Raiders goaltender Max Hildebrand (top) talks with Carter Serhyenko before a Friday scrimmage at the Art Hauser Centre. Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff

By Jeff D’Andrea

Changing colours

Raiders’ Hildebrand shakes off Blades’ childhood memories, excited for future in Green and Gold

Sep 10, 2021 | 3:00 PM

Not only did Max Hildebrand grow up as a Saskatoon Blades fan, but he had VIP access throughout his childhood.

His father Steve Hildebrand, who is now the Blades’ assistant general manager, was on the training staff at the time and often took Max into the dressing rooms.

But that allegiance changed on May 2, 2019, when Hildebrand was selected by the Blades’ fiercest rivals—the Prince Albert Raiders.

“It’s a bit different, after cheering for the Blades my whole life. But I’m a Raider now, and all I want to do is beat the Blades,” Hildebrand said after Friday’s morning skate. “The change was pretty quick, coming from bantam and being with my dad all the time. It’s a bit weird, but you get used to it.”

Although he was just a little tyke at the time, Max got to know the players and gravitated towards goaltender Braden Holtby, who played with the Blades from 2006-09 and went on to win a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018.

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“When Holtby was in Saskatoon, I was pretty young but I hung out around the room a lot. I just got to see what he does off the ice, it’s pretty cool some of the routines he has. I definitely model my game after him,” Hildebrand said.

Hildebrand is an interesting story for the Raiders this season. He was one of three goaltenders Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt identified as being in the goaltending competition for this year. The 19-year-old Carter Serhyenko is poised to be the go-to starter in his third season with the team, and the-newly drafted and signed Tikhon Chayka, who still hasn’t made the trip from Belarus for camp during the fourth wave of the pandemic.

Hildebrand was the last Raider selected in the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft and was picked to wrap up the 13^th round at 286 overall. In fact, he was the second last player selected as the Everett Silvertips decided they weren’t done, and were the only team to make a pick in the 14^th round— picked Reid Conn 306^th overall.

Hildebrand was called up to the Raiders during the shortened Subway Hub Centre season last year, but did not feature in a game. He played three games at the U18 level with the Saskatoon Contacts, posting a .944 save percentage with 1.67 goals against average, a shutout, and a 2-1 record.

He hopes to make the best of the opportunity and impress the Raiders’ brass to solidify his status within the team, especially in the current absence of Chayka.

“I’m just trying to make the team. It’s my dream to play in this league, and I’ll take advantage of any opportunity I get in an exhibition game,” Hildebrand said.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW