Belarusian forward Daniil Stepanov was acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors late Saturday night, and is set to make his Raider debut on Tuesday. (submitted photo/Moose Jaw Warriors)

By Trevor Redden

Belarus reunion

‘The people are so loud’: Stepanov excited for Raider debut at Art Hauser Centre

Oct 8, 2019 | 2:00 PM

As a member of the Moose Jaw Warriors, forward Daniil Stepanov found the Art Hauser Centre to be a difficult place to play.

A rambunctious fan base paired with a championship-calibre team made for an imposing challenge, but the Belarusian import is now eager for the opportunity to see the building in a different light after being acquired by the Raiders Saturday night.

“It was hard to play here because of the big crowd of people. The rink is small, but the people are so loud, so I’m pretty excited that they’re going to cheer for me now,” Stepanov said ahead of practice on Monday.

In addition to having the boisterous crowd behind him, Stepanov acknowledged there is a lot to like on the ice in Prince Albert as well.

“I’m so excited to play [Tuesday]. There’s a great group of guys, very good coaches, I like P.A. because there’s lots of skill and lots of speed, and that’s how I like to play to be smart and use my speed,” Stepanov noted.

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As if a rowdy building and a strong team that suits his playing style weren’t enough to be excited about, the Minsk native pointed out that there was some instant chemistry in the dressing room, as he re-joins a pair of fellow Belarusian national team members on the Raiders.

The other import on the team is the “Viper of Vitebsk” Aliaksei Protas, a player who in one season has established himself as a star forward in the Western Hockey League. In addition, rookie forward Ilya Usau hails from Denver, CO, but has Belarusian roots which allowed him to compete with both Stepanov and Protas in previous international tournaments.

“Before I came into Moose Jaw we had a tournament and me and Usau played on the same line. Before we all came to the WHL, Aliaksei and I played on the same team together. It was a pretty good experience, they’re both good, smart players so I’m glad I’m here,” Stepanov said.

With some instant chemistry in the room, Protas expects Stepanov to step right in and be a contributor on his new team.

“He’s a really hard-working guy, works hard for the team and tries to bring his best every game. It’s good to have him,” Protas said.

In his rookie season, Stepanov appeared in all 68 games with the Warriors, scoring eight times and adding 11 assists for 19 points. This year, he registered two assists in four games with the Warriors before the move to Prince Albert.

Asked how his new teammate will help the team, Protas explained both Stepanov and Usau can contribute in any way necessary.

“They can help the Raiders a lot; they’re real smart players. They can block shots, they can play powerplay, they can play everywhere so it’s real good to have them,” Protas said.

Stepanov will make his Raider debut Tuesday night against the Vancouver Giants.

Championship rematch

Tonight’s contest is the only game of the year between the Raiders and Giants, and the first meeting between the two clubs since Dante Hannoun scored the overtime winner in a 3-2 Prince Albert victory in game seven of the 2019 WHL Championship at the Art Hauser Centre.

While many names have changed on both sides of the ledger, the Giants are still led by Head Coach Michael Dyck, and the roster features returnees like defencemen Bowen Byram and Dylan Plouffe, forwards Justin Sourdif, Milos Roman, and Tristan Nielsen, and goaltenders David Tendeck and Trent Miner.

Through seven games, the Giants have a record of 4-3-0 and are coming off a weekend split in Manitoba. On Friday, the Giants fell 3-0 to the Brandon Wheat Kings in the opening game of their East Division swing before dropping the Winnipeg ICE 4-0 on Saturday.

Central Scouting watch list

Four Raiders have been identified by NHL Central Scouting as players to watch heading into the 2019 NHL Draft.

Jakob Brook, Kaiden Guhle, Landon Kosior, and Ozzy Wiesblatt were among the 44 WHL players ranked by NHL scouts.

Guhle earned highest building among his Raider teammates with an ‘A’ rating which indicates a first-round candidate. Wiesblatt was given a ‘B’ rating which suggests a potential selection in the second- or third-round of the draft, while Brook and Kosior received ‘C’ ratings which signifies a fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-round candidate.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden