Fun with Raiders versus Blades rivalry never gets old

Memories of past Raiders/Blades clashes get better with age

A Raiders fan has a sign for the archrival Blades.

A post-game sign was all that was needed to announce the rivalry between the Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades is still alive and well.

On Saturday before a standing room crowd of 3,044 spectators at the storied and historic 2,580 seat Art Hauser Centre, the Blades blanked the host Raiders 4-0. After congratulating their star netminder Evan Gardner on a 29-save shutout win, the Blades players skated to centre and a sign placed up against the glass close to the penalty box caught the attention of most of the Saskatoon skaters.

A Raiders fan was holding a sign that said, “Blades 59 years still no cup.”

That of course is the classic Raiders fan dig at the Blades, who have never won a league title or a Memorial Cup championship joining the WHL as a charter member in the 1966-67 campaign. Actually, you can add two more years on to that sign as the Blades were born in 1964 and played two seasons in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League during a time when all clubs that currently play major junior and junior A were all on the same level and competed for the Memorial Cup.

The Blades never finished above .500 in their two campaigns in the SJHL. As a useful double check for the Raiders faithful, the Blades are currently working on year 62 and still no cup.

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

Raiders’ Bass grows getting into rivalry with Blades

Rookie netminder comes up clutch Sunday in 3-1 win

Steele Bass (#35) slams the door in goal for the Raiders.

Steele Bass wants to get to where Evan Gardner is.

On Saturday and Sunday, Bass, who is a rookie goaltender with the Prince Albert Raiders, faced Gardner, who is the star veteran netminder of the Saskatoon Blades, in both games of a regular season home-and-home series between the two clubs. The Blades claimed a 4-0 victory in the series opener on Saturday at the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert.

Gardner stopped all 29 shots he faced to pick up the shutout, while Bass turned away 12-of-15 shots sent his way. The Blades fourth goal of the contest came into an empty net.

Steele Bass (#35) makes a stop on a second period breakaway.

On Sunday playing before 6,306 spectators at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, the Raiders claimed a 3-1 victory. Bass made 26 saves to pick up the win, while Gardner turned away 45-of-47 shots to take the setback. The Raiders third tally was potted into an empty net.

While Gardner, who turned 20-years-old on January 25, was playing like a superhero trying to steal a victory, Bass said he didn’t try to worry about what the Saskatoon puck stopper was doing to protect his net.

“If anything, I’m kind of looking down there, and I’m learning things from him at the same time where I’m picking things up,” said Bass, who turned 18-years-old on January 4. “That is a goalie that is pretty good.

Steele Bass made 26 saves in the Raiders win on Sunday.

“I looked up to him. I played at the same academy as him and got to get out on the ice with him sometimes. It is kind of cool to look down and see a goalie performing that well and give him kudos for that.”

Both Bass and Gardner came through the Rink Hockey Academy in Kelowna, and the two were there together from 2021 to 2023 on different age group teams. Gardner is the established star with the Blades who is well known throughout the WHL. He was taken in the second round and 60^th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and has a signed three-year NHL entry-level contract with the team.

Gardner is having another solid year with the Blades. In 37 appearances, he has posted a 19-11-3 record, a 2.68 goals against average, a .911 save percentage and three shutouts.

Evan Gardner made 45 saves in goal for the Blades on Sunday.

Bass started this season with the Raiders before being sent to the junior A ranks with the Battlefords North Stars of the SJHL on October 2, 2025. In nine regular season games with the North Stars, Bass posted a 4-3-2 record, a 3.00 goals against average and a .924 save percentage.

He was recalled to the Raiders this past December when star 18-year-old import rookie netminder Michal Orsulak departed to play and help Czechia win silver at world juniors. When Orsulak returned from world juniors, the Raiders elected to with Orsulak and Bass as their goaltending duo ultimately sending 19-year-old veteran Dimitri Fortin to the junior A ranks with the Calgary Canucks of the AJHL.

Evan Gardner plays the puck during the second period on Sunday.

In nine games with the Raiders, Bass has posted an 8-1 record, a 1.56 goals against average, a .922 save percentage and one shutout. With Orsulak being out of the Raiders lineup day-to-day due to a minor undisclosed injury, Bass got the call to start both games of the home-and-home series against the Blades. He enjoyed facing Gardner in a game like the one on Sunday where the performance of the goaltenders ultimately determines victory.

“I think it is fun,” said Bass, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 166 pounds. “If anything, you kind of treat it as a game.

“You win your period, and that is what is important is to just take 20 minutes at a time and then those penalty kills two minutes at a time. He makes a big save down there, and you’re ready for the next one coming down on you. It is fun.”

Ben Harvey had the Raiders first goal on Sunday.

The Raiders and Blades went into the third period of Sunday’s game locked in a 1-1 tie. Prince Albert started the third working the final 39 seconds of a two-man advantage power play.

The Raiders started the third sending a flurry of shots Gardner’s way. Gardner did his best imitation of legendary NHL goalie Dominik Hasek and miraculously kept the puck out of the Saskatoon net.

After the Blades killed off those penalties, they proceeded to have a glorious chance to go ahead on the scoreboard. Blades import left-winger Dustin Willhoft broke into the Prince Albert zone down the left wing on a two-on-one break.

Willhoft passed the puck across the front of the Prince Albert net to Blades star import right-winger David Lewandowski for a huge backdoor chance. Lewandowski fired the puck at the Prince Albert net only to be denied by Bass sprawling across the crease to make a pad save.

David Lewandowski had the second period equalizer for the Blades.

With 8:10 remaining in the third, the Raiders jumped ahead 2-1 scoring on the power play. Raiders breakout star 19-year-old centre Max Heise had the puck in the right corner of the Saskatoon zone and passed the puck to the centre of the Blades net to star 20-year-old centre Aiden Oiring. Oiring snipped home his 22^nd goal of the campaign to give the visitors a one-goal lead.

Prince Albert sealed victory with 1:32 remaining in the third when star 18-year-old centre Braeden Cootes popped home a long distance empty-net goal for his 15^th of the season from the right boards in his own zone. Cootes’ tally rounded out the 3-1 final score in favour of the Raiders.

The Raiders celebrate a third period winner from Aiden Oiring (#19).

“I thought both goaltenders played extremely well tonight,” said Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald. “Our guy, Steele Bass, made some tremendous saves in there.

“I think in the third period on that two-on-one rush, the big pad save that he comes across to keep the game where it was. “Gards” (Gardner) made some big saves in there as well too. A goalie like that, you’ve got to make sure you’re getting to the paint, you’re getting pucks there, but you’re also getting the guys through there and getting into his eyes and looking for those second and third opportunities.”

McDonald thought Bass played well in the Raiders loss at home on Saturday to the Blades. The bench boss knows it is a different challenge for a goaltender to see limited shots in a game like on Saturday compared to a regular amount of work like on Sunday.

Aiden Oiring has scored 22 goals this season for the Raiders.

McDonald noted goalies face more of a mental challenge in games where they face fewer shots. Overall, he thinks Bass gained a lot of great experience in the home-and-home series against the Blades.

“You’re growing every day, especially for a young goaltender or a young player,” said McDonald. “You’re growing every single day.

“We’re big believers in you win or you learn. Our guys did a tremendous job, and Steele (Bass) did a tremendous job tonight as well too. That is a playoff style game where it is 1-1 going into the third, and you have to defend, you have to keep winning lines and you have to grind it out right until the bitter end.”

Braeden Cootes had an empty-net goal for the Raiders.

Bass said he plans to work harder and be more aware at staying mentally sharp in games where he isn’t seeing a lot of shots. He admitted it was easier to stay focused on the game on Sunday with the workload that came his way.

“It was good to get those shots, especially right off the start of the period,” said Bass. “You’re always just looking for that first one and make those first couple of saves.

“Then, you kind of get into the game, and you stay into it. It is just finding mental ways to do it too, visualizing those saves a little bit. It is nice to get those shots and not just face 10 shots sometimes.”

The Raiders opened the game’s scoring at the 5:34 mark of the opening frame, when 16-year-old rookie right-winger Ben Harvey slipped home a backhand shot in front of the Saskatoon net. The tally was Harvey’s fourth goal of the season.

Dustin Willhoft had an assist for the Blades.

At the 11:54 mark of the second, the Blades evened the score at 1-1 on a goal from Lewandowski. Breaking into the Prince Albert zone on a rush, Willhoft carried the puck down the left wing and passed the puck across the front of the Raiders net to Lewandowski. Lewandowski popped home his 12^th of the campaign for the equalizer.

That set the stage for the dramatics in the third period.

The Raiders, who are rated first in the latest CHL Top 10 Rankings, improved to 37-7-4 with the win to remain second overall in the WHL, first in the Eastern Conference and first in the East Division. They also need just one more standings point to officially lock up a berth in the WHL Playoffs. The Blades fell to 25-20-3-1 to remain entrenched for sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Daxon Rudolph controls the puck for the Raiders.

The Blades return to action on Tuesday when they host the Calgary Hitmen (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

The Raiders get back at it on Wednesday when they return home to host the Hitmen (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

Still, McDonald added it is always important for his club and his team’s fans to pick up wins over their archrivals in the Blades.

“You’re playing your biggest rival,” said McDonald. “You could ask them the same question, and I’m sure they would give you the same answer.

“These two teams they really get up to play each other. Tip your cap to them. They played a tremendous game tonight as well too, and it was a really good hockey game out there.

The Raiders celebrate their win on Sunday.

“That is a playoff style game where you’re fighting for every inch and right until the bitter end and a tight checking game that again the last shot won. You just have to keep itching forward and keep fighting for that inch.”

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 caught in a trap

Gardner stops 29 to power Blades to shutout win

Evan Gardner, right, and the Blades get a big road win.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Can someone say trap game.

On Saturday night, the Prince Albert Raiders hosted their archrivals the Saskatoon Blades at their storied and historic rink in the Art Hauser Centre. The clash marked the fourth time the two sides went at it in the current WHL regular season.

The Raiders came into the contest riding an eight game winning streak and sat second in the WHL’s overall standings, first in the Eastern Conference and the East Division and were rated first in the CHL Top 10 rankings that were released on Tuesday.

The Blades had lost their last three straight with all those setbacks coming on the road, and they had been having some decent success on the road this season. They sat solidly holding a playoff position sitting sixth overall in the Eastern Conference and were looking to get any sort of positive momentum.

Evan Gardner plays the puck behind his own net.

With all signs trending towards a Raiders victory, what happens?

The Blades skated away with a 4-0 shutout victory before a standing room crowd of 3,044 spectators at the 2,580 seat facility.

Blades star netminder Evan Gardner, who turned 20-years-old earlier this week, made 29 saves to pick up his third shutout of the season. He also became the first netminder to collect a shutout win over the Raiders in the current campaign.

Gardner, who has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, has quietly been having a solid season. In 36 appearances for the Blades in the 2025-26 campaign, Gardner has posted a 19-10-3 record, a 2.70 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and three shutouts.

Evan Gardner (#35) freezes the puck for one of his 29 saves.

He came up with a big night as Blades continue to have three regular defencemen out of the lineup due to injury. Saskatoon was without rearguards Derek Thurston and Kaden Allan due to upper body injuries and Jordan Martin due to a lower body injury. All three are not expected to return at any time in the near future.

The Raiders went into Saturday’s game without three very key players. Star 18-year-old import rookie netminder Michal Orsulak is out day-to-day with a minor undisclosed injury. Star 20-year-old right-winger Brayden Dube and standout 19-year-old defenceman Linden Burrett are still listed as day-to-day with lower body injuries.

Blades RW Hunter Laing (#27) fights Raiders RW Jonah Sivertson (#28).

Raiders rookie netminder Steele Bass, who turned 18-years-old earlier this month, made his eighth start for the club after picking up victories in his seven previous starts. Brady Holtvogt dressed as an associate player call up backup netminder for the Raiders coming in from the junior A Humboldt Broncos of the SJHL.

The two sides started Saturday’s clash transitioning up and down the ice, where the Raiders held a 5-1 edge in shots on goal 10:30 in.

With 7:19 remaining in the opening frame, a fight broke out between Raiders 17-year-old right-winger Jonah Sivertson and Blades 19-year-old right-winger Hunter Laing. The two unexpected combatants put together an even and fairly spirited bout, which the Blades seemed to get a lift from.

Benett Kelly starts a rush up ice for the Raiders.

With 4:20 remaining in the first, Blades 18-year-old import left-winger David Lewandowski had the puck off right of centre on the top of the edge of the right faceoff circle. He snapped a shot past Bass to give the visitors a 1-0 edge. Lewandowski’s goal came on the Blades second shot on goal in the contest.

Just 36 seconds later, the Blades pushed their advantage out to 2-0 striking on the power play. Blades star 20-year-old left-winger Rowan Calvert had the puck at the left side of the Prince Albert net and fed a pass across the face of the net to 17-year-old Blades star centre Cooper Williams at the right post. Williams tapped home his 17^th goal of the campaign to give the visitors their two-goal edge.

At the 4:50 mark of the second, Lewandowski had the puck to the left of the Prince Albert goal. He passed the puck across the face of the Raiders net to import rookie left-winger Dustin Willhoft streaking towards the right post. Willhoft popped home his third of the campaign to push the Blades out to 3-0.

David Lewandowski had one goal and one assist for the Blades.

The Raiders made a big push back for the rest of the second and a third period where they held a 14-5 edge in shots on goal for the frame. Raiders 17-year-old rookie defenceman Benett Kelly came the closest to getting the host side on the scoreboard by ringing a drive in the third period off the post of the Saskatoon net.

