Silvertips rebound with 6-2 win over Raiders in Game 2

WHL Championship Series tied 1-1 heading to P.A.

The Everett Silvertips got the bounce back and bounces they were looking for.

Business is also picking up in the best-of-seven WHL Championship Series too between the Silvertips and Prince Albert Raiders. Signs of rivalry are starting to spring up between the two clubs that only play each other once in the regular season due to being in separate conferences.

On Saturday, the host Silvertips downed the Raiders 6-2 to the delight of 7,987 spectators at the Angel of the Winds Arena. The win was a big one for the Silvertips as they even the series 1-1 and avoid falling behind 2-0 in the set with the next three games slated for the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert.

Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. local time, and Game 4 follows on Wednesday also at 7:30 p.m. local time. Game 5 will be on Friday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. local time.

Game 2 was a little more competitive than the final score would indicate. The Silvertips were holding a 4-2 lead when star import centre Julius Miettinen scored into an empty net with 62 seconds remaining in the third and standout right-winger Jesse Heslop scored on a five-on-three power play with less than one second to play.

Frustration also came out during the final moments of the contest too. After Miettinen’s empty-net goal, Raiders star defenceman Daxon Rudolph, who had assists on both Prince Albert goals, was in a battle with Silvertips star right-winger Carter Bear.

Rudolph hit Bear with a cross check and was given a major penalty for cross-checking by the officials for his actions. The major penalty to Rudolph will be automatically reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

After Heslop’s power-play goal with less than a second to play, the officials decided to have one more faceoff at centre ice. Raiders centre Evan Smith tried to charge at opposite Silvertips centre Lukas Kaplan and was quickly grabbed by the officials and ushered off to the dressing room. Smith did pick up a minor penalty for roughing.

Under WHL rules, officials can elect to run out the clock in cases where there are five or fewer seconds left in a game and the contest is decided on the scoreboard, if they believe tensions are high enough an altercation can ensue. In this case, they likely didn’t need to have one more faceoff.

Saturday’s game was likely decided by the fact the Silvertips had an explosive first period jumping out to a 3-0 lead as puck luck seemingly went their way on every tally. Just 3:20 into the first, Bear picked up a puck that deflected to him at the left side of the Prince Albert net after a Raiders player blocked a shot from Miettinen. Bear wired a shot past Raiders star 18-year-old rookie import netminder Michal Orsulak to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Brock Cripps had the Raiders first goal on Saturday.

Just 2:11 later, Silvertips 18-year-old defenceman Kayd Ruedig collected a loose puck after a faceoff just inside the top of the right faceoff circle in the Prince Albert zone. He wired a shot past a screen to the top right corner of the Prince Albert net to push Everett’s edge out to 2-0.

Everett completed the three-goal first getting a beneficial board bounce similar to the ones the Edmonton Oilers used to get in the 1980s playing out of the Northlands Coliseum. While working on the power play, Miettinen took a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that missed the net but deflected off the boards behind the Raiders goal to star 20-year-old left-winger Rylan Gould at the left side of the net. Gould popped the puck from the positive bounce into an empty cage with 42.3 seconds remaining in the first to give the Silvertips their 3-0 advantage.

The host side held a 15-11 edge in shots on goal over the opening 20 minutes. The Raiders had great chances to score in the opening frame too, but they couldn’t Silvertips star 19-year-old netminder Anders Miller.

The Raiders came with a push back in the second period. While working on the power play at the 4:24 mark of the second, Rudolph had the puck low in the right corner of the Everett zone, and he put a pass out to rising star 16-year-old rearguard Brock Cripps at the top of the left faceoff circle. Cripps blew home a shot to the top right corner of the Everett net for a power-play goal that cut the Silvertips lead to 3-1.

Prince Albert continued to push after that tally. Raiders defenceman Linden Burrett hit the crossbar of the Everett net at about the midway point of the second. Following that missed chance, Raiders standout 19-year-old left-winger Maddix McCagherty was later stopped in close to the Everett net by Miller.

After those opportunities, the Silvertips came up with a killer tally. Working in the Prince Albert zone on a delayed penalty call, Miettinen fired a shot on goal from the left side boards that rebounded out to Bear all alone at the right side of the Raiders net. Bear fired his second of the contest into an empty cage to push the Silvertips advantage out to 4-1 with 22.2 seconds remaining in the second.

Prince Albert held a 15-9 advantage in shots on goal for the frame, but Everett still went into the second intermission holding a three-goal lead.

Bear’s second tally proved to be very important. At the 9:46 mark of the third, Raiders captain Justice Christensen fired home one of his “Juice Bombs” from the point to trim the Silvertips lead to 4-2.

Justice Christensen had the Raiders second goal on Saturday.

When the Raiders pulled Orsulak for an extra skater with three minutes remaining in the third, star centres Max Heise and Braeden Cootes along with Christensen all had prime scoring chances and were denied by Miller.

That set the stage for the Silvertips to score twice in the final 62 seconds of the third and all the extracurricular activities that occurred as the end of the contest played out.

Orsulak turned away 32-of-37 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders. Miller stopped 37 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Silvertips.

Miettinen finished the contest with four points coming off one goal and three assists. Ruedig had a pair of assists to go with his goal, and Silvertips star 16-year-old defenceman Landon DuPont had a pair of helpers in the win.

One day earlier, the Raiders posted a 4-2 victory in Game 1 of the series at the Angel of the Winds Arena.

Going into the WHL final, there was no clear cut favourite.

Everett topped the WHL regular season standings, the Western Conference and the U.S. Division with a 57-8-2-1 record and was rated first in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Silvertips 57 wins and 117 standings points are team records.

Prince Albert topped the Eastern Conference, claimed the East Division title and finished second overall in the WHL with a 52-10-5-1 mark. The Raiders were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Raiders and Silvertips went head-to-head once in the regular season, where Prince Albert posted a 4-1 victory on November 11, 2025 at the Angel of the Winds Arena.

In the WHL Playoffs, Rudolph leads the post-season scoring race with 26 points coming off nine goals and 17 assists to go with a plus-12 rating in the plus-minus department. Miettinen sits second in the post-season scoring race with 24 points coming off 12 goals and 12 assists to go with a plus-17 rating. His 12 goals are tops in this year’s WHL Playoffs.

Daxon Rudolph had two assists for the Raiders on Saturday.

Now, all the attention in the series turns to Game 3 in Prince Albert on Tuesday, where one team will try to knock the other into the ropes by taking the series lead. Even with that immediate focus in mind, this series feels like it ultimately can venture into deep waters in going long.

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Gorzynski works overtime magic for Raiders in 4-3 win

Prince Albert takes first round series over Red Deer 4-1

Brandon Gorzynski (#29) and the Raiders enjoy their OT win.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – The Prince Albert Raiders weren’t going to be denied in their second shot to advance out of the first round of the WHL Playoffs.

On Friday, the Raiders took on the visiting Red Deer Rebels in Game 5 of a best-of-seven first round series at the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre. The Raiders could close out the set with a win, while the Rebels were trying to drag everything back to Red Deer for a Game 6 on Sunday.

With the Raiders holding a 3-2 lead, Rebels rookie defenceman Nate Yellowaga, who turned 18 in March, banked home the equalizer off the skates of Raiders captain Justice Christensen to force a 3-3 tie with 46.3 seconds remaining in the third period and overtime for the first time in the series.

Brandon Gorzynski (#29) reacts to scoring the OT winner.

The Raiders weren’t deterred by the break that didn’t go their way. At the 2:21 mark of overtime, Raiders star left-winger Brandon Gorzynski picked up the rebound from a shot taken by linemate Brayden Dube at the left side of the Red Deer net. Gorzynski proceeded to skate in behind the net and wrap home the winner into an open cage to give the Raiders a 4-3 victory before a raucous standing room crowd of 3,134 spectators at the 2,580 seat rink.

The victory allowed the Raiders to take the series 4-1 and eliminate the Rebels from the post-season.

Brandon Gorzynski (#29) gets set to be mobbed by his teammates.

“Obviously, it feels pretty good, kind of a weight off the shoulders,” said Gorzynski about the winning goal. “I mean they are a good team.

“They pushed us hard, but we didn’t want to go back to Red Deer. It felt amazing, and to get it with those guys. We worked so hard.

“I think we dominated that series, and I think we deserved that one.”

