John MacNeil
Daily Herald
The Prince Albert Raiders are thinking big as they stage their Western Hockey League training camp, which runs Friday through Monday at the Art Hauser Centre.
A whopping 84 players are expected to participate.
“It’s our largest camp ever, at least in my tenure,” Raiders’ 12th-year GM Curtis Hunt said Thursday.
For a couple of reasons, Prince Albert is casting a wide net in assembling the next edition of the Raiders, who are still stocked with key pieces from last season’s WHL finalists.
“We like to design the camp (so that) four teams gives you an opportunity to get enough rest between sessions and at the same time get lots of reps and have an opportunity to really do some good evaluation,” Hunt said.
“The second part is we’re in a new world in terms of how the players and their ability to access the NCAA from our program, where they never had that (option) before. So, what that has done is really opened the door to our league to those American players, when kids understand this is the best development league.
“It’s something that a lot of American players would like to have had a long time ago, but certainly the restrictions in the past have hampered that. We’ve invited probably more Americans than we’ve ever had. It’s a good way to create some relationships and start educating (them) about our process and showing them what we’re all about. For us, as well, to understand their development versus ours and where the kids are at comparatively, because we don’t always get that look.”
Hunt estimated as many as 15 U.S.-born players are in the prospective-Raiders’ mix for camp this weekend, 40 years after American star — and eventual hall-of-famer — Mike Modano suited up for the first of his three seasons with Prince Albert.
Modano began his 21-year NHL career in Minnesota, the home state of incumbent Raiders forward Owen Corkish, going into his 19-year-old season with Prince Albert.
Of course, the flip side of the new hockey landscape is that young Canadian talents now are able to play U.S. college hockey, even after skating with major junior teams.
Most notably from a Raiders’ perspective, 18-year-old defenceman Daxon Rudolph — whom the Buffalo Sabres selected fourth overall in the NHL draft this June — has departed for the University of Denver, as has San Jose Sharks’ prospect Max Heise, a 20-year-old forward.
As camp begins, the Raiders have just two returning 20-year-olds in forwards Maddix McCagherty and Evan Smith.
Prince Albert has added possible insurance to its 20-year-old crop, extending training-camp invitations to Saskatchewan boys Carsyn Dyck of Warman and Logan Pickford of Saskatoon. Both forwards have multiple seasons of WHL experience — Dyck with the Portland Winterhawks and Pickford with the Victoria Royals.
“A couple of local kids that have some experience,” Hunt said. “We’ll give them a real good opportunity to showcase themselves at our camp and beyond, and see where it goes.”
Braeden Cootes, the 19-year-old forward who joined the Raiders in a blockbuster trade last January, isn’t immediately available this season as he auditions with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.
Along with the graduation of Justice Christensen, Brayden Dube and Aiden Oiring, at least five other players are gone because of pro and college commitments or otherwise (Cootes and Heise up front and Rudolph, Linden Burrett and Matyas Man on defence).
“The two guys that we weren’t sure on were (forwards) Brandon Gorzynski snd Evan Smith,” Hunt said. “But, you know what, both of them look at development and, now that they’ve been part of the program, they feel that this is the best route for them, and we’re excited to have them both back.”
Starting goaltender Michal Orsulak, who turned 19 this week, is also back in the fold, but he’s not in Prince Albert for this weekend’s training camp. Orsulak, a third-round draft choice of the Detroit Red Wings this spring, is representing his native Czechia in the Five Nations U20 tournament at Finland.
“Orsy is at Five Nations, which is good,” Hunt said. “With all due respect to our camp, I think that (international play) is probably better competition at this point in time, early in the year, dealing with each country’s elite.”
Also returning to the Raiders’ net is 18-year-old Steele Bass, a High River, Alta., product and one of eight goaltenders in camp.
Each of the four intrasquad teams has two goalies.
“At minimum, they’ll have a practice, a little mini game, and then four games,” Hunt detailed. “And an opportunity to showcase themselves and work themselves into either the green-and-white game (Monday morning) or the exhibition game on Tuesday in Saskatoon.”
After a fun day of golf Thursday, the Raiders’ camp participants get down to business
Friday with fitness testing. Scrimmages begin Saturday morning, leading to the Parker Kelly Cup championship game Sunday night.
The Raiders begin their regular season Sept. 18 at home against the Regina Pats. That’s four months after the Everett Silvertips ousted Prince Albert 4-1 in the WHL championship series last May.
Needless to say, the Raiders are mindful of that finish as they begin a new season.
“We played with a lot of pride,” Hunt said. “I know the guys were very disappointed, as all teams are (when they lose). But we’re excited to get back. I think guys look around the room and see the success and growth of our younger players, who maybe aren’t regular guys but how they stepped in, in the moments that we needed them. Guys that didn’t play a lot last year but got those opportunities in the playoffs or late in the season.
“Because of that, we’re excited. They know the message, they know the standard, and we’re excited about camp and trying to work our way to that point and time of year to give ourselves another chance (at the title).”