With 4:08 remaining in the third and having a faceoff in the Saskatoon zone, the Raiders pulled Bass for an extra skater. Any thoughts of a miracle rally were put to rest when Blades standout veteran centre Hayden Harsanyi scored into an empty net to round out the 4-0 final score in favour of Saskatoon.

Bass returned to the Raiders net to finish out the contest. He turned away 12-of-15 shots to take his first loss in goal in his WHL career. Bass has posted a 7-1 record, a 1.63 goals against average, a .915 save percentage and one shutout this season.

Dustin Willhoft had one goal and two assists for the Blades.

Willhoft had a pair of assists to go with his goal, and he was a plus-three in the plus-minus department.

The Blades improved to 25-19-3-1 with the win. The Raiders fell to 36-7-4 with the setback.

Heading into Saturday’s game, the Raiders and Blades had met three times previously in the campaign. They opened their regular season schedule playing each other on September 19, 2025, where the Raiders pulled out a 4-2 victory at the Hauser. 

The two sides went at it the next night in Saskatoon with the Blades claiming a 3-2 victory in overtime.

The two sides then went at it on December 14, 2025 at the SaskTel Centre where the Raiders edged the Blades 5-4.

The two squads go at it again on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

The Blades celebrate their win on Saturday.

When the Raiders and Blades get together, it is always a drama that is worth watching. These two clubs are always thorns in each others’ sides.

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 post second statement victory over Tigers

Prince Albert continues to lead Eastern Conference with 5-1 win

Brandon Gorzynski had two goals and an assist for the Raiders.

It felt like a post-season game in January.

Along with that, the Prince Albert Raiders were out to prove that the one time wasn’t an accident. Just seven days ago on January 17, the Raiders ventured into Medicine Hat and downed the host Tigers 8-5 at Co-op Place to end the Tabbies team record 19-game winning streak.

In the first two head-to-head clashes between the two squads in the first half of the current 2025-26 campaign, the Tigers claimed victory. In the first meeting on November 29, 2024, the Medicine Hat edged Prince Albert 3-2 at the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre. In the second clash on December 3, 2025, the Tigers rolled to a 7-1 victory over the Raiders at Co-op Place.

On Saturday at the Hauser, the Raiders and Tigers went at it for their final meeting in the regular season as they are locked in a tight race for first place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. In an encounter that had a feel of a contest meant for the WHL Playoffs, the Raiders would post a solid 5-1 victory before a standing room crowd of 2,892 spectators at the 2,580 seat facility that has been the lone home rink for the Prince Albert side.

The win allowed the Raiders, who have won seven straight games, to improve to 35-6-4 and push their Eastern Conference lead over the Tigers to four points. The Tigers fell to 32-8-3-3 with the setback. Prince Albert sits second overall in the WHL and is rated second in the CHL Top 10 Rankings, while Medicine Hat is third overall in the WHL and is rated fifth in the CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Raiders win over the Tigers on Saturday also completed a stretch where the Prince Albert side played three games in three nights in three different centres.

Saturday’s clash did have its momentum changes as the Raiders built a 2-0 lead in the first period, held off a big Tigers push back in what ended up being a scoreless second frame before the hosts put the contest away in the third. Overall, the Raiders put together a night that sent their faithful home happy.

Early in the contest, Raiders star 20-year-old captain Justice Christensen sent the intensity tone laying a big hit on Tigers breakout rookie import left-winger Yaroslav Bryzgalov.

Aiden Oiring has two goals for the Raiders.

Right at the 10-minute mark of the opening frame, the Raiders went ahead 1-0 off a style of goal you don’t often see. Christensen fired a shot from the point that deflected off the stick of 18-year-old right-winger Owen Corkish and then was deflected home by star 18-year-old left-winger Brandon Gorzynski.

Gorzynski wasn’t done there. Just 3:48 later, Gorzynski netted his second of the night to account for the Raiders first power-play goal of the contest. On a rush going into the offensive zone, Raiders star 18-year-old centre Braeden Cootes rushed with the puck down the right wing and centred a pass to Gorzynski. Gorzynski deflected home the puck to give the Raiders a 2-0 edge.

The Raiders exited the opening frame holding their 2-0 lead while posting a 12-7 edge in shots on goal.

The Tigers mounted a big push back in the second period and started the frame with a couple of early power plays. They held zone time for extended stretches in the stanza.

Medicine Hat had a 15-4 edge in shots on goal for the frame but couldn’t solve Raiders star import rookie netminder Michal Orsulak. Orsulak played one of his best periods of the campaign to ensure the Raiders took their 2-0 lead into the third period.