Gorzynski’s winner prevented Rebels star 18-year-old rookie netminder Matthew Kondro from stealing a second straight game. Kondro turned away 48 shots to take the setback in the Red Deer net on Friday giving his squad every chance to win the contest. In Game 4 on Wednesday in Red Deer, Kondro made 35 saves as the Rebels rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to pull out a 4-3 victory to keep the series alive.

The Raiders OT victory celebration ends up along the glass with their fans.

Just when it seemed Kondro might steal another contest on Friday, Gorzynski potted the overtime winner with his second tally of the post-season. Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald was pleased his side pulled out the series-clinching win on Friday.

“The guys worked hard all game, played the right way, got pucks behind and were relentless,” said McDonald. “Again, it was no different there (on Gorzynski’s overtime winner).

“It was just a great play getting the puck underneath and then getting that shot and then grabbing that second opportunity and wheeling that puck around. He (Gorzynski) did such a great job, and he used his body all night. He was physical, got to the inside, got his looks, and it was nice to see him get rewarded.”

The Raiders faithful celebrates their team’s overtime winner.

Raiders 16-year-old rookie defenceman Brock Cripps picked up the second assist on Gorzynski’s winner by making the first pass that started the club’s rush up ice that resulted in the winning tally. Cripps finished the contest with one goal, two assists and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department. He said the feeling was euphoric, when Gorzynski netted the winner.

“I was really excited,” said Cripps. “All the guys on the bench were pretty pumped.

“(We) finally get the job done and move on to the next series.”

Cripps got things going for the Raiders scoring at the 5:49 mark of the opening frame to give his club a 1-0. He came straight down the middle of the Red Deer zone with the puck and ripped a mid-range shot past Kondro for his third tally of the post-season.

Matthew Kondro makes one of his 48 saves in goal for the Rebels.

“It was definitely nice to put one in the back of the net there to get our team going,” said Cripps. “It was a good pass by my D-partner Benett Kelly.

“I think he set me up in a good spot there. It was just good to put the puck in the net.”

Just when it seemed momentum was rolling the Raiders side, the Rebels evened the score at 1-1 on their fifth shot of the contest, when star centre Beckett Hamilton fired home a mid-range shot at the 11:38 mark of the first.

With 55.7 seconds remaining in the first, Dube thought he had scored on a wraparound. The officials blew the play dead, and after a video review, it was ruled the puck did not cross the goal line.

Brock Cripps sets to fire home the Raiders first goal on Friday.

Just 2:08 into the second, Raiders 18-year-old rookie left-winger Owen Corkish put a mid-range shot from the front of the Red Deer net past Kondro to put the Raiders up 2-1.

With 5:34 remaining in the second and the two sides playing four skaters versus four skaters due to offsetting minor penalties, Raiders defenceman Linden Burrett, who turned 20 in early February, broke into the Red Deer zone on a two-on-one break. Burrett proceeded to fake a pass and put a backhand shot past Kondro for a nifty tally that gave the Raiders a 3-1 advantage.

Still, the Rebels didn’t quit, and that has been a traditional trademark of that franchise. Rebels 17-year-old left-winger Kohen Lodge had the puck at a sharp angle to the left side of the Prince Albert goal and fired home a slick shot to the top left corner of the net to cut the Raiders lead to 3-2 with 2:32 remaining in the second.

Beckett Hamilton had the Rebels first goal on Friday.

That set the stage for the dramatics at the end of the third with Yellowaga’s equalizer and Gorzynski’s winner in overtime.

“They (the Rebels) are definitely a team that plays hard and doesn’t take a shift off, which is hard to play against,” said Cripps. “Respect to them, they are a good hockey club there, and I think we just stayed with it.”

Michal Orsulak stopped 20 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders.

Dube and Evan Smith collected two assists each for the Raiders. Kalder Varga had a pair of assists for the Rebels, while Lodge had a helper to go with his goal for Red Deer.

McDonald was proud of the resilience of his squad, especially after the Rebels got the equalizer from Yellowaga that went off Christensen’s skates. The Raiders bench boss said resilience is a strength with his group of players.

Owen Corkish had the Raiders second goal on Sunday.

“We stay even keel,” said McDonald. “Our leadership group does an absolute tremendous job right down to the youngest guy on the team.

“We just continue to go about our business no matter what happens. The guys came back that next shift after that one went in. We marched down, and we got a couple opportunities right before the final buzzer went.

“We just continued to play the right way and got rewarded over time.”

The Raiders finished first in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and second overall in the league with a 52-10-5-1 record. They were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Rebels finished eighth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 26-36-4-2 mark.

The Raiders and Rebels take part in the handshake line after Game 5.

While the Raiders were the definite favourite in the series, they faced a good challenge in a Rebels side that refused to quit. Now, the Raiders wait to see how the rest of the first round of the WHL Playoffs plays out to see who they will play in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. Prince Albert could still play the Calgary Hitmen, Regina Pats or Saskatoon Blades depending on how the rest of the first round plays out.

For now, Gorzynski wants to let the reality of his overtime winning moment to sink in. Having been acquired by the Raiders in a trade with the Hitmen near the midway point of the regular season on December 15, 2025, Gorzynski is pleased to help his Prince Albert teammates. He said he will always look fondly on his overtime series winner against the Rebels.

The Raiders salute their faithful at the Art Hauser Centre.

“It is the most fun feeling one,” said Gorzynski. “Coming here as the new guy on the team and stuff like that, it feels extra good.”

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Raiders run over Rebels with 6-0 win in Game 2

Prince Albert takes 2-0 lead in first round post-season series

The Raiders celebrate a short-handed goal from Daxon Rudolph (#10).

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – When the dam burst, it burst big.

On Saturday, the Prince Albert Raiders found themselves being thwarted on numerous scoring opportunities by Red Deer Rebels star rookie netminder Matthew Kondro in the first third of Game 2 of a WHL best-of-seven first round playoff series. The teams exited the first period locked in a scoreless tie with the Raiders holding a 13-3 edge in shots on goal.

Just 1:37 into the second period, Raiders 16-year-old skilled rookie defenceman Brock Cripps scored a power-play goal on an end-to-end rush. From that point, the host Raiders added four more goals in the second to push their advantage out to 5-0. They would finish off the contest cruising to a 6-0 victory to the delight of a jubilant standing room crowd of 2,997 spectators at the 2,580 seat storied and historic Art Hauser Centre.

Brock Cripps had the Raiders first goal on Friday.

With the win, the Raiders, who were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings, take a 2-0 lead in the series. Going back to the regular season, they have won eight straight games.

“You know what, we have a game plan,” said Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald. “We have a process that we stick to.

“It hasn’t wavered all year no matter who we’re playing. The guys did a great job going out there executing the game plan tonight.”

During the first period, it appeared the Raiders might get snake bitten around the net for the night. Star centre Braeden Cootes had a backhand shot chance in close that was turned away by a paddle stop by Kondro.

The Art Hauser Centre faithful cheer on the Raiders.

Late in the frame, Raiders star defenceman Daxon Rudolph had a partial breakaway, but he fanned on his shot. The fanned shot was still a chance Kondro had to make an alert stop on.

The host side’s luck changed around the net, when Cripps scored on his end-to-end rush. On that play, the puck disappeared from sight underneath Kondro’s pads, but referee Adam Bloski was positioned behind the net and made the call of a good goal on the ice.

Following the goal call, the play went to a view review that lasted for about five minutes. After the review, the officials ruled the call on the ice stands.

“You look at the entry, the speed that Brock (Cripps) possessed getting into the zone, it was a great move to get around the stand,” said McDonald. “He took the puck right to the net and got rewarded.”

Ben Harvey had one goal and one assist for the Raiders.

Just two minutes after Cripps’ goal, the Raiders pushed their advantage to 2-0, when 16-year-old rookie right-winger Ben Harvey fired a shot from the front of the net to the top right corner of the Red Deer goal. Harvey converted a sweet setup feed from Rudolph.

“Dax (Rudolph), obviously, made a nice play coming down the wall and found me in the middle,” said Harvey. “I kind of just popped up and tried to get it past the first layer there, and I don’t think their goalie saw it.”

Just under five minutes later, the Raiders picked up a short-handed tally from Rudolph to push their lead out to 3-0. Cootes sent a smart pass to Rudolph to spring the rearguard into the Red Deer zone on a rush. Rudolph charged to the front of the net and ripped home a shot to the top right corner of the goal.

Daxon Rudolph had one goal and two assists for the Raiders.

With 3:52 remaining in the second, Raiders sophomore centre Riley Boychuk potted home a loose puck during a net scramble for a power-play goal that made the Raiders lead sit at 4-0. With 2:05 remaining in the second, Raiders 20-year-old right-winger Brayden Dube sniped home a power-play marker from inside the right faceoff circle in the Red Deer zone to give the Raiders a 5-0 edge.

Prince Albert’s momentum proceeded to carry over to a right between rookie 16-year-old left-winger Connor Howe and Rebels 17-year-old defenceman Cameron Dillard. The bout was a spirited one that ended with Howe, who stands 5-foot-6 and weighs 155 pounds, getting the take down on the much larger Dillard, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 218 pounds. The Art Hauser Centre faithful rained down thunderous applause for Howe, who is a hometown product.

Brayden Dube had a pair of goals for the Raiders.

“Everyone is just playing the right way,” said Harvey, who had an assist to go with his goal. “We’re just sticking to our game and playing fast.

“It is just eventually they’re going to come.”

Dube proceeded to score his second of the contest taking a drop pass from Cootes and wiring home a shot from the right faceoff dot in the Red Deer zone to round out the 6-0 final score in favour of the Raiders.

“I was just in the right spot at the right time it felt like,” said Dube. “It was nice to get a couple.”

Following Dube’s second tally, the Rebels elected to pull Kondro. Kondro took the loss in the Red Deer net turning away 30-of-36 shots sent his way. Peyton Shore played the rest of the way in the third in relief turning away all four shots sent his way.

Fans at the Art Hauser Centre do the wave.

Overall, Dube was pleased with his team’s effort and thought it was a good follow up to their 4-1 victory over the Rebels in Game 1 on Friday at the Hauser.

“I think we played similar to yesterday,” said Dube. “The goals didn’t come that quick, but I think we wore them down.

“They started making mistakes, and we capitalized on them.”

Raiders star 18-year-old import rookie netminder Michal Orsulak stopped all 13 shots sent his way to pick up his first career post-season shutout in the WHL. He also had an assist on Cripps’s goal.

While the Raiders had the Rebels pinned in their own zone for a large part of Saturday’s game, Orsulak had to come up with a huge sprawling glove save on a Rebels left-winger Poul Andersen inside the final seven minutes of the third to preserve his shutout.

Michal Orsulak made 13 saves for the shutout win on Saturday.

“He was sticky and tidy when called upon,” said McDonald. “It was just a real solid night from him tonight.”

Rudolph finished with a pair of assists to go with his goal and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department. Cootes had a plus-two rating to go with his two helpers.

The Raiders were without breakout star centre Max Heise, who was injured after being hit into the boards by Rebels right-winger Owen DeWitt early in Game 1. McDonald said Heise is listed as day-to-day when it comes to possibly returning.

The series between the Raiders and Rebels now shifts to Red Deer. Games 3 and 4 will be held Tuesday and Wednesday respectively at 7 p.m. local time on both nights at the Marchant Crane Centrium. In looking forward to those contests, Dube said his Raiders need to keep doing what they have been doing so far in the series.

The Raiders celebrate their win on Saturday.

“I know they’ll be better in Red Deer,” said Dube. “We just have to stick to our game and clean some things up that we can work on and just keep it going.”

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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.

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Cripps makes immediate impact on Raiders back end

Brock Cripps jets up the Ice for the Raiders last Friday.

Brock Cripps is showing he doesn’t need to be eased into the WHL.

The 16-year-old rookie defenceman with the Prince Albert Raiders has dived head first into the deep end and is swimming at a fairly good pace. In the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, Cripps was selected by the Raiders second overall in the first round.

The Victoria, B.C., product came to “Hockey Town North” with the potential to be a WHL standout or star. The Raiders were pegged to have a sturdy blue-line crew for the current campaign that could also move the puck and spark offence.

On paper, it appeared Cripps, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 160 pounds, was going to be in a spot to have a great learning season that would allow him to take off in later campaigns. Cripps is showing he is a quick learner and is already taking off. In the 16 appearances he has made with the Raiders so far this season, Cripps has recorded two goals, seven assists and a plus-12 rating in the plus-minus department.

