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Loyal Raider soldier Montgomery ready for the playoffs

Mar 15, 2018 | 5:00 PM

Snipin’ Sean Montgomery has been as loyal of a player the Prince Albert Raiders have ever had.

Before the two remaining games the Raiders have before the playoffs start, Montgomery has played in 276 career regular season games—tied for eighth all time. He’ll jump into sole possession of sixth after the two games this year. The next closest player on the current roster is Parker Kelly, almost a full season behind at 208 games through his three seasons.

You can’t play that many games in a place you hate, and Montgomery has fully embraced what it means to dawn the Green and Gold shield and sword.

“I think it means everything. It’s a whole lot of fun here,” Montgomery said. “Everybody’s awesome, from the staff, to the players, to the community. I’m definitely having a great time here.”

Montgomery also has a chance to break the Raiders’ record for most games played. Assuming he returns next year as a 20-year-old, Brett Novak’s games played record of 330 would very much be in the ‘Monty Python’s’ reach.

But where Montgomery hasn’t played a lot is in the playoffs. His only post-season action came the last time the Raiders got there, losing in five games to the Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2015-16 season.

Montgomery is just one of four current Raiders that played in that series, the others being three-year players in Parker Kelly and defenceman Vojtech Budik who also played the full-five games. Goaltender Ian Scott was Rylan Parenteau’s backup at the time, and was on mop up duty for the second half of game four’s 7-0 defeat in Moose Jaw.  

Regardless of what happens in the home-and-home series against the Saskatoon Blades this weekend, Montgomery will be able to add to that total as his Raiders will once again take on the Warriors in round one of the playoffs.

“Last time we were in the playoffs, it obviously wasn’t how we wanted to end it,” Montgomery said. “This year, I honestly believe we have a better team than last time around. I think we can do some damage here.

“They knocked us out pretty quick last time. We’re looking to return the favour.”

But before they get to the playoffs, Montgomery and the rest of the Raiders will play a home-and-home series against the Saskatoon Blades Friday and Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre. The Raiders’ home leg will be on Friday, which will include the team’s annual award ceremony.

“The pressure’s a little bit off but we still want to play good and keep our roll going into the playoffs,” Montgomery said. “It’s hard to switch it off for a few games then switch it right back on. We have to keep our foot on the gas for these last few games and hopefully go in on a roll.”

It’s not just the Raiders that are feeling the surge of the playoffs. Raiders business manager Mike Scissons said the excitement is spreading to the fans as well.

The numbers seem to back up his statements. Although the Raiders are averaging 2,033 fans per game, their lowest such average on record since the 1998-99 season, the attendance skyrocketed lately. In their last two games, they announced attendances of 2,324 on Saturday against the Calgary Hitmen and 2,324 against the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday. Those statistics according for almost half of their five games, they eclipsed the 2,300-mark this season.

“Playoffs brings a whole new intensity and a whole new level of interest from the entire community,” Scissons said. “I think we’ve seen it over the last couple games and we’ll see it go through tomorrow night’s game as well and right through the playoffs. It’s a different atmosphere all together, they call it a different season for a reason.”

Not only does the excitement level lead to the excitement level, but also helps out the Raiders’ pocketbooks.

“From a bottom line perspective, making the playoffs is always an incentive to the overall financial record of the organization,” Scissons said. “We started out slow and that’s no surprise at the gate in terms of what we had.

“Adding the playoffs and what comes of it will help us recover from those slower times from the last couple years. It will be a nice added bonus but I wouldn’t necessarily looking to buy a yacht or build a statue out front or anything right now.”

Series schedule

Game One, Raiders at Warriors, March 23, 7 p.m., Mosaic Place

Game Two, Raiders at Warriors, March 24, 7 p.m., Mosaic Place

Game Three, Warriors at Raiders, March 27, 7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre

Game Four, Warriors at Raiders, March 28, 7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre

Game Five, Raiders at Warriors, March 31, 7 p.m., Mosaic Place (if necessary)

Game Six, Warriors at Raiders, April 1, 6 p.m., Art Hauser Centre (if necessary)

Game Seven, Raiders at Warriors, April 3, 7 p.m., Mosaic Place (if necessary)

 

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW