Raiders forward Reece Vitelli flies up the ice while evading a check from Moose Jaw Warriors forward Kade Runke in Sunday's 2-1 shootout defeat to Moose Jaw. (Keith Hershmiller/WHL)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Raids and Blades

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Mar 19, 2021 | 12:00 PM

For the next two months, the Prince Albert Raiders are going to be seeing a lot of each other.

In fact, they’re only technically allowed to see each other due WHL protocols, but that’s totally fine by them.

The Raiders are getting to know each other better than any other year, and are using that time in the student dorms they are staying in to develop chemistry, camaraderie, and strong team bonds.

The tactic seems to be working, as the Raiders have registered five out of a possible six points to start the season.

Raiders forward Evan Herman gets a shot on goal on former Raider goaltender, Boston Bilous. (Keith Hershmiller/WHL)

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“None of us knew what to expect coming in here. There’s a lot of new things that we’ve never come across before. I think the guys are handling it really well,” Raiders forward Evan Herman said. “We’ve been good at making sure we check in on each player and making sure we’re all on the same page and we’re all doing okay. It’s for sure different, but the coaches too have been keeping us busy and finding ways to keep it fun. We’ve been having lots of fun in here which is huge.”

It’s that tight-knit support and coming together to create a fun environment in what could be a difficult situation has shown up on the ice so far, especially for a guy like Reece Vitelli.

Vitelli already has two goals and five points in three games, with both of his goals coming on the Raiders’ power play. Although it’s a very short sample size, Vitelli is averaging 1.67 points per game, way above his .037 points per game pace he set last season.

“It’s definitely fun scoring goals, being on the ice, and contributing to the team,” Vitelli said. “My mindset is it’s my fourth year in the league, I knew I had to step up for the team and just play better offensively while also keeping my defensive game on par with that. Definitely being more offensive this year is fun, it’s working right now.”

Herman himself has seen a big increase in his point production, scoring two goals and four points in the Raiders first three games. That’s almost a full point per game higher than last year’s total (1.33 this year compared to 0.37 last year as a rookie).

Raiders forward Reece Vitelli scores a goal on Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings. (Keith Hershmiller/WHL)

Herman credits the rest of his team for his production, as each player is doing their jobs and making his job a lot easier.

“That comes back to playing as a team. The tighter we get here, that’s what we’re looking to do, and the more we can play together, that’s going to be huge,” Herman said. “We’re feeling good about our game. Everyone’s excited to be back obviously. We’re just having a lot of fun with the game.”

The Raiders (2-0-0-1) take on the Saskatoon Blades (2-0-1) on Friday at 8 p.m., another team in the WHL East Division who’s had a good start to the year.

“They’re a great team. It’s always exciting to play the Blades,” Vitelli said. “It’s always a hard battle game with a playoff-type atmosphere. We just want to stick to our game, be good structurally and play a good team game.”

Tune in to the game on CKBI radio with voice of the Raiders Trevor Redden. Also, check out paNOW for our Live Blog of the game.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW