Unexpected leader on a close-knit Raiders team

When you take a look at the leadership group of the Prince Albert Raiders, you have three other players with well established roles both on the ice and in the locker room. The captain Justice Christensen is the clear emotional leader of the locker room who’s shown time and time again that effort trumps everything else. Assistant captain Aiden Oiring is one of the most reliable forwards in the league in any situation, and the young Daxon Rudolph is a clear example of how to manage high levels of pressure and expectations with his calm demeanour.

As for how Heise believes he fits into that group and what earned him a letter this year, he goes back to his two years in Penticton where he gained valuable playoff experience.

“I think that I’ve learned a lot in Penticton. Last two years, we’ve been far in the playoffs, and I’ve had a lot of experience there. So I think we have a lot of younger guys on this team, and around that time and the grind of the 68 games with travel and everything, I think I can help a lot in that area and just teach them and tell them you got to stay on top of nutrition, stretching, like all that kind of stuff. It’s so important, and the younger you learn that, the easier it will be.”

This season, Heise has been playing between the newly added Alisher Sarkenov and the sophomore Riley Boychuk, and together that line has had at least one point in every game while playing against some of the top lines in the league. Even with the success the two of them have already had, Heise thinks his group has not reached their ceiling yet.

“Both obviously very special players, very high hockey IQ on both of them. I think they make it easy for me, and I try to make it easy for them. We’ve gotten stronger chemistry game by game, so we’re going to keep building on that. It’s still early in the season, so obviously lots to build on still.”

The road trip for the Raiders through the U.S. offers a chance to build that chemistry with the team even further, and it’s worked early as the Raiders have picked up wins over Lethbridge and Spokane to start the trip and just had a 15-game point streak snapped.

Before heading on the U.S. trip though, Heise managed to put up his first hat trick in the WHL with two goals in the first period and an empty netter against the Moose Jaw Warriors on Nov. 1. It goes down as his second career hat trick in junior, and it comes nearly a full calendar year after his first in the BCHL when he put in three against the Vernon Vipers on Nov. 23, 2024, which also included the empty netter at the end of the night.

The hat trick is nice to get on the stat sheet for Heise, but the connection built with his teammates and the fans in Prince Albert caused by it is more important to him.

“Nice to get the win and get a hat-trick in front of our hometown crowd. It’s always exciting to play at home, and obviously thanks to Chuck for that assist there on the last goal. But yeah, I thought it was just a good all-around win.”

Playing in the BCHL for the last two seasons, Heise has been playing almost exclusively in the province of B.C., and therefore has not had the opportunity to play in front of his family much during his junior hockey career. When that first game in the Saddledome comes, Heise knows he’s going to have a large portion of the hometown crowd on his side.

“I know that one’s December 5, and I got a lot of family and friends coming to that one. So definitely one that I’ve circled on my calendar, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Raiders are coming off of their first loss of the regular season, and will look to bounce back against the top team in the league Everett Silvertips on Tuesday.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

Unexpected leader on a close-knit Raiders team

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