Gabe Ludwig is one of the three newest members of the Prince Albert Raiders. (Submitted Photo/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Rob Mahon

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A whirlwind few days for the Prince Albert Raiders is finally starting to settle down. But before they can officially get back to playing hockey, they welcomed three new teammates to practice.

Forwards Gabe Ludwig and Brayden Dube, and defenseman Easton Kovacs have all arrived in Prince Albert and are practicing with the team. It won’t be long now before they’re introducing themselves to Raiders fans in-game action.

“I’d like to think I’m a very fast player,” Ludwig said. “I like to play with pace. Tenacious, gritty, but I like to make plays when I have the puck.

Ludwig, who has posted five points in 15 games so far this season, was one of nine pieces coming over to the Raiders in exchange for Nolan Allan. When the trade was announced on Wednesday, he had a lot of ground to cover in a short time.

“It’s been a very quick turnaround,” said Ludwig. “We got the news a couple of days ago in the morning and then the next afternoon we got to PA. We drove up to Vancouver and then flew from Vancouver to here.”

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Joining Ludwig was 2005-born forward Dube, who has four points in 14 games so far this season. He’s got plenty of speed to his game and is more than willing to use his wrist shot.

“I’m a fast forward and I think I have a good shot,” said Dube. “I like to set up guys, and if the ice is open I’ll take it and make something happen.”

That wrist shot served Dube well last season in the MJHL with the Dauphin Kings. He put up 46 points in 49 games with them, helped lead them to an MJHL title, and then posted four goals in five games at the Centennial Cup.

“It was a hard battle, especially in the playoffs,” Dube said. “Just getting that hard battling experience, it’s going to bring a lot to the WHL.”

The lone defenseman coming over in the trade, Kovacs has one assist in ten games so far this season and boasts a 6-foot-4 frame.

“I’m a big defenseman, big body,” Kovacs said. “I get in the corners and in the areas that guys don’t want to go and I play a pretty defensive game, but I can also jump up in the play and make that first pass.”

Alone of the new acquisitions, Kovacs has some familiarity with the Art Hauser Centre and the rabid fans that fill it up. He played with the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season and saw the building up close.

“It’s a hard barn to play in, for sure,” Kovacs said. “It’s good to be on the other side of it.”

All three players have said it helps to have other players they know making the journey with them to ease their transition into the room. It’s an even easier transition for Kovacs, however, as the former Delta Academy player knows several of his new teammates through that program.

“I knew quite a few guys on this team before, I played with lots of them,” Kovacs said. “I know probably three or four. I played with (Terrell Goldsmith) and (Niall Crocker) and I know Latimer, so it’s going to be good.”

The Raiders face the Medicine Hat Tigers tomorrow night at 7:00 at the Art Hauser Centre.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP