Mister Mayor: Former Raider Latimer reflects on experience in Hockeytown North

Nathan Reiter
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Mister Mayor: Former Raider Latimer reflects on experience in Hockeytown North

When Carson Latimer donned the Prince Albert Raider sweater, he was affectionately known as “The Mayor of Prince Albert”.

Including playoff statistics, Latimer played 80 games as a Raider posting 61 points including 22 goals. The overage forward says he looks back at his time in Prince Albert with nothing but the best memories and he was excited to play at the Art Hauser Centre with the Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday night

“I love playing here. I spent a lot of time in this rink and a lot of great memories here with all the guys so it’s really nice to come back and be able to play in front of the fans again here that were so amazing when I was here.”

Latimer was originally acquired by the Raiders on Dec. 1, 2021 alongside current Raider captain Eric Johnston as part of the Kaiden Guhle trade with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Other assets from the deal included Kelowna’s 2021 first round pick (used on Cole Peardon, Edmonton’s 2023 first round pick (used on Daxon Rudolph), a 2022 sixth round pick (used on Ethan Bibeau) and a conditional 2025 third round pick.

Latimer was traded by Prince Albert on Dec. 31, 2022 to the Winnipeg ICE in exchange for centreman Aiden Oiring and a pair of third round picks (one in 2024, one in 2025).

During his time with Winnipeg, Latimer posted 12 points in 22 regular season games and six points in 14 playoff games as the ICE would make it all the way to the WHL Championship Series where they fell in five games to the Seattle Thunderbirds, who featured former Raider Nolan Allan.

Latimer says getting the opportunity to play for a WHL championship with Winnipeg was a highlight in his hockey career.

“It was unreal. It was really cool. Probably one of the coolest hockey experiences I’ve ever been able to be a part of. Playing in that huge spotlight with the last two teams, having a chance to compete to go to the Memorial Cup is what you dream of when you come into this league. It’s what you play for. So to have that opportunity, and it sucks being traded, but going to have that opportunity is unbelievable.”

In the offseason, Latimer found himself on the move once again as the Wenatchee Wild (who relocated from Winnipeg) dealt him to the Red Deer Rebels for a 2024 fifth round pick and a conditional 2025 third round selection.

At the time of publication, the Rebels are one of the hottest teams in the WHL as they have recorded points in their last 13 contests and were riding a nine game winning streak that was snapped by the Raiders at the Art Hauser Centre on Wednesday.

The Rebels sit two points back of the Medicine Hat Tigers for the top spot in the Central Division and hold one game in hand.

Latimer says it took some time for the team to adjust to new head coach Derrick Walser who is in his first season behind the bench.

“They had a new coach come in and we took a little bit of time to get used to everything and the way we want to play, but now we’re kicking in all cylinders here, we’re playing the right way, we’re really defensively strong so it gives us a chance in every game and we’ve been able to find a way to win games the last little bit here so it’s been really good.”

With the Rebels not departing for their next game in Brandon until Thursday morning, Latimer had extra time at the rink to reconnect with his billet family. During his time as a Raider, Latimer lived with the Pagé family.

“They’re unbelievable people.” Latimer says. ”It was one of the best billet experiences I was able to have in my career and I’m so thankful for them.”

The first billet player that the Pagé family took in was Aliaksei Protas during the 2018-19 season, who is now with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. A tradition that was started with Protas that has continued with all billets at the Pagé household has been several games of Mario Kart: Wii.

Latimer says his go to Mario Kart character was his Mii character on the Pagé family console.

“I’m a Mii character. I have my own Mii at the house. If you ask Roger, I take him down quite frequently. So it’s really good.”

sports@paherald.sk.ca

Another day, another shootout: Raiders snap Red Deer win streak

Nathan Reiter
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Another day, another shootout: Raiders snap Red Deer win streak

For the fifth consecutive home game, the Prince Albert Raiders went to a shootout as they downed the Red Deer Rebels 4-3 at the Art Hauser Centre on Wednesday night.

Raider head coach Jeff Truitt said there was no panic on the team’s bench, despite giving up a two goal lead in the third period.

“Resilience, character, obviously you don’t want to give up a 3 -1 lead. We kind of bowled each other over there and opened up a lane for their player to score. Attitudes were great on the bench. Even when things got tied up, there was no panic or anything like that. We’ve gone through this quite a bit here lately, so it just seemed like they were prepared for it, but it’s good to come over to two points.  

An early too many men infraction would cost the Rebels early as the Raider power play would take full advantage of the early chance.

Niall Crocker would tip home his 15th goal of the season at the 3:23 mark of the opening frame. Krzysztof Macias and Sloan Stanick provided the helpers on the play.

Aiden Oiring would find twine for the 12th time this season at the 10:55 mark as he would bury a wrist shot past Rhett Stoesser blocker side. Niall Crocker picked up his second point of the night with a primary helper. Terrell Goldsmith also had an assist on the goal.

Rebel captain Kai Uchacz would bring Red Deer within one at the 18:10 with his 29th goal of the campaign coming on the power play following a double minor against PA’s Aiden Oiring. Kalan Lind and Carson Latimr assisted on the play.

Shots after the first period favored Red Deer 15-9.

The lone goal of the second period would go the way of the Prince Albert Raiders.

Krzysztof Macias would strike for his 16th goal of the season at the 6:52 mark of the middle frame. ‘The Polish Prince’ would receive a feed from Sloan Stanick and made no mistake, doubling the Raider lead at 3-1 after forty minutes. Jacob Hoffrogge also had an assist on the play.

Macias has recorded four of his 16 goals against Red Deer this season, including a hat trick back on October 6 in Red Deer.

Macias says he can’t pick out a particular reason for his success against Red Deer, but he feels comfortable playing against them.

“It’s always like that, that some teams are more comfortable for some players and some teams aren’t. I feel like Red Deer is playing a very aggressive game, they’re very greasy, so I think that might be a good opponent for me and I feel good against them.”

Shots favored Red Deer 33-21 after two periods of play.

Frantisek Formanek would cut the Raider lead to just one with his 12th goal of the campaign at  the 9:43 mark of the third period. Kai Uchacz picked up the lone helper on the play.

Kalan Lind would draw the Rebels even with his ninth goal of the season with just 34.2 seconds remaining in the third period to force extra time. Uchacz and Latimer assisted on the play.

Overtime would solve nothing, sending the Raiders to their eighth shootout of the season. Prince Albert had gone 4-3 in games that have gone to a shootout entering play Wednesday.

Max Hildebrand was outstanding between the pipes for Prince Albert, making 43 saves in regulation and stopping two of three Rebel shooters in the shootout.

Truitt credits Hildebrand’s competitive nature for his success in net.

“It’s battle. They get on the net hard. There’s lots of traffic on him, either far away from the net or at the net, he had to control his rebounds and his angles. I thought he did a real good job, especially in the tight areas tonight.” 

The Raiders return to action on Friday night when they travel to Moose Jaw to take on the Warriors. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

sports@paherald.sk.ca

Northern Bears finish weekend with 2-2 record

Nathan Reiter
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Northern Bears finish weekend with 2-2 record

The Prince Albert Northern Bears finished their weekend at the Female World Sport School Challenge with a 2-2 record after a 3-2 loss to the Parkland Chiefs and a 4-2 win over the Pembina Valley Hawks.

Head coach Steve Young says Prince Albert could’ve easily finished the weekend at 3-1, but took plenty of positives out of the tournament.

“That 3-2 loss, we hit the post and then they came down and scored, so that game could have gone either way. The next day, I thought our girls responded well and worked hard and did a lot of good things. It was a 2-2 weekend, but at the same time, as a group (we are) understanding who we are and what we have to do down the stretch here.”

The Bears would come up short in their Friday afternoon contest against the Parkland Chiefs with a 3-2 loss.

The teams would trade goals in the first period as Kirby Gray would open the scoring at the 10:08 mark of the first period with her second goal of the tournament. Brooklyn Cochrane had the lone helper.

Just fourteen seconds later, Tristyn Endicott would even up the score.with her first goal of the weekend. Julia Cey had the only assist.

Raelyn Vezeau would give Prince Albert the lead with 17:46 to go in the third period. Ella Clarke and Bree Purcell assisted on the play.

Less than forty seconds later, Tara Knight would knot up the score for Parkland. Reese Boquski assisted on the play.

Jordan Woloski would give Parkland the lead with just 1:10 to go in the third period to secure the win. Hannah Reagh and Kirby Gray assisted on the play.

Prince Albert would fall behind early in their Saturday game as Sophie Armit would give Pembina Valley an early 1-0 lead just over a minute into the first period. Jessica Anderson and Ava Dalebozik assisted on the play.

Zayda Summach would tie the game for Prince Albert with her second goal of the weekend at the 17:26 mark. Kinley Brassard had the lone helper.

Marly Dumanski would give the Bears the lead at the 7:20 mark of the second period with her first goal of the tournament. Summach and Maci Nowosad assisted on the play.

Jessica Anderson would tie the game with 14:18 to go in the third period with an unassisted marker, her second goal of the tournament.

Kinley Brassard would respond for the Bears at the 12:49 mark with her first goal of the tournament and second point of the game. Summach and Nowosad assisted on the play.

Tristyn Endicott would ice the win for Prince Albert with an empty net goal in the dying seconds.

The Bears are looking to build upon the momentum they’ve gained from the tournament. Prince Albert currently sits in last place in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League (SFU18AAHL) with a 2-13-2-3 record.

Young says the weekend will provide the Bears a good burst of momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

“It’s positive for sure. At this time of year, you have to build on all your positives. I know down the stretch here, we are at home with more games and we’ve played well at home. Every little building block we can use, we’re prepared to use. But the girls know they have to work hard and be prepared to do their role as players to help this hockey club.”

“You get the understanding that in hockey you can’t let the foot off the gas. You have to make sure that you’re ready to work hard and do the right things and when you can do that anybody can win. All these learning things that we’ve learned during the season and then this tournament now have to take here in our last stretch.”

The Bears return to action on Thursday, Feb. 8 when they welcome the Saskatoon Blades to the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

sports@paherald.sk.ca

Debden’s Wutzke enjoying breakout campaign in Rebel crease

Nathan Reiter
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Debden’s Wutzke enjoying breakout campaign in Rebel crease

It’s been a breakout campaign for Chase Wutzke.

The 17-year-old Debden product has made the most of the opportunity to be a full-time contributor in goal for the Red Deer Rebels this season.

The former Saskatoon Contact has blossomed in 21 games in the Rebel crease this season posting a 15-2-1-2 record, a 2.24 Goals Against Average and a .922 save percentage.

Wutzke says he has noticed a significant jump into the WHL from the SMAAAHL, where he played last season, posting a .922 save percentage and 2.16 Goals Against Average.

“The Western League’s really fast, and you just got to kill your mind into working faster and working harder. Shots are definitely at a different pace than the AAA league in Saskatchewan.”

The Rebels are currently one of the hottest teams in the WHL riding a 12 game point streak. They sit in third place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 27-14-3-1 record and sit just three points back of the Medicine Hat Tigers for the top spot in the Central Division with two games in hand.

The Rebels have allowed the second fewest goals in the WHL this season allowing 123 goals in 45 games, an average of 2.7 goals per game. Only the Saskatoon Blades have allowed fewer goals at 122 goals in 47 games.

Wutzke says the key to the success for the Rebels has been the strong chemistry the team possesses.

“I think the boys are gluing and gelling pretty good. We’re all getting along good in the dressing room and everybody’s kind of just putting in that extra work to keep going and get the wins in.”

Despite their position in the standings at the WHL trade deadline earlier this month, the Rebels stood pat and did not make any significant additions to their roster, only making three total trades during the entire season.

Wutzke says there is a sense of confidence within the Red Deer dressing room knowing that they’ve had the same key players all year long.

“We’ve been a team that’s been stuck together for a while now. We didn’t make any trades come the deadline. We’re a team where we haven’t changed anybody and this is the team we’re going to have for the rest of the year.”

Wutzke was selected in the second round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, 40th overall, by the Rebels. The pick used to select Wutzke was originally acquired from the Winnipeg ICE (who have since relocated to Wenatchee) on Jan. 10, 2020 as part of the package the Rebels received for Dawson Barteaux, who was their captain at the time of the move.

Wutzke says he remembers the day he was drafted by the Rebels very well.

“I was with some family and friends. They were kind of having a little get-together and watching the draft. It was pretty cool to become a Red Deer Rebel. It’s such a storied organization and it’s great being a part of them.”

At the time of publishing, the 17-year-old Wutzke is ranked 13th amongst North American goaltenders according to NHL Central Scouting’s rankings ahead of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, which will take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas from June 28-29.

Other WHL names on the North American goaltender rankings include Dawson Cowan (#5, Spokane), Lukas Matecha (#9, Tri-City), Jackson Unger (#18, Moose Jaw), Harrison Meneghin (#26, Lethbridge) and teammate Rhett Stoesser (#28, Red Deer)

Wutzke says he isn’t putting any pressure on himself on a nightly basis, which has helped him succeed

“It’s just another game. You can’t have a whole bunch of stress on yourself.. Play it out how it happens. Control what you can control.”

Wutzke and the Rebels are in Prince Albert on Wednesday night to take on the Raiders. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

sports@paherald.sk.ca

Mintos fail to complete sweep with Sunday loss

Nathan Reiter
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Mintos fail to complete sweep with Sunday loss

The Prince Albert Mintos couldn’t pull off the weekend sweep as they fell 6-3 to the Estevan Bears on Sunday afternoon at the Art Hauser Centre

Assistant coach Bryan Swystun says the Mintos did not play the way they need to in order to earn two points.

“I thought it was a total different effort than last night. I thought that we probably weren’t as prepared as individuals. In terms of what we wanted to do as a team in all three zones, it was kind of disappointing. We needed to come in here and sweep these guys, just put some distance between us and them and some other teams. We failed to do that, it was not a good outcome for us today.”

After a turnover in the Minto zone, Chase Holt would open the scoring for Estevan less than five minutes into the second period with his fifth goal of the campaign. Taye Shukin had the lone helper.

Estevan would jump out to a 2-0 lead less then thirty seconds later as Roan Burgess would strike for his 14th goal of the season, Thomas Ries and Jase McNichol assisted on the play.

Prince Albert would answer back with 8:06 to go in the middle frame as Raydr Wallington would pick up his second goal of the season. Taite Donkin had the lone assist.

The Minto power play would knot the score at the 3:01 mark as Kale Margolis would blast home his 18th goal of the season on the man advantage. Taite Donkin and Van Taylor assisted on the play.

Shots favored Prince Albert 28-18 after forty minutes of play.

We showed glimpses of playing well. There was a stretch of 10-12 minutes, where we scored two goals, tied it up. We were feeling good in the room in between second and third, expecting to come out third and make a game of it. Then it didn’t turn out that way. They scored three quick ones. We didn’t really respond after that. And it was a tough game to watch.”

Estevan would respond with a power play marker of their own with 17:56 remaining in the third period as Thomas Ries would give the Bears the lead with his 12th goal of the season. Talen Wallis and McNichol assisted on the play.

Talen Wallis would give the Bears their second two goal lead of the hockey game at the 14:36 mark as he would pick up his 16th goal of the season . Gunnar Moore and Evhan Allan assisted on the play.

The Estevan lead would extend to three with Jase McNichol’s 12th goal of the season just thirty five seconds later. Burgess and Carter Onrait assisted on the play.

Swystun says the Mintos took home a valuable lesson from the game that will help them down the stretch for the remainder of the season.

“We’ll take away from today that we have to be prepared in these situations. All the games going down the stretch here are important. We don’t have a night off. And if you don’t mentally prepare and get ready to play, teams that are below you are going to come in and beat you. This league has good parity. Any team can beat any team on any given night and we got beat today.”

Kaden Perron made 31 saves for the Bears while Josh Henry made 22 stops for Prince Albert.

The Mintos return to action on Thursday evening when they welcome the Notre Dame Hounds to the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drops at 7 p.m

sports@paherald.sk.ca

Rivalry renewed: Raiders fall short in Saskatoon

Nathan Reiter
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Rivalry renewed: Raiders fall short in Saskatoon

The Prince Albert Raiders couldn’t complete a weekend sweep as they fell 3-2 to the Saskatoon Blades at the SaskTel Centre on Saturday night.

“We didn’t sustain any pressure in the offensive zone. We didn’t make plays.” Raider head coach Jeff Truitt said. “We were slow to make plays. They pressured us. And then in our zone, they had puck control. We didn’t, once we got into their zone, then we just simply didn’t have time and space to make plays or have a lot of time. 

The Raiders would open the scoring just 0:29 into the first period.

After the Blades would turn the puck over in their own end, Niall Crocker would put home his 14th goal of the season from the mouth of the crease. Aiden Oiring would pick up the lone helper.

Saskatoon peppered Max Hildebrand with shots throughout the first period, but they would finally break through at the 18:12 mark as Easton Armstrong would tip his 23rd goal of the season past Hildebrand to knot the score at 1-1 after twenty minutes of play. Charlie Wright and Alexander Suzdalev provided the helpers.

Shots favored the Blades 15-3 after twenty minutes.

After a holding call against Aiden Oiring, the Blades would take the lead at the 18:30 mark of the second period.

Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk would unload a slap shot that would beat Hildebrand through traffic for his sixth goal of the season to give the Blades the lead. Brandon Lisowsky picked up his 200th career WHL point with an assist on the play, Egor Sidorov also had a helper on the play.

Shots favored Saskatoon 30-5 after forty minutes of play.

“He’s our best player by far.” Truitt said about his starting goaltender Max Hildebrand. “He was last night as well. Consistency and he’s risen to the occasion here. I can’t say any more adjectives about him as I just said, he’s our best player right now.”

Egor Sidorov would double the Saskatoon lead with his 36th goal of the season just 1:41 into the third period. Nicholas Andrusiak and Ben Saunderson assisted on the play.

Following the goal, Sidorov would make a wing flap motion and stare towards Hildebrand. After the win in the shootout Friday night against the Blades, Hildebrand made a similar celebration.

Truitt says the Raiders were not appreciative of the celebration by the Blades leading goal scorer.

“Emotions get high. Nobody likes to be shown up and that’s what he did. He shows us up in his building, he probably thinks that is okay but we didn’t appreciate it.”

The Raiders would pull within one thanks to their first shorthanded goal of the season courtesy of Sloan Stanick at the 16:42 mark of the third period. It was Stanick’s 21st goal of the season.

Prince Albert was the lone WHL team without a short handed goal entering play Saturday.

“It took a long time, but we finally got one in.” Truitt said. “But we needed a lot more than just a short handed goal for sure. But it was a positive that we got one.”

Prince Albert would press for the equalizer, but time would expire. Austin Elliott made seven saves for Saskatoon. Max Hildebrand made 30 stops in net for the Raiders in the loss.

Prince Albert returns to action on Wednesday night when they welcome Carson Latimer and the Red Deer Rebels to the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

sports@paherald.sk.ca

‘We don’t give up, nobody gives up’: Cobra Chickens down Blades in shootout thriller

Nathan Reiter
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‘We don’t give up, nobody gives up’: Cobra Chickens down Blades in shootout thriller

The Lake Country Cobra Chickens were down, but never out as they erased a two goal third period deficit to down the Saskatoon Blades 5-4 in a shootout on Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre.

The Cobra Chickens, a one night rebrand for the Prince Albert Raiders, snapped a five game losing skid with the victory.

“It was unreal.” Raider head coach Jeff Truitt said about the team’s third period comeback. “Coming off the second period where we got dominated, and then come back into third and chip away, to come back to tie it up against that team, it’s a feat for sure, but we don’t give up. We got inside a couple times, we got some good looks, and controlled the puck. That was a big thing against a team that can fly and make great plays and things like that. I thought that we answered the bell.”

Just 1:19 into the first period, Blades defenceman Tanner Molendyk would be called for a holding minor and the Raider power play would go to work.

Oli Chenier, celebrating his 17th birthday on Friday. would tip home his ninth goal of the campaign from the mouth of the crease to open up the scoring just 2:41 into the opening frame. Brayden Dube and Turner McMillen assisted on the play.

“It’s awesome” Chenier said with a grin about his goal in the post game conference. “Couldn’t have asked for a better gift right there, so that was a really good start off the night like that.”

The Blades would respond with a power play marker of their own at the 11:56 of the first period as Tyler Parr would score his ninth goal of the season to knot up the score at 1-1. Fraser Minten and Grayden Siepmann picked up the helpers on the play.

Sloan Stanick would give the Raiders the lead with his 20th goal of the season at the 16:24 mark with a point shot from between the circles through traffic and past Blade netminder Evan Gardner. Matej Kubiesa and Liuke Moroz assisted on the play.

Shots favored the visiting Saskatoon Blades 12-5 after the first period.

Brandon Lisowsky would knot up the score with his 27th goal of the campaign coming just 4:08 into the second period. Trevor Wong and Alexander Suzdalev would pick up the helpers on the play.

Overager Easton Armstrong would give Saskatoon their first lead of the hockey game at the 8:43 mark of the second period with his 23rd goal of the season. Vaughn Watterodt and Tanner Molendyk provided the assists on the play.

The Blade power play would double the Saskatoon lead to 4-2 at the 14:23 mark as Brandon Lisowsky would bury his second goal of the period and 28th goal of the season. Wong and Molendyk picked up the helpers on the play. 

With the Blades looking to be in firm control of the game after forty minutes, Truitt says the Raiders were not ready to back down.

“We just said ‘we don’t give up. Nobody gives up’ and I think the team was the one (that said it) when we first came into the dressing room. They were saying this isn’t over.  That’s a character builder, it’s a lesson. Our guys just seem to rise to the occasion at times against a very good team.”

At the 6:31 mark of the third period, Aiden Oiring would bring Prince Albert within just one with his 11th goal of the season.

After a late roughing penalty against Blades rearguard John Babcock, Prince Albert would take advantage to knot the score.

Turner McMillen would notch his fifth goal of the season that tied the game and sent the announced crowd of 2,709 at the Art Hauser Centre into an absolute frenzy. Krzysztof Macias and Sloan Stanick provided the helpers on the play.

The overage forward says he was lost in the moment after he tied the game.

“It was kind of a blur, loud. Don’t really remember much of it.”

After a tripping minor against Prince Albert’s Aiden Oiring, it appeared the Blades had a prime chance to end the game in overtime but the Raider penalty kill would come up big and kill off the infraction to send the game into a shootout.

It was the third time the Blades and Raiders have played a game that has gone to a shootout at the Art Hauser Centre this season, splitting the first two.

Trevor Wong and Aiden Oiring would be stopped in the opening round of the shootout. Sloan Stanick and Egor Sidorov would trade goals in the second round. Krzysztof Macias would give the Raiders the edge to start the third round and Max Hildebrand would stop Brandon Lisowsky to secure the win for Prince Albert.

Hildebrand made 41 saves in the victory for Prince Albert, while his counterpart Evan Gardner made 21 stops for the Saskatoon Blades.

The Raiders and Blades complete the second half of a home-and-home series tomorrow night at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

Around The WHL

Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Denton Mateychuk recorded a hat trick as Moose Jaw topped Medicine Hat 6-5 in a shootout.

Sean Tschigerl scored twice as the Lethbridge Hurricanes downed the Regina Pats 6-1 on a night where they inducted Brent Seabrook into the team’s wall of honour.

Red Deer exploded for six goals in the second period as the Rebels downed the Oil Kings 6-3.

sports@paherald.sk.ca

Northern Bears split first two games of Female World Sport School Challenge

Nathan Reiter
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Northern Bears split first two games of Female World Sport School Challenge

The Prince Albert Northern Bears started their weekend on the right foot with a 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Avros at the Female World Sport School Challenge at the Hockey For All Centre in Winnipeg on Thursday afternoon.

Bears head coach Steve Young says he was pleased with how Prince Albert started the first period.

“I thought we came out with some jump. I thought the girls were excited and worked hard in the game. They kept it constant for the whole game, so give them credit. We’re trying to work on a few things here. These games are important in a way that it helps us down the stretch here in our league.”

After a scoreless first period, Ella Clarke would open the scoring near the halfway mark of the second period. Bree Purcell picked up the lone helper.

Zayda Summach would double the lead for Prince Albert in the dying seconds of the middle frame, potting her first goal of the tournament with four seconds to go. Purcell picked up her second

Winnipeg would pull within one with 15:37 to go in the third period when Mackenzie Lizotte deposited her first goal of the tournament. Rio Pierre had the lone assist.

Mikiya Anderson would ice the win for the Bears with an empty net goal with one second remaining

Annika Neufeldt stood tall in the crease for Prince Albert making 40 saves on 41 shots. Maddie Sylvestre made 26 stops on 28 shots for the Avros.

“The biggest thing we’ve stressed with our goalies right now (is) give us an opportunity to be in the game and an opportunity to win, and that’s what Annika did. I thought she made some key saves at the right time, and the girls helped her out as well.”

