Former Prince Albert Raider Parker Kelly looks to be starting the season in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. (Twitter/Ottawa Senators)

By Rob Mahon

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Now two years removed from their championship win of 2018–19, the Prince Albert Raiders have watched with pride as their alumni from that year have gone on to professional careers.

As the NHL begins its regular season this week, some of the members of that team are closing in on spots in the big league, while others have already secured theirs.

Former Raider Parker Kelly earned a recall from the Ottawa Senators earlier this week, then earned a contract from them today. He’ll start the season with the Senators as they open their schedule Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Kelly is the only one of the group in the NHL at present, but numerous others are knocking on the door. Among them is team captain Brayden Pachal, who earned a recall to the Vegas Golden Knights last season at the end of the year but did not get into any games. He’ll begin the year with Henderson Silver Knights in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Pachal will have company in Henderson, as fellow 1999-born defenseman Zach Hayes, who captained the team one season after Pachal did, is also on the Silver Knights’ roster. Hayes played 35 games for the team last year, posting seven points.

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Over in Texas, the AHL’s Stars will have a Raiders connection as defenseman Max Martin will suit up with them this year. He played nine games for the Stars last season, posting three points.

Fans of the Raiders will want to keep an especially close eye on the Washington Capitals and Hershey Bears organizations this year as two key members of the championship team will start the year in Hershey. Brett Leason, who led the 2018–19 Raiders in regular season and playoff scoring, and Alexei Protas, who had a solid regular season but really took off in the playoffs, are both with the Bears.

A quick scroll down that team’s lineup reveals a long list of players who’ve taken their talents to the professional ranks, but no one has played more NHL games so far than Noah Gregor, who has 58 career games under his belt, all with the San Jose Sharks. While he’ll begin his season with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, Gregor has earned call-ups from the Barracuda before.

Still other players are just beginning their professional careers. Cole Fonstad, who posted 73 points in the regular season that year, played two games with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters last season, posting one assist, and making enough of an impression to earn a look with them during a full season this year. Fellow 2000-born forward Justin Nachbaur will get his pro career started with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

Finally, the professional careers of the members of that championship squad aren’t limited to North America. Defenseman Sergei Sapego has played for the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL and Toronto Marlies of the AHL over the last two seasons, but started this season with Dynamo Minks of the Kontinental Hockey League. Dante Hannoun, the overtime hero of game seven against the Vancouver Giants, has played the last three seasons in Italy, starting off this year with HC Pustertal in the ICE Hockey League.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP