Fans and teammates alike salute Keaton Sorensen one more time at the Art Hauser Centre. (submitted photo/Mark Peterson Media)

By Rob Mahon

Sorensen Concludes Career

Comeback Kid: forward Sorensen turned second chance into career season with Raiders

Mar 27, 2023 | 11:49 AM

This season’s iteration of the Prince Albert Raiders became known for a never-say-die attitude that led to a lot of comebacks. In a season full of these, one of the Raiders’ 20-year-olds authored a comeback story of his own.

Arriving in Prince Albert via trade from the Red Deer Rebels in August of 2021, forward Keaton Sorensen was looking to re-ignite a career that had hit a bump in the road during the COVID-shortened 2021 season. He started to turn things around almost immediately.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys,” Sorensen said. “I was really appreciative of the opportunity to play here and to get this chance, getting traded here.”

Sorensen began to return to the scoring ways of his AAA career in the first season with the Raiders, but he found an entirely new level in his second. Piling up 25 goals and 53 points in 64 games, he went from a reliable middle-six forward to one of the focal points of the team’s attack.

“It’s always good to have a good year like that to end off,” Sorensen said. “It was a lot of help from a lot of guys on the team. I couldn’t have done it on my own, it was a team effort every night.”

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The end of Sorensen’s season came unfortunately early as he was held out due to concussion protocol after one of the strangest injuries of the season. In the second period of a game against the Brandon Wheat Kings, the net was knocked off its moorings directly into Sorensen’s chin. Held out of the next four games, he played his final game that night without knowing it.

“It didn’t really hit me until the second last game there, the home game,” Sorensen said. “It’s definitely hard but it’s a protocol thing. You don’t want to mess up or be put in danger of hurting myself even more just to be done in a couple of games. It was definitely tough.”

Sorensen’s final season was filled with personal milestones and triumphs, and fans of the team might remember any number of good games of his. Asked about his personal favorite memories from his final season in Raiders’ colours, his thoughts went to the team.

“All the team functions with all the guys,” Sorensen said. “Always being with the boys, those are the best memories I’ve got. I guess I should say the 8-1 win over Saskatoon or the 6-5 comeback win,” he added with a laugh.

When Sorensen arrived in Prince Albert, he was coming off a COVID-shortened campaign in which he’d put up just two assists in 23 games. To say he bounced back from that season would be a massive understatement, and he’s changed quite a bit as a player since arriving, and he feels he’s grown as a person as well.

“PA is a great place to play,” Sorensen said. “I’ve got to say, I definitely grew as a person, not only on the ice but off the ice I matured. I had great billets and a great group of guys. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to play.”

Sorensen added he’s not sure what’s next in his hockey career, but he feels better prepared for whatever it is after his time as a Raider.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP