(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nick Nielsen

On the horizon

Raiders Head Coach counting down the days until start of 2024-25 season

Aug 20, 2024 | 5:00 PM

There’s exactly one month left before the start of the 2024-25 WHL season, and the excitement to see the Prince Albert Raiders hit the ice again is already growing.

Some important dates are coming before the Raiders start their season against the Regina Pats on September 20, including the team’s camp that starts on August 30.

Head Coach Jeff Truitt can hear the excitement that’s building around the Raiders, and it’s getting him excited too. For his older players returning, he’s hoping to see them build from last year’s success that saw the team surprise Saskatoon in game one of the playoffs.

“Since Christmas of last year to getting into the playoffs, I think was a huge learning experience for our guys about what it’s going to take to move forward this year and that’s what I’m excited about. For the older guys to return and understand those memories, the lessons that are learned, and prepare that way.”

The Raiders have made a few splashes during the summer when it comes to acquisitions.

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In a blockbuster trade with the Tri-City Americans, the Raiders brought in 19-year-old defenceman and Seattle Kraken draft pick Lukas Dragicevic, and they managed to bring in another 19-year-old in Buffalo Sabres draft pick Norwin Panocha.

With those two acquisitions along with the players returning this season, Truitt believes that this year’s team will have the mental strength to put together a solid season.

“We want to have a great regular season, get better and better as we go, and obviously get into the playoffs like we did last year which gave our guys a lot of experience, and then once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen. It doesn’t matter if you’re first or eighth, things can happen and ultimately, everybody wants to win a championship, but it’s a process that happens from regular season to playoffs to carry that momentum. We want to go as far as we can go. I’m excited for this group coming in.”

As for the young core of guys coming in, they will have to prove themselves during camp. There are a lot of things that Truitt said his team will be looking for, but that compete level is going to outweigh everything else.

“For our younger guys ,it’s a whole new ball game for these guys. It’s just not as easy as just putting the skates on and doing perhaps what you did last year. That’s what got you here. But in order to be here, there’s more to it and everybody goes through that in their first year for younger guys, and that’s why we expect them to gravitate and embrace our culture, our work ethic, our pride. Let their skill set take over because they haven’t been drafted or invited to the camp unless they did bring something and now they’ve got to do it against guys who have been in the in the league and on the team and they just have to dive right in and don’t ease into it because if you want, if you want a job, you’re going to have to earn it.”

While Truitt has been on the coaching staff for a number of championship teams including his first year as an assistant coach with the Raiders in 2018-19, he said that there are some things that all championship teams he’s been a part of have in common.

“It takes a special group. Guys that really care for each other, really care for the organization, they’re selfless, hard working, they’ve got great attitudes and they work hard. The individual skill set that comes in is a bonus, and we’ve got some really good skill coming in and we’ve got skill on our team as well. We played with speed, pace, we were hungry in all three zones and I think that’s important.”

The Raiders main camp starts up on August 30, continuing through the weekend until the annual Green and White game on September 2. They’ll start their preseason when they host the Saskatoon Blades on September 4 in an all young-guns game.

The regular season starts at home for the Raiders this year when they play host to the Regina Pats on September 20, with their first road game takes them to Moose Jaw the next night.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com