Raider fans both new and vintage bringing energy into Art Hauser Centre

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While Ring has been around the Raiders organization since its inception in 1971, Pearson is in just his first year calling himself a ‘Raider fan’, and has only lived in the city for eight months. Originally from Calgary where he also went to Mount Royal University, Pearson came to Prince Albert straight out of college for his first gig in radio, and the 900 CKBI afternoon host would end up in front of the Raiders crowd hosting within his first week of living in Prince Albert.

“Everything actually all happened real quick. I think my first Raiders game was my first week in PA, and my mindset at that time was kind of just, ‘let’s say yes to everything, new opportunities, new people’. I love hockey, always have. So getting involved with the WHL and the Raiders, I think overall was a no-brainer. Let’s get in front of the crowd and let’s see what we can do.”

While Ring and Pearson are both very different people with different approaches as to how they get the crowd going, the energy they bring to the Art Hauser Centre is the same. Both of them have different approaches to getting ready for their performance at the beginning of the game.

For Pearson, it’s about getting the vibes high before trying to inspire a crowd to blow the roof off the building.

“Every single day I drive to the rink, I always throw on Eminem ‘Till I Collapse. I’m telling you, just ripping down 6th Avenue, rolling into the Art Hauser Center with some Eminem is just the way to go. And then I’ve done almost every single game now since the start of the season, and still, it’s normal, that first walk out, a little bit of nerves, a little bit of jitters, and then once I get through whatever the script’s talking about, and the vocal chords start going and I start hyping up the crowd, by that point, I’m ready to go. I think that’s the best part about it is just getting ready to get people going.”

For Ring, her approach to getting ready for the anthem is a little more calm and routine.

“I make sure I go to the bathroom first,” Ring stated with a laugh. “…and that my phone, the ringer is off on my phone. Other than that, nothing.”

Ring added she doesn’t really get nervous with the crowd watching her, but she does feel something when the games start to get bigger audiences outside of Prince Albert.

“It bothered me during the playoffs when I knew that it was being televised everywhere. Other than that, I know there’s going to be 2-3,000 people there, I know that when I sing at church every Sunday, there’s 400. I mean, the number of people there doesn’t bother me, but are we going to win does.” 

Both of them agree though that what makes the atmosphere at the Art Hauser Centre so special are the people filling the seats.

Ring stated, “It’s the people. It’s their reaction. Like I find it so electrifying during playoffs. They tend to be a little quiet during the year, but in the playoffs, they really turn out and they get noisy and they get a little rowdy and it’s all good, but I love the liveliness and the electricity.”

Pearson added, “I think coming from a big city where I could go a month, let’s say, where I meet a new person every single day, whereas you come to PA, you’re gonna start remembering names. You’re gonna start knowing the community a little bit more, recognize faces, which I have a little bit. I think it’s just the fact that it is such a diverse, but also very similar community if that makes any sense, when it comes to what we appreciate out here in PA. Overall, I think that I’m still learning how to be involved, but I’m seeing it from the outside in on how it’s done. Just people connect, people know each other.” 

After the pregame festivities are done, Ring and Pearson go in separate directions. For Ring, she heads back to her regular seat that she’s been watching games from since the 70s, fist bumping friends in the crowd along the way, and finally back to her seat where she says ‘it’s time to yell’ and become a member of the crowd she just finished firing up.

For Pearson, he gives one final yell out to the crowd as the puck drops, then moves around the building as the ring leader of the rowdy Art Hauser Centre, working with the Raiders production staff to coordinate giveaways throughout the night and keep the energy high through the rest of the game.

While Pearson has done all five playoff games this year, he spent the regular splitting shifts with the likes of two Prince Albert locals in Sarah Tweidt and Dakota Favel. While Pearson has been the one hosting during the playoffs so far, he’s appreciative for the chance to work with both Tweidt and Favel to help himself get better at connecting with the fans in Prince Albert.

“I’ve worked with Sarah a whole lot more. I love her energy, I love how happy she is, and she knows Prince Albert. She knows people. She’s obviously been to Raiders games probably her whole life being out here in PA, so she understands the connection side of that, which I really appreciate hearing that from her. On Dakota’s side of things, I’ve heard he’s a showman. I know he does a whole lot with work and performances, and he’s had a microphone in front of him a long time, a lot longer than I have. I think just his energy as well, he knows the area a whole lot, and his vibe is unreal.”

For Ring, she has one thing she hopes to bring in to the crowd as the playoffs continue. She doesn’t mind singing the anthem and will gladly do it the rest of the playoffs if she’s called upon, but she wants to hear the rest of the Art Hauser Centre drown her out.

“I look forward to when I hear the crowd starting to join me on the national anthem. I’ll gladly put that mic up in the air and say, ‘yeah, join me’.”

The next home game for the Prince Albert Raiders, if necessary is Game 5 of the Raiders second round series with the Saskatoon Blades scheduled for Friday, April 17.