There were few successes when Maddix McCagherty visited Angel in the Winds Arena with his old WHL team.
He’s expecting a stronger showing from his current one.
“I’ve probably played Everett around maybe 20 times within the two years I was in Wenatchee,” the Kelowna, B.C. product said shortly before the Prince Albert Raiders began their trek west for Game 1 of the WHL Finals. “I didn’t win a lot.”
The Raiders acquired McCagherty from the Wenatchee Wild in early December. While McCagherty remembers plenty of positives from his time in Wenatchee, their record against the Everett Silvertips wasn’t one of them.
“(We won) maybe one or two games that I can remember,” he said. “I feel like they’re a pretty similar team to (the Raiders). A lot of great players. They play fast.”
Despite the poor record, McCagherty said he’s excited to face the Silvertips in the WHL Final, which begins on Friday. A big part of that is personal. Everett is a nearly five hour drive from Kelowna, so he expects his family and friends to be in attendance for Games 1 and 2.
The rest is professional. He’s looking forward to playing for WHL title.
“I didn’t really think I would be in position at the start of the year, being in Wenatchee,” he said. “I was very fortunate to be able to be traded to a team like Prince Albert with how well they were doing.
“We had such a good season and even going into playoffs we’ve been doing really well, so it’s an exciting time of year. I can’t wait.”
The Raiders will arrive at Angel in the Winds Arena with much higher expectations that the rebuilding Wild. A small part of that comes from recent successes.
McCagherty wasn’t on the roster when the Raiders beat the Silvertips 4-1 in Everett on Nov. 11. Neither was Braeden Cootes, who plied his trade for the Seattle Thunderbirds until early December.
Raider forward Evan Smith said the Raiders were starting to gel as a team when they began that U.S. road trip. Still, he said it’s a different squad than the one that handed the Silvertips one of only eight regulation losses all season.
“I thought that whole road trip we were a pretty united team,” said Smith, who had two goals in the 4-1 win and was named first star. “I think our chemistry was just getting there but I think as a whole right now, we’re a different team than we were back then. But, it should be an exciting series for sure. Really fun.”
Despite playing the first half of the season in the U.S. Division, this will be the first time Cootes faces the Silvertips this season. The T-Birds and Silvertips didn’t play each other until after Christmas.
Like McCagherty, Cootes said the Silvertips are a skilled team that plays with plenty of pace.
“It’s going to be good,” the Vancouver Canucks prospect said. “They play really fast. They’re really good offensively. That building is really loud. They feed off of it, they play quick, so it should be really good.”
The Silvertips enjoyed a lengthy rest after sweeping the B.C. Division champion Penticton Vees in the Western Conference Final. The Raiders, meanwhile, arrived back in Prince Albert on Monday, one day after dispatching the Medicine Hat Tigers, and departed for Everett on Tuesday.
It’s a short turnaround, but the Raiders aren’t worried.
“This is what we trained for,” Smith said. “We do this all year. Every year it’s the same thing. I think both teams are going to be fatigued, but I think we should be ready to roll.”
“We played on Sunday and we don’t play until Friday, so we should be alright,” Cootes added. “Our staff here and everyone (is) taking good care of us. We eat really well and (they) make sure we get everything we need. We’re feeling good, so I think we should be just fine.”
Raiders grateful to see welcome home party
Prince Albert Raiders fans lined Gary Anderson Way outside the Art Hauser Centre on Monday to welcome the team home.
The Raider bus received a police escort into town, and stopped just after turning off Sixth Avenue West so the Raiders could carry the Eastern Conference Championship trophy through the crowd.
“Honestly it was something else,” McCagherty said when asked about the reception. “It was really cool to me. I’ve never experienced anything like that. It just shows what kind of community Prince Albert has.”
“It’s special,” Cootes added. “That’s why you play for them. The fans in Seattle were great, but the small-town vibes, I’ve never experienced that before. They’re unreal fans and it was special. Everyone’s honking their horns as soon as we get into town. It was pretty cool.”
Fans arrived on scene decked out with jerseys, flags, noisemakers, and signs. A few had a chance to pose for photos with the players and the Eastern Conference trophy.
“It’s awesome,” Smith said. “My family came out so that was really cool. The fan base here is amazing. I mean, great, great people. It’s good to get to know them and it’s really exciting for sure. Hopefully we can see them in Everett as well.”
News and notes:
• Game 1 is scheduled for Friday in Everett. Puck drop is 8 p.m. Saskatchewan time. Game 2 goes on Saturday. Puck drop is 7 p.m. Saskatchewan time.
• The Raiders will host a tailgate BBQ in the Art Hauser Centre parking lot ahead of Game 3 on Tuesday. All proceeds will go towards KidSpot. The tailgate starts at 5:30 a.m. and goes until 7 p.m. Game time is 7:30.
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
