Prince Albert Raiders bolster forward depth with Alberta product

The Prince Albert Raiders have acquired 19-year-old left winger Curtis Miske from the Spokane Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2018 WHL Bantam draft.

Standing at 6’3”, 194-pounds, general manager Curtis Hunt describes his game as multi-dimensional and a player who can step in and aid their struggling special teams.

“He’s a big left winger and can play in all situations, and he has for Spokane,” he said.

“He quarterbacked their power play from the top, he’s got a big league shot. He shoots the puck better than anybody in our group. He’s a threat to score with that shot on the power play. He can take face-offs and kill penalties.

“He’s a little different dimension than what we have. At 19, he fits that mold to come back as an overage player.”

Hunt sees a lot of potential for him to grow with the Raiders organization over the next two years. Not only does Miske have the opportunity to develop himself within Prince Albert, but he also brings experience to a young talented crop of players.

“We are a young team and some of that is by design,” he said.

“It wasn’t where we wanted to be starting off the year but we knew we were going to be young and at some point we had to make this transition … it gives him a chance to walk into our lineup here [in terms of turning pro] and be familiar with the coach and how it operates here.”

Hunt expects Miske to play an Austin Glover-type role in the lineup, and said he will debut in the top six forwards when he does step onto the ice for the first time.

From Beaumont, AB, Miske is in his third season in the WHL, all of which were with the Chiefs. This season, the 19-year-old has five goals and nine assists in 28 games played. He has amassed 22 goals and 36 assists in 154 career regular season games played. A season ago, Miske tallied 32 points (12 goals and 20 helpers) in 70 games.

As far as the Jan. 10 trade deadline, Hunt believes if the right deal is presented to bolster the future of the organization, he would have to pull the trigger. With that being said, he was adamant in saying the team won’t be moving any youngsters or draft selections prior to the deadline.

“We have a plan, it’s a good plan for sustained success,” he noted.