It was the most memorable day on the golf course for Athens Shingoose and it didn’t have to do with anything on his scorecard.
Shingoose was just preparing for a night of golf when he heard the news that he had been selected by the Prince Albert Raiders in the first round of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft, 16th overall.
“I was at the clubhouse when it happened.” Shingoose explained in an interview with the Daily Herald. “I kind of really didn’t know at the time. After that, it’s a bunch of emotions. I don’t know how to explain it. It was just a great day on the golf course. Right after that, we just started golfing with the boys. It was just an awesome day on the golf course.”
In 32 games last season with Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg’s Under-15 Prep team, Shingoose registered 31 goals and 29 assists leading his team in scoring.
“I’m a player that plays with high speed and I love to make my teammates better. I play with a high compete level and I’m not afraid to shoot the puck and I’m a very excited player to watch as I’ve heard. I love to win and I always have a big smile on my face.”
Shingoose is the first player the Raiders have selected with the 16th overall pick since Landon Lillejord in 1999. Other selections the Raiders have made at 16th overall include Jordan Sawatsky (1996), Sean Robertson (1993) and Kaleb Toth (1992).
Shingoose first got into the sport of hockey thanks to his uncle who he used to watch back home in Waywayseecappo, Manitoba. He says that first started his interest in the sport of hockey.
“He played for Waywayseecappo when I was younger. He told me about hockey and I started to go watch him. I just started falling in love and I kept going to his games and I just deep fell in my heart. I just kind of just went to public skating and just started skating, learning how to skate, then I started rollerblading and that kind of made me better as a hockey player.”
The first round of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft was streamed live on Victory Plus hosted by Brad Ginnell and Cami Kepke. Throughout the broadcast, Kepke would interview hockey operations staff from each team after they made their selection.
“We’re ecstatic to get Athens as part of our group.” Raider director of player personnel Bruno Zarrillo said on the draft live stream. “ Every shift he is trying to make something happen, he’s exciting and he’s so strong on his feet. You just can’t knock him off the puck. The biggest thing is he’s such a competitor. From everyone we’ve talked to, he’s a first class kid and we’re very excited to have him.”
When the video of Zarrillo first appeared on the stream, he was holding a green Raider jersey showing the namebar already filled out with the last name of their first round selection.
“When Bruno had that jersey, I was excited.” Shingoose explained. “I knew that was my home. Right after that moment, I was so excited to be a Prince Albert Raider. It’s going to be an awesome time there and hopefully build new friends and then build a new culture. It’s going to be great. They invited me into their organization and making me feel at home, it’s going to be awesome.”
In total, 11 players heard their names called by the Raiders throughout the draft. Shingoose was not the only player the Raider selected out of Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg.
In the third round, the Raiders selected Brady Filmon with the 62nd overall pick. Filmon is the younger brother of former Swift Current Bronco and New Jersey Devils draft pick Josh Filmon.
Shingoose says he is looking forward to attending Raider training camp with a close friend in Filmon.
“It’s just awesome to hear that. Training camp is going to be fun with him and it’s like my nerves are kind of just going to go away and just like being with him is going to be exciting.”
sports@paherald.sk.ca
