It wasn’t the finish that the Prince Albert Raiders envisioned at the start of the season, but it was an incredible season in Hockeytown North nonetheless.
The Raiders were eliminated by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the second round of the 2025 WHL playoffs in four games, losing the deciding Game 4 by a 3-0 final score at the Art Hauser Centre on Thursday night.
Raider interim head coach Ryan McDonald says it was a great season for Prince Albert.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this group. The way that we continue to learn and work and improve throughout this season to the division championship, to coming back in the first round continuing to battle right to the bitter ending. It’s a really good team.”
In his final WHL game, Max Hildebrand stood tall making 54 saves against the Tigers, who were the top seed in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.
“He’s the ultimate competitor.” McDonald said about Hildebrand. “I’ve been with Max for four years and watching his work ethic, his attention to detail. He’s a tremendous teammate and a tremendous leader. He’s a Raider through and through.”
Medicine Hat would open the scoring at the 4:03 mark as Tanner Molendyk would strike on the power play. Gavin McKenna and Oasiz Wiesblatt picked up the helpers.
Oasiz Wiesblatt would pick a corner at the 10:40 mark for his 10th goal of the playoffs. Josh Van Mulligen had the lone helper.
Hunter St. Martin would strike just 0:59 into the third period with his fourth goal of the postseason, coming unassisted.
McDonald says the experience in the postseason was worthwhile for Prince Albert.
“We talk lots about games getting tighter, the details, the habits, the game management, and continuing. You’re either winning or you’re learning for us. It’s sitting back and taking a breather after this and looking back on some of the areas as a group we feel we can improve and continue to instill in our group as we move forward.”
The Tigers will advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2014. Head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins says the series was a lot closer than indicated on paper.
“This series wasn’t a four-nothing series. They came back in one, two goes to overtime. They went two and it’s totally different. They got a good team. I think that seven game series against Edmonton hurt them a little bit. They had some guys who were tired.”
The series was a matchup of the two division winners in the Eastern Conference. Desjardins says Raider general manager Curtis Hunt did a great job in guiding the team throughout the season.
“I honestly thought Curtis Hunt did an incredible job this year. He could have been an executive of the year for sure. He made some big trades, fawned away with that club. They had a rough start. We had a rough start too. We were one and four to start as well, but I thought he made a lot of really good moves and I think he’s a really smart man. They got some really, really good young players. I know that and I’m glad to get them while they’re young.”
Medicine Hat will face the winner of Calgary and Lethbridge. That series is tied at 2-2.
