Raiders 2019 WHL title win still feels special

The Raiders raise the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2019.

    Waking up in Prince Albert on the morning of May 13, 2019, I felt a surreal calm that it was going to be a special day.

    One night earlier, the Prince Albert Raiders had a chance to capture the WHL championship at the Art Hauser Centre but fell 4-2 in Game 6 of the league title series to the Vancouver Giants. With the Giants win, the best-of-seven set was tied 3-3.

    The Raiders led the highly-competitive series 3-1, before the Giants won two straight to even things up.

    If there was any disappointment by the locals that the Raiders weren’t able to capitalize on their first two chances to win the WHL crown, it didn’t show.

    “Game 7” might be the most exciting term you could inject into a hockey series. 

Raiders fans rush into the Art Hauser Centre for a standing room spot.

    On May 13, 2019, Game 7 of the WHL Championship series would be played, and the Ed Chynoweth Cup would be awarded to either the Raiders or the Giants.

    The winner would advance to the CHL championship tournament - the Memorial Cup - that was set to be played in Halifax, N.S.

    For the Raiders, this was going to be their biggest home game since May of 1982, when they downed the Guelph Platers 8-4 to sweep the best-of-seven Centennial Cup Championship series 4-0.      

The standing room spots at the Art Hauser Centre are filled quickly.

    On that night, the Raiders became national champions of junior A hockey for a fourth and final time as they graduated to the major junior ranks joining the WHL the very next season.

    On May 13, 2019, I was enjoying the moment as I got to cover that game. I couldn’t believe how calm I felt. It seemed like everything that day was floating on air for me.

    There have only been a handful of times in my life where I have felt that calm for a big day.

    I reflected back to covering Game 7 of the WHL title series between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Giants on May 14, 2007. The Tigers won that contest in epic fashion when Brennan Bosch scored the winner in double overtime to give the Tabbies a 3-2 victory before a sellout crowd of 4,006 spectators at The Arena in Medicine Hat.

The Raiders enter the ice for the start of Game 7 of the WHL title series.

    When I arrived at the Art Hauser Centre on May 13, 2019, I told people outside and inside the building before the contest that the Raiders were going to win 3-2 in double overtime and Parker Kelly was going to net the winning goal.

    I was actually just having fun saying that scenario would go down. I thought something amazing would happen that night, and it would likely be something I had never thought of.

    I felt ready to cover the game no matter how the final outcome would play out.

Ultimately, I ended up seeing another one of the most epic games in the history of the WHL. It was a contest I will always remember.

Parker Kelly in action in Game 7 of the WHL final.

    I arrived inside the rink part of the Art Hauser Centre nice and early before the main doors opened for the fans. I just soaked in the calm of the scene.

    Before I knew it, the main doors were open, and the fans were racing to get their standing room spots standing on top of milk crates and portable benches. The seats filled and the sellout crowd of 3,289 spectators at the 2,580 seat facility were all set to rock.

    The teams played through a scoreless opening frame. The Giants scored first in the second and the Raiders evened things up at 1-1 going into the second intermission.

    Star centre Noah Gregor scored at the 4:25 mark of the third to put the Raiders up 2-1, and I thought that might end up being the series winner.
    Just over four minutes later, Giants import centre Milos Roman scored on a power play to even the score at 2-2 and force overtime.

    For the second time in the history of the WHL, Game 7 of the league championship series would be decided in overtime. 

The Raiders faithful celebrates one of the team’s goals in Game 7.

    I would find out well after this clash between the Raiders and Giants finished that I would be one of the few that was in the building for both of those games.

    In overtime, the Giants had at least three outstanding chances to win the game, but they were turned away by Raiders star netminder Ian Scott, who would be named the MVP of the WHL playoffs.

    That set the stage for what would become the signature moment in the history of the Art Hauser Centre.

Noah Gregor put the Raiders ahead 2-1 in the third period.

    With 1:35 remaining in overtime, overage centre Dante Hannoun tapped in a backdoor feed from Gregor to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory.
    Hannoun jetted from one side of the rink to the other throwing his helmet in the air and the team piled into the northwest corner of the rink in celebration.

    I was just energized by the moment. I quickly finished some deadline items for The Canadian Press and raced down to the ice surface for the trophy presentation and celebrations.

    I think I was on the ice for at least two hours soaking in the moment, while doing interviews and visiting. I remember standing at centre ice looking around and marvelling at the full building.

    It felt like I knew half of the people in the stands, and it was so heartwarming to see them soak in that moment.

    I had covered the Raiders as a beat writer for the Prince Albert Daily Herald from 2001 to 2004, so I knew how big this moment would be for “Hockey Town North.” 

Dante Hannoun would be the overtime hero.

    I believe the reality of what happened was far better than the dream.
    On the ice, I was happy for so many friends. I really didn’t want that celebration and the great feeling of that moment to end.

    Of course, that moment was a huge topper for team’s core group of eight that has been together since the 2016-17 season in captain Brayden Pachal, Sean Montgomery, Kelly, Cole Fonstad, Spencer Moe, Zack Hayes, Max Martin and Scott.

    I was pumped to see Raiders star right-winger Brett Leason celebrate with his family. Leason’s father, Darryl, has been a long time bud going back to our University of Regina days about a couple of decades ago.

    I enjoyed seeing trainer Duane “Puff” Bartley and skills coach Mark Odnokon lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup, because they had put in a tonne of time with the team over a lengthy stretch.

    It was fun to see general manager Curtis Hunt and head coach Marc Habscheid beam with pride over their young men.

Dante Hannoun and the iconic OT goal celebration picture.

    Even when I went back to the pressbox to finish my work, I was still walking on air.

    I didn’t realize how good my picture was of Hannoun’s celebration, until I started finishing my pieces about the game later that night. I noticed that shot, when I was working on a quoter for The Canadian Press and a lengthy story for this blog.

    When I was back at my hotel room after finishing my work, it started to hit me what had happened. I was amazed I got to cover another Game 7 in the WHL Championship series that concluded with an overtime finish.

    For the first few days, I kept thinking, “Did that actually happen again?”

    Even now in the world that is consumed with uncertainty due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the lockdowns that has brought on, the memory of the Raiders Game 7 WHL Championship series overtime win on Hannoun’s goal helps you escape to a much better place for a time.

Sean Montgomery goes for a skate with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    The moment of Hannoun’s goal easily brings a smile to the face to this day. That moment will keep creating a happy reaction as time keeps going by.

    It was one of those instances where it truly felt incredible to be alive.

    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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