From being the second last player selected in the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft to committing to an NCAA Division I school, everything in Max Hildebrand’s career has been earned, not given.
The 20-year-old Martensville product committed to Bemidji State University last week. Bemidji State is an NCAA Division I program located in Bemidji, Minnesota. The Beavers compete in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association which includes schools such as Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Bowling Green, Ferris State and Lake Superior State.
Under previous rules, CHL players were not eligible to compete for NCAA schools. On Nov. 7, the NCAA Division I council voted in favour of making CHL players eligible to compete effective Aug. 1, 2025.
Several WHL players have committed to NCAA programs including Regina Pats forward Braxton Whitehead (Arizona State), Swift Current Broncos Brady Birnie (Bemidji State) and Tri-City Americans captain Jake Sloan (Bowling Green).
Raider head coach Jeff Truitt says the rule change provides another pathway for graduating WHL players.
“It doesn’t change anything too badly. If the 20-year-olds are the ones that are getting these opportunities. That’s great for them to extend their careers at a collegiate level. It’s a great opportunity for them and things can change if younger guys go, but for the 20-year-olds to go and they get to extend it, that’s positive.”
Hildebrand was the second last player selected in the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft when he was taken in the 13th round, 286th overall by Prince Albert. The only player selected after Hildebrand was defenceman Reid Conn who was taken by Everett. Conn never signed in the WHL and currently plays for the USHL’s Chicago Steel and is committed to the University of New Hampshire.
After starting the 2021-22 season with the SJHL’s Flin Flon Bombers, Hildebrand would finish the season in Prince Albert as the backup to import netminder Tikhon Chaika. In 2022-23, Hildebrand would split time with Chaika posting a 3.71 Goals Against Average and a .871 save percentage across 32 games.
Last season, Hildebrand would have a breakout campaign appearing in 51 games, posting a 2.88 Goals Against Average and a .907 save percentage and becoming the clear cut, number one netminder in Hockeytown North.
Truitt says Hildebrand has improved tremendously throughout his WHL career and expects him to be a difference maker when he arrives on campus next fall.
“He has been a tremendous transformation from when he first got here and where he’s established himself and he’s worked extremely hard to get those. It’s another challenge for him when he gets that opportunity. (There are) older guys that the goaltenders face there knowing him, it’s always a challenge, but he’s going to rise to the occasion because he always has.”
Hildebrand will be far from the first player from the Raiders to make the jump to the NCAA. Prior to joining the WHL for the 1982-83 campaign, several players who played in Prince Albert during the SJHL era of the franchise moved onto an NCAA program. Notable names who have done this include current Raider skills coach Mark Odnokon who played for Minnesota-Duluth and James Patrick who played two seasons at North Dakota before turning pro.
So far this season, Hildebrand has appeared in 18 games for Prince Albert posting an 8-6-3-0 record, a 3.52 Goals Against Average and a .904 save percentage.
Hildebrand says he was glad to be able to commit to a school early and keep his focus on the Raiders.
“It’s super important for me. I just kind of get that out of the way and stay focused on my season here with the Raiders and just trying to keep winning hockey games and keep things rolling. I think it’s awesome for and especially for 20-year-olds in this league to have that. It’s basically four more years of teams watching you play and four more years to go get schooling and all that so it’s going to be pretty cool.”
With the rule change and the start of the season that Hildebrand was having, several programs had reached out to him. However, Hildebrand says Bemidji was always his choice from the start.
“I had a couple others, but mostly Bemidji State. They were the first to reach out. There was a few others, but Bemidji was the most serious for sure. They have a pretty rich goaltending history there. Coach Tom (Serratore), a very good coach. He reached out to me straight from him, so I think that was super important. A beautiful campus down there, a small hockey town kind of similar to here. I like that and I’m super excited to get down there.”
After a slow start to the season, the Raiders sit ninth in the Eastern Conference with an 8-8-3-0 record after starting the season 2-6-2-0. Prince Albert has made the playoffs twice in Max Hildebrand’s tenure, but have yet to advance past the first round. Hildebrand says that is something he wants to change before the season’s end.
“I want to get into the playoffs and finish off on a good note and see how far I can get. Never been past the first round, so hopefully we can do that this year and leave it all out there.”
The Raiders return to action on Saturday night when they welcome the Regina Pats to the Art Hauser Centre. It will also be the second straight year that the Raiders will undergo a one night rebrand to the Lake Country Cobra Chickens. Puck drops at 7 p.m.
