P.A. Raiders ready for Game 1 of WHL final

For the first time in 34 years, the Prince Albert Raiders are playing in the Western Hockey League final.

They’re going up against the Vancouver Giants.

The last time the Raiders hoisted the trophy, now know as the Ed Chynoweth Cup, was in 1985.

That team, with the likes of Dave Manson, Roydon Gunn and current Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt, went on to win the Memorial Cup that year.

Friday night’s Game 1 in Prince Albert’s Art Hauser Centre is the hottest ticket in town.

Raiders play-by-play broadcaster Trevor Redden said it’s been fun watching the city rally around the team.

“It’s unbelievable,” Redden said.   “You’re hearing the stories of people camping out overnight for tickets and bringing milk crates to the games so they can see over people in standing room only.  I’ve never seen anything like it.”

It should be one heck of a series.

During the regular season, Prince Albert finished with the best record in the WHL with a 54-10-2-2 record. Vancouver had the second-best record at 48-15-3-2.

With the Raiders holding home-ice advantage, their barn will be rocking.

Just over three thousand fans can pack into the arena, which has stood in Prince Albert since 1971.

Considering how loud it was for Game 5 against the Edmonton Oil Kings in the last round of the WHL Playoffs, Redden said the hometown crowd will definitely be an advantage.

“Somebody in the building had a decibel reader and after one of the goals it got up to 120 decibels. It’s the equivalent of standing right next to a chainsaw as its cutting down a tree,” Redden said.

“You can feel the press box shaking when you’re up there calling the games.  For the Raiders it’s as good as a home-ice advantage as anywhere.  For the Vancouver Giants, I think it’s going to be a very challenging place to come into.”

Game 1 goes Friday at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

You can find a full list of when all the games will be played on the P.A. Raiders’ website.