Subhead: SAHA downs Bears in Friday morning tilt

The Northern Bears couldn’t keep their winning ways going as they fell 6-1 on Friday morning to the Medicine Hat-based Southern Alberta Hockey Academy (SAHA)

Young says he thought the final score was not indicative of the way the game was played.

“I thought for the most part it was a hard-fought back and forth game. Looking at the score sheet in the third period, we had a few minute lapse there where we let them put some pucks in the net. Other than that, it was a hard-working game both ways. A type of game once again, we needed. We have to learn from (it), the biggest thing is you can’t have those lapses because those lapses cost us up to two, three, four goals.”

Keira Grant would start the scoring for SAHA with 4:36 to go in the first period on the power play. Keyana Bart provided the lone helper.

Just over three minutes later, Maddison Andrew would double the SAHA lead with her first goal of the tournament. Kenzie Carson was credited with the assist.

Shots favored SAHA 12-11 after the first period.

Prince Albert’s Addison Davidge would cut the SAHA lead to just one with 13:38 remaining in the second period. Tristyn Endicott picked up the lone helper.

Kenzie Carson would restore the two goal advantage for SAHA with 7:37 remaining in the middle frame, picking up her second point of the contest with a goal. Brianna Finke and Maddison Andrew assisted on the play.

In the third period, SAHA would strike three times within a minute as goals from Keira Grant, Riley Gramlich and Keyana Bert would put the game out of reach for Prince Albert.

Nikita Krayetski stopped 28 of 34 shots for the Bears while Tayler Cohen made 29 saves on 30 shots for SAHA.

Young says the third period was a microcosm of what Prince Albert is hoping to prevent in future games.

“We want consistency…. It was a good hockey game and then we lost our consistency and they put some pucks in the net. We want to be consistent, we want to play hard, we want to set the pace. Little things like that that we’re not on our heels all the time.”

The Bears returned to action at 4:45 p.m. Friday against the Yellowhead Chiefs. Results were not available by press time.

sports@paherald.sk.ca

PA Sports Hall of Fame announces 2024 induction class

Nathan Reiter
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PA Sports Hall of Fame announces 2024 induction class

The Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame (PASHOF) will welcome eight new inductees in the 32nd annual induction banquet in April.

PASHOF vice-president Bruce Vance says they are welcoming a strong class that was introduced on Friday morning at the Ches Leach Lounge.

“It’s amazing every year that we find some incredible people that aren’t in the sports hall of fame from the 31 previous classes. Again, this year we have a high, high quality group.”

The PASHOF was founded in 1988 and has hosted 31 inductions to date and welcomes inductees in four distinct categories: Team, Athlete, Builder and Meritorious Service.

In the first 27 induction classes, the PASHOF had welcomed 76 athletes, 52 builders, 23 meritorious service and 37 teams.

The 2024 induction class features Ashley Viklund (Athlete), Francois Fournier (Athlete/Builder), Melodie Boulet (Builder), Jennifer Ferguson (Builder), Brad and Tyson Fetch (Builder), Al Dyer (Meritorious Service) and the 1995 Prince Albert Toppers (Team). The 2023 Esso Cup Host Committee will also be honored as the Organization of the Year.

Ashley Viklund is being inducted into the athlete category after her football career. She won three championships with the Saskatoon Valkyries and won the most valuable linesmen award in 2021, and represented Canada on the international stage.

Francois Fournier is being inducted into both the athlete and builder category after his athletic career in gymnastics and swimming. As a builder, Fournier was key to the water show that featured the World Famous Flying Tanks that toured around Saskatchewan.

Melodie Boulet has been a hockey official for over 20 years and is being recognized for her contributions with an induction in the builder category. The Saskatchewan U18 AAA Female Hockey League (SFU18AAAHL) has named their top official award after her. She also served as a mentor for Cienna Lieffers who officiated at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijinh

Years of work on both the court and the diamond has led Jennifer Ferguson to being inducted in the builder category. Ferguson currently serves as the principal of Carlton Comprehensive High School and can often be found coaching the Crusaders girls basketball team or Prince Albert Aces softball.

Lacrosse in Prince Albert wouldn’t be where it is today without the contributions of both Brad and Tyson Fetch. The brothers will be enshrined in the builder category. The two brothers have held many different positions over the years with Brad serving as PA Box Lacrosse President from 2005-2007. Tyson also coached the Prince Albert Predators to their first championship in 2018.

Al Dyer has been a fixture in the Special Olympics and female hockey community for many years. Dyer started his work with Special Olympics in 2000 and gave plenty of hours to the organization including recieving the Sask Sport Volunteer Award in 2014. He helped coordinate the Special Olympic Power Breakfast with the Prince Albert Raiders for a period of 10 years. Dyer has also been a longtime board member with the Prince Albert Northern Bears was a member of the 2023 Esso Cup Host Committee.

The 1995 Prince Albert Optimist Toppers were the lone inductee in the team category. The volleyball team had to fundraise $20,000 in just three weeks in order to make the trip to Prince Edward Island for nationals, where they earned a silver medal.

Vance says the PASHOF has welcomed many greats in Prince Albert sports over the years and the 2024 induction class is no different.

“It’s an incredible honor. I know for all the inductees, you look back over the years, the Johnny Bowers, the Prince Albert Raider Memorial Cup teams, and many, many other incredible sports happenings and teams are involved in the Sports Hall of Fame. There’s well over 200 now in the 32 years, and we just continue to grow. And it’s great to be able to honor these people for their volunteer time commitments and love the sport.”

The 32nd PASHOF Induction Banquet will take place on Saturday, April 27th at the Ches Leach Lounge inside the Art Hauser Centre beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $75 each and are available at Community Services at City Hall by calling 306-953-4800.

See future editions of the Daily Herald for individual features on each member of 2024 PASHOF induction class.

sports@paherald.sk.ca

Two new warm-up shelters to open at Little Red River Park with Jenkins donation

Nathan Reiter
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Two new warm-up shelters to open at Little Red River Park with Jenkins donation

Little Red River Park will open two brand new warm up shelters next week thanks to a donation from a long-time Prince Albert business owner and philanthropist.

Malcolm Jenkins, who formally retired from Canadian Tire back in October, donated $100,000 from the Malcolm Jenkins Family Foundation to build two new warm-up shelters near the Rotary Adventure Park and the toboggan hill.

Jenkins says the shelters will help both the playground and hill receive more use from the community on days with colder temperatures.

“I live here, I’ve been here for 33 years, but if there’s cool stuff to do, we’re going to do it. Why should other places get ahead of us? We’re the city of parks. We’ve got more parks per person than any other city under over 10,000. It’s the largest urban park in Canada, so we should keep adding stuff to it.

The warm up shelters are approximately 16 feet by 24 feet in size and feature a wood-burning stove that heats the building.

“I thought this would be a really neat thing to do because it extends the life of the playground,” Jenkins says. “Kids want to play there, but they’ll get cold, so they can warm up. The same with the Toboggan Hill. Whenever there’s snow, they can do the same thing, come in here and warm up, spend 10 hours here or six hours here instead of an hour and get cold and complain.”

Tim Yeaman, the parks and open spaces manager for the City of Prince Albert says the city is still determining the permanent operating schedule for the new shelters.

“You can probably fit up to 25 people in here comfortably,” he says. “They are open year round, we’re going to test the waters. Currently right now we’ve kind of limited statutory holidays, so we wouldn’t be open then, but we’re certainly open to watching the traffic flow out here and making it work for the public because this is a great place for them to be.”

The city of Prince Albert had built an additional warm-up shelter located near the Cosmopolitan Lodge without any contribution from Jenkins. Yeaman says it was a pleasant surprise for the city when they heard that Jenkins wanted to contribute to the shelters.

“This is just another great addition to allow kids who are out here, especially when it’s cooler during the tobogganing season, to be able to come in and warm up. Maybe they want to do some hot dog roast or whatever as well, but just a super great addition to the park. Honestly, we couldn’t have done it. This was a surprise contribution by Malcolm to build two additional warm-up shelters, and we’re just proud to have them.”

Both new shelters will feature names with special meaning to Jenkins. The shelter located at the toboggan hill is named Kaiya after Jenkins’ great-granddaughter who was born back in October. The shelter located near the Rotary Adventure Park is named Violet, after the daughter of a close personal friend of Jenkins who passed away before the age of two.

Jenkins says this is the first major donation for Jenkins since his official retirement. He says he still plans on contributing to other projects in the future.

“It’s a total pleasure and going forward, there’s a number of other projects we have and we’ve talked with the city about doing other things so look out for more. Watch this space.”

editorial@paherald.sk.ca

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