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.