By Trevor Redden

Hunt emphasizes consistency as Raiders prospects shine

Oct 5, 2017 | 10:00 AM

For the third straight year, multiple Prince Albert Raiders prospects have been named to the 2017 WHL Cup, a sign that the organization is moving in the right direction according to General Manager Curtis Hunt.

“I think it’s a great credit to Ron Gunville and his staff, the work those guys put in, the research they do in finding our players,” Hunt said. “Beyond the players we’ve got a group of great kids and that’s just as if not more important than the players that they are.”

It was announced on Wednesday Raiders prospects Kaiden Guhle and Ozzy Wiesblatt were named to Team Alberta, Jakob Brook and Evan Herman were named to Team Manitoba, and Davin Griffin was named to Team Saskatchewan for the newly named WHL Cup.

The WHL Cup (formerly known as the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup) features the highest-rated players in the under-16 category from the four western provinces.

“It’s a stepping stone, first of all, for the Under-17 (World Challenge). It’s a chance for the players to represent their province in an international-type format. For the kids, it’s a great honour.”

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While five Raider prospects made their respective provincial teams, there were two notable exceptions as 17th overall pick Cohner Saleski (Saskatchewan) and third round pick Braydon Clark (B.C.) were in the conversation, but ultimately weren’t selected. Hunt noted Saleski is recovering from an upper body injury, and he thought Team Saskatchewan did the right thing with the decision, noting it’s in his best interest long-term to make sure his rehabilitation stays on track. As for Clark, Hunt said B.C. is a large population to battle against, and knew the defenceman showed himself well.

While the future looks as bright as ever for the Raiders, Hunt has been impressed with the growth of the current team over the first four games of the season. After dropping the first four games to the Moose Jaw Warriors, who this week were ranked in the number three spot across Canada, the Raiders bounced back with a pair of wins this past weekend over Calgary and Medicine Hat.

“The chemistry of our team is a slow build and you could see improvements from week one to week two. It’s about chances… generate chances and minimize opponents’ chances. You focus on the process, and the kids have responded with a couple huge wins last weekend.”

Three’s company

Opening the 2017-18 season with three goaltenders, it was expected by many Ian Scott would start the lion’s share of games for the Raiders, leaving Nicholas Sanders and Curtis Meger to fight for the backup position. However, an opening night injury to Scott has opened up the net for the two 19-year-olds to battle for the starting position until Scott returns.

“We are in a situation with three goaltenders that’s not ideal all the time,” Hunt said. “Teams have done it in the past, so we’ll just have to wait and see how the cards fall in the next little while. I don’t see any urgency in making a decision.”

Roster wiggle room

This summer, the Raiders selected German forward Dominik Bokk in the annual import draft expecting him and Vojtech Budik to fill the two import slots allocated to each team. However, Bokk elected to play hockey in Sweden this season leaving the Raiders with an open spot for a potential import player.

Hunt acknowledged it does put the team in position to take advantage of any potential opportunity, but recognized the importance of building consistency after a turbulent 2016-17 season.

“We went through a lot last year as a group. It’s tough not only on our players but on our community,” Hunt said. “We’re a community team, our fans like to know our players, their faces, they would like to see them out in the community and I think they like that consistency. We’ve got consistency in our coaching now, and we’d really like to develop what’s in house now before we chase too far outside the pile.”

The Raiders hit the road for a pair of games this weekend in Lethbridge on Friday night, and in Medicine Hat on Saturday.

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nedderrovert