Trevor Redden. (Lucas Chudleigh/Apollo Multimedia)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Shreddin' with Redden

Redden lets us know how the Raiders will sound this year

Feb 18, 2021 | 2:14 PM

With the WHL East Division restart having been announced last week, the March 12 start date is just around the corner for the Prince Albert Raiders.

Since all the Raiders’ games will be going on at the Brandt Centre in Regina with no spectators, one question on Raider fans’ minds is ‘how can I tune into games?’

Voice of the Raiders Trevor Redden has all those answers. He will be in Regina and broadcast each Raider game on CKBI radio, much like he usually does.

The Canadian Hockey League, who oversees the three Canadian major junior leagues including the WHL, also announced they will have a new streaming platform this year as they have partnered with Verizon Media.

To talk about how the casts will be this year, paNOW chatted with Redden to get his perspective on how this year will sound.

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paNOW: What can you tell us about how broadcasts will work this year?

Trevor: There are a lot of details that need to be sorted out, but in general, the games will be on the air and we expect it to be relatively normal. Usually with the home games, we have the live postgame show in the Ches Leach [lounge], obviously that’s not going to be an option this year. The interaction with players and coaches is going to be limited to Zoom and phone, so we’ll do what we can to make sure the content is fresh and as relevant as possible. Other than that, it will be all systems go.

paNOW: With teams essentially going into a ‘bubble’ in the Regina hub centre this year, how is that going to work for players and teams?

Trevor: “It’s an opportunity that not many hockey players get this year. I think they all understand the privilege they have. I know the team will do whatever they can to keep them busy. There will be a lot of games, a lot of practice, but there will be lots of downtime in the residences they’re staying in. I don’t think there’s any in-and-out for them, once they’re in, they’re in. There’s testing protocols and there’s a lot of testing and a high level of safety in there.”

paNOW: Like you said, not many players have had the chance to play this year. Not many hockey announcers have been able to call games either. What does that opportunity mean to you?

Trevor: “To say the least, it will be a shock. We haven’t had hockey since [last] March and with all the restrictions, life has been so quiet. I don’t remember the last time I left P.A., let alone went to an event like this. It will be quite the adjustment to venture back into that world but I’m looking forward to just getting back into it. I hope my voice holds up, that will be a bit of a challenge to try and call a whole hockey game after not getting too much experience in the last year. But it’s going to be exciting. Whether it’s SJHL or other leagues around the world, even in the NHL level, many of the announcers when it’s a road game, they’re calling the games off monitors. You get to stay in your bed which is an upside, but I would find it really challenging to do—you miss out on a lot not being at the rink. To be there, be in person and call the game normalish, I think that’s a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to it.”

paNOW: Will the broadcasts be overly different for listeners?

Trevor: “I don’t think so. I’ll be in the building, I’ll be in the press box like I usually am. You’ll have the same sound and feel of being a part of it. The pregame interviews will be different by doing them remotely rather than in person, but that shouldn’t change too much.”

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea