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Miske embracing Raider captaincy

Sep 7, 2017 | 10:00 AM

Curtis Miske said it was “a great blessing” to be named the 41st captain in the history of the Prince Albert Raiders.

The 20-year-old forward from Beaumont, Alta. was acquired by the Raiders from the Spokane Chiefs on Jan. 2, 2017. With 29 points in 33 games in Prince Albert, Miske earned the respect of the coaching staff in his abbreviated stay last season, and has been entrusted with the captaincy this year.

“It was a bit of a shock at first but I’m very humbled,” Miske said. “It’s a great blessing to be named the captain especially following after some of the big names that have been the captain here previously, so I’m really excited to get that going.”

Miske said that he learned a lot from former captain Tim Vanstone, explaining he was “one of the best guys at finding the balance of when to keep it light and when to keep it serious.” With the majority of the roster consisting of players aged 18 or younger, Miske said he is looking forward to passing on what he has learned to the younger players so they can take on a greater leadership role in the future.

In addition to Miske, the Raiders announced Brayden Pachal, Jordy Stallard, and Parker Kelly would serve as alternate captains for the upcoming season.

Stallard, like Miske, is a 20-year-old forward who brings with him a great deal of WHL experience, having played in 166 regular season games in his career.

Kelly will carry a large part of the offensive burden for the Raiders this season after finishing second on the team in scoring a year ago. Kelly and Stallard have both left their Raider teammates today to take part in NHL rookie tournaments with the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets, respectively.

Pachal enters his first full season with the Raiders after being acquired from the Victoria Royals last year. The 18-year-old defenceman from Estevan, Sask. already had 75 WHL games under his belt when he arrived in Prince Albert, allowing for a smooth transition to his new team.

“I knew a couple guys from before but the leadership group last year really helped all the new guys coming in,” Pachal said. “I think [being named alternate captain] shows that the coaching staff shows a lot of trust in me. With them giving me this honour, it’s a lot of responsibility on my part but I’m excited for it.”

The Raiders continue their preseason schedule this weekend with a Friday home date against the Saskatoon Blades at the Art Hauser Centre, followed by a rematch in Warman on Saturday.

 

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nedderrovert