He also played under Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald for Canada Red at the U17 World Challenge that ran Nov. 2 to 8 in Truno, Nova Scotia. Canada Red posted a 4-0-1 record at that event and claimed a 6-3 victory over Canada White in the Gold Medal game. The Canada White roster contained Raiders 16-year-old right-winger Ben Harvey.

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

Raiders win, everyone pitches in

Man nets first WHL goal, Heise picks up winner

The Raidcrs celebrate a first career WHL goal from Matyas Man (#5).

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Matyas Man was pumped to finally slam the first goal monkey off of his back.

On Friday playing in front of a standing room crowd of 2,942 spectators at the 2,580 Art Hauser Centre, the Prince Albert Raiders import rookie 19-year-old defenceman was in search of his first career WHL goal playing in his 19^th regular season game. Just 4:50 into a clash with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Man received a pass at the top of the left faceoff circle from Raiders rookie 16-year-old right-winger Ben Harvey.

Man drove a shot past Wheat Kings netminder Jayden Kraus to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. From that point, the Raiders would skate on to post a solid 4-1 victory to improve their WHL East Division leading record to 16-1-4.

Matyas Man scored the Raiders first goal on Friday.

“The first thing that goes in my head was like, finally, after 19 games I finally scored my first goal,” said Man, who also has three assists and a plus-11 rating in the plus-minus department on the campaign. “I was happy, and I don’t know what to do like how to celebrate and what I should do.

“I just turn around and wait for the boys. That is probably the first feeling after the goal that I scored.”

While it took a little time for him to get his first goal, Man said he has enjoyed his first season with the Raiders after coming over from the Czechia. He said his teammates on the Raiders are great in ensuring his spirits stay high.

“I think the boys are supportive,” said Man. “They always support me.

Max Heise tipped home a power-play goal for the Raiders.

“They cheer me, when I’m not going great. They cheer me up. I’m happy to be here.”

Man’s goal allowed the Raiders to hit high gear in Friday’s contest. Just 43 seconds after his tally, the Raiders struck on the power play to go ahead 2-0. Raiders sophomore 17-year-old right-winger Riley Boychuk took a shot from above the right faceoff circle that was tipped home by rookie 19-year-old centre Max Heise to give the hosts their two-goal edge.

The tally was the 10^th goal of the campaign for Heise, who wasn’t sure at first if he actually got the power-play marker.

“They kind of left me alone in front of the net, and I saw Chuck (Boychuk) rolling down high,” said Heise. “He made a good play to me.

Jayden Kraus stopped 28-of-31 shots for the Wheat Kings.

“I thought he kind of scored it. I felt it off my stick, but I wasn’t sure if it went in. Then, I just heard the crowd and saw him (Boychuk) celebrating and pointing at me.

“It was nice to get one.”

The Raiders proceeded to keep peppering the Brandon net with shots only to be kept at bay by Wheat Kings netminder and 19-year-old Prince Albert product Jayden Kraus, who was acquired in a trade with the Victoria Royals in the off-season. Kraus, who was stellar last season with the Royals, continued to keep the Raiders at bay in the second.

With 8:17 remaining in the second, the Raiders got a break off a positive bounce play. After pinning the Wheat Kings in their own zone, Raiders star 20-year-old centre Aiden Oiring had the puck behind the Brandon net.

Brock Cripps netted the Raiders third goal on Friday.

Oiring centred a pass that deflected off the skate of Wheat Kings defenceman Max Lavoie right to Raiders 16-year-old rookie defenceman Brock Cripps, who pinched down from the point to the front of the Brandon net. Cripps wired home a shot for his second goal of the season to push the Raiders advantage out to 3-0.

Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald liked the persistence his team showed on that third tally.

“I think you look at the goal, and you look how it was scored,” said McDonald. “The shift was sustained by just some tremendous work underneath the tops of the circles.

“I think we reset it two or three times underneath and just continued to keep grinding. We were able to suck them away from the net front, and then Cripsy comes down off that backside and gets rewarded.”

Luke Mistelbacher gave the Wheat Kings life with a power-play goal.

The Wheat Kings were able to create some suspense for a short moment in the third. While working on a two-man advantage, Wheat Kings star centre Luke Mistelbacher wired home a mid range shot from the front of the Prince Albert net to trim the Raiders lead to 3-1.

The host side stayed composed, and with 60 seconds remaining in the third, Boychuk fired home a long-distance empty-net goal to seal the 4-1 victory.

Heise said he has enjoyed the fact that everyone on the Raiders roster is contributing to the team’s success in the first third of the regular season, and that characteristic showed through again on Friday.

Michal Orsulak stopped 18 shots in goal for the Raiders.

“I think that defence wins championships, and we have four really balanced lines,” said Heise. “You need deep teams to win.

“That is what we have, and it is a great group.”

The rivalry between the Raiders and Wheat Kings did show itself with some various chippy moments. That included a big scrum at the end of the first period that saw Heise and Wheat Kings rearguard Nigel Boehm draw fighting majors.

Wheat Kings star centre Jaxon Jacobson left the game after the first period and did not return with an undisclosed ailment.

At the 11:04 mark of the second, Raiders centre Ethan Bibeau took on Wheat Kings centre Carter Klippenstein in a short bout, where Klippenstein was able to tackle Bibeau down to the ground.

Riley Boychuk had an empty-net goal for the Raiders.

“They’re a team that plays hard,” said McDonald. “They play heavy.

“They play straight lines. That is a playoff style game where you’re fighting for inches out there. Again for us, we have to be making sure you’re checking with your feet, not with your sticks and making sure that they’ve got to turn and get pucks every time that we have it.”

Michal Orsulak stopped 18 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders. Kraus turned away 28-of-31 shots to take the setback in net for the Wheat Kings (10-10-1).

The Wheat Kings return to action on Saturday when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the Blades (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

The Raiders salute their faithful at the Art Hauser Centre.

The Raiders are off until Friday, November 28, when they travel to Brandon to face the Wheat Kings (7 p.m. local time, Assiniboine Credit Union Place). McDonald admitted it was a bit different to have a Saturday and Sunday off before playing again this coming Friday.

“It is an opportunity for us to continue to make sure that rest and recovery is top of mind,” said McDonald. “We came off a real extensive grind on that U.S. road trip in four (games) in five (days) to finish it off.

“You operate on the bus after playing a couple games back-to-back, and the lactic acid is built up in your legs for an 18-hour bus ride home. I am real proud of our effort out here tonight, and our game in total. It just gives us another opportunity to make sure that we’re ready for our peak performance level come (this coming) Friday.”

Mesenchuk, Twyver join Raiders Wall of Honour

Bob Twyver, centre left, and Wayne Mesenchuk, centre right, are honoured.

Wayne Mesenchuk and Bob Twyver were named as the two latest additions to the Prince Albert Raiders Wall of Honour.

The two builders were officially inducted to the Raiders Wall of Honour in a pre-game ceremony on Friday at the Art Hauser Centre before the Raiders downed the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings 4-1 in a WHL regular season clash. Both Mesenchuk and Twyver have long links with the Raiders and have played key roles in ensuring the franchise could continue to exist over the long term in “Hockey Town North.”

Mesenchuk became part of the Raiders general membership in 1985. He served as the team’s president for two years, vice-president for three years and governor for three years.

During the 1993-94 campaign while serving as president, Mesenchuk initiated a task force that had a mandate to study the long term viability of the Raiders as a non-profit community owned organization in a small market. The final report was completed in the spring of 1994 and many of the report’s recommendations were implemented in the years following that have resulted in the Raiders being a thriving franchise in the current day and a valued partner in the WHL.

Bob Twyver and Wayne Mesenchuk displays on the Raiders Wall of Honour.

Twyver has been a season ticket supporter for over 50 years, and he became the club’s director of business operations in the 2001-02 campaign. He was elected to the Raiders board of directors from 2002 to 2007 and was a founding member of the “Bring Back the Magic” campaign during 2003 to 2006.

That project saw the expansion and modernization of the Art Hauser Centre to meet WHL standards.

Twyver served as the Raiders education advisor from 2003 to 2010. During that time, the Raiders were awarded the WHL Scholastic Team of the Year Award in 2009.

Hockey Canada chose Twyver as the U-18 Team Canada education advisor for the 2006 world championships in Sweden, where Canada finished fourth. He served as the education advisor for the U-18 Team Canada squad in 2008, where Canada won gold at the world championships in Russia.

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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