The wait is just about over for fans of the Prince Albert Raiders.
The defending Western Hockey League champions will begin the process of making their roster for the upcoming campaign at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30 as the first on-ice scrimmages of their 2019 training camp will take place at the Art Hauser Centre.
The schedule, which is subject to change, will also see scrimmages at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, in addition to matchups at 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1.
Training camp will conclude with the annual Green and White game on Monday, Sept. 2 at 1 p.m., which once again raise money for the Prince Albert Food Bank
All of the scrimmages are free for the public to attend, while admission to the Green and White game is either $2 donation or a non-perishable food item.
The Raiders will start their pre-season slate at home on Wednesday, Sept. 4 against the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Around the WHL
In a week that saw a number of roster moves, perhaps the most impactful one was a trade between the Saskatoon Blades and the Victoria Royals on Wednesday.
The Blades strengthened their defence by adding overager Scott Walford, who had 47 points in 62 games last year but was not signed by the Montreal Canadiens after he was picked by them in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
Although they also acquired a seventh round pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft from the Royals in the deal, the Blades had to give up overage forward Gary Haden, the rights to 16-year-old forward Riley Gannon and a fourth round pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft.
Haden, who was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers last October, is coming off a career high 65 points in 64 games last season.
Gannon, who was an unsigned listed prospect of the Blades, had 50 points in 46 games for the Nanaimo Buccaneers of the VIJHL last year.
He’s expected to play for the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles this season.
Meanwhile, the Brandon Wheat Kings announced on Thursday that Vegas Golden Knights prospect Marcus Kallionkieli will be joining the team for the 2019-20 campaign.
The Finnish forward, who was the 22nd overall pick in the 2019 CHL Import Draft, had 53 points in 58 games this past season for the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers.
He was picked in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft and signed an entry-level contract with the Golden Knights last month.
