Although they weren’t picking as highly as in recent years, the Prince Albert Raiders had a successful 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Raiders held five picks in the top three rounds and six picks in the top 100 overall selections.
Bruno Zarrillo, the director of player personnel for the Raiders says the organization was very pleased with how the draft went.
“It went very well. We were very excited with the players we got. We feel we’ve got a lot of players with our identity and I’m looking forward to it.”
After picking twice in the top five in the past two drafts, the Raiders weren’t on the clock until the 16th overall selection, a position they haven’t been in since they selected Landon Lillejord back in 1999.
“It’s different and I’d rather have my team winning the division and winning a round in the playoffs every year and taking the later picks.” Zarrillo explained. “You put your names down to the four or five guys you like and you wait to see”
The Raiders used their first round selection on Waywayseecappo, Manitoba product Athens Shingoose who recorded 60 points (31g, 29a) in 32 games played for Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg’s Under-15 Prep team.
Zarrillo says Shingoose will be a dynamic player for Prince Albert moving forward.
“He was an all-star in the CSSHL, and I think he’s in that top percentile in terms of skating with edges. He’s a fearless player that tries to score and make things happen every shift.”
Thanks to recent trades, the Raiders made three selections in the third round. Prince Albert acquired the 52nd overall pick and the 112th overall selection from Spokane in a deal that saw the rights to U.S. forward Gavin Burcar go to the Chiefs.
The 59th overall selection was acquired by Prince Albert from Edmonton as part of the Kaiden Guhle trade in 2021.
Zarrillo says the extra capital in the middle rounds will pay dividends for Prince Albert moving forward.
“Obviously the higher you pick the better it is. I’m confident in our staff that we can find good players in those mid-rounds as well like we have in the past. The guys do their homework and having those three third round picks I think is a difference maker in a draft.”
“I think everybody, you have to always pay up to get the players you want. I think we paid up for all these guys. It’s just the way it goes. If you like a guy, you got to take him. The nice part about having the picks that we had is you’re able to pay up for guys, and so I think it turned out well.”
There was plenty of movement on draft day. During the first round, the Regina Pats traded a second round pick and two future first rounders in 2026 and 2027 to acquire the third overall selection from the Kelowna Rockets.
Full List of Raider Draft Picks
Round 1, 15th overall: F Athens Shingoose
Round 2, 39th overall: D Walker Bergen
Round 3, 52nd overall: F Tripp Fischer
Round 3, 59th overall: G Evan Wandler
Round 3, 62nd overall: F Brady Filmon
Round 4, 84th overall: F Calder Fraser
Round 5, 108th overall: F Louis Judd
Round 5, 112th overall: D Chayse Fedoriuk
Round 9, 186th overall: F Will Owens
Round 9, 200th overall: D Paxton Hale
Round 11, 246th overall: F Noah Ulry
U.S. Priority Draft Selections:
Round 1, 22nd overall: F Gavin Hamelin
Round 2, 25th overall: D Mason Schemenauer
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