Frantic February fades, March madness begins!
The Prince Albert Raiders have just completed a hectic 16-game run in 30 nights with their sights still clearly set on second place in the eastern division and home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
The team turned in a more than respectable 8-5-3 record during the adversity ridden run which included injuries to defensemen Brendan Guhle and Dalton Yorke.
Other memorable moments fraught with frustration included two failed video reviews of potential goals, one of which featured a technical malfunction (but the batteries worked this time) and questionable calls by the officials which also factored into final results.
There were defining moments for a team that battled fatigue and the numerous bumps and bruises that melted many an ice bag. Reid Gardiner, the Raider’s leading scorer, blocked shots during a successful 5-on-3 penalty kill for 1:52 in overtime against Moose Jaw, whose manpower advantage unit included the league’s top goal and point producer (Dryden Hunt) and arguably the WHL’s best playmaker and captain of the Canadian National Junior team (Brayden Point).