Sign up for the paNOW newsletter

Can Hunt turn the Raiders into hunters?

Jun 9, 2015 | 11:16 AM

The hiring of former Prince Albert Raider Curtis Hunt as the 10th general manager of the Prince Albert Raiders makes sense.

The 48-year-old steps into a new role in a long and diverse career as a full-time front office front man at the major junior level with a wealth of experience as a player and coach at the major junior and pro levels and has no doubt cultivated a long list of contacts along the way. Hunt has also seen his fair share of adversity. His last two seasons as the coach of the Regina Pats were difficult after a return from the pro ranks. They featured the Ottawa Senator sideshow that saw Hunt go from an NHL assistant to an AHL head coach and back to junior in the course of one season. Ironically, former Raiders head coach Cory Clouston was part of that Senator roller coaster taking the opposite trip from the AHL to the NHL. The irony doesn’t end there. Raiders director of player personnel Dale Derkatch replaced Hunt as Pats head coach during Hunt’s harrowing one-year hiatus in the hallowed halls of pro hockey. Both were let go by the Pats and now Derkatch and Hunt will work closely together on the next stage of the Raider re-build. Their first orders of business will be signing 2015 top draft picks Cole Fonstad, Carson Miller and Spencer Moe in addition to preparing for the June 30 CHL Import Draft.   

Hunt’s addition to the Raiders front office also falls in line with last year’s theme of recapturing the essence of Raider hockey, restoring the work ethic and pride that resulted in the 1985 Memorial Cup championship — a season Hunt and associate coach Dave Manson as players on that team, know all too well. Head coach Marc Habscheid spoke of exactly that several times while eventually guiding the team to a 7-2-1 finish in its final 10 games of the regular season. Hunt obviously brings qualifications along with optics to the position. One of the challenges, as it is one with every coach who moves into the front office, is to let the coaches coach while also holding them accountable. However, Hunt’s vast experience behind the bench makes him fully aware of what Habscheid, Manson and assistant Kelly Guard need from their boss. Hunt has already spoken of getting guidance from Habscheid and company on their wants and needs before making roster moves.

And there are assets for potential trades. The Raiders have four solid goaltenders. Veterans Nick McBride and Rylan Parenteau were the only two goaltenders to survive last year’s training camp and battled adversity to have excellent endings to the 2014-15 season. They will be pushed by 16-year-old Ian Scott (selected sixth overall in the 2014 bantam draft and an invitee to Hockey Canada’s program of excellence goalie camp) and Curtis Meger the 17-year-old grad of the Western Canada Midget AAA champion Regina Pat Canadians.  Chances are also very good one overager will be trade bait. Forwards Jordan Tkatch and Craig Leverton along with defencemen Jesse Lees and Hunter Warner are likely to be in the mix for the three 20-year-old positions, but there is a glut of overagers available around the WHL this season. It looks like the Vancouver Canucks want MacKenze Stewart to start a pro career as a winger.  

The Raiders have 19 WHL experienced players eligible to return but will have to fill the Top-6 forward role that would have been occupied by Kris Schmidli. The 19-year-old will turn pro in his Swiss home town and replacing his potential 30-plus goal potential will be difficult.  However, veterans Matteo Gennaro, Austin Glover, Simon Stransky and sophomore Sean Montgomery look poised to have breakout seasons.  Lees and the soon-to-be NHL-drafted Brendan Guhle should be the prime puck moving quarterbacks on a back line that could include rugged, hard-to-play-against characters like Warner and Dalton Yorke.

Although Hunt also inherits a stable business operation led by the hard-working, affable and creative Saskatoon Blade transplant Mike Scissons, along with arguably the hardest-working staff in the WHL. Mind you the reason this team will turn a small profit despite declining attendance and no playoff revenue in 2014-15 is the diligent and frequent line by line reviews and budget trimming by outgoing general manager Bruno Campese.   

Hunt, Habscheid and Manson have four-year contracts meaning the road to stability is under construction. All that’s needed to “pack the ‘Plex” like back in the day when Manson, Hunt and President Dale McFee won a Memorial Cup is wins. The team has a 3-16 record in just four playoff appearances over the past 10 seasons, meaning the Raiders fan base is ready to jump back on the bandwagon.

dwilson@panow.com

On Twitter: @RaidersVoice