It came a day earlier than usual, but the trade deadline in the WHL is officially past and the Prince Albert Raiders have their sights firmly set on the playoff push.
As of Friday, Jan. 10, the Raiders sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 19-14-3-0 record.
Prince Albert started the season posting a 2-7-2-0 record through the first 11 games of the campaign. The Raiders sit just seven points back of the Saskatoon Blades for top spot in the East Division with three games in hand.
Raider general manager Curtis Hunt says he believes Prince Albert will be able to compete for a division title, despite their slow start.
“Because of the start we had, traveling to B.C. and maybe throwing away some good leads early in the season. I always thought we could compete for a home ice playoff spot, which is obviously top four. I think we find ourselves now within our conference and our division an opportunity to catch Saskatoon and Brandon and compete for that pennant in our own division, which would give us the second seed going into the postseason. I think the coaches and the players have done a tremendous job of getting us back after that tough start, getting us back to contention and some real exciting hockey. “
In the days leading up to the deadline, the Raiders were without veteran centreman Harrison Lodewyk and 20-year-old import Krzysztof Macias due to lower body injuries. Macias was dealt to Moose Jaw as part of the Rilen Kovacevic deal.
With the absence of two key contributors in their top six forwards, Hunt says he was extremely impressed by what the young players on the Raiders showed during that time frame.
“What I saw from our group is I really saw our younger players step up and show the ability to contribute beyond just eating some minutes. They’ve been on the scoreboard, they’ve managed ice against other teams veteran lines and experienced players.”
Through 36 games this season, the Raiders have struggled on the penalty kill with the 21st ranked unit in the WHL at 69.6%. Prince Albert is one of two teams to not have a short handed goal this season, the other being the Saskatoon Blades.
Hunt swung a trio of trades in the final month leading up to the deadline acquiring right handed centreman Evan Smith and towering defenceman Matteo Fabrizi from the Red Deer Rebels in separate trades.
Rilen Kovacevic was also acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors in a deal that saw Luke Moroz and Krzysztof Macias head to the defending WHL champions.
Hunt says the players brought in will help the Raiders succeed this season, while also allowing their young players to continue to get opportunities.
“Going into the deadline, there were a couple things I wanted to do to try to help our penalty kill (and) improve our ability to defend as a group. I was hoping to maybe get a little grittier throughout the lineup and then at the same time, add some scoring depth if we could as well. I’m happy that we were able to send a message to our players that we believe in you guys and we’re going to compliment you with the players we brought in.”
“Our fans are going to enjoy the new players and how they play. The energy and the tenacity they bring to our game. We didn’t sacrifice the young players that really contributed. They’re still going to get some good minutes, still continue to develop. I’m really excited after a couple of weeks here when we really come together as a group.”
When the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft kicks off later this spring, plenty of teams will find themselves without the use of their own first round pick.
According to the WHL Draft Picks spreadsheets by Alan Caldwell, the Raiders were one of only seven teams to retain their own first round selection. The other teams to retain their own first round pick are Brandon, Kelowna, Prince George, Regina, Tri-City and Victoria.
Hunt says the Raiders want to continue building through the draft to keep the team strong for years to come.
“My concern is always and just always will be the Prince Albert Raiders and how we manage our picks and our roster. Different teams have different mandates. For us, we’ve not moved a first round pick. Our guys know what we’re going to do in the draft: six picks in the first five rounds and we’ll continue to do what we can to put on the ice a product our fans can be proud of and one that has an opportunity to win every night.”
The Raiders were in action in Edmonton on Friday night, but results were not available as of press time. Prince Albert finishes up their Alberta road swing on Saturday night when they visit the Red Deer Rebels. Puck drops at 8 p.m. Saskatchewan time.
Prince Albert returns home on Tuesday night when they welcome the Portland Winterhawks to the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drops at 7 p.m.
All Raider trades this season
September 18: Spokane acquires a seventh round pick in 2025 from the Raiders in exchange for 18-year-old import forward Lukas Kral
October 7: Raiders acquire 19-year-old import defenceman Vojtech Vochvest from the Prince George Cougars in exchange for an eighth round pick in 2027
October 28: Raiders acquire 18-year-old defenceman Brandon Osborne from the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for a conditional sixth round pick in 2025
November 27: Raiders acquire 18-year-old netminder Dimitri Fortin from the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for a sixth round pick in 2028
December 10: Raiders acquire 18-year-old forward Evan Smith from the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 18-year-old forward Cole Peadon
December 31: Raiders acquire 19-year-old defenceman Matteo Fabrizi from the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 18-year-old defenceman Doogan Pederson, the rights to 15-year-old prospect Miller Robson and a third round pick in 2025.
January 5: Raiders acquire 18-year-old defenceman Linden Burrett from the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for a sixth round pick in 2025
January 7: Raiders acquire 20-year-old forward Rilen Kovacevic from the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for 20-year-old import Krzysztof Macias, 17-year-old forward Luke Moroz and a fourth round pick in 2027
January 9: Raiders acquire a sixth round pick in 2028 from the Edmonton Oil Kings for 17-year-old defenceman Ryan Gower
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