Raiders forward Harrison Lodewyk skates up the ice during Thursday's practice at the Art Hauser Centre. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Calm before the storm

Raiders rookie Lodewyk laser-focused; updates on NHL campers and Belarusians

Sep 30, 2021 | 2:51 PM

When the Prince Albert Raiders take to the ice to begin their 2021-22 season against the Regina Pats on Friday, the Raiders will have a brand new look, and it won’t just be the masks they’ll have to wear when they roam the rink halls.

The team will have a ton of new faces, especially upfront in their forward group.

Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt has made a number of acquisitions this preseason, signing four forwards out of training camp that are on the roster; now 19-year-old free agents in Ethan Ironside, Cale Sanders, as well as draft picks Bryce Warkentine and Zachary Wilson. The Raiders also acquired a few forwards in trades, namely Keaton Sorensen from the Red Deer Rebels and recently Hayden Pakkala from the Winnipeg ICE.

Although he’s been in the Raiders’ organization since the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Harrison Lodewyk will also be one of those new faces to watch out for. That last time Lodewyk played a competitive regular season game was back in last October with his hometown Red Deer Chiefs at the U18 AAA level.

But that doesn’t mean he didn’t get a lot of great experience in that time. Throughout the summer, Lodewyk got a chance to skate with some NHLers in Edmonton Oilers Kris Russell and Colton Sceviour, as well as Vancouver Canuck Brandon Sutter, all of whom have strong ties to Red Deer.

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“Training with NHL guys all summer really makes your game better,” Lodewyk said. “Their compete level and their focus level, it’s quite incredible just how serious they are.”

Lodewyk hopes to bring that laser focus to the Raiders’ lineup, as well as his quick speed.

“I’m very, very, very fast. I like to skate the puck a lot, and finish every check. Expect me to be defensive and finish every check.”

Updates on the NHL campers

The Raiders sent six players to NHL camps and preseason tournaments, but only two have returned to Prince Albert. Defenceman Landon Kosior (Los Angeles Kings) and goaltender Carter Serhyenko (Calgary Flames) have both been practicing with the team and are expected to be key players for the Raiders moving forward.

Reece Vitelli was an invitee to the Arizona Coyotes’ camp, but the 20-year-old has earned a lot of interest from the desert dogs. The remaining players are first-round picks of their teams in Kaiden Guhle (Montreal Canadiens), Ozzy Wiesblatt (San Jose Sharks), and Nolan Allan (Chicago Blackhawks) who will all likely get long looks from their teams. That’s especially true for Guhle as the Raiders have said they wouldn’t be at all shocked if he makes the jump to the NHL this year.

“We don’t have any expectations [on their returns]. The whole role here is to give those kids enough tools so when they get their opportunity, they’re prepared and they can take full advantage,” Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt said. “I watched [former Raider] Parker Kelly play the other day [with the Ottawa Senators], I saw Ian Scott [with the Toronto Maple Leafs], you can’t look at that without pride. I’m so happy for those kids to being so close to their goal.

“So these kids now, we wait. And when they come back, we’ll take them,” added Hunt. “And the longer they’re there, the longer they’ll understand the culture, the work, the discipline, and the professionalism involved. Hopefully, they bring that back to our group and we’re better for it.”

Belarusian beauties

Hunt also said progress has been made in getting the two Belarusian players to finally be able to report to Prince Albert in forward Vladislav Shilo and goaltender Tikhon Chaika. Both were drafted by the Raiders in the past two CHL Import Drafts but have not been able to get into Canada due to the difficulty of acquiring visas. Hunt expects both Shilo and Chaika to get their visas either next week or the week after.

“We were advised earlier in the week that they’re off to Moscow either Monday or Wednesday next week. We’re not exactly sure the day, but they have been called to the Canadian consulate,” Hunt said. “It’s just a matter of getting visas in hand and having them put in their passports. As soon as we get that nod, we’ll book the ticket as soon as Thursday, as late as the Thursday after, I guess.”

The Raiders will begin their campaign with a home-and-home series against Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats. Both teams will meet at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday at 7 p.m., and again at the Brandt Centre on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW