Harrison Lodewyk battle a Winterhawks attacker during their lone meeting last season at the Art Hauser Centre. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Logan Lehmann

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Raiders set to square off with U.S Division best Winterhawks

Nov 17, 2023 | 12:42 PM

The Prince Albert Raiders (12-10-0-1) are in the state of Oregon for the first and only time this season tonight as they go toe to toe with the best club in the U.S. Division, the Portland Winterhawks (12-4-0-1).

The Raiders are looking to bounce back following Wednesday night in Everett, when their comeback efforts fell short, resulting in a 4-3 loss. Prior to the loss, Prince Albert prevailed on Tuesday against the defending WHL champions, downing the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-2.

Portland enters tonight on a tear having won their last three games, which includes victories over Lethbridge, Kamloops, and Vancouver. The Winterhawks have also won four out of their last five games, with their only loss coming at the hands of Swift Current in a 4-3 decision exactly two weeks ago.

Prince Albert and Portland met once last season with that match resulting in a 5-3 triumph for the Winterhawks at the Art Hauser Centre. P.A.’s own and Portland captain Gabe Klassen had first-star honours in the contest where he scored once and tacked on two assists.

Tonight, Klassen will face off against his hometown team for the final time in his WHL career. The 20-year-old leads the Winterhawks in the points department this season, netting 31 (12g, 19a) in 17 games so far.

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Following the contest, the Raiders will make the 480 km trek back north into Central Washington where Prince Albert will wrap up their U.S. Division road trip with a match against the newest WHL club Wenatchee Wild, formerly known as the Winnipeg ICE. Puck drop for that game is at 6:00 p.m. Saskatchewan time on Sunday evening.

How the league stands ahead of tonight’s contest.

Who to Watch

Veteran Sloan Stanick earned the games’ second star following Wednesday’s contest in Everett. The pride of Rapid City, Man. potted two goals against the Silvertips, becoming the first Raider to surpass 30 points on the year (8g, 22a). The 20-year-old has also been on a tear as of late, with 11 points on the U.S. trip and all five games being multi-point efforts. During Tuesday’s game in Seattle, Stanick potted two assists helping him surpass 150 in his WHL career.

Forward Niall Crocker has also been hot south of the border, scoring a point in every game against a U.S. opponent. The Delta, BC product has five points on the trip, which includes four assists and a goal. The 19-year-old has 17 points (7g, 10a) through 23 games this season.

Defenceman Justice Christensen enters Friday with points in four of his last five games while coming into the game with a three-game point streak. The Red Deer native has six points (3g, 3a) on the road trip thus far, including two multi-point efforts in both Lethbridge and Tri-City. So far in his sophomore season, Christensen has four goals and 17 assists.

More information ahead of tonight’s contest.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com