Raiders GM Hunt reflects on past 50 win seasons

“This season’s probably as remarkable as ever when I consider our group, where we’ve come from, how we even started after last year’s playoff series and the changes involved. I think that’s what really makes this year so special.”

The first one in 1984-85 saw the Raiders put up 58 wins before going on to playoffs and winning both a league championship and the Memorial Cup that same year. The follow up in 85-86 saw the Raiders put up 52 wins, but they’d lose to Medicine Hat in seven games of the league semi-final.

In 1991-92, the only one Hunt was not a part of, the Raiders finished second in the league with 50 wins, but they would end up losing in the league semi final again in six games to the Saskatoon Blades.

Then there’s the most recent one, 2018-19, where the Raiders won 54 games in the season, and that lead the Raiders to their second league championship in team history. When asked if there are similarities between this year’s team, and the 2018-19 group, Hunt said that 2018-19’s team may have been a little meaner, but the centre ice depth and the defence’s puck moving capabilities are far beyond what the most recent championship team had.

“The defence makeup is completely different, I think this is a group of puck movers, guys who are dynamic and can, not just make a good first pass, but can contribute in the offensive zone, and certainly the style of play is a lot different just because of the makeup of our team. I think this group is deeper down the middle than we probably were with that group. However, you were in it with that last group.”

Hunt continued, “In the 19 year, there was no easy nights for any forward on any team with Hayes and Pachal and Masella, those guys just love to play mean and they were good at it. They played the game within the game extremely well.”

When the Raiders earned their top spot in the East Division before the beginning of March, Hunt said that the one thing he was hoping to see was the team eliminate some of the unnecessary risky plays. The team seems to have done that with two games left on the schedule, but now Hunt is looking to see which lines step up to take over a game like they did in the 2019 playoffs.

“Every series had a different unit that contributed, and was key to advancing on. So that’ll be what’s kind of next here with this group is who steps up, and the minutes get tougher when you play against the same guy every night for four to seven games. It’s going to be interesting to see that resilience in our group and how we’ve grown through the year.”

While Hunt gives a lot of the credit for this season’s success to the players, what can’t be lost is the effort from the coaching staff. With a young coaching staff, Hunt said that impact this young coaching staff has made on the team is obvious.

“The biggest part is the play without the puck and the fact that we’ve given up so few goals, so many nights, so few shots. That, to me, is a reflection on the impact of a coach, the buy-in from the players, and that effectiveness. I think Ryan’s done a terrific job with his staff, Yawns and Beller (assistant coaches Connor Yawney and Cole Bell) as well, and certainly the group of them, young guys, had a lot of energy. Sometimes I call them hockey nerds, but it’s great to listen to them banter back and forth, and certainly they uncover every stone to get every inch.”

If you count the SJHL days, the Raiders have two more 50 seasons. Those were the two seasons right before the Raiders made the jump from the SJHL to the WHL. In 1980-81 the Raiders won 50 out of 60 games, and in 81-82 they won 57 games, and both years they would win an SJHL Championship, an Anavet Cup in a series played between the champions of the SJHL and MJHL, and a Centennial Cup.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

Raiders GM Hunt reflects on past 50 win seasons

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