The Prince Albert Raiders are 8-1-1 since the clock struck hit 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 1, but forward Brayden Dube watched most of those games from the stands.
The Roblin, Man. product only dressed twice between Prince Albert’s 12-2 thrashing of the Victoria Royals on Jan. 20 and their game Friday night against Penticton (final score not available by press time).
While Dube loved seeing his teammates pull away from the rest of the Eastern Conference, sitting on the sidelines nursing an injury is not how he imagined spending the stretch run in his final WHL season.
“It’s definitely not too much fun,” Dube said before the Raiders hit the ice for practice on Wednesday. “You’ve just got to keep a positive attitude and support the team. (You) just try to be part of the team still. It’s kind of hard to be there all the time with them.”
Dube’s return to the ice has been filled with stops and starts. He suited up in Prince Albert’s 4-3 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Feb. 13, then didn’t suit up again until the Raiders’ 4-1 win over Swift Current on Feb. 21.
The Raiders clinched top spot in the East Division with that win over the Broncos, and sit five points ahead of Medicine Hat for top spot in the conference. Both teams have 11 games remaining.
With the Raiders already sitting in an enviable position, Dube has made it a priority to be healthy for the play-offs.
“It’s kind of up to me. (I) tell them how I feel and if I feel good, I’m going,” Dube said.
“I’m trying not to rush into it—try to save it for playoffs and make sure I’m 100 per cent by then.”
Although he hasn’t been on the ice, forward Aiden Oiring said Dube has been a constant presence in the Raider locker room.
While having Dube’s voice in the dressing room is great, Oiring said it’s better to hear it on the bench.
“A lot of guys look up to him,” Oiring said. “He has a voice and when he says something people listen to him. He’s been in the room for practices and before games. It’s nice to have him there, but on the bench and on the ice, he definitely has a say in the offensive and defensive side. I think we’ll be a lot better once he gets back.”
Oiring and Dube have come full circle with the Raiders. GM Curtis Hunt acquired both players during the 2022-23 season, when Prince Albert finished 11th in the then 12-team Eastern Conference and missed the playoffs by 10 points.
Oiring said the team is happy to have Dube back healthy, especially with them at the top of the standings.
“(As) the guy who lives with him and a longtime teammate, it’s hard to see (him hurt),” Oiring said. “You never want to see a guy out … for that long. Getting him back in the lineup is super exciting.
“Playing with him for most of our careers, you get to know him quite well. The chemistry is obviously there, so it’s definitely nice to be with him through this cycle. (We were) one of the bottom teams and now we’re super excited to be one of the top teams with him here in the squad.”
Dube said it was a bit of a challenge to stay game ready, but he expects to be back for good this time. He said it took a few days to knock of the rust, but he’s hoping to pick up exactly where he left off before getting hurt.
“You’ve got to figure out how to stickhandle the puck again and shoot and skating, but it doesn’t take too long to knock the rust off,” he said. “It’s good.
“It’s definitely exciting. You build up excitement to get back playing when you’re watching.”
