Mixed fortunes for Huskies teams with Canada West hockey loss, volleyball wins
16h ago
Huskies men's hockey team dropped game one of their playoff series in overtime.
On Monday, the Prince Albert Raiders secured their first WHL championship win in 34 years with a 3-2 overtime win over the Vancouver Giants.
Now, the Raiders are gearing up for their next challenge. They start their Memorial Cup run Friday in Halifax.
Business manager Mike Scissons told 650 CKOM that the players are feeling good after their first practice Thursday night.
“The size of the rink they’re playing on is the exact same size (as the one on which) we play at home,” Scissons explained. “They know what to do when they get out there and we’re excited.”
Ahead of Game 1, Scissons said fans had already started to make their way to Halifax to support the team.
“I would guess there’s going to be a couple hundred Raider jerseys in the crowd (Friday) when we face off versus Halifax,” he said.
There are more benefits to the Raiders’ winning season than trophies. The community-owned team is making some money.
“We’ve had some lean years in Prince Albert over the last decade or so,” Scissons said. “A push like this is unimaginable.”
He explained that the response from fans who packed the Art Hauser Centre has helped recoup some losses, but the Raiders won’t be going on a spending spree.
“We keep a lean budget and we want to continue to do that moving forward,” Scissons said. “But having a bit more cash flow in the rainy-day fund sure helps out a lot.”
Puck drop between the Raiders and host Halifax Mooseheads is set for 5 p.m., on Sportsnet.