it helps you recruit him here as well.”

Sargeant added Komarnicki continued to improve working with Hilltops running backs coach Andre Lalonde. Back in the day when Lalonde was a Hilltops running back graduating as a player in 2013, he earned the nickname “the Bowling Ball” playing the same physical style Komarnicki does.

“Andre is an outstanding running backs coach,” said Sargeant. “You just can tell by the development of our running backs over the years.

“He (Lalonde) has got a system. He has got a format that week in and week out is tried and true. It is tested on game days.

“They (the Hilltops running backs) have got the right mentor in Andre. If we’re talking about special teams, Andre is my special teams coordinator, and Brody has been one of our top special teams players too. Not only does he (Komarnicki) play well on offence, he plays outstanding on special teams too, so what a true football player.”

Brody Komarnicki (#20) dives over a pile for a first down.

Komarnicki has a pretty lengthy thank you list when it comes to those who have helped him during his time with the Hilltops. It includes Sargeant, Davidson, Lalonde, Ebben and David Collins, who was a star running back who graduated from the team after last season.

The 20-year-old power back said Lalonde has been helping him refine his game while continuing to emphasize Komarnicki’s strength in hitting the hole hard.

“I never had seen his film, but I have heard that me and him are pretty similar in that sense,” said Komarnicki. “He definitely encourages it.

“He adds just little things, little details that might take that five-yard gain, six-yard gain to like a 15-to-20-yard gain. That is what I’ve been trying to add in the most is the next step, because you can always improve.”

Komarnicki said his sophomore season last year was an amazing highlight. He was proud of how his team persevered in the campaign.

That included going through an opening game blowout loss to the Rifles in Winnipeg and making a 30-27 comeback overtime victory in the PFC final over the Thunder in Regina after falling behind 24-9 to their provincial rivals with 10:51 remaining in the fourth quarter.

After the win over the Thunder, the Hilltops returned home to SMF Field and downed the Kelowna, B.C., based Okanagan Sun 21-18 in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl. That marked the Hilltops 24^th CJFL title.

“Last year, it was an insane feeling,” said Komarnicki. “(We had) ups and downs.

“That Regina game was insane. There was definitely a lot that we faced, but we overcame it. That is kind of what our coaches train us to do.

“They do a great job doing that and teach us not to give up.”

This season, Komarnicki has become a one-two punch at running back with Ebben, who is playing out his final season of CJFL eligibility. Komarnicki said it has been a good development year as he picks up more work in the running game compared to past seasons.

“I’m just trying to apply all that I’ve learned in the past couple of years here,” said Komarnicki. “It is like trial and error for me right now just seeing what works, what I see out there and getting the vision working.”

As the Hilltops set to embark in playing the CJFL’s post-season in 2026, they have once again encountered their share of adversity. Komarnicki believes his squad will rally together to make another run at a CJFL title.

“I know that we’ll put it together, because we’re putting in that work now and putting in all that stuff behind the scenes that people don’t see,” said Komarnicki. “It is not just confidence, because I’m saying it is.

Brody Komarnicki believe the Hilltops can make a long playoff run.

“I have total confidence from what I see from the coaches in the past few years and how everyone here talks and meetings and film. You can just tell everyone here knows we have it. We just need to put it together.”

This piece first appeared in the Saskatoon Hilltops game program on October 4, 2026.

Expect Raiders to shake off sweep by Blades

Hayden Harsanyi (#6) shields the puck from Owen Corkish.

The silence of the Prince Albert Raiders fans at the SaskTel Centre conveyed the shock of what they saw.

Last Saturday, the Raiders dropped a 5-2 decision to the host Saskatoon Blades to fall to 1-3 with a third straight loss. That skid included dropping both ends of a home-and-home series to the Blades.

While the Raiders faithful are known for hijacking the atmosphere inside the Blades home rink making it feel like a Prince Albert home game, the roar of the Blades supporters was noticeable among the 7,379 spectators that turned out.

The Saskatoon marketing staff did their jobs ensuring there was a sizable turnout to support the host side, and it was obvious they enjoyed what they saw.

The surprise of the Raiders supporters regarding how the season started for their club is understandable. In 2025-26, the Raiders topped the East Division and finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 52-10-5-1 mark. Going into the post-season, the Raiders were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

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