At the 3:17 mark of the third, the Raiders thought they had delivered a knockout blow. Applying pressure inside the Medicine Hat zone, Gorzynski had the puck at the left side boards and put a pass across the front of the Tigers net to Raiders star 20-year-old centre Aiden Oiring positioned by the right post.

Oiring’s first shot attempt was stopped by Tigers standout netminder Jordan Switzer, but the puck deflected high in the air. Oiring proceeded to tap the puck out of the air into the Medicine Hat net for his 20^th goal of the season to push the host’s lead out to 3-0. The Calgary product now has scored 20-or-more goals for three straight seasons.

Just 75 seconds later, the Tigers answered back on the power play to cut the Raiders lead to 3-1. Tigers star 20-year-old centre Andrew Basha had the puck at the right faceoff circle and put a pass across the front of the Prince Albert net to Tigers star 17-year-old right-winger Liam Ruck positioned by the left post. Ruck tapped the puck home for his 27^th goal of the campaign to get the visitors back into the contest.

Liam Ruck had the Tigers lone goal on Saturday.

The Raiders proceeded to slam their foot on the gas at that point to seal the win. Working on the power play just 2:25 after Ruck’s tally, Raiders rookie 16-year-old defenceman Brock Cripps fired a point shot that deflected off a Tigers player into the Medicine Hat net to give Prince Albert a 4-1 advantage.

With 3:09 remaining in the third, Oiring potted his second of the night to round out the 5-1 final score in favour of the Raiders. Oiring one-timed home a puck from a sharp angle from the right side of the Medicine Hat net converting a sweet setup pass from Raiders 19-year-old star centre Max Heise. Oiring’s second tally accounted for the Raiders third power-play goal of the game.

Orsulak stopped 27 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders. Switzer 26 shots to take the setback in net for the Tigers.

Christensen, Cootes and Daxon Rudolph picked up two assists each for the Raiders.

The Raiders converted on 3-of-5 power-play chances, while the Tigers were 1-for-3 with the man advantage.

Both sides also had big absences due to injury. Raiders star 20-year-old right-winger Brayden Dube is out day-to-day with a minor injury, while standout 19-year-old defenceman Linden Burrett injured his left knee in a 3-2 road victory after a tiebreaking shootout over the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Thursday.

The Tigers were without star 19-year-old captain Bryce Pickford, who was out with an upper body injury for a second straight contest.

The Tigers return to action this coming Tuesday as they return home to host the Saskatoon Blades (7 p.m. local time, Co-op Place).

The Raiders also get back at it this coming Tuesday when they travel to Moose Jaw to take on the 17-23-3-2 Warriors (7 p.m., Temple Gardens Centre).

Braeden Cootes had two assists for the Raiders on Saturday.

The Raiders and Tigers conclude their regular season series with each side claiming two regulation wins and each side scoring 16 goals each in those encounters. If there is a meeting between these two clubs in the WHL Playoffs, that potential encounter would decide the ultimate overall series winner in the 2025-26 campaign.

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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Biggest win of the season

Blades down Tigers 3-2 after tiebreaking shootout

The Blades celebrate their win over the Tigers on Friday.

If the Saskatoon Blades need a boost in the “believe” department, they got it against one of the best the CHL has to offer.

On Friday night playing before 4,263 spectators at the SaskTel Centre, the host Blades found themselves trailing the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers 2-1 late in the third period of a WHL regular season contest. The Tigers came into the contest sitting third overall in the WHL, leading the circuit’s Central Division and were rated fifth in the latest CHL Top 10 Rankings that were released on Tuesday.

Inside the final minute of the third, the Blades were working the puck in the Medicine Hat zone with star netminder Evan Gardner pulled for an extra skater. The Blades worked the puck down to star 17-year-old centre Cooper Williams, who was positioned off the right of the Medicine Hat net just above the icing line.

Cooper Williams scored with 55.8 seconds remaining in the third.

Williams ripped a shot from that spot past Tigers 18-year-old rookie netminder Carter Casey with 55.8 seconds remaining on the clock to force a 2-2 tie and overtime.

The two squads proceeded to skate through a five-minute three-versus-three overtime still locked in a 2-2 tie causing the contest to go to a tiebreaking shootout. Blades 18-year-old centre Hayden Harsanyi scored in the second round of the shootout and Gardner turned away all three shooters he faced to deliver the Blades to a 1-0 victory in the tiebreaking session and a 3-2 win in the contest overall.

