
For the third time and final time in his WHL career, Rilen Kovacevic found himself on the move.
The 20-year-old Kelowna product was traded by the Moose Jaw Warriors to the Prince Albert Raiders on Jan. 7 in exchange for 20-year-old import forward Krzysztof Macias, 17-year-old forward Luke Moroz and a fourth round pick in 2027.
Kovacevic was originally drafted by the Kelowna Rockets in the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft. He was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Nov. 28, 2022 in exchange for Carson Golder and a third round pick.
The Moose Jaw Warriors acquired Kovacevic from Edmonton along with import defenceman Vojtech Port as they loaded up for a championship run last season
Kovacevic says he wasn’t shocked when he heard the news that he had been dealt again.
“It was a weird day. I thought maybe on trade deadline day, I would expect something. I heard the news, and I couldn’t be more excited to be honest with you. I think I fit the way these guys coach and the way they operate here perfectly. I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my 20-year-old season anywhere else.”
After landing in Moose Jaw last season, Kovacevic would post 20 points in 34 regular season games. In the playoffs, he elevated his game posting 15 points in 20 playoff games.
The Warriors captured their first WHL title in franchise history sweeping the Portland Winterhawks in four games. In the Eastern Conference final, Moose Jaw defeated Saskatoon in a seven game series that saw six games require overtime, the only series in WHL history to accomplish that feat.
Kovacevic says that championship run is something he will remember for the rest of his life.
“It’s definitely at the top, and I think it always will be. You take it for granted when you’re doing it, but now I get to look back on it, and that was probably the best time of my life. Those guys will be friends of mine forever, and that’s something I’ll hold.”
Prior to the trade, Kovacevic was in the midst of a career season posting 40 points (21G, 19A) in 33 games with Moose Jaw. Kovacevic is second in the WHL with four short handed goals this season.
In an interview with the Daily Herald after the trade deadline, Raider general manager Curtis Hunt said he was thrilled at the opportunity to add Kovacevic to the team.
“I think our fans know him well from his time in Edmonton and certainly with Moose Jaw. As a 20 year old, I think he can play the game any way you want to play it whether it’s with speed, with skill or with grit and tenacity. Along with Matteo (Fabrizi), he will help keep the flies off some of our younger players and help them in their development as well, he does have that element to his game. We’re looking for his leadership and I think his ability to support the offense as well as another all-situation player. I’m really excited that we were able to add him to our mix.”
During his time playing in the Eastern Conference, Kovacevic was no stranger to the Art Hauser Centre as a visiting player. After making his Raider home debut on Tuesday night and recording two points, Kovacevic says it felt good to play as the home side.
“It’s definitely better on this side of things. The fans here are great. No matter if it’s a weekday game or a weekend game, they bring it every night and it’s a fun place to play.“
Despite the Art Hauser Centre being a notoriously difficult place to play for opposing teams, Kovacevic says he liked playing in Prince Albert.
I might be one of the few guys who did (enjoy it) just because I feed off the energy and I kind of use it. I know it puts some guys into their shells with the loudness and the way that these guys play.”
The Raiders are in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, currently sitting in sixth place with a 21-15-3-0 record. Prince Albert trails Saskatoon by four points for the lead in the East Division with two games in hand.
With six rookies on the roster including Daxon Rudolph, Riley Boychuk and Ty Meunier, Kovacevic says he wants to be able to go on a deep playoff run this season and show the younger guys what it takes to win in the WHL.
“I want to win with these guys. They’re special. We have a lot of young talent and it’s only going to benefit them in the future if we can get something done this year. I think that’s what the staff here want me to bring to the table. If we can knock off a couple rounds and you never know what happens, we got a good enough team that we can do something special.”
The Raiders return to action on Friday night when they welcome the Swift Current Broncos to the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drops at 7 p.m.