Raiders rookie Landon Kosior scored in his WHL debut. Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW

By Jeff D'Andrea

Hauser gets new banners, scoreboard and lights

‘A day of celebration’ for the Raiders, even while Blades’ Hughes tries to rain on the parade

Sep 20, 2019 | 10:52 PM

Although they had a game to play, Friday was very much a day of celebration and reflection for the Prince Albert Raiders.

They hung East Division, Regular Season, Eastern Conference and WHL Championship banners into the dark wooden rafters of the Art Hauser Centre. It was the first time the Raiders had done such a thing since 1999, when they won the division pennant that year.

The Ed Chynoweth Cup was in the building, along the commissioner Ron Robison who brought it in. Last year’s captain Brayden Pachal came back from the Vegas Golden Knight’s main camp to take part in the festivities. The Art Hauser Centre’s brand new and beautiful high-definition scoreboard was unveiled. The newly installed and ultra bright LED lights made the crowd gasp when they were unleashed at full blast, just before puck drop.

There was a lot to celebrate, even in defeat to their fiercest rivals. The Raiders were beaten 3-2 in overtime by the Saskatoon Blades as overaged forward Ryan Hughes scored 17 seconds into the extra frame to end it.

Of course, Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid wanted to get the win but he also wanted to appreciate the day for what it was, a reflection on what the Raiders accomplished last year. Afterall, the Raiders haven’t had a chance to defend a championship for the past 34 years until now.

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“I’m proud of the guys, happy for the fans and the city and everything that went on. I thought the front office did a real good job with the celebration,” Habscheid said. “That’s why you’re not going to get too upset, it was a day of celebration. We lost a point, big deal. We’re just proud of the guys.”

Habscheid highlighted how well the eight rookies he dressed seemed to handle the grand occasion. With a near capacity crowd of 3,108 that echoed the volume and intensity of last year’s playoff atmosphere, the banners unveiling and the Ed Chynoweth Cup ceremony, it was a lot to get overwhelmed by.

One rookie that stepped up was Landon Kosior, who was one of three Raiders playing his first ever WHL game. He scored his debut goal in the second period, after coming off the bench, accepting a drop pass from Justin Nachbaur and fired it blocker side past Blades goaltender Nolan Maier.

“I blacked out, I can’t even remember it,” Kosior said. “I just remember Nacho dropped the puck to me on the blueline and I walked in a sniped it.

“It feels amazing. It’s surreal, I still can’t believe it. It’s the best feeling ever.”

Habscheid believes that Kosior has a bright future with the Raiders, and likes what he’s seen from him so far.

“He’s a smart player, he’s got some good moxie about him, he thinks the game well, good passer and he’s strong. He’ll be a good player for us,” Habscheid said of Kosior. “But a lot of these young guys are coming in, with the banners and everything, a full house and the whole spiel. They did well for everything going on.”

Kosior entered camp as an undrafted, unsigned defenceman. But within almost a month, he earned a spot on the team to play as a 17-year-old rookie, signed a deal, made the Game 1 lineup and beat one of the league’s premier goalies.

Kosior wasn’t exactly being sheltered either. He played on the top defensive pair with 20-year-old veteran blueliner Max Martin, who returned recently from the Boston Bruins rookie camp, and was matched up often against Blades’ captain Chase Wouters’ line.

“It was good to get tested in my first game,” Kosior said. “It was great to play with Marty. He’s got NHL camp experience and he really helped me out there.”

Martin was one of two players to wear an assistant’s A in the game. The other was Jeremy Masella, who helped unveil the four banners.

Masella is taking on a new role this year. Instead of being one of many veterans on the team, he’s now a player that the rest of the Raiders are looking at for leadership. Masella, the giant six-foot-five, 215 pound defenceman is looking to be as calming a presence in the room to the rookies, as he is safe and reliable on the ice.

“I had a lot of good guys in front of me last year to learn from and look up to. It’s kind of nice this year to try and fill in their shoes as much as I can,” Masella said. “We have a lot of young guys that look up to us now, because of everything that happened last year. It’s a good opportunity to help the organization and be the best I can for them.”

New look Hauser

Fans got a taste of some new additions the Art Hauser Centre will offer this year. The brand new scoreboard was unveiled first.

The four banners the Raiders won last year were unveiled. The big red and white East Division, Regular Season, Conference and WHL Championship banners hung throughout the game in the Raiders’ zone.

Scoring Summary

First Period

No scoring.

Second Period

1-0, Raiders, Aliaksei Protas from Cole Fonstad and Nolan Allan, 4:25

1-1, Blades, Tristen Robins from Nolan Kneen and Ryan Hughes (power play), 6:48

2-1, Raiders, Landon Kosior from Justin Nachbaur and Jeremy Masella, 11:28

Third Period

2-2, Blades, Scott Walford from Tristen Robins and Ryan Hughes (power play), 10:11

Overtime

3-2, Blades, Ryan Hughes from Scott Walford, 0:17

Injuries

Blades forward Eric Florchuk took a hit from Raider power forward Justin Nachbaur just 3:50 into the first period and did not return.

Habby in the Super Series

Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid will be an assistant coach for Team WHL against Team Russia at the 2019 CIBC Super Series Nov. 13 at the SaskTel Centre and Nov. 14 at the Art Hauser Centre.

Habscheid, the reigning WHL Coach of the Year, also won a silver medal in 2003 by coaching Team Canada’s World Junior team to the finals in Halifax.

Habscheid joins Regina Pats’ head coach Dave Struch as the assistants for Mitch Love, the Saskatoon Blades coach who will take the head coaching honours for Team WHL.

Doing this all over again tomorrow

The rematch between the two sides goes on Saturday at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon. That will be the second of 10 games between the two teams.

Historically, both teams have been dominant against each other in their own building. The Raiders are Raiders are 12-3-1 in the last four years in the Art Hauser Centre, but just 2-13-1 at the SaskTel Centre.

The second round playoff series between the two sides went very much that way as well. Both teams were undefeated on home ice until Game 6, when the Raiders beat the Blades 6-3 to end the series and move on to eventually win the 2019 Ed Chynoweth Cup.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW