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.

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