Raider forwards Evan Herman [left] and Justin Nachbaur [right] have joined the OCN Blizzard of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League on a temporary loan. (Prince Albert Raiders/Twitter)

By Trevor Redden

Manitoba Layover

Raiders temporarily loan Nachbaur, Herman to MJHL

Oct 26, 2020 | 3:00 PM

A pair of Prince Albert Raiders will be wearing different colours for the next couple months until the Western Hockey League (WHL) returns to action.

Forwards Evan Herman and Justin Nachbaur have been loaned to the OCN Blizzard of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) in accordance with the WHL’s temporary transfer policy.

Raider General Manager Curtis Hunt noted it’s not only an opportunity for the duo to compete and develop leading up to the Jan. 8 return of the WHL, it’s likely the best option for them based on their specific situation.

“They grew up and live in some isolated areas [Herman in The Pas, Nachbaur in Cross Lake], it’s not like being in Saskatoon where there’s a bunch of pros to skate with,” Hunt explained.

Of course the primary concern in this situation is the risk of injury which could limit a player’s ability to contribute when they return to Prince Albert, but the GM downplayed any worry about that. Nachbaur and Herman join Aliaksei Protas and Ilya Usau (Dinamo Minsk, KHL) as returning Raiders who are currently competing with other teams.

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“For them to play, get out and get in some real action, bump and grind, there’s some inherent risk but I guess there’s inherent risk whatever you do with your day, even getting in your car. I trust those guys to prepare the right way, get themselves in the right space mentally, and go out and compete hard,” Hunt said.

Herman and Nachbaur both played with the Blizzard before making the jump to the WHL. In 2018-19, Herman scored five goals and added two assists in seven games played as an affiliate, while Nachbaur played a full season with the club in 2016-17. As a MJHL rookie, Nachbaur scored 11 goals and registered 31 points in 55 games played.

Herman made his first appearance this year with the Blizzard on Saturday scoring a goal in a 6-3 loss in Dauphin. Nachbaur has yet to dress with the team.

At this point, no other returning Raider players have joined other teams. Hunt said there have been some conversations but he highlighted how complicated it can be for a manager looking to bring in other players.

“You picked your team, you brought your guys in, you talked to parents, you’ve gotten kids in school. Now here we are just at the beginning of it when things are supposed to get real and you’re supposed to start league play, and you parachute two, three, four new guys into your lineup,” Hunt said.

He touched on the impact that could potentially have on the team not just within the locker room, but also the displacement of other players who would get sent to a Junior B or U18 level until the WHL resumes in late December. Additionally, Hunt questioned what the reward is given crowd limitations this year.

“It’s not like you can get an extra thousand fans because you plunk a player in your lineup that should rip the league apart and catapult [the team] into first place. I think a lot of things have to come into perspective, it certainly would if I was the guy making the decision,” Hunt explained.

Beyond the returning players, there are a large number of Raider prospects who could be eligible to crack the team this year that are currently playing their trade elsewhere, including Junior A and Midget AAA leagues, as well as 2020 import draft pick Uladzislau Shyla who is currently playing with the Belarus U18 national team.

All loan agreements terminate Dec. 20, with the Raiders able to recall players back to Prince Albert in time for training camp which will begin after Christmas.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden