Kaiden Guhle and Ozzy Wiesblatt are now Raider teammates generating plenty of buzz heading into the 2020 NHL Draft, but once upon a time they were rivals. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Trevor Redden

Redden on the Raiders

Redden on the Raiders: Rivals to teammates

Feb 14, 2020 | 2:00 PM

Long before Kaiden Guhle and Ozzy Wiesblatt became high-flying teammates on the Prince Albert Raiders, the two were bitter rivals once upon a time.

Officially, the two met for the first time when the Raiders held a signing event following the 2017 bantam draft, but they knew of each other well before that day.

“We played each other in a Calgary tournament one time, and before the game my coach said ‘give it to number 19.’ I was giving it to him and chirping him all game,” Guhle recalled of one of their first encounters.

“I was trying to get him off his game, but it didn’t really work. We got spanked.”

Thinking back to that time, Wiesblatt grinned about the idea of Guhle throwing him off his game. If that’s what the game plan is for his opposition, he completely embraces it.

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“We’ll let them think that [it gets under my skin], but I don’t think so, no,” Wiesblatt said.

The fiery sophomore Raider forward has shown a willingness from day one to enter the battle in every way, whether it be a physical battle in the corners or sticking up for a teammate after the whistle.

“It just gets you engaged in the game a little bit more. Especially when you have a guy like [Guhle] on you all game, in a way it’s kind of a compliment. It pushes you to be even better and it’s lots of fun.”

Once rivals, now teammates, Wiesblatt made it clear that in hockey it’s all about the colours you’re wearing once the puck is dropped.

The third of four hockey-playing brothers, Ozzy has now faced his older brother Orca with the Calgary Hitmen twice this season, with the final meeting set for March 3 at the Art Hauser Centre.

Hypothetically speaking, if something were to happen between Orca Wiesblatt and Guhle, would Ozzy step in for his teammate?

“Oh yeah,” Wiesblatt said without hesitation.

“[Orca and I are] not friends on the ice, we don’t really talk too much on the ice. It’s a game out there and if something were to happen — if he hit Kaiden, I’ve stuck up for this guy a couple times — if he hit Kaiden I definitely would do anything I could to protect the team. It’s team first.”

While Wiesblatt and Guhle are now on the same side, that doesn’t mean they don’t butt heads at times when they go head-to-head in practice. Wiesblatt believes that the battling between the two on practice days is something that has helped both of them develop as their careers have progressed.

Both in their second full year of junior hockey, Wiesblatt currently sits second on the Raiders and tied for 23^rd in the WHL in points, while Guhle leads all Raider defencemen, and ranks tied for 18^th among all WHL defenders.

In the recent NHL Central Scouting Midterm rankings, Guhle was rated seventh among North American Skaters [top among all WHL players] and Wiesblatt was rated 14^th in North America [fourth in the WHL] heading into the upcoming draft.

The two joined me this week on the CKBI Overtime Podcast.

East-bound

After Friday night’s showdown against the Swift Current Broncos, the Raiders will play 13 of their remaining 14 games against the East Division.

That stretch includes four games against the Brandon Wheat Kings, four games against the Saskatoon Blades, and one against the Winnipeg ICE, who have all but locked up the other playoff spots with just over a month remaining in the season.

Entering this weekend, those four teams in the division are separated by just six points with the Raiders and ICE currently tied for first at 65 points. At this point, it’s anybody’s guess as to how things will shake between these four, making playoff projections a difficult task at this point.

All we can see is that it’s going to be hard to find a clear favourite coming out of the East, as every playoff team looks capable of beating another on any given night.

FORE

The initial details of the 22^nd annual Raider golf tournament are out, and it’s looking like a massive event.

Serving as a lead off event to the team’s 50^th anniversary season, the tournament will feature a pile of Raider alumni including Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett, Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton, former Raider coach and long time NHL coach Terry Simpson, and former Nashville Predator, Philadelphia Flyer, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Scott Hartnell.

More names are expected to be announced in the coming weeks and months, and you can learn more about taking part in the tournament here.

The week ahead

Prince Albert opens a three-game home stand Friday night against the Swift Current Broncos. This is the fourth of four meetings between the teams, with Prince Albert winning the previous three so far.

On Saturday, the Brandon Wheat Kings roll into town for the third of six meetings on the year. Prince Albert defeated Brandon at the Art Hauser Centre back on Nov. 8, while the Wheat Kings returned the favour at Westoba Place by a 1-0 score on Jan. 3. The Wheaties are currently four points back of the Raiders with one game in hand.

Then on Tuesday, it’s the sixth and final meeting of the year between Regina and Prince Albert as the Pats travel North. The Raiders are 3-0-1-1 against Regina this season.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden