Raider regular season opens, a walk deeper into the unknown

The Raiders embark on another regular season Friday night in Regina with more questions than answers.

The beginning of any WHL regular season is rife with new players, new goals and new expectations amid optimistic pre-season prognostications.

Season opening games feature nerves, excitement and mistakes galore, while even veterans try to burn off the rust from the six-month sojourn between last season’s playoffs and this season’s premiere with points on the line.

The 2016-17 campaign begins with most of the best available players from around the league reporting to NHL training camps following their respective rookie tournaments. The training camp dates in the “show” have been delayed by the NHL’s latest propaganda production called the World Cup (money grab) of Hockey. Although the product has been entertaining the trickle down effect is being felt in junior hockey.

The game’s biggest stars are at the World Cup and NHL teams are filling their training camp roster vacancies with juniors. In Prince Albert’s case, goalie Rylan Parenteau (Vancouver), Reid Gardiner (Pittsburgh), Vojtech Budik and Brendan Guhle (Buffalo) and Luke Coleman (Detroit) were given main camp tryouts.

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There is no doubt they will make the most of their opportunities, which also means Raider prospects like Lane Kirk and Cody Thompson on defense as well as forwards Cole Fonstad, Carson Miller, Spencer Moe, Josh Maser and Gino Astrouski will get every chance possible to prove they belong on WHL regular season ice.

Coaches who normally take a ‘walk before running” approach to systems and specialty team preparation have to pare down that process even more. The result, in addition to even more unexpected spills and thrills on the ice will likely accelerate the greying process of the remaining hair on the beans of bench bosses.

However, it does make covering the WHL more interesting for us media types and more fun for fans.

It all starts Friday night in Regina with the Raiders hosting the Pats in Saturday’s home opener. The games will be broadcast on 900 CKBI Friday and Mix 101-FM Saturday.

dwilson@panow.com

On Twitter: RaidersVoice