Introducing the new guys: Raiders preseason begins

Riley Boychuk (18, third)
Owen Corkish (19, second)
Brandon Gorzynski (19, fourth, #126 overall to Dallas Stars)
Ben Harvey (17, second)
Connor Howe (17, second)
Maddix McCagherty (20, fourth)
Alisher Sarkenov (19, second)
Jonah Sivertson (18, third, #113 overall to Vegas Golden Knights)
Evan Smith (20, fourth)

Defence

Hubert Clarke (19, second)
Brock Cripps (17, second)
Benett Kelly (18, second)

Goaltenders

Steele Bass (18, second)
Michal Orsulak (19, second, #79 overall to Detroit Red Wings)

Players that departed (Where they’ve gone)

Forwards

Max Heise (University of Denver, NCAA I)
Brayden Dube (Aged out, Bemidji State, NCAA I)
Aiden Oiring (Aged out, University of Nebraska-Omaha, NCAA I)
Braeden Cootes (Vancouver Canucks, NHL)
Matyas Man (Released, likely to play in Czechia, attended summer camp with Toronto Maple Leafs)

Defence

Justice Christensen (Aged out, Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
Daxon Rudolph (University of Denver, NCAA I/Buffalo Sabres, NHL)
Linden Burrett (University of Alaska-Fairbanks, NCAA I)

Additions (Age, where they played last year)

Forwards

Cash Lanigan (18, Yorkton Terriers, SJHL)

Last year’s SJHL rookie of the year, Lanigan finished second among rookies in scoring with 19G-29A-48P in 55 games, and also added 100 penalty minutes with his physical, in-your-face style of play. Lanigan was an assistant captain on his hometown Regina Pat Canadians in 2024-25, winning a league and Telus Cup National AAA Championship alongside fellow Raider teammate Jonah Sivertson, and also played with Malaki Martin when Martin was called up.

Carsyn Dyck (20, Portland Winterhawks, WHL)

Making his WHL debut at 15 with Portland, Dyck spent his 17 year old season with the Estevan Bruins of the SJHL before he became a full time WHL player at 18, but missed half of his 19-year-old season from mid-October to mid-January with an upper body injury. Last year, Dyck posted 6G-8A-14P in 36 games. He’s one of two 20-year-olds invited to Raiders camp to try and fill the final open 20-year-old spot.

Tate Hanson (18, Calgary Canucks, AJHL)

Originally drafted by the Portland Winterhawks in 2023, Hanson is coming off his first year of Junior A where he posted 1G-13A-14P. He was also called up with the Canucks for seven games total between the regular season and playoffs in 2024-25 when the Canucks won the AJHL Championship

Malaki Martin (18, Regina Pat Canadians, SMAAAHL)

Already with his first WHL assist last year during a two game call up, Malaki Martin was tied for second in league scoring last year in Saskatchewan AAA with 37G-41A-78P in 44 games. Martin is an SMAAAHL Champion from last year, and was called up the year prior to play with fellow Raiders Jonah Sivertson and Cash Lanigan, technically making him a two time SMAAAHL Champion, although he did not appear with the Pat Cs during the Telus Cup National Championship.

Kyle Obobaifo (17, Calgary NW Flames, AEHL)

After winning an AEHL Championship in his first year of U18 AAA, Kyle Obobaifo and his Calgary NW Flames finished second in league standings last year and looked poised to do it again, but lost a tight five game series in the semi finals. Obobaifo was second in team scoring last year with 17G-32A-49P in 32 games, along with five games and an assist as a Raider last year. Obobaifo is from a family of immigrants from Warri, Nigeria, and has two older brothers playing hockey: Aaron in his 20-year-old year with the Edmonton Oil Kings, and Charles playing NCAA Div. III hockey

Logan Pickford (20, Victoria Royals, WHL)

A former Prince Albert Minto, Pickford is the other 20-year-old invited to Raiders camp with something to prove after an injury last season. Pickford missed the entire 2025-26 season, what would have been his third full year in the league, with an offseason lower body injury. In his last season with the Mintos in 2022-23, Pickford lead the Mintos in scoring with 25G-16A-41P in 43 games.

Kai Richards (17, St. Albert Raiders, AEHL)

Originally drafted by the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2024, Richards was released by the Thunderbirds and redrafted by the Raiders in the 11th round of the 2026 draft. Richards finished tied for second in team scoring with his hometown St. Albert Raiders last season with 14G-20A-43P, and won a AEHL U15 AAA championship in 2023-24 with Nathan Castonguay as a teammate, who is also joining the Raiders for the preseason.

Athens Shingoose (16, RINK HA Winnipeg, CSSHL)

The 16th overall draft pick in the 2025 WHL Draft is looking to make the Raiders roster in his first year of eligibility. Last year at 15 years old and his first year of U18 prep school hockey, Shingoose lead his RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg team in scoring with 15G-16A-31P in 30 games. Shingoose also got to play one game with his hometown Waywayseecap Wolverines in the MJHL, and tied for the lead in this summer’s Team Canada U17 Development Camp in scoring out of 80 other players.

Brendyn Van Oene (19, Cowichan Valley Capitals, BCHL)

Originally drafted by the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2022, Van Oene instead went to the BCHL where he’s spent the last two seasons. In his first year as a 17-year-old, he played with the Chilliwack Chiefs and posted 12G-10A-22P. In the offseason he was traded to the Cowichan Valley Capitals, and traded again midseason to the Surrey Eagles to help them make a playoff run. Between the Capitals and Eagles last year, Van Oene posted 8G-13A-20P in 47 games last year.

Defence

Nathan Castonguay (17, Fort Sask. Rangers, AEHL)

One of four defencemen drafted by the Raiders in 2024, Castonguay posted 8G-14A-22P in 35 games, along with 93 penalty minutes, and played one game in the AJHL with his hometown Fort McMurray Oil Barons where he’s signed to play this season if he doesn’t make the Raiders. He’s known as a physical presence responsible in his own zone, but can contributes offensively. Castonguay won a AEHL U15 AAA championship alongside the Kai Richards. His younger brother Justin was drafted this past summer to the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Kade Corbet (17, Calgary NW Flames, AEHL)

Another of the four defencemen the Raiders drafted in 2024, Kade Corbet made an impression early in Raiders camp this year with some massive hits during intersquad play. Corbet was a teammate of Kyle Obobaifo last year on the Calgary NW Flames where Corbet put up 1G-21A-22P, along with a single game callup with the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles. He also won an AEHL U17 AAA in 2024-25, the same year the U18 program won a league championship. Corbet is the son of René Corbet, who won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. Kade was born in Germany while his dad played for Adler Mannheim in the back half of his career.

Darius Hordal (18, Devon Xtreme, AJHL)

The lone Junior A defenceman left standing after Raiders camp, Hordal put up 4G-24A-28P in 53 games during his first year with the Devon Xtreme. Before that he played with the Northern Alberta Xtreme program in the CSSHL, and won a U15 title in 2022-23. Hordal was drafted by the Raiders in 2023. During the intersquad games at camp, Hordal managed to score twice.

Oskars Luks (18, Jukurit U18, Finnish Mestis League)

The third European player to join the Raiders this year, Oskars Luks joins the team at a whopping 6’5, 209lbs. For those comparing him to the big European defencemen the Raiders had last year in Matyas Man, Luks doesn’t seem quite as physical, but has great speed and puck handling ability. He also represented Team Latvia at two tournaments last year including the U18 World Juniors. With Latvia being in the U20 World Juniors this year, Luks could be pushing to represent his country there again this year.

Tyler McCracken (18, Shattuck St. Mary’s, US High School Prep)

Playing for the same development program that produced the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Toews, and most recently Macklin Celebrini, Tyler McCracken was originally drafted by the Victoria Royals in 2023. In 44 games with Shattuck St. Mary’s last year, he posted 2G-10A-12P. In the last two seasons, McCracken has finished with U.S. Nationals Tier I Championships at the U16 and U18 levels.

Liam Myhre (17, Prince Albert Mintos, SMAAAHL)

Another 2024 defenceman drafted in 2024, the Nipawin local was the captain of last year’s Prince Albert Mintos and finished second in team scoring with 10G-17A-27P. Myhre has played four games as a Raider already, including three as a 15-year-old, and has spent the playoffs with the Raiders the last two seasons.

Goaltenders

Brady Holtvogt (19, Humboldt Broncos, SJHL)

A face Raiders fans should be familiar with, Holtvogt spent all of the playoffs with the Raiders last year after finishing the SJHL season. Despite the Broncos missing the playoffs last year, Holtvogt had the second best save percentage in the SJHL at 0.922 in 25 games. Before being acquired by the Raiders last year, Holtvogt got into one game with the Prince George Cougars last season.

Chase Kettles (17, Winnipeg Wild, MU18HL)

Together with teammate Ardan Downey, Kettles was a part of the best goaltender tandem in the MU18HL last season. Downey finished tied for first in the league with a 0.942 save percentage, while Kettles finished third with a 0.931 save percentage and another seven games played. As a team, his Winnipeg Wild finished second in the league standings but were upset in the second round of the playoffs last year by the Brandon Jr. Wheat Kings. Kettles was drafted by the Raiders in the eighth round of the 2024 WHL Draft.

The Raiders’ preseason games tonight and tomorrow will be streamed on YouTube.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

Introducing the new guys: Raiders preseason begins

Returning Players (Age, year in the WHL, NHL Draft)

Players that departed (Where they’ve gone)

Additions (Age, where they played last year)

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