Caleb Mozell will be staying close to home when he starts his WHL career and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The 5’9, 160 pound centreman put up 27 points in 13 games with the Saskatoon U15 AA Outlaws last season. That was good enough for the Prince Albert Raiders, who selected him with their first pick in the draft.
“I was super pumped,” said Mozell, who also chipped in four points in two playoff games. “It’s good that it’s close to home so I can come back and travel. I’ve heard great things about the organization. Obviously they’re making a playoff push right now.”
The Raiders were without a first or second round selection this year. That made Mozell, who 60th overall, their first selection.
The Saskatoon product said he’s happy to play close to home, where family and friends can come watch him play. He’s also eager to develop his skill.
While his offensive stats stand out, Mozell said he tries to be a two-way centreman who can play in all situations.
“(I) like to play hard in corners, get on the fore-check,” he said. “(I’m) also really reliable in the d-zone.”
Mozell was one of three Saskatchewan players the Raiders picked in this week’s draft. Lanigan’s Sam Brenner (fourth round, 85th overall) and Nokomis’ Maguire Hendry (sixth round, 126th overall) are both now in the Raider prospect pool.
Like Mozell, Brenner said he’s excited to join the Raiders and stay close to home.
“I was pretty pumped,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to play in the WHL and obviously PA’s such a great place. It’s close to home for me, so I was very, very excited.
“It’s not too far away,” he added. “It’s not like Alberta. My parents can always drive out two-ish hours to come watch me play if I ever get there, and my grandparents are always around.”
Brenner put up 67 points in 27 games with the Humboldt U15 AA Broncos this past season. The 5’9, 150 pound centreman also tries to be a two-way player.
“I try to model my game after (Dallas Stars centre) Wyatt Johnston,” Brenner said. “He’s a good 200 foot guy. He can be used in all situations.”
Brenner was the third play the Raiders selected in the 2026 Prospects Draft. The second has a bit further to travel.
Noah Carignan, a 5’5 centre from Langley, B.C., has never been to Prince Albert. However, he’s eager to visit after the Raiders selected him in the third round, 68th overall.
“I was pretty surprised, but honestly I was really excited,” Carignan said.
Carignan said he’s been to Saskatchewan before, mostly in the Regina area. However, he’s seen how successful the Raiders have been this year, and that has him eager to join the organization.
“I’ve been following (the playoffs) a little bit. Seeing how you guys have honestly had a really good year, it’s pretty cool to look up to.”
Carignan said he tries to be a high IQ player who can put the puck in the net. He had 78 points in 30 games with the Fraser Valley U15 AAA Thunderbirds this season, plus another 15 points in six playoff games.
Of the 10 players the Prince Albert Raiders selected, five are centres and four are defenceman. The other, St. Albert product Kai Richards, is listed as a right winger.
Raider draft selections
(Round.Overall – Name, position, hometown)
3.60 – Caleb Mozell, C, Saskatoon, Sask.
3.68 – Noah Carignan, C, Langley, B.C.
4.85 – Sam Brenner, C, Lanigan, Sask.
4.90 – Nolan Scott, LD, Anchorage, Alaska
5.114 – Logan Chang, RD, Burnaby, B.C.
6.126 – Maguire Hendry, LD, Nokomis, Sask.
6.137 – Alex Boldt, C, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
8.183 – James Tucker, RD, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
10.229 – Brooks Carlson, C, Anchorage, Alaska
11.252 – Kai Richards, RW, St. Albert, Alta.
Jason Kerr
Jason Kerr is the editor at the Prince Albert Daily Herald. He can be reached by phone at 306-764-4276 ext 248 or by email at jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca.
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Raiders welcome new additions following WHL Prospects Draft
Three goal first period sinks Raiders in Game 2 of WHL Final
The Prince Albert Raiders anticipated a tough series against the Everett Silvertips, and they’re getting everything they expected.
Fresh off a Game 1 loss, the hard-charging Silvertips piled on the pressure from the moment the puck dropped at Angel of the Winds Arena on Saturday. The WHL regular season champions scored three goals in the first period, two of which came in the first six minutes, and cruised to a 6-2 win.
The victory sends the series back to Prince Albert tied at one, with Game 3 set to go on Tuesday.
“We knew they were going to push off the start again, and I don’t think the score was totally indicative of our start,” Prince Albert Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald said. “There was a lot of things in the first period that I really liked that we did. We had some opportunities in the middle of the ice. We just weren’t able to get them off our stick quick and missed a couple Grade A chances and they capitalized on theirs.”
Everett’s Colten Bear opened the scoring for the second night in a row when he grabbed a loose puck in front of the Raider net and fired a wrist shot past goaltender Michal Orsulak 3:20 into the first period.
Kayd Ruedig made it 2-0 roughly two minutes later when he beat Orsulak with a slap shot high blocker side. Rylan Gould added to the Everett lead on the power play with less than a minute to go in the first, and the Silvertips had all the offence they would need to win.
At the other end of the ice, the Raiders generated chances, but couldn’t finish them. Everett starter Anders Miller turned aside all 11 first period shots he faced, and finish with 37 saves on the night.
Silvertips head coach Steve Hamilton said his team “took it up a notch” after falling to the Raiders in Game 1.
“Certainly (it was a) very important game tonight,” Hamilton said during a post-game press conference. “We responded. I liked the directness of the game we played.”
The Raiders mounted a comeback in the second, outshooting the Silvertips 15-9, and getting a goal from defenceman Brock Cripps. The 16-year-old from Victoria B.C. stepped into a loose puck and blasted it past Miller’s glove for a power play goal 4:24 into the second.
However, it was the only puck the Raiders could get past the Silvertips netminder that period. Everett hung on and reclaimed their three-goal lead in the last minute when Bear scored his second of the night on a rebound off a Julius Miettinen shot.
McDonald said he was happy with how his team responded in the second, despite going into it down 3-0.
“That’s the DNA of this group—that never-quit attitude,” he said. “They continued to fight right until the end. Again, I really liked our effort.”
The Raiders pulled within two midway through the third when captain Justice Christensen hammered a one-timer past Miller. However, the Silvertips defence held the rest of the night, and Miettinen put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal in the dying stages.
The Silvertips would add another with one second left on a five-on-three power play to make it 6-2.
Bear finished with two goals on the night and was named the game’s first star. The Silvertips left winger said the team came into Game 2 with a fresh mindset and it paid off.
“Everyone came in not down on themselves,” he said. “It’s a fresh day, a new day, a new game. I think that was our mindset going into the morning.”
News and Notes:
• Miettinen finished with a goal and three assists on the night and was named the game’s second star. Defenceman Landon Dupont recorded two assists and was named third star.
• Daxon Rudolph received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a cross-check on a Silvertips player after Miettinen’s empty net goal. When asked about the play, and whether the Raiders were worried Rudolph might get suspended, McDonald said no comment.
• The Raiders finished 1/3 on the power play while the Silvertips were 2/4.
• Michal Orsulak finished with 32 saves in the Prince Albert goal.
• The Raiders will host a tailgate BBQ ahead of Game 3 on Tuesday. All proceeds go to KidSport Prince Albert. The BBQ rungs from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
Scoring Summary
First period
1. EVT – Bear (5) (Miettinen, Ruedig) 3:20
2. EVT – Ruedig (2) (Jamieson, Chastko) 5:31
3. EVT – Gould (5) (Miettinen, DuPont) 19:17 (PP)
Penalties: PA – Dube (Roughing), EVT – Bear (Roughing), PA – Corkish (Tripping)
Second Period
4. PA – Cripps (4) (Rudolph, Cootes) 4:24 (PP)
5. EVT – Bear (6) (Miettinen, DuPont) 19:14 (PP)
Penalties: EVT – DuPont (Tripping), EVT – Vanhanene (Tripping), EVT – Uyeda (Tripping)
Third Period
6. PA – Christensen (3) (Rudolph, Oiring) 9:46
7. EVT – Miettinen (12) (Vanhanen, Liske) 18:58 (EN)
8. EVT – Heslop (4) (Ruedig, Busch) 19:59 (PP)
Penalties: PA – Oiring (Boarding), PA – McCagherty (Roughing), EVT – Bear (Roughing), PA – Rudolph (Cross-checking Major), PA – Burrett (Roughing), PA – Smith (Roughing)
Second period scoring outburst propels Raiders to victory in Game 1 of WHL Final
The Prince Albert Raiders survived the first period, but thrived in the second and third to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven WHL Final against the Everett Silvertips.
The Raiders found themselves down 1-0 early in the second, and could have been down a lot more had goaltender Michal Orsulak not stopped a flurry of Everett chances.
But when the action shifted to the other end of the ice, the Raider offence delivered. Jonah Sivertson, Braeden Cootes, and Justice Christensen all scored second period goals as Prince Albert skated to a 4-2 win.
“We knew they were going to push off the start,” Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald said. “I thought the guys settled into the game and continued to play north and play direct and play behind. I thought our sticks were good all night, and we capitalized on our opportunities.”
Orsulak was the key for the Raiders. The Czech netminder stopped 39 shots, including 16 in a busy second period.
The list of saves included a breakaway stop on Jaxsin Vaughan less than three minutes into the second. Orsulak then turned away Julius Miettinen roughly a minute later after a Daxon Rudolph turnover.
Orsulak bailed the Raiders out again in the third with a big pad save on Matias Vanhanen, who intercepted a Braeden Cootes pass at the blue line and skated in all alone for a scoring chance.
“I thought Ors was tremendous tonight,” McDonald said. “He stood tall when we needed him and made those real timely saves for us. (He) was very clean and very tidy.”
Orsulak’s play helped the Raiders survive the Silvertip offence, who were buoyed by an enthusiastic crowd of 7,697. Those fans fell silent 5:12 into the second when Cootes delivered a beautiful behind-the-back pass to Sivertson in the slot. The Regina product fired a wrist shot past Everett goaltender Anders Miller to tie the game at one.
The building went quiet again nearly 10 minutes later. With Silvertips defenceman Brek Liske in the penalty box for cross-checking Linden Burrett, Cootes fired a harmless looking wrist shot that snuck through the screen in front and past Miller’s pad to make it 2-1.
Christensen added to the Raider lead when he hammered a one-timer into the top corner following a beautiful cross-ice pass from Rudolph. The last two goals came just 1:43 apart.
“The guys did a great job,” McDonald said when asked about the second period scoring outburst. “We get one on the power play, which was a big goal and again, the two even strength ones, five-on-five and four on four, (we) got pucks underneath and were able to win battles underneath the goal line and get pucks in front and guys did a great job finishing.”
The Silvertips piled on the pressure in the third, outshooting the Raiders 13-5, and getting within one after Miettinen finally solved Orsulak with a power play goal at 17:51. Everett then came within inches of making it 3-3, but Rudolph successfully tied up Zachary Shantz at the side of the goal.
Moments later, Aiden Oiring fired the puck the length of the ice and into an empty Everett net.
“I thought the guys did a great job of settling in,” McDonald said. “That’s a big crowd and a loud crowd. They did a great job of settling into the game and sticking with our process and sticking with our details and habits.”
News and Notes:
• Both teams had one power play goal on the night. Everett had four chances to score theirs. The Raiders had one.
• After dominating the Medicine Hat Tigers in the face-off circle last series, the Raiders met their match in Everett. The Silvertips won 31 draws compared to just 22 for Prince Albert.
• Carter Bear opened the scoring 6:07 into the first period. The goal led to a lengthy stoppage while the officiating crew determined if the play should have been blown dead for a high stick.
• With the win, the Raiders have now won the first game of every series this playoff.
• The two teams are back at it again on Saturday for Game 2. Puck drop is 7 p.m. Saskatchewan time.
Scoring Summary
First period
1. EVT – Bear (4) (Vanhanen, Miettinen) 6:07
Penalties: PA – Boychuk (Hooking), PA – Dube (Holding-Opponents-Stick)
Second period
2. PA – Sivertson (3) (Cootes, Howe) 5:12
3. PA – Cootes (7) (Cripps, Sarkenov) 15:07 (PP)
4. PA – Christensen (2) (Rudolph, Dube) 17:50
Penalties: PA – McCagherty (Tripping), EVT – Liske (Cross-Checking), PA – Boychuk (Roughing), EVT – Heslop (Roughing)
Third Period
5. EVT – Miettinen (11) (DuPont) 17:51 (PP)
6. PA – Oiring (8) 18:55 (EN)
Penalties: PA – Man (Tripping)
Raiders eager to face WHL regular season champs
There were few successes when Maddix McCagherty visited Angel in the Winds Arena with his old WHL team.
He’s expecting a stronger showing from his current one.
“I’ve probably played Everett around maybe 20 times within the two years I was in Wenatchee,” the Kelowna, B.C. product said shortly before the Prince Albert Raiders began their trek west for Game 1 of the WHL Finals. “I didn’t win a lot.”
The Raiders acquired McCagherty from the Wenatchee Wild in early December. While McCagherty remembers plenty of positives from his time in Wenatchee, their record against the Everett Silvertips wasn’t one of them.
“(We won) maybe one or two games that I can remember,” he said. “I feel like they’re a pretty similar team to (the Raiders). A lot of great players. They play fast.”
Despite the poor record, McCagherty said he’s excited to face the Silvertips in the WHL Final, which begins on Friday. A big part of that is personal. Everett is a nearly five hour drive from Kelowna, so he expects his family and friends to be in attendance for Games 1 and 2.
The rest is professional. He’s looking forward to playing for WHL title.
“I didn’t really think I would be in position at the start of the year, being in Wenatchee,” he said. “I was very fortunate to be able to be traded to a team like Prince Albert with how well they were doing.
“We had such a good season and even going into playoffs we’ve been doing really well, so it’s an exciting time of year. I can’t wait.”
The Raiders will arrive at Angel in the Winds Arena with much higher expectations that the rebuilding Wild. A small part of that comes from recent successes.
McCagherty wasn’t on the roster when the Raiders beat the Silvertips 4-1 in Everett on Nov. 11. Neither was Braeden Cootes, who plied his trade for the Seattle Thunderbirds until early December.
Raider forward Evan Smith said the Raiders were starting to gel as a team when they began that U.S. road trip. Still, he said it’s a different squad than the one that handed the Silvertips one of only eight regulation losses all season.
“I thought that whole road trip we were a pretty united team,” said Smith, who had two goals in the 4-1 win and was named first star. “I think our chemistry was just getting there but I think as a whole right now, we’re a different team than we were back then. But, it should be an exciting series for sure. Really fun.”
Despite playing the first half of the season in the U.S. Division, this will be the first time Cootes faces the Silvertips this season. The T-Birds and Silvertips didn’t play each other until after Christmas.
Like McCagherty, Cootes said the Silvertips are a skilled team that plays with plenty of pace.
“It’s going to be good,” the Vancouver Canucks prospect said. “They play really fast. They’re really good offensively. That building is really loud. They feed off of it, they play quick, so it should be really good.”
The Silvertips enjoyed a lengthy rest after sweeping the B.C. Division champion Penticton Vees in the Western Conference Final. The Raiders, meanwhile, arrived back in Prince Albert on Monday, one day after dispatching the Medicine Hat Tigers, and departed for Everett on Tuesday.
It’s a short turnaround, but the Raiders aren’t worried.
“This is what we trained for,” Smith said. “We do this all year. Every year it’s the same thing. I think both teams are going to be fatigued, but I think we should be ready to roll.”
“We played on Sunday and we don’t play until Friday, so we should be alright,” Cootes added. “Our staff here and everyone (is) taking good care of us. We eat really well and (they) make sure we get everything we need. We’re feeling good, so I think we should be just fine.”
Raiders grateful to see welcome home party
Prince Albert Raiders fans lined Gary Anderson Way outside the Art Hauser Centre on Monday to welcome the team home.
The Raider bus received a police escort into town, and stopped just after turning off Sixth Avenue West so the Raiders could carry the Eastern Conference Championship trophy through the crowd.
“Honestly it was something else,” McCagherty said when asked about the reception. “It was really cool to me. I’ve never experienced anything like that. It just shows what kind of community Prince Albert has.”
“It’s special,” Cootes added. “That’s why you play for them. The fans in Seattle were great, but the small-town vibes, I’ve never experienced that before. They’re unreal fans and it was special. Everyone’s honking their horns as soon as we get into town. It was pretty cool.”
Fans arrived on scene decked out with jerseys, flags, noisemakers, and signs. A few had a chance to pose for photos with the players and the Eastern Conference trophy.
“It’s awesome,” Smith said. “My family came out so that was really cool. The fan base here is amazing. I mean, great, great people. It’s good to get to know them and it’s really exciting for sure. Hopefully we can see them in Everett as well.”
News and notes:
• Game 1 is scheduled for Friday in Everett. Puck drop is 8 p.m. Saskatchewan time. Game 2 goes on Saturday. Puck drop is 7 p.m. Saskatchewan time.
• The Raiders will host a tailgate BBQ in the Art Hauser Centre parking lot ahead of Game 3 on Tuesday. All proceeds will go towards KidSpot. The tailgate starts at 5:30 a.m. and goes until 7 p.m. Game time is 7:30.
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
Haywire Farm Festival to hold inaugural Haymaker Fundraiser at Rock Trout Café
Haywire Farm Festival founder Patti Propp likes to put the spotlight on Saskatchewan artists.
She’ll continue that trend on May 9 when Haywire hosts the inaugural Haymaker Fundraiser at the Rock Trout Café in Prince Albert.
“This is what it’s all about for us—to be able to showcase up and coming acts and really support their adventure in what they’re doing,” Propp said during a phone interview. “I definitely think it’s like a little mini-festival for us.”
The show will feature live musical performances from Cupid’s Heart, South West, The Lenvale Elevators, and Brian Paul D.G. and Friends. Comedian Sheena Rai will also take the stage.
Propp said it’s about more than providing one night of entertainment. The goal is to invest in the region’s creative and entrepreneurial spirit.
“We’re just excited to be in (Prince Albert),” Propp said. “I can’t believe how much amazing talent comes out of Prince Albert. It’s nice for to be able to be there for this and showcase some of that local talent, but also bring (in) some talent from other rural areas as well.”
Haywire Farm Festival has held fundraisers in Saskatoon and Propp’s hometown of Regina. This will be their first foray into Prince Albert.
If successful, Propp said they are “definitely testing the waters” with this show. If it’s successful, the Haymaker could become an annual event.
“I know that there’s a great music scene already happening in Prince Albert,” she said. “We just want to be a part of that and also help support that (scene) wherever we can. We’re really hoping to be able to do a concert series featuring different communities and Prince Albert is top of our list.”
In addition to the entertainment, the evening will include raffles, a 50/50 draw, and a silent auction. The proceeds will help Haywire cover festival expenses.
This year’s festival will be the fourth since Propp started it. She said they plan to do more community-based art and interactive projects, while also adding hay and wagon rides, and a new Haywire Food Booth to improve the guest experience.
Familiar events like the two-day Country Market will also return, along with the music. The 2026 Haywire Farm Festival already has more than a dozen acts confirmed. The list includes Cupid’s Heart, who will also play on May 9, plus Prince Albert group East Side of 2nd.
Propp said the Haymaker will help cover general festival operations.
“Unfortunately arts support is minimal now so we have to reach out and just create exposure that way,” she explained. “Part of it is just awareness of what we are as a community and what we do. We put on a lot of different workshops throughout the weekend that are based around healthy lifestyle living and farming—agriculture stuff—so it’s a nice way for us to reach out and gain those funds to pay for that programming.”
The Haymaker will be held on May 9 at the Rock Trout Café. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., with the show starting at eight. Tickets are $25 at the door.
The first 25 attendees will receive a free swag bag. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase.
The Haywire Farm Festival in the Nipawin area, roughly 8 km from Codette Lake. The 2026 festival will run from July 24-26.
Haywire Farm Festival to hold inaugural Haymaker Fundraiser at Rock Trout Café
Haywire Farm Festival founder Patti Propp likes to put the spotlight on Saskatchewan artists.
She’ll continue that trend on May 9 when Haywire hosts the inaugural Haymaker Fundraiser at the Rock Trout Café in Prince Albert.
“This is what it’s all about for us—to be able to showcase up and coming acts and really support their adventure in what they’re doing,” Propp said during a phone interview. “I definitely think it’s like a little mini-festival for us.”
The show will feature live musical performances from Cupid’s Heart, South West, The Lenvale Elevators, and Brian Paul D.G. and Friends. Comedian Sheena Rai will also take the stage.
Propp said it’s about more than providing one night of entertainment. The goal is to invest in the region’s creative and entrepreneurial spirit.
“We’re just excited to be in (Prince Albert),” Propp said. “I can’t believe how much amazing talent comes out of Prince Albert. It’s nice for to be able to be there for this and showcase some of that local talent, but also bring (in) some talent from other rural areas as well.”
Haywire Farm Festival has held fundraisers in Saskatoon and Propp’s hometown of Regina. This will be their first foray into Prince Albert.
If successful, Propp said they are “definitely testing the waters” with this show. If it’s successful, the Haymaker could become an annual event.
“I know that there’s a great music scene already happening in Prince Albert,” she said. “We just want to be a part of that and also help support that (scene) wherever we can. We’re really hoping to be able to do a concert series featuring different communities and Prince Albert is top of our list.”
In addition to the entertainment, the evening will include raffles, a 50/50 draw, and a silent auction. The proceeds will help Haywire cover festival expenses.
This year’s festival will be the fourth since Propp started it. She said they plan to do more community-based art and interactive projects, while also adding hay and wagon rides, and a new Haywire Food Booth to improve the guest experience.
Familiar events like the two-day Country Market will also return, along with the music. The 2026 Haywire Farm Festival already has more than a dozen acts confirmed. The list includes Cupid’s Heart, who will also play on May 9, plus Prince Albert group East Side of 2nd.
Propp said the Haymaker will help cover general festival operations.
“Unfortunately arts support is minimal now so we have to reach out and just create exposure that way,” she explained. “Part of it is just awareness of what we are as a community and what we do. We put on a lot of different workshops throughout the weekend that are based around healthy lifestyle living and farming—agriculture stuff—so it’s a nice way for us to reach out and gain those funds to pay for that programming.”
The Haymaker will be held on May 9 at the Rock Trout Café. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., with the show starting at eight. Tickets are $25 at the door.
The first 25 attendees will receive a free swag bag. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase.
The Haywire Farm Festival in the Nipawin area, roughly 8 km from Codette Lake. The 2026 festival will run from July 24-26.
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
Raiders eliminate Tigers with five-goal second period outburst, will face Silvertips in WHL final
For the first time since 2019, the Prince Albert Raiders are headed to the WHL final.
The Raiders erupted for five goals in the second period, and held off a furious Medicine Hat Tiger charge in the third for a series clinching 7-6 win in Game 6.
Fans who only watched the first period might have assumed they were in for a tight-checking contest as the Raiders sought to eliminate the defending WHL champs while the Tigers hoped to send everyone back to Prince Albert for Game 7.
However, the defensive play evaporated in the final 40 minutes as both teams poured on the offence. Riley Boychuk led the way for the Raiders with two goals, while Braeden Cootes and Daxon Rudolph both recorded a goal and two assists. Six different players scored for the Tigers, while centre Andrew Basha had four assists.
Boychuk’s two tallies provided the bookend to a dominant performance from the Raider offence. His first came with less than five minutes to play in the opening period when he grabbed a rebound and fired a wrist shot over sprawling Tigers netminder Jordan Switzer. His second came in the last 10 minutes of the third, when he toe-dragged a Tiger defenceman, and fired a wrist shot off the cross-bar and in.
Braeden Cootes, Aiden Oiring, Brayden Dube, Jonah Sivertson, and Rudolph scored in between Boychuk’s two tallies. The Tigers pulled Switzer after the third goal, which was credited to Rudolph after it bounced off defenceman Josh Van Mulligen and into the net.
The offensive outburst gave the Raiders a comfortable 6-3 lead heading into the third, but the Tigers refused to go down quietly. Kade Stengrim capitalized on an early Raider penalty when he one-timed a cross-ice feed past Prince Albert goaltender Michal Orsulak to make it 6-4. Van Mulligen scored on another one-timer that beat Orsulak short-side a few minutes later, and the Raider lead was down to one with 13 minutes to play in the period.
Even after Boychuk’s second goal sucked the air out of Co-op Place, the Tigers continued to push. They were rewarded when Liam Ruck bagged his eighth of the playoffs on another one-timer.
The scoreboard originally showed 6.1 seconds left when Ruck scored. The officials added on another eight-tenths, giving Medicine Hat 6.9 seconds to work with. However, the Tigers never threatened.
Medicine Hat called a time out, but Kadon McCann attempt to shoot the puck towards the Raider zone directly off the face-off failed. Oiring grabbed the puck and dumped it into the Medicine Hat end, giving Prince Albert the win.
The Raiders move on to the face the Western Conference Champion Everett Silvertips, who finished the regular season atop the WHL standings and only lost one game in the first three rounds of the playoffs.
The WHL has not announced dates for Games 1 and 2 as of press time.
News and Notes:
• Cootes goal was his first of the series. The Vancouver Canucks prospect skated almost below the goal line on a second period power play and beat Switzer from a tough angle to make it 2-2 early in the second.
• Oiring’s goal came 13:12 into the second when he fired a wrist shot through a screen, over Casey’s blocker, and into the top corner.
• Dube made it 5-3 on a 2-on-1 when he beat Casey with a wrist shot that just missed hitting the Tiger goaltender in the head.
• Sivertson made it 6-3 with 33 seconds to play in the second. The Raider forward deflected a Braeden Cootes shot over Casey’s glove and into the net.
• Michal Orsulak finished with 24 saves on the night. Switzer stopped 10 shots in the Tiger goal before giving way to Carter Casey, who made 14 saves in relief.
• It was a tough night for penalty killers on both sides. The Raiders went 2/3 on the power play, while the Tigers went 2/4.
• Medicine Hat captain Bryce Pickford left the game with 2:46 left the second following a check from Connor Howe, but returned for the third period.
• Jonas Woo, Noah Davidson, and Luke Cozens had the other goals for Medicine Hat.
Sports Hall of Fame: Team Canada experience inspired Leah Tyree to aim high
This is the seventh in a series of articles about the athletes, coaches, and builders who will be inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held at the Ches Leach Lounge on May 2. The first article ran in the April 18 edition of the Daily Herald.
There are a multitude of sports young athletes can play in Prince Albert, and as a youth, Leah Tyree enjoyed almost all of them.
Tyree will be one of seven individuals inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday. She said it’s an honour to be inducted, and a fun opportunity to reminisce about past athletic achievements.
“I’m really involved in sports now, but moreso through my kids, so it was just a time to kind of reflect on my own successes and experiences in sports,” Tyree said during a phone interview on Friday. “I was just excited.”
In high school Tyree excelled in track, soccer, volleyball, and basketball. In track, she broke the junior girls’ high jump record, and brought home three medals from provincials. In soccer, she was a member of the 1998 provincial champion Prince Albert Celtics. She also captained the Carlton Crusader basketball and volleyball teams, winning gold and silver in two trips to provincials with the latter.
Tyree said her family played a big part in her success. She has fond memories of playing volleyball with her siblings, shooting hoops in the driveway, or running on the dirt track her father made in a field on the family acreage east of Prince Albert.
“We were a really active family—just outside running and playing all the time—so we just naturally were pretty athletic,” Tyree remembered. “I think sports were a way to keep me out of trouble, and it was something I was good at so it was a natural fit.”
Volleyball became Tyree’s primary focus. Originally, it was a fun sport to play with her friends, but that changed when she was invited to try out for the junior volleyball team that would represent Canada at the 2000 Girls Youth NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation) Championships in the Dominican Republic.
She later found out someone had scouted her at one of her last tournaments her Grade 10 year.
“Prior to that, my world was pretty small in volleyball,” Tyree said. “I was just playing with my club team and didn’t even know scouting was a thing. Then I was invited to that tryout and shockingly, to me, I made the team.
“It was just a really cool experience. It really opened the world up. I hadn’t done much traveling to that point. We went to Dominican Republic … for the NORCECA Championship, and that was a culture shock, but also just so much fun. Meeting other athletes from all across Canada, it was a really awesome experience.”
Tyree and Team Canada finished fourth at the NORCECA tournament, and that trip helped clarify what she wanted to accomplish. She said it made the opportunity to play volleyball in university seem possible. Before, it wasn’t something she even thought about.
Although the University of Saskatchewan tried to recruit her, Tyree wanted to experience living outside of Saskatchewan. She accepted an offer from the University of Maine, and instantly slotted into the line-up. She played in 231 of Maine’s 232 sets in her first two years.
“It was definitely a jump,” Tyree remembered. “I was used to being ‘Tall Leah’ and all of a sudden I was one of the shortest middles out there—so much so that my position actually changed to left side. I was kind of shrimp. I’m 5’11, so that was just so funny to me.”
Although the skill level between high school and college was quite different, Tyree said the training and practice sessions were actually the biggest adjustment.
“My high school team was very, very talented. We were a very unique team. Skill-wise there was definitely a jump, but I feel like my high school team and my coaches really set me up for success at a university level. It was really the training that just threw me off. That was a whole new world.
“We were basically in the gym four hours a day and then travelling every weekend. It kind of turned volleyball into a job. (It was) a job that I loved, but moreso a job because you were really trying to earn something for your university. That was a huge shift for sure.”
If the transition was difficult, it never showed on the court. Tyree was named to the American East All-Rookie Team in 2002, and was an American East All-Conference honourable mention in 2003. She led the team in kills both years.
However, a shoulder injury limited her effectiveness in her third year. She battled back to play 99 games, and helped Maine reach the American East Conference Championship, but the process wasn’t easy.
“It was never a question of if I would get back on the court. It was moreso when, but it was definitely a setback,” Tyree said. “I felt like that was the first time where I really had to work hard to succeed at sports. Previous to that it came naturally. It kind of changed everything about the way that I played volleyball.
“My arm swing changed and all sorts of things. A shoulder injury is a pretty pivotal area of the body for a volleyball player, so it was definitely a grind and a climb back. But, I don’t regret that it happened because I do feel like it taught me a lot.”
Tyree was back healthy for her senior year. She was named co-captain, and once again received an American East All Conference honourable mention while helping Maine to the American East Championship.
Tyree said her time in Maine made her appreciate Saskatchewan that much more. After graduating, she eagerly returned.
“I was kind of in a stage where I just needed to get out of Saskatchewan for a little while, and I’m thankful I did. I think that’s why, ultimately, I ended up back at home. Had I not done that I might have done some travelling in this stage of my life, whereas I’m just really thankful to be back in Saskatchewan now.”
Tyree still plays volleyball today in a local women’s rec league, but she’s more focused on her children’s athletic achievements than her own. Still, she said it’s been fun to enjoy the Hall of Fame recognition with her family.
“I’ve definitely shifted my focus to the kids,” she said. “I want them to have some of the experiences I was able to have…. It is interesting now, me being the one to get this honour, because I think even in my kids little young world the think of themselves as the athletes, not dear old mom and dad, so it’s kind of cool to share this experience with them.”
The Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet is scheduled for Saturday, May 2 at the Ches Leach Lounge.
Corkish hat trick propels Raiders to 6-3 win in Game 5
The Prince Albert Raiders are one win away from heading to the WHL Final, but the Medicine Hat Tigers didn’t make it easy.
The Raiders led 4-1 heading into the third before the Tigers scored twice in the first 10 minutes to make it a one goal game. The Raiders or their fans didn’t panic, however.
While the sell-out crowd of 3,299 enthusiastically, but unsuccessfully, tried to start the wave, the Raiders locked down the Medicine Hat offence, and scored two empty net goals to secure a 6-3 win.
“I think that’s just the name of our game,” said forward Owen Corkish, who scored one of those two empty netters. “(That’s) hardnosed hockey right there. We just got the job done at the end of the period. We kept it simple, got pucks in deep, and came out with the win.”
That goal not only iced Prince Albert’s win, it completed Corkish’s first WHL hat trick.
The Cottage Grove, Minn. product picked up a loose puck inside the Raiders zone and fired a roughly 150 foot shot right in the centre of the Tiger net with 2:31 to play. The goal sparked a celebration on the Raider bench, while rink attendants hustled across the ice to scoop up a few dozen hats that tumbled over the glass.
“I just put one-and-one together and tried to go for it to see what happens,” Corkish said with a smile after the game. “Fortunately, it went in.”
Corkish’s first goal came 22 seconds into the second period when he tipped a Justice Christensen point shot through Tiger goaltender Casey Carter’s legs. His second came midway through the period, and proved to be the game winner.
Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald said the line of Corkish, Aiden Oiring, and Brayden Dube were “dynamic” all night.
“They were on the right side of pucks,” McDonald said. “They checked really well. They got their offensive chances and when they did they capitalized on them and really used their speed tonight.”
Corkish’s game winner was great exhibition of how the line played. Dube cut-off a Tiger clearing attempt along the side boards, and fed a perfect pass to Corkish, who stood all alone at the side of the net. The Raider winger fired a shot into the top shelf, and the Raiders had all the offence they would need.
“It’s all the linemates,” Corkish said. “You can’t do anything by yourself. Those two guys, AO and Doober, they’re just excellent players and even better human beings, so it was pretty awesome.”
In what’s become a familiar theme this series, the Raiders dominated play right out of the gate, but struggled to put the Central Division Champions away. Prince Albert outshot Medicine Hat 16-3 in the first period, and almost took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission thanks to an Alisher Sarkenov goal. However, Tiger defenceman Jonas Woo beat Michal Orsulak with 2:50 to go in the opening frame.
Unlike Game 3, where the shutdown Tigers held off the Raider attack long enough to win in overtime, Prince Albert’s quickly re-asserted itself in the second.
Ben Harvey deposited a Maddix McCagherty pass into a wide-pen net to complete Prince Albert’s three goal second period outburst.
McDonald said the Raiders deserved credit remaining calm despite carrying the play without having a lead to show for it. That calmness showed up in the third period two, when the Raiders buckled down after the two Medicine Hat goals.
“Give our guys credit,” McDonald said. “We hand a tonne of shots on the scoreboard and it comes out 1-1 after the first period. (It was) kind of a reset mode in the second period.”
“They’re a good team. You can’t give them chances. They have the ability to put them in the back of the net,” he added. “I really liked our guys’ calmness tonight. They (Medicine Hat) got those two in the third and guys were even-keeled. We just continued to go about our business and continued to win our battles.”
Third period goals from Ethan Neutans and Josh Van Mulligen gave Tiger fans hopes of a comeback. Medicine Hat now faces a must-win Game 6 back home on Sunday.
Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins said the Raiders were by far the better hockey club Friday night, especially in the first period.
“We let them get off to a great start—which we can’t do in their building,” Desjardins said. “We were so lucky to come out of it 1-1. Then, it was great to come back in the third.
“When we got the first one, you knew we had a chance,” he added. “Then we got the second and we had some looks to get the third as well. We just didn’t get it. They bent a little bit, but they didn’t break. They stayed with their game plan but they didn’t pull it out.”
Desjardins credited his team for coming back in the third to make it a one goal game, but said the Tigers needed to be more aggressive if they’re going to be successful.
“They (Prince Albert) have got lots of speed, and the worst thing with speed is to back up,” he said. “You’ve got to be aggressive on speed and gap up and handle it. We’ve got to be better in the face-off circle too. They were really good in the face-off circle, so give them credit, but they’ve got to win another one.”
Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday in Medicine Hat. Game 7, if necessary, will be in Prince Albert on Tuesday.
News and Notes:
• Brayden Dube scored the second empty net goal for Prince Albert. Dube also assisted on Corkish’s game winner.
• Michal Orsulak made 25 saves to earn the win, none bigger than a glove stop on Yaroslav Bryzgalov, who broke in all alone after Braeden Cootes lost an edge and slid out of the play. However, the move that generated the most buzz game shortly after Corkish’s empty net goal, with Orsulak grasped a Tiger dump-in, and took aim at the open net at the opposite end of the rink. Unfortunately for the Czech netminder, his shot slid wide of the left post.
• Casey Carter turned away 41 shots in his first start since Game 1. Carter also made a relief appearance in Game 4.
• Brandon Gorzynski did not dress for the Raiders. The Scottsdale, Arizona product has not been in the line-up since leaving Game 2 with an injury.
• Luke Cozens was not in the line-up for Medicine Hat. Niilopekka Muhonen and Game 3 OT hero Liam Ruck were back in the line-up after missing Game 4.
• The 50/50 winner took home $87,795.
‘Important for education and awareness’: a history of Red Dress Day in Prince Albert
Red Dress Day is approaching in Prince Albert, and the event has become an important fixture for organizations and community groups around Saskatchewan.
In past years, organizations ranging from the Prince Albert Police Service, to the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC), to students at Carlton Comprehensive Public High School have held ceremonies or events on May 5. The goal is to raise awareness about the large number of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people.
“I think it’s really important for education and awareness because it is an issue in our society and it went a long time without anybody acknowledging it,” PAGC Health and Social Development Director Shirley Woods told the Daily Herald in 2024. “As we move forward, you always need to start with awareness before you can bring about change, and really, that’s what we’re looking for is a change.”
The 2024 ceremony was an important one in Prince Albert. The PAGC unveiled its new Sisters in Spirit monument at the riverbank. The monument is dedicated to local women, girls, and two-spirit people who have been murdered or gone missing.
In past years a number of influential provincial leaders have travelled to Prince Albert for the ceremony. The most recent was former Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, who addressed a gathering at the PAGC Cultural Centre in 2025.
“I think Red Dress Day is really important,” Blackmore told those in attendance. “We have to keep that focus. These are individuals who may not have been seen for several years and we have to remember that their families are still living with that anguish of not knowing what happened to them, not knowing where they are.”
Students have also played a role in raising awareness on Red Dress Day. In 2021, students lined Sixth Avenue East outside Carlton Comprehensive Public High School on Red Dress Day to call for support and community healing.
“The red dress serves as a visual reminder of those who are no longer with us, to bring awareness to this important issue,” reads a post on the school’s Facebook page.