By Jeff D'Andrea

Raiders report $67,341 deficit for 2011, now $176,082 in debt

Sep 27, 2011 | 8:05 AM

At their annual general meeting Monday at the Art Hauser Centre, Prince Albert Raiders president Dale McFee said for the team to continue to remain in the city, there will be have to be some considerable changes.

According to their financial statements, Raiders are now reporting a $176,082 operating deficit, which is causing McFee and the rest of the executive to look at different options in how the team will be owned and financed.

The Raiders are community owned, but McFee said that could change in the near future as the team has put together a business committee to come up with a viable solution to their recent deficit.

“We need to look at some other options, whether that’s a combination of a backstop agreement with somebody, or if it’s a private-public partnership, whatever those options are, that’s what we want the business committee come back with a recommendation,” McFee said.

“We also have some outside expertise to ensure that there’s transparency and to ensure that it is the best interest in what we’re trying to accomplish.”

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In the team’s financial statements, they reported a $67,341 deficit for 2011 despite increasing ticket sale revenue by $147,682 in a year (with $114,454 of that coming from playoff ticket sales alone).

In 2010, the Raiders lost $165,797, even though they received $103,079 from the WHL in national event profit shares from the Memorial Cup held in Brandon, Manitoba and the IIHF World Junior Championships held in Saskatoon and Regina.

“I think obviously last year, we got better,” McFee said.

“Obviously, making the playoffs helped and we’ve taken some steps, our season’s tickets increased, but running a hockey club in the Western Hockey League now is probably about a $2 million dollar touch. Escalating costs are going to force us to look at other business options.”

McFee said that whatever direction the team chooses to go, it’s to keep the Raiders in Prince Albert.

“The one thing I can say the goal is to have the Raiders be in Prince Albert … in the meeting there (Monday), there’s absolutely nobody that wants to see this team leave this community,” McFee said.

“We try to tell people what the value of this club is to our community, and I think those that have been long-time fans know and the business community knows. The business community’s been exceptional in supporting our hockey club, but at the same time, we have to make sure that we’re viable.”

One way to make the balance sheets look good is to look good on the ice and McFee said the Raiders hockey club is one its way up.

“The hockey club is certainly is on its way from a product standpoint of something that people are desiring to watch,” McFee said.

During the meeting Raiders general manager and head coach Bruno Campese said he has high expectations for his team this year, to not only make the playoffs for the second straight year, but to compete for home-ice advantage for the postseason and win a playoff series, something the team hasn’t done since 2005.

Not only did he say he likes how his team looks this year, but there is a good future ahead as there is a young core of exciting players.

Campese said 16-year-old defenceman Josh Morrissey is “an absolute stud,” and 17-year-olds Shane Danyluk and Mike Winther have promise and are in their draft years. Mark McNeill is only 18-years-old and the Raiders 2011 draft class features some high-end prospects like Reid Gardiner (first round, eighth overall) and Tim Vanstone (third round, 52nd overall).

The Raiders, although have started this year 0-2, still have high hopes for the season and hope to pick up their first win against the Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

jdandrea@panow.com