Raiders up for seven different league awards

“Throughout the year, Brock comes every day, he’s a quiet, unassuming player, he doesn’t ask or demand anything, he just goes out and plays, and he’s an elite player. We knew that when we drafted him second overall and I was excited about his season and how he’s growing and developing. He’s just getting better.”

Cripps is the only 16-year-old rookie nominated alongside both Kale Dach and Ben MacBeath of the Calgary Hitmen in the Eastern Conference, and Kamloops Blazer JP Hurlbert, Everett Silvertips Matias Vanhanen, and Penticton Vees Jacob Kvasnicka of the Western Conference.

Next on the list is Braeden Cootes who has been nominated for the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy for Most Sportsmanlike Player. Despite only playing 45 games this season, Cootes still managed 24G-39A-63P to finish tied for fourth in Raiders scoring while only taking eight penalty minutes.

Touted by many as ‘a future Canucks captain’, Hunt said Cootes fits the criteria of this award perfectly. He missed a lot of this season chasing higher opportunities first in the NHL and again while representing Canada at the World Juniors, but still made an impact on the season even if he wasn’t around long enough to go for a scoring title.

“Four different teams, four different coaches, four different languages and nuances, and for him, he’s come in and right from day one has taken right off. I think he’s probably an all-star if he plays the full season with us on our side, that’s the kind of player and competitor he is. I don’t think there’s anybody that hounds a puck like he does, and of course that skill and vision as well.”

Cootes is nominated against Brandon Wheat Kings Jordan Gavin and Medicine Hat Tiger Markus Ruck in the Eastern Conference, and Everett Silvertips Matias Vanhanen, Penticton Vees Ryden Evers, and Portland Winterhawks Alex Weiermair out of the Western Conference.

Raiders goaltender Michal Orsula is in the running for the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy for Goaltender of the Year. Trying to follow in the footsteps of Max Hildebrand who won the award last year, Orsulak was in the top five in save percentage, wins, shutouts, posted a league best 2.22 goals against average during the regular season, and was named a First Team All-Star.

Orsulak also helped Team Czechia to a silver medal finish at the World Juniors, and was one of the goaltenders for Team East at the WHL Prospects Game earlier this year.

“We felt fortunate to get him in the import draft, and he hasn’t disappointed. From his start here, to his work ethic, to his attitude, to playing without his own equipment for a while, to the World Junior team, the opportunity to get to a gold medal game, and then of course the run here to 50 wins, he’s a big part of where we are today, and we’re very, very happy for him, excited for his future, but more excited about the moment and what’s ahead in this next series,” said Hunt.

Also out of the Eastern Conference, Orsulak is nominated alongside Brandon Wheat Kings Filip Ruzicka and Moose Jaw Warriors Chase Wutzke, as well as Prince George Cougar Joshua Ravensbergen, Wenatchee Wild Tobias Tvrznik, and Penticton Vees Andrew Reyelts out of the Western Conference.

Daxon Rudolph has been nominated for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy for Defenceman of the Year. In his second year in the WHL, Rudolph nearly doubled his rookie numbers with a team-leading 78 points this year, finishing third amongst defencemen in the WHL.

Rudolph has seven points through the first round of the playoffs.

“I think the one thing that’s most impressive about Daxon, he’s 17 years old, and being a second-year player, he’s a leader on our team. He comes every night to play, he’s had an outstanding start to the postseason. He had an outstanding season tying Josh Morrissey’s record with goals, and he just gets better. The game is easy for him.”

The other two Eastern Conference nominees are Medicine Hat Tigers Bryce Pickford and Jonas Woo, while the Western Conference is represented by Everett Silvertips Landon Dupont and Tarin Smith, and Prince George Cougar Carson Carels.

Raiders staff are also in the running for awards.

In his first year without the ‘interim’ tag at the front of his title, Raiders Head Coach Ryan McDonald is up for the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy for Coach of the Year.

Hunt said that there were some big expectations for McDonald and his coaching staff coming into this season, both within the Prince Albert community and the WHL as a whole, and McDonald led his team to surpass all of them.

“The toughest thing to do when you have this much talent on your team is to try to satisfy everybody’s expectations, and I think Ryan and his coaching staff have done a terrific job because really there’s six or seven of them back there depending on the day including goalies and sports psych and fitness and skills and skating, and of course our everyday coaches Conor Yawney and Cole Bell. What they’ve created, an environment for growth, an environment for learning, an environment that’s safe, an environment where kids can come and be kids on some days and when it’s time to work the kids go to work,” said Hunt.

At 38-years-old, McDonald is the only nominee younger than 43. He’s nominated alongside the Medicine Hat Tigers’ Willie Desjardins and Calgary Hitmen’s Dustin Friesen in the Eastern Conference, and Steve Hamilton of the Everett Silvertips, Mark Lamb of the Prince George Cougars, and Fred Harbinson of the Penticton Vees in the Western Conference.

Hunt himself has also been nominated for the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy for WHL Executive of the Year. From the start of the offseason, Hunt had to deal with losing three veteran defencemen, the team’s leading scorer, and last year’s goaltender of the year, and still managed to build a team that improved on last year’s East Division Champion Raiders.

Not only was there success out of the gate with additions like Max Heise and Owen Corkish, Hunt also went for some big trades this year with the most prominent being the acquisition of Braeden Cootes. With all that said though, Hunt believes that the credit belongs to his staff as a whole, who he trusts to help him make the right decision.

“Really, I accept that nomination on behalf of first off Bruno Zarillo, and our scouting staff. They do a terrific job in the background; most people wouldn’t know who they were on any given night, but we try to do as much as we can by committee. Of course, our coaching staff as well, they take our group and they work diligently and they make them better.”

Hunt continued, “I think this year, a combination of past drafts, the import draft, which was really big for us this year, and then the acquisitions we’ve made throughout the year have served the club very well. I’m honoured to be mentioned with the other two gentlemen from our conference.”

Hunt won the award in 2019 when the Raiders won the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Hunt is nominated alongside Willie Desjardins of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Garry Davidson of the Calgary Hitmen in the Eastern Conference, and Mike Fraser of the Everett Silvertips, Fred Harbinson of the Penticton Vees, and Bruce Hamilton of the Kelowna Rockets from the Western Conference.

The Raiders, as an organization, are up for the WHL Business Award, which goes to the team that ‘best exemplifies giving back to the community and producing an electrifying game-day experience for fans’.

“We have a small staff, we have people who are committed to the group committed to get the job done, even when we’re short-handed or those times throughout the year when other things take precedent. We’ll start with filling the building every single night, to getting the kids in the community as much as we can, one of the things we talk about here is community and how important our players are to our fans to make sure that we give back as much as we can, and I think that reflects back on our business group up front and of course the product on the ice. You come here and it’s entertaining, whether it’s on the big screen or the Ches Leach, I’ll even give you [play-by-play broadcaster] Nick Nielsen a little credit for your show at the end, I think it all works hand in hand and I think it’s a great experience to be involved with the Prince Albert Raiders in this community.”

The winners of the awards will be announced throughout the playoffs.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

Raiders up for seven different league awards

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