John MacNeil
Daily Herald
Never say never.
That’s the outlook for general manager Curtis Hunt and the rest of the Prince Albert Raiders as they monitor whether they might see 19-year-old forward Braeden Cootes back with them in the Western Hockey League this season.
Cootes is already in Vancouver, training with the NHL’s Canucks, with whom he started last season before a mid-season WHL trade took him to Prince Albert from the Seattle Thunderbirds.
“You just don’t know,” Hunt said Thursday, the day before the Raiders open their training camp at the Art Hauser Centre. “We watch Vancouver. We don’t necessarily get into their business. We have our own business to run. But you just don’t know.
“We’re hoping Braeden gets an opportunity to start in Vancouver, plays some games and, again, (goes to) world junior. And then, if he’s playing great, we’re excited to watch him on TV. Or if he’s not getting the minutes that they think he needs for development, then maybe we get an opportunity to see him.
“Either way, we were grateful for what he did and how he played when he was a Raider. He certainly speaks highly of our organization as he’s moved on to the next level. We’ll just wait and see.”
Including his 23 points in 20 playoff games, Cootes was an integral part of a Raiders team that went all the way to the WHL final last spring before losing in five games to the Everett Silvertips.
The Sherwood Park, Alta., resident dressed for three NHL games early last season before the Canucks returned him to the WHL’s Thunderbirds. He was Seattle’s captain and represented Canada, the bronze-medallist, at the world junior championship in Minnesota.
The Canucks selected Cootes in the first round (15th overall) of the 2025 NHL draft.
SECOND CHANCE FOR RAIDERS’ PROSPECT
Kai Richards produced at a point-per-game clip last season with the U18 AAA St. Albert Raiders of the Alberta Elite Hockey League.
Prince Albert picked the 17-year-old forward in the 11th round of last spring’s WHL prospects draft. Overall, he was the third-last player chosen.
Richards, originally a seventh-round selection of Seattle in 2024, turned heads last winter with St. Albert, scoring 14 goals and 34 points in 35 regular-season games, plus three points in as many playoff contests.
“I’m excited to see him come in and play,” said Prince Albert GM Curtis Hunt. “He was certainly excited when we made the deal. Glad to have him as part of the group, coming to camp.
“The nice thing is, because we’ll have six guys away (at pro camps), we’re going to have an opportunity to give players like Richards, and junior-aged players, we can give those kids a really good look.
“It’s really all I can ever promise, ‘We’re going to give you a good look and then it’ll be up to you.’ Hopefully, they give us tough decisions and some arguments in the backroom to make a decision.”
Training camp runs from Friday through Monday at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert.