The win allowed the Blades to improve to 24-16-3-1 to sit fifth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The Tigers saw their record move to 32-7-3-3 to remain third overall in the WHL and second overall in the Eastern Conference.

Hayden Harsanyi had the shootout winner for the Blades.

The Blades victory over the Tigers was both a gutty and surprising one. Saskatoon’s odds of pulling out the upset were hampered due to entering the contest having four defencemen out of the lineup due to injury.

The hosts were missing Derek Thurston and Jordan Martin due to upper body injuries and Isaac Poll and Kaden Allan due to lower body injuries. In order to take the ice with six defencemen, the Blades had to dress a pair of 16-year-old associate player call ups.

Julian Revel skated in his fourth game with the Blades having been brought in from the Edge School Under-18 Prep team in Calgary. Luke Dumas suited up in his second game for the Blades after being brought in from the Northern Alberta Xtreme Under-18 Prep team located in Devon, Alberta, which is just southwest of Edmonton.

Ethan Neutens scored to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers were missing a key member of their roster as captain Bryce Pickford was out with an upper body injury. Aside from Pickford’s absence, the Tigers had everyone else on their roster ready to be utilized.

While the Blades were incredibly short staffed on defence, they played the Tigers pretty much even up throughout the night on Friday.

The Tigers opened the game’s scoring at the 8:50 mark of the opening frame. Medicine Hat 20-year-old right-winger Ethan Neutens deflected home a point shot from rookie import 18-year-old left-winger Yaroslav Bryzgalov to give the visitors a one-goal edge.

While the visitors got the opening tally, they weren’t able to build their lead. The Tigers held an 11-10 edge in shots on goal after 20 minutes. Casey and Gardner locked things down in their respective nets resulting in Medicine Hat going into the first intermission holding just the one-goal edge from Neutens’ tally.

Hunter Laing scored the Blades first goal in the third period.

The netminders on both sides continued to shine in a scoreless second period that saw the Tigers hold an 11-5 edge in shots on goal. With about 7:40 remaining in the frame, Blades 19-year-old right-winger Hunter Laing appeared to pop home the equalizer, but the play had been blown dead with a scrum around the Medicine Hat net.

With about 30 seconds remaining in the second, 18-year-old centre Kazden Mathies had a pair of chances in close in front of the Medicine Hat net, but he was denied by Casey.

Just before the midway mark of the third period, the Blades were finally able to break through on to the scoreboard to force a 1-1 tie. Laing had the to the right of the Medicine Hat net just above the icing line close to the right side boards. He slipped home a shot to the short side over top of Casey’s shoulder for the equalizer.

Andrew Basha gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead with 8:01 left in the third.

After Laing got the Blades on even terms, it appeared Tigers 20-year-old star centre Andrew Basha delivered what could have been a dagger moment in the contest. With 8:01 remaining in the second, Basha fired a shot from the left side boards in the Saskatoon zone that Gardner got a piece of, but the puck fell into the crease and slowly slid across the goal-line into the Saskatoon net to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

That set the stage for the dramatics where Williams netted the equalizer inside the final minute of the third and the Blades proceeded to get the win after the tiebreaking shootout.

Gardner stopped 27 shots over 65 minutes and all three shooters he faced in the shootout to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Casey turned away 29 shots over 65 minutes and one of two shooters in the shootout to take the extra time setback in net for the Tigers.

Evan Gardner came up with a big performance in goal.

Both teams entered the contest having solid success on the power play only to come up empty in that department. The Blades failed to score on five opportunities with the man advantage, and the Tigers were unable to score on three of their own power-play chances.

The Tigers return to action on Saturday when they travel to Prince Albert to take on the 34-6-4 Raiders (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre). The Raiders, who are rated second in the CHL Top 10 Rankings, hold a two point lead over the Tigers for first in the Eastern Conference and second overall in the WHL. Prince Albert has a game in hand on Medicine Hat.

The Blades get back at it on Sunday when they travel to Edmonton to take on the 30-9-3-2 Oil Kings (4 p.m. local time, Rogers Place). The Oil Kings are rated sixth in the CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Blades were in good spirits after their win over the Tigers.

Throughout the 2025-26 campaign, the Blades have had a season that has been a bit all over the map. On Friday, they showed they can rise to the occasion and pick up wins over the elite in the WHL and by extension the CHL.

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 vault to first in WHL’s Eastern Conference

Prince Albert downs Warriors in Moose Jaw after shootout

The Prince Albert Raiders will sit in first place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference for at least one night.

On Thursday night before an announced crowd of 3,546 spectators at Temple Gardens Centre in Moose Jaw, the visiting Raiders slipped past the host Warriors 3-2 in a WHL regular season clash following a tiebreaking shootout. Prince Albert took the shootout 1-0 with star 20-year-old centre Aiden Oiring netting the goal in the tiebreaking session.

The win was a fifth straight for the Raiders, who improved to 33-6-4 to vault into first place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The Raiders sit one point ahead of the Central Division leading Medicine Hat Tigers (32-7-3-2) and five points in front of the Edmonton Oil Kings (30-9-3-2). Prince Albert still has one game in hand on both of those clubs.

The Raiders also sit one point back of the Everett Silvertips (34-6-2-1) for first overall in the entire WHL.

In the CHL Top 10 Rankings that were release on Tuesday, the Raiders were rated second, the Silvertips were fourth, the Tigers were fifth and the Oil Kings came in at sixth.

The Warriors get an important standings point with the shootout setback to see their record move to 17-22-3-2. They sit three points up on the Red Deer Rebels (16-22-2-2) and the Regina Pats (15-21-5-1) for seventh overall in the Eastern Conference. The Rebels and Pats each have two games in hand on the Warriors.

Red Deer and Regina are tied for the eighth and ninth positions in the Eastern Conference. If the regular season stopped today, they would play a tiebreaking game to see who gets eighth place and the conference’s final playoff berth.

As for Thursday’s clash between Prince Albert and Moose Jaw, the Raiders came out flying taking a 2-0 lead in the first period while holding a 17-4 edge in shots on goal.

Prince Albert opened the scoring at the 2:36 mark of the opening frame scoring on an offensive zone rush while working on the power play. On the rush, Raiders star 19-year-old centre Max Heise fed a pass to star 18-year-old left-winger Brandon Gorzynski, who was skating towards the right post of the Moose Jaw goal.

Gorzynski fed a backhanded pass across the face of the Warriors net backdoor to star 18-year-old centre Braeden Cootes. Cootes popped home his 13^th goal of the campaign to give the Raiders their one-goal edge.

Shortly after the midway point of the first period, the Raiders pushed their lead out to 2-0. On an offensive zone rush, Oiring jetted down the right wing, swooped around behind the Moose Jaw net and put a pass across the crease of the Warriors goal to Gorzynski parked by the right post. Gorzynski popped his 20^th goal of the campaign to give the visitors their two-goal edge.

Just over four minutes after going ahead 2-0, Raiders rookie 19-year-old import defenceman Matyas Man faced Warriors 18-year-old right-winger Gage Nagel in a spirited fight that pleased the crowd. Man got the take down in the bout.

In the second, the Raiders carried play holding a 9-6 edge in shots on goal, but the stanza was a rough one for the visitors. With 8:12 remaining the period, Raiders standout defenceman Linden Burrett went into the boards awkwardly while engaged with a Warriors player. Burrett grabbed his left knee and exited the game at that point.

With 7:53 remaining in the second, the Warriors scored on the power play with 20-year-old centre Ethan Semeniuk potting a backhander from the left side of the Prince Albert net. The tally cut the Raiders lead to 2-1.

The host side evened the score at 2-2 with 2:05 remaining in the second when 16-year-old rookie defenceman Colt Carter drove home a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle in the Prince Albert zone.

The two sides played evenly through a scoreless third period where the shots on goal for the frame were tied at 11-11. The Warriors held a 4-1 edge in shots on goal during the three-versus-three overtime period, where they were denied on two glorious scoring chances.

Warriors 18-year-old centre Riley Thorpe had a breakaway opportunity only to be denied by Raiders rookie star import netminder Michal Orsulak. The second big scoring chance was a close-in opportunity by Warriors star 20-year-old left-winger Pavel McKenzie, but he was turned away by a left pad stop by Orsulak.

That set the stage for the tiebreaking shootout. Oiring scored on the Raiders first shooting opportunity in the tiebreaking session. Orsulak ended the session with a sweet glove stop on Warriors 18-year-old left-winger Steven Steranka.

Orsulak made 23 saves over 65 minutes and turned away all three shooters he faced in the shootout to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders. Chase Wutzke turned away 36 shots and one of two shooters in the shootout to take the extra time setback in net for the Warriors.

The Warriors get back at it on Friday when they host the 18-17-5-3 Victoria Royals (7 p.m., Temple Gardens Centre).

The Raiders continue a stretch where they are playing three games in three nights. On Friday, they travel to Swift Current to take on the 10-30-3 Broncos (7 p.m., InnovationPlex). The Raiders return home on Saturday when they host the Tigers (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

Prince Albert was without star 20-year-old right-winger Brayden Dube on Thursday, who is day-to-day with a minor injury. Dube was injured in the Raiders 12-2 home ice romp over the Royals on Tuesday.

Oil Kings’ Holinka is prime time player, other notes

Miroslav Holinka has 62 points in 41 games this season.

The second-year import bump has seen Miroslav Holinka jump up to being one the WHL’s best.

Last season, the skilled centre from Zlin, Czechia had a solid debut campaign for the Edmonton Oil Kings. He skated in 47 regular season games recording 19 goals, 26 assists and a plus-12 rating in the plus-minus department. He helped the Oil Kings post a 37-27-2-2 mark to make the WHL Playoffs for the first time since Edmonton last won the league title in the 2021-22 campaign.

Holinka, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 185 pounds, had been selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round and 151^st overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The Leafs were pleased enough by Holinka’s first WHL campaign that they signed him to a three-year NHL entry-level contract on July 15, 2025.

The Leafs assigned Holinka to play a 20-year-old season with the Oil Kings for the current season. Skating in his second campaign in North America, Holinka has taken off.

In 41 games with the Oil Kings this season, Holinka has piled up 28 goals and 34 assists to go with a plus-26 rating in the plus-minus department. Holinka’s goal total includes seven game winners, which is one behind Medicine Hat Tigers captain Bryce Pickford for the league lead.

Along with his game-winning goal total, Holinka sits seven points behind Seattle Thunderbirds right-winger Cameron Schmidt for the WHL scoring lead at 69 points. Schmidt has put up his point total on 32 goals and 37 assists.

When import players like Holinka first come over to North American, they go through growing pains both on and off the ice. On top of adjusting to the North American style of play, import players have to work through learning a new language and culture. It is common for import players to show great improvement when they come back for a second major junior campaign.

Holinka has been on another level this season with the Oil Kings. Centering a line with Lukas Sawchyn on right-wing and captain Gavin Hodnett on left-wing, Holinka has hit the ice with a confidence that is through the roof this season.

He has become a difference maker for the Oil Kings, who sit fourth overall in the WHL with a 30-9-3-2 mark and are rated sixth in the CHL Top 10 Rankings that were released on Tuesday. Holinka has become a player who is worth the price of admission by his presence alone and is a player to watch.

If folks in the Alberta capital city can pull themselves away from watching superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl skate for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, they will find themselves very much entertained watching the heroics of Holinka with the city’s major junior squad.

On that note, the Oil Kings are leading the WHL in attendance averaging 6,521 spectators per game at Rogers Place, which is a great accomplishment when you are a junior squad existing in the same city as the Oilers.

When opposing teams lose track of Holinka on the ice, they usually create an invitation to have the puck end up in the back of their own net.

Holinka’s skill shows up even when the Oil Kings lose. When they dropped a 4-3 decision at home on Wednesday to the Regina Pats, Holinka potted a short-handed goal where he scored on a backhander on a breakaway.

If you live in Edmonton or you see the Oil Kings are coming to your centre as the road team for the rest of the current campaign, you’d be wise to get out and see Holinka play out his final days before graduating from the major junior ranks at the end of the season. It won’t be long before you have to pay big NHL ticket prices to see show off his skills live.

• Kamloops Blazers 17-year-old right-winger JP Hurlbert still has the afterburners on in what has been an amazing rookie campaign. Hurlbert, who is from Allen, Texas, has recorded 29 goals and 38 assists to go with a plus-11 rating playing in all of the team’s 42 regular season games to date. He leads all rookies in scoring with his 67 points and sits second in the overall WHL scoring race.
• Medicine Hat Tigers 17-year-old sophomore centre Markus Ruck leads the WHL with 51 assists this season. Ruck also had 11 goals and a plus-20 rating appearing in all of his squad’s 44 games to date.
• Medicine Hat Tigers 19-year-old veteran defenceman Jonas Woo leads the WHL in the plus-minus department with a plus-48 rating in 37 games this season. Woo has also piled up 61 points coming off 24 goals and 37 assists.
• Medicine Hat Tigers 18-year-old sophomore netminder Jordan Switzer leads the WHL with 21 goaltending victories. In 30 appearances this season, Switzer has recorded a 21-4-3 record, a 2.70 goals against average, a .896 save percentage and one shutout.

• On January 9, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a feature on 16-year-old Shaurya Patel, who is one of Cricket Saskatoon’s elite junior players. In the piece, Patel talked about his journey in the sport of cricket and went through the process to try to make Cricket Canada’s Canadian under-19 World Cup team in 2025. The piece on Patel can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that is anchored by images from the John Sands Classic Long Track Meet hosted by the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club. That post can be found by clicking right here.

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’ 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.