By Trevor Redden

Raiders focus on youth with release of Warkentine, Johnson

Sep 28, 2017 | 1:21 PM

A couple of familiar faces will be missing from the lineup as the Prince Albert Raiders take to the ice for a pair of home games this weekend.

The team announced today that 19-year-old forwards Kolby Johnson and Drew Warkentine were released, and may now join the junior ‘A’ hockey clubs that hold the players’ rights. Johnson’s rights belong to the La Ronge Ice Wolves of the SJHL, and Warkentine’s rights belong to the Whitecourt Wolverines in Alberta.

General Manager Curtis Hunt said there were a couple of reasons for the moves.

“For those guys, they need to be in situations where they can play more. In our particular time frame of our organization, those guys weren’t getting the ice time that I think 19-year-old players should get,” Hunt said after the transactions.

“On top of that, we’ve got younger players here that are starting to push, and they need to play and develop. We wish both players the best of luck.”

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After a pair of losses to the Moose Jaw Warriors on opening weekend of the WHL season, the Raiders now set their sights on the Calgary Hitmen (1-1) and Medicine Hat Tigers (1-1) who come to town this weekend. The Raiders were outscored 10-3 over the first two games of the year, and Hunt said the offensive output is an area of focus moving forward.

“We’re monitoring goal scoring, obviously we need to be a lot tighter than we were Saturday in Moose Jaw, but every year this time of year the coaches pick something and they get better, they get the team a little bit closer, a little bit more refined in terms of how they play and how they play together.”

After this weekend, the team will hit the road for a pair of games in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat over Thanksgiving weekend. The team hopes to pick up a pair of home wins before making the trip.

“We have two big games at home, there are some good events going on around the games, but certainly we want a good showing and we want to have an opportunity to win both of those games,” Hunt said.

The Raiders face the Hitmen on Friday night and the Tigers on Saturday night, with both games beginning at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nedderrovert