In his Art Hauser Centre debut as a Raider, Brandon Gorzynski scored his first career hat trick to help the Raiders to a big win over the Kelowna Rockets. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders win 8-3

Gorzynski scores hat trick in Art Hauser debut as Raiders power over Rockets

Dec 20, 2025 | 2:54 AM

After they were surprised in Regina and had their five game win streak snapped, the Prince Albert Raiders played hosted the 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets. With both teams missing some big pieces due to the World Juniors and a few injuries, the Raiders scored in the first two and a half minutes of each period as they turned on the pressure from start to finish and earned a 8-3 win.

Just 1:18 into the game, Maddix McCagherty passed the puck out of his own zone for Owen Corkish skating through the middle into the attacking zone. Corkish then found Linden Burrett stepping into the play down the right wall, and Burrett made a great move to the backhand in tight to tuck his third of the season through on the fivehole.

Shortly after that, the Raiders got their first powerplay and it was the second unit that capitalized right away. At the 4:12 mark, Oli Chenier on the left point cycled the puck towards the right point for Brayden Dube, and the put the puck on Justice Christensen’s strong side. Dube lit the fuse, Christensen hammered his signature Juice Bomb into the back of the net for his eighth of the season.

The second was unsuccessful, but the third Raiders powerplay only needed 35 seconds to score again. Brock Cripps sent a pass to the right point for Aiden Oiring, and he sent it down into the corner for Brandon Gorzynski. At the goal line, Gorzynski saw Rockets goaltender Harrison Boettiger lean down to cover a pass, and Gorzynski took what tiny amount of room there was to lift a great wrist shot over the the goaltender’s shoulder to score his first as a Raider, 14th of the season at 9:54.

Then at the 10:29 mark, the Rockets got on the board. Off a faceoff, Dawson Gerwing took the puck below the goal line and faked going behind the net, then came back out short side to try and surprise Dimitri Fortin. He made the inital save, but a battle for the puck ensued and Carson Wetsch managed to bury the rebound to get the Rockets on the board.

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After 1: Raiders 3 – 1 Rockets, shots 12-10 Rockets

At the 1:24 mark of the second period, the Raiders started the onslaught again. Maddix McCagherty and Benett Kelly both picked up assists as they helped cycle the puck to Jonah Sivertson on the left wall. Sivertson walked in to the middle and fired a shot, it was blocked, but he quickly found the rebound and found the top left corner for his 10th of the year.

Then at the 3:02 mark, Brayden Dube sent the puck ahead up ice and to spring Brandon Gorzysnki on a breakaway. He was stopped on the shot, but then went after the puck behind the net and played it into an open corner for Aiden Oiring. Gorzynski went back to the front of the net, Oiring hit him with the pass, and Gorzynski made a nice move to the backhand for his second of the night and 15th of the year.

In the middle of the period the Rockets managed to hem the Raiders in their own zone for close to a minute. After Fortin made a few great saves, a pass from behind the goal set up Jaxon Kehrig for a onetouch play off the backhand, and the Rockets had their second of the game.

On their fifth powerplay of the game, the Raiders scored again to make it 5-2. Brock Cripps and Brandon Gorzynski cycled the puck to Riley Boychuk coming in down the right side, and he fired a great wrist shot for his sixth of the season at 13:04.

Gorzynski did a lot of great things in the game with more still to come, but he did have one gaff that cost a goal. After picking the puck up at his own blueline. He tried to send a pass out to centre, but the puck slipped off the heel of his stick and a forechecking Carson Wetsch took the puck away, then quickly snapped a quick shot past Dimitri Fortin off the turnover at 16:30.

After 2: Raiders 6 – 3 Rockets, 17-10 Rockets, 29-20 Rockets overall

The Raiders started the third with another early strike, and again on the powerplay. Another play set up on the cycle, Daxon Rudolph sent the puck from the left point to the right for a Brandon Gorzynski onetimer. His shot was stopped, but Aiden Oiring cleaned up the rebound for his 14th of the season.

At the 14:48 mark in his first game in the Art Hauser Centre, Brandon Gorzynski scored his first career hat trick. For the Raiders fifth powerplay goal of the game, Oiring worked the puck to Daxon Rudolph at the middle of the blueline, then Gorzynski skating down the right wall where he fired far side to earn his team leading 16th of the season and third of the night.

FINAL: Raiders 8 – 3 Rockets, shots 17-10 Raiders, 39-37 Raiders overall

A couple players had big nights for the Raiders, but the points were spread out well overall. With 17 skaters dressed, one forward short of a full lineup, 12 total Raiders ended up with at least one point for the night.

Brandon Gorzynski came into the night on a three game point streak with 2G-3A including his first assist as a Raider on Wednesday. In his first home game as a Raider, he posted his first career hat trick as well as an additional two assists, bringing him to 5G-5A in the last four games.

Aiden Oiring also hit the 200 point milestone on the night with his second assist of the game. With 1G-3A on the night, it’s Oiring’s second four point night of the season.

The two longest point streaks still belong to the young Raiders defencemen Brock Cripps and Daxon Rudolph. Both men picked up assists on the night, Cripps extending his point streak to nine games with 1G-9A, and Rudolph’s streak to eight games with 7G-7A.

Finally with a goal in each of his last three games, Justice Christensen is on a season long three game point streak. Oddly enough, he has also managed five shots on goal in each of the last three games.

The Raiders are now off the ice for the Christmas break, and will resume action on December 27 when they play the Swift Current Broncos.