JOHN MacNeil
DAILY HERALD
The third time, hopefully, is the charm for Darius Hordal.
The 18-year-old defenceman from Edmonton is in his fourth Western Hockey League training camp with the Prince Albert Raiders and it’s his third shot of making the team, eligibility-wise.
“This is my fourth year now, kind of hard to believe,” Hordal said Saturday on the opening day of on-ice sessions at the Art Hauser Centre.
“I got drafted back in 2023, so I’ve just been coming every year and trying to get better. Yeah, just trying to make the team.”
After a solid rookie season with the Devon Xtreme in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Hordal is more prepared than ever to stick with the major junior Raiders.
“Oh yeah, more ready than ever, this year,” he said. “This is definitely my year to make this team and come with lots of confidence. We’ll see what happens.”
That confidence showed in his Team Protas’ 5-4 shootout victory over Team Modano during intrasquad play Saturday. Hordal won battles in the defensive zone and wasn’t afraid to carry the puck up ice.
With management and scouts watching and taking notes, it’s the most opportune time to make a case for a Raiders’ roster spot.
“Yeah, exactly,” said Hordal, an eighth-round draft choice of Prince Albert. “Just show that I can step up and be one of those guys with them. Don’t shy away from anything.”
He was in the thick of junior A action last season with Devon, where he had also played the previous three years with Northern Alberta Xtreme prep teams at the U18, U17 and U15 levels.
In the AJHL, Hordal collected 28 points, including 24 assists, in 53 games. He got his nose dirty, too, and picked up 46 penalty minutes. As part of a young, up-and-coming team that didn’t qualify for the playoffs, Hordal was able to play in multiple situations and experience the highs and lows of junior hockey.
“Yeah, it was a really good development year for me,” he said. “I enjoyed it there, got lots of minutes. That’s all you really need for a development year, to jump to the WHL level. It’s all you could ask for. Very grateful that I was on Devon last year.”
He refined elements of his game that the Raiders advised him to develop after last year’s WHL camp.
“I think just realizing that I can play a two-way defensive game, and really worked on my defensive play — blocking shots, being hard on my stick,” he said. “That was one thing they told me that I needed to work on. Just trying to reiterate that and continue to do that against the big boys here.”
More than ever, the five-foot-10, 181-pound Hordal is accustomed to the pre-season routine in Prince Albert, and he believes he’s close to cracking the Raiders’ lineup.
“Yeah, I’m pretty used to this now,” he said. “Like I said, this is my fourth year. Back when I was 15 years old, there were a lot more bigger guys. Now, I feel a lot more comfortable. Just really excited for the opportunity, and see where it goes from here. It’s a pretty good shot, as long as I keep working hard.”
Hordal and his mother drove to Prince Albert from Edmonton on Thursday night.
“We got an Airbnb for a couple of days here, and then hopefully (I can) get into a billet later on.”
Even from the periphery, he already has a sense of what life is like as a Raider.
“Just a great culture here — from top to bottom — the coach, the general manager, they treat their players with a lot of class,” Hordal said. “They’re just very nice people and very transparent. They’re a great group.”
While living at his Edmonton home, near the University of Alberta, Hordal and Xtreme teammate Declan Brinkman drove about 30 minutes to Devon’s rink each day for practices and games.
“It was a bit of a hike in the winter, but I drove with my buddy Declan, a forward on the team. We car-pooled every day, so it was nice.”
This summer, along with his hockey training, Hordal ran his own lawn-mowing business.
“I started my business last year and kind of grew it a little more this year,” he said. “I had about 10 or so clients, mowed lawns between practices. So, yeah, it was good. A little cash grab.”
From mowing green lawns to potentially wearing the Raiders’ green-and-gold colours, Hordal helped his chances with a mix of skating and strength workouts all summer.
He trained at Premier Strength Sport Performance gym under the tutelage of Barry Butts and skated with Making Stridz under the direction of Brian Shackel.
Hordal counted at least four members of last season’s Devon team who are participating in WHL camps this year, including fellow defenceman Jeremy Friesen (Penticton Vees) and forwards Lincoln Martin (Wenatchee Wild) and Ben Deacon (Edmonton Oil Kings). Deacon left the Xtreme last February to join the BCHL’s Okotoks Oilers.
