Tim Vanstone. (Submitted photo/David Moll)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Raiders Hockey

Raiders preview, Vanstone on ECHL signing

Mar 11, 2022 | 12:00 PM

The best rivalry in major junior hockey clashes this weekend as the Prince Albert Raiders will take on the Saskatoon Blades in a home-and-home series.

The season series between the two clubs has been fierce and has been split down the middle through six games. The Raiders’ victories came on Nov. 5 with a 5-1 win, 5-2 on Nov. 6 and 4-1 on Dec. 18. The Blades responded with wins of their own: 3-2 on Dec. 17, 4-1 on Dec. 27 and 6-4 on Dec. 30.

While the Raiders power play has kicked it up a notch in their last five games at over 28 per cent, the Blades have been converting like that throughout the season. They have a 28.3 per cent power play throughout the season, second only to the Winnipeg ICE (28.6 per cent).

Raiders’ Sloan Stanick is the top producing player for either team in the season series with four goals and seven points in six games so far.

Heart of a Lion

National

Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds

2h ago

Budget woes

Golf and curling centre faces grim season without financial boost

5h ago

Raiders AGM

Raiders impact on Prince Albert local economy continues to go up: AGM report

23h ago

Former Raiders captain Tim Vanstone will need to brush up on his French a little bit, after signing with Lions de Trois-Rivières of the ECHL on Thursday.

“I think I can do it at a Grade-8 level, but I don’t think my Grade 8 French teacher would agree with me on that. Coach was very confident that I wouldn’t have a problem. I’ll have Google Translate by my side, for sure.”

Vanstone said he didn’t talk to the team throughout the season, but got an unexpected but welcome call from Lions’ general manager Marc-Andre Bergeron.

“They kind of needed a two-way forward that could play both centre and the wing, and I guess I was the guy they called,” Vanstone said. “I’m pretty excited for the opportunity, and that they put in that trust [in me] in reaching out. I’m looking forward to being a part of the team.”

After playing with the Raiders from 2012-17, Vanstone played four seasons of USports hockey with the University of Calgary Dinos. Vanstone was able to find his scoring touch at the USports level, scoring 11 points in 16 games in his final year with the team.

“You do have a lot of time for personal development. That’s one of the keys of the University of Calgary men’s hockey program, we definitely do a lot of personal development. Throughout the years, I definitely found more of a scoring touch. If [Raiders head coach Marc] Habscheid reads this, I bet he disagrees, but I found a little bit of an offensive role over the years. Hopefully, that’s what Trois-Rivieres wanted, and I can contribute on that side of the ice.”

Although Vanstone hasn’t suited up for the Raiders since 2017, he’s still very much attached to the team. He calls Habscheid and athletic therapist Duane Bartley on a monthly basis and talks to former teammates regularly as well.

“I’m definitely following them and their quest for the playoff push here. Definitely on a monthly basis, me and Habber and Puff [Bartley] have a good conversation and a good couple laughs. Not only that, the players I played with throughout the years, we’re in contact as well and trying to keep up with each other’s lives,” Vanstone said. “The whole program in P.A., I think everyone who’s been there can attest to how strong that room is, that makes for a good team. Friends for life in P.A., and the coaching staff, as well. It’s a big privilege to play for the Green and Gold. It was an honour, for sure.”

–

Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW