The award winners for the Prince Albert Raiders during the 2025 awards banquet. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders finish East Division clinching weekend with year end awards

Mar 24, 2025 | 11:03 AM

Although the playoffs are about to begin, the Prince Albert Raiders had lots to celebrate on Sunday with their annual awards banquet. In total, 13 awards were handed out this season while also celebrating the three 20-year-olds who have played their last regular season games as a Raider.

Raiders goaltender Max Hildebrand came away with three awards on the night, including the Orland Kurtenbach Most Valuable Player award. With highlight reel save after highlight reel save this season, Hildebrand was the obvious choice for MVP in most peoples’ book, but he was quick to praise his teammates as well.

“It feels good obviously just to get that, but as always I can’t do it without my brothers. It’s a long season and we go through a lot together. With all the sacrifices they make for me on the ice and off the ice, they make it easier for me every night and I can’t thank them enough.”

Captain Justice Christensen also took home three awards on the season including the Players’ Choice Award, an award voted on by the players on the team to determine who exemplifies what it means to be a Raider. For Christensen, that award in particular is special as a leader on the team.

“It means an awful lot but a lot of credit goes to them as well. They’re always dedicated and doing the right things, and it’s easy to lead by example when everyone else is pushing in the same direction. So a lot of credit goes to them but it means an awful lot.”

Leadership

Ronald Bear re-elected Chief at Muskoday First Nation

33m ago

Rise Air resuming Sunday flights from PA to northern communities

36m ago

Shooting

Window hit during drive by shooting in East Flat

20h ago

The full results from awards night are below.

Belle Merrell and Calla Grasley Scholastic Player of the Year Award presented by the Rotary Club

Winner: Daxon Rudolph

Rotary Club President Elect Austin Atchison and Administrator Lisa Bos-Atchison present Daxon Rudolph with the Scholastic Player of the Year award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

While many have seen Rudolph flourish on the ice, he’s done the same in his academics this year as well. In his Grade 11 year, Rudoplh has an average in all of his classes above 91 per cent, and in his current Pre-Calculus 30 class he’s sitting 100 per cent.

Best Conditioned Raiders presented by IG Wealth Management

Winner: Harrison Lodewyk

Raiders Strength and Conditioning Coach Terry Lange present Harrison Lodewyk with the Best Conditioned Raider award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

Lodewyk had to battle through a lot this season. He only played in about half of the games for the Raiders this year due to a lower body injury that was aggravated throughout the year, but he continued to work hour after hour in the gym to come back.

That work proved to be worth it as Lodewyk returned with three games remaining on the season, and he played a huge role in some of the biggest moments of the year. Lodewyk scored the game tying goal on Friday night in Saskatoon, had an assist for his forecheck in the overtime winner that same night, and scored in the East Division clinching game on Saturday night.

Lionel Diehl Memorial Hardest Working Player presented by Michael Lipchuk with Re/Max

Winner: Dayce Derkatch

Michael Lypchuk presents Dayce Derkatch with the Hardest Working Player award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

Dayce Derkatch’s first goal of the season is the one that defines the hardest working player. Back in November in Brandon, the Raiders were in the midst of a comeback from 3-0 when Derkatch scored the tying goal. The Wheat Kings had a defenceman go behind his net to pick up the puck, and the rest of the Raiders went for a change, but Derkatch went on the forecheck.

Outsized as he went into battle, Derkatch stole the puck and wrapped it around into the back of the net before the goaltender even knew what was happening. Derkatch’s goal inspired the team to a comeback 5-4 overtime victory.

Best Defensive Forward

Winner: Aiden Oiring

Raiders Skills and Development Coach Mark Odnokon presents Aiden Oiring with the Best Defensive Forward award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

Oiring’s been the go-to guy for the Raiders in almost all situations this year, but none moreso than as the first centreman on the penalty kill. His relentless forechecking ability paired up with the fact that Oiring is one of the most reliable centremen in the league made his defensive award selection an easy one.

This year Oiring took 1,692 draws this year and won 926, good for one of the best faceoff percentages in the league at 54.7 per cent. The man behind him, Wenatchee’s Evan Friesen, took 194 less faceoffs and won 139 less than Oiring.

Ches Leach Most Improved Player presented by Great Western Brewing

Winner: Brayden Dube

Great Western Brewing Territory Sales Manager Tyler Redl presents Brayden Dube with the Most Improved Player award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

Sometimes the most improved player award comes down to a lot of the intangibles on the ice. This year however, the stats couldn’t spell it out any better. Brayden Dube posted 17G-12A-29P as a 17 year old.

This year, after a slow start that saw him post only one point in his first six games, Dube would work his way up to the top line on the team with Oiring and Mrsic. Dube more than doubled his point total from last year with 31G-36A-67P to finish this year.

Jim Neilson Most Valuable Defenceman presented by North Star Signs

Winner: Justice Christensen and Lukas Dragicevic

Raiders Assistant Coach Connor Yawney presents Lukas Dragicevic and Justice Christensen with the Defanceman of the Year award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

In the case of Lukas Dragicevic, Raiders fans have been treated to one of the most entertaining offensive defencemen in the league. There isn’t another defenceman in the league that walks the line in the offensive zone with the speed and skill Dragicevic does, and that ability has been a big reason the Raiders finished with one of the best powerplays in the league. With 18G-52A-70P, the Dragicevic finished fourth in league scoring amongst defenceman.

As for Christensen, he also put up impressive offensive numbers with 22 goals, tying Manny Viveiros’s 1985-86 for the third most goals in a season by a Raider defenceman. His defensive ability has been the mainstay for Christensen though, throwing some of the biggest hits of the season and blocking more shots than anyone else this year.

Three Stars Award Presented by Redhead Equipment

Winners: Lukas Dragicevic, Tomas Mrsic, and Max Hildebrand

Sales Manager with Redhead Equipment Trevor Rumple presents Max Hildebrand with the Three Stars award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

The three stars award is presented to the players who finish with the most nominations for the three stars throughout the entire season. Hildebrand was named the first star of the season, Mrsic was named the second, and Dragicevic the third.

Players Choice Award presented by Source For Sports

Winner: Justice Christensen

Member of Raiders Board of Directors Mark Doell presents Justice Christensen with the Player’s Choice award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

For a player, there may be no award more special than the Player’s Choice Award. Christensen has been the consumate leader on the Raiders this season, putting his body on the line time and time again to block shots, make hits, or whatever was needed to be done to get a win for his team.

George Cowie Rookie of the Year presented by Broda Group

Winner: Daxon Rudolph

Raiders Board of Directors Vice President Brad Toporwoski presents Daxon Rudolph with the Rookie of the Year award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

In his first game of the season, it was clear Daxon Rudolph was going to be a star in the WHL. In his first game of the season Rudolph scored an excellent goal against the Regina Pats, and he’s become a powerplay quarterback at the end of the season on one of the best powerplays in the league.

The way Rudolph carries himself off the ice is the biggest reason he’s the rookie of the year. His maturity off the ice is amazingly high and makes it easy to forget he is still only 16.

Travis Laycock Humanitarian of the Year presented by Parkland Ambulance

Winners: Justice Christensen and Max Hildebrand

Paramedic with Parkland Ambulance Nick Dutchak presents Justice Christensen and Max Hildebrand with the Humanitarian of the Year Award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

For Justice Christensen, this year he created a program where he would donate a litre of juice towards the local food bank this year for every shot he blocked this season. Over 200 litres of juice was donated through the program this year.

As for Hildebrand, early this season he worked on an idea to donate some shoes children in need by raffling off a custom pair of Raiders and Hildebrand branded shoes. As a result of the raffle, Hildebrand donated and delivered 24 pairs of shoes to kids in need at Princess Margaret School.

The team in total put in 300 hours of community service this year with Special Olympics hockey, hospital visits at the Victoria Hospital, school visits, and much more throughout the season.

Dave Balon Leading Scorer Award presented by Northern Lights Casino

Winner: Tomas Mrsic

Raiders Board of Directors Member Brent MacDonald presents Tomas Mrsic with the Leading Scorer Award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

Tomas Mrsic has been one of the most exciting Raiders to watch this season. With his 33G-56A-89P this year, Mrsic finished tied with Aiden Oiring for 14th in league assists, his 33 goals sits 23rd in goals, and his 89 points have him finishing tied for 12th among all league scorers.

His shot is ridiculously accurate and can come from anywhere, and when teams started to key in on Mrsic’s scoring ability, he would in turn find ways to set up his teammates for the finish as well.

Fan’s Choice Award presented by Living Skies Window Tint

Winner: Aiden Oiring

Owner of Living Skies Window Tint Jeramiah Morrison presents Aiden Oiring with the Fan’s Choice Award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

Oiring has all the tools on the ice that would make him a fan favourite. He can score with the best of them, finishing in the top 25 scorers in the league this season. His ability to find a passing lane through traffic is amazing, but more than anything it’s his relentless pressure he puts on his opponents anywhere on the ice that makes Oiring a fan favourite.

Orland Kurtenbach Most Valuable Player presented by Lake Country Co-op

Winner: Max Hildebrand

Sales Team Leader at Homes By Lake Country Joe Gyoerick presents Max Hildebrand with the Most Valuable Player Award. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

There was no doubt about who would be this year’s MVP. His save percentage of 0.918 sits second in the league behind a goaltender who played 32 less games. 3,181 minutes played, a full 116 minutes more than anyone else. He has 1,709 saves this year, 209 more than anyone else. His 33 wins on the season is tied for the second most in the league.

Max Hildebrand is the Raiders MVP this season, and should be one of the strongest candidates for goaltender of the year in the WHL.