Jason Kerr
Daily Herald
Days after escaping Brandon with a 5-4 overtime victory, Aiden Oiring is still smiling.
The veteran Raiders forward generated enough boos to power a wind farm with his final shift at Assiniboine Credit Union Place on Saturday night. As of Tuesday he has nothing but good memories from that comeback win.
“It was fun,” Oiring said with a very subtle smile. “Playing that hard and coming back in that third period and then finishing it off in overtime was just awesome for our team. Then them (the fans) just booing us off the ice was awesome.”
Following two close non-calls in overtime, Oiring grabbed the puck behind the Wheat Kings net, skated in front, and buried a wrist shot over the shoulder of Brandon netminder Jayden Kraus.
Oiring was involved in both non-calls. The first, a collision at centre ice where he may or may not have cross-checked Wheat Kings forward Jaxon Jacobson, drew grumbles from the fans. The second, a brush with Dylan Ronald that sent the Wheat Kings defenceman sliding into the boards behind the net, drew a more animated response.
The non-calls were the centre of attention afterwards. Wheat Kings fans made their displeasure felt on social media, and GM/Coach Marty Murray vented his frustration in his post-game comments.
“In my eyes, a penalty is a penalty,” Murray told the Brandon Sun’s Perry Bergson. “There were two by the same player on the same play, a crosscheck to the head at centre ice to get possession of the puck and then hands on the hips and a stick in the feet.
“The same guy then picks the puck up and scores. It’s frustrating because the guys play hard. I have to be careful so I don’t get in too much trouble, but it’s disappointing at this level that that’s the end of the game.”
Three days later, Oiring has no regrets.
“It was just a puck behind the net,” he said when asked about the alleged trip on Ronald. “I don’t think I did anything wrong. Maybe he blew a tire or something, but I don’t think there’s anything really to be that mad about. I turned the corner and put it in.”
Oiring may enjoy the boos, but he’s not spending much time dwelling on them. The Raider forward’s focus is already on their next opponent.
Prince Albert is off until Saturday when they take on the Red Deer Rebels in the first game of a six-game homestand.
“Red Deer’s always a tough battle,” he said. “They’re a gritty team and they skate and work you in the corners so it’s going to be a battle Saturday night.
“This homestand here, you’ve got to be good at home,” he added. “You’ve got to take advantage of it. You want to start the season off with a good record and being at home for so many games makes it a lot easier. But, you just can’t take it for granted.”
Puck drop is 7 p.m.
Celebrating 200
While Prince Albert sports fans celebrated the return of WHL hockey, Oiring quietly marked an important individual milestone.
The 4-2 win over Saskatoon at the home opener on Sept. 19 was his 200th game in the WHL. The Calgary, Alta. product said it was hard to believe so much time has passed.
“It was crazy,” he said. “There’s 200 games and you look at someone beside me and he’s got five to 10 games and (I’m thinking) how I was in his place at one time…. In my last season, hitting the 200 mark was kind of cool.”
Oiring played his first WHL game on Nov. 13, 2021 as a member of the now re-located Winnipeg Ice. On that day, the Ice scored three goals on five shots in the third period for a 4-1 win over the visiting Saskatoon Blades.
He played six games with the Ice, but spent the rest of the season in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League. He was back with the Ice full time in 2022 before the Raiders picked him up that December as part of the Carson Latimer trade.
“Looking around when I was a young kid and seeing those older guys and how good they were, I wanted to be a role model like that,” Oiring said. “I’m happy that I grew up to be like that.”
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
