Will the Raiders and the fans pass Wednesday’s test?

The Raiders-Blades game Wednesday at the Art Hauser Centre is a test on two fronts.

On the ice it’s a challenge of the Raiders resolve to end a four game losing streak and rebound from a poor performance and a 3-0 loss Sunday afternoon against their biggest rival in Saskatoon. With exception of goaltender Nick McBride who recovered from a shaky start to turn in a solid 35 save effort and give his team a chance to win, every other element of the team’s game was sluggish. Specialty teams were out of sync and the basics like breakouts and forechecking were less than crisp. The younger and seemingly hungrier Blades posted their fifth straight win to go 7-4 in the second half, doubling the number of wins they recorded before the break. The Raiders who have been shut out twice and lost all three games against Saskatoon since December 27th are 3-9 in the second half.

Associate Coach Dave Manson told the 900 CKBI post game show audience Sunday their effort was lackluster but the good news is they have shown themselves capable of doing what is necessary to win and they are still in the playoff race trailing Swift Current, who holds down the final berths in both the Eastern division and conference by eight points, a team they meet five times before the end of the regular season.   However they need to start winning and need to start on Wednesday.

The game is also a test of the Prince Albert fan base. A five dollar ticket against the team’s biggest rival takes the team’s front office into new and  potentially scary territory. You  would think 5-dollar tickets for a Raiders-Blades game would mean a slam dunk sellout and it should. However there appears to be a disconnect between the team and its casual fans and it’s not because of lack of effort on the team’s part to engage with the community. The players make many public appearances to rinks, schools, the library and the hospital.  Granted their overall record of 19-27-1 is disappointing including a 9-14 mark at the Art Hauser Centre and the team has experienced several seasons worth of controversy during the 2014-15 campaign, the coaching change being just one example.      

Attendance has been falling since 2012-13’s halcyon average benchmark of 2,674. A poor schedule was partly responsible for last season’s dip of 178 per-game, which also contributed to an operating loss of $210,000.  The financial picture hasn’t improved this season considering the team is responsible for Cory Clouston’s contract for the balance of the season and the fact average attendance is tracking another 110 fans behind last season.   

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The reasons vary with each potential fan but there is no denying casual fans are finding reasons to stay away and it is their right to do so. However perhaps it’s time to find reasons to come to the rink and a 5-dollar ticket for a Raiders-Blades game this Wednesday is as good as any.

dwilson@panow.com

On Twitter: @RaidersVoice