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| The team photo of the 1981-82 Raiders. |
In the regular season, the Raiders posted an impressive 57-3 record to top the SJHL standings outscoring their opposition 429-192. They won all 30 of their home games and had an overall winning streak that reached 30 games. Prince Albert continued to roll in the post-season going 20-3.
The post-season run concluded with the Raiders sweeping away the Guelph Platers from Ontario 4-0 in a best-of-seven Centennial Cup Championship Series where every game was played at the Art Hauser Centre, which was then known as the Comuniplex. In 1982, the Centennial Cup was awarded to the national junior A championship team in a best-of-seven series played between an Eastern and Western Canadian champion.
During the regular season, the Raiders had 10 players who recorded 20 or more goals and 11 players who recorded 50 or more points. They also received solid play in goal from the netminding duo of Tiger Pierce and Gil Hudon.
The Raiders were guided by their iconic head coach and general manager in Terry Simpson, whose disdain for losing has created many stories his players love to share to this very day. Still when Simpson looks back to that last junior A season in 1981-82 before the Raiders joined the major junior ranks in the WHL, the 57-3 regular season and the 20-3 post-season records jump out at him.
This flashback feature of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.
