Jessiah Bennet is mobbed by his teammates after scoring the opening goal of an exhibition game against the Saskatoon Blades. (Submitted Photo/Mark Peterson Media)

By Rob Mahon

Raiders Sign Three

Experienced forwards, rookie goaltender sign with Raiders

Sep 7, 2022 | 3:00 PM

Training camp, scrimmages, and the first exhibition game for the Prince Albert Raiders have started to throw their roster competition into clearer focus. The players competing for those roster spots, now and in the future, got a little clearer today.

The Raiders announced today they had signed three players to WHL standard player agreements: forwards Ashton Paul and Jessiah Bennet, and goaltender Cooper Anderson. All three were in the lineup for the Raiders’ first exhibition game against the Saskatoon Blades, which they won 6-3.

Anderson, a 2007-born goaltender, got his first taste of WHL action when he came in for the second half of the game against the Blades. His introduction to the game was a clear breakaway on which he made a spectacular sprawling save with his left arm.

With defenseman Ryan Gower and forwards Oli Chenier and Luke Moroz joining him in the game, Anderson was one of four members of the Raiders’ most recent prospect’s draft class to suit up in that contest.

Paul, a 2004-born forward, has some junior experience outside of the WHL, following a season with the MJHL’s OCN Blizzard. A native of The Pas, Manitoba, Paul posted seven goals and five assists in 50 games last season. He stands 6-foot-2 and has brought some speed to the equation as well.

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As for Jessiah Bennet, he’s the lone member of the trio with WHL experience as he played 42 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings last season. In his first exhibition game with the Raiders, he made a strong first impression with two goals and an assist in the exhibition opening win.

“It’s obviously great to get a goal in any game,” Bennet said after the win. “But it just means that much more to get it with a new team and get it started like that.”

Bennet was part of a line with returning forward Hayden Pakkala and rookie Ryder Ritchie, a line which supplied four of the six Raiders’ goals (Ritchie had the other two). All three members of the line had multi-point games.

“Lots of speed,” said Bennet. “We were always supporting each other. Straight from the breakout, we clicked. We joined the rush together and we did really well off the rush.”

The next exhibition game for the Raiders will come on home ice this Friday, September 9, against the Regina Pats. Puck drop will be at 7:00.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP