Igor and the Great Dane06/30/2010 9:18 AM - Drew Wilson
The Raiders have emerged from the Import draft with their two Euros and neither were taken in the 2010 CHL Import lottery.
19 year old Centreman Sebastian Svendson was acquired the day before the draft from the Edmonton Oil Kings along with a third round pick in the next Bantam Draft for 20 year old Centreman Jordan Hickmott.
Although it's tough to part with Jordan, a great kid and solid citizen who just put up career year numbers (21 goals and 28 assists), it's a very good deal. With the glut of 20 year old's available getting the draft pick alone would have been very good value...grabbing Svendson as well makes it an excellent deal.
The Danish born pivot is described by Coach and G.M. Bruno Campese as a fast skating hard working player who started to put up decent numbers in Edmonton (7 goals 7 assists in 28 games) when given the chance to play in an offensive role. In fact Campese wanted to make a pitch for Svendson at the deadline last season after seeing him play with the Vancouver Giants (Campese and player personel director Dale Derkatch were scouting goalie Jamie Tucker before acquiring him for a second round pick in 2011). However, Svendson was already on his way to the Oil Kings.
Campese hopes Svendson has now adapted to the the WHL and will hit the ice skating in P.A. He points to the gradual improvement we saw in Igor Revenko throughout his first season and into his second in a Raider uniform.
Speaking of Igor...Campese says he has expressed a strong desire to come back on several occasions thoughout the offseason but wanted to see where or if he fits in after the import draft. Although he wouldn't at the time of the trade for Svendson, Campese said after dealing their import pick to Tri Cities (for their 4th rounder in the 2011 Bantam Draft), the Svendson transaction wouldn't have been made if they weren't confident Igor is returning (Teams are hesitant to declare any Import is coming back until they see them walk though the dressing room door).
If Igor can stay healthy, a 40 goal campaign is a definate possibility well worth the price of two spots (Igor would occupy one of two import positions and one of three overage spots on the roster). In addition, if Svendson can turn into a 50 point producer it will be the icing on the "Danish" for the Raiders.
Drafting imports is a roll of the dice...and given the importance if not necessity of a playoff spot for P.A. next season it makes sense to go with the devils you know.
The next question is who will be the odd men out among the five remaining 20 year olds. Given what has transpired you have to figure defensemen Jordan Rowley and Nathan Deck are the front runners along with Igor leaving winger Colin Redin and defenseman Brendon Wall on the bubble.
However at this time last year goaltender Garrett Zemlak wasn't in the Raiders plans and he was named team M.V.P. in May... So anything can happen.
I'll take two drafts in this round06/28/2010 9:55 AM - Drew Wilson
First of all, I'm a big fan of Brandon Herrod so a lot of what you read in the next few paragraphs should be consumed with that in mind.
I just can't understand why an 18 year old who wouldn't have been eligable last year if he had been born a few days later, would be passed up by all 30 NHL teams through 210 picks on the weekend.
Let's look at his numbers...in year one in the WHL, Herrod scored 7 goals and 17 assists... make that 16 and 32 in year two.. 37 and 28 last season. In addition, Herrod scored ten power play and five shorthanded goals in 2009-10 so he clearly played and played well in all situations. Those are just the numbers...Herrod is tough along the boards and doesn't shy away from the dirty areas. Herrod may be only 6' 187 pounds, but is extremely strong. There has been no disputing his fitness or work ethic since day one when he proved to be the most fit player as a 14 year old in his first WHL training camp.
There is no doubt Brandon (like the rest of the Raiders) played his best hockey at home and greater scouting scrutiny on the road didn't help Herrod's case. The fact he is not a frequent fighter (although he can) had to count against him considering some of the players who did get their names called (Randy McNaught of the Blades 6 goals 6 assists 163 PIMS was taken by the New York Rangers in the 7th round).
Other players who did get picked include Brandon's Micheal Ferland who had 9 goals and 19 assists with the Wheat Kings (5th round Calgary). Cody Beach of the Calgary Hitmen went to St. Louis in the 5th round with inferior stats (3 goals 11 assists 157 PIMS). However his selection is due to his 6 foot 5 inch frame. Kootneay's Drew Czerwonka fell from 16 goals in his rookie year to 4 goals last season but Edmonton still made him their 6th round pick. Age shouldn't ahve been a huge consideration as Herrod is only a half year older (on average) than many players selected.
There are head shaking aspects to every NHL draft. For example how could Jordan Weal of the Regina Pats fall to the third round after a 102 point season? He was snapped up by the L-A Kings...the same team who stole Brandon Kozun of the Hitmen, this year's WHL scoring champion, (107 points) in the sixth round last year.
Brandon Herrod remains a free agent meaning he can be shopped to all 30 NHL teams. Herrod should at least get a tryout an an NHL rookie camp and told me last season if that happened it would be a dream come true.
Chances are very good Herrod will realize that dream this fall.
Meanwhile the Raiders are preparing for Tuesday's CHL import draft with two questions. Is Igor Revenko coming back? Coach and G.M. Bruno Campese says Igor and his agent have expressed a strong desire to return to Hockeytown North. The other is whether to use their pick 16th overall, or trade it? Two years ago Campese acquired Jordan Hickmott from Medicine Hat in exchange for a swapping of first round import picks and P.A.'s second rounder. Hickmott just completed a career year (21goals 28 assists). The Raiders used the Tiger pick to select Revenko. Pretty good deal for both teams as the Tigers selected Tomas Kundratek and Zdenek Okal.
The answer to the trade vs pick debate may not come until just before 10am (our time) when it's P.A.'s turn to make its selection.
Raider prospects Spring into action06/01/2010 9:59 AM - Drew Wilson
Raider Spring Camp Roster
Goal: Jacob Edwards (6th round 117th overall 2007)
Eric Williams (4th round 71st overall 2008)
Brendan Fiebelkorn (4th round 78th overall 2009)
Defense: Mathew Lamontange (List player)
Connor Sutton (3rd round 51st overall 2009)
Brendan Kennedy (6th round 70th overall 2009)
Sawyer Lange (4th round 75th overall 2009)
Connor Doan (List player)
Mathew Waseylenko (5th round 103 overall 2008)
Forwards: Marcus Basara (Listed player)
Daniel Dale (Listed player)
Marc Mackenzie (Listed player-signed)
Beau Stewart (2nd round 40th overall 2008)
T.J. Constant (Listed player)
Chance Braid (Listed player)
Shayne Danyluk (2nd round 31st overall 2009)
Mike Winther (1st round 6th overall 2009)
Alan Kilback (6th round 119th overall 2009)
Justin Lund (8th round 163rd overall 2009)
The weekend was a combination of fitness testing, team bonding and workshops. Classes dealt with training techniques, nutrition and sports psychology. There were no on ice sessions. Coach and G.M. Bruno Campese says they have already seem everyone play, besides there was no ice available at the Art Hauser Centre. It also split the camp's costs in half (last year there were two days of on ice sessions in Aberdeen).
The weekend was the first exposure to the Raider organization for some. The highest profile newbie is Marcus Basara. He led the Telus Cup Champion Notre Dame Hounds in goals and points during a breakout regular season and came to P.A. with an open mind. Basara says he never considered the WHL until recruited by Raider Player Personel Director Dale Derkatch and a face to face meeting with Campese. Both feel he could step right into the lineup as a 17 year old next season. Marcus says he will wait until after school finishes in two weeks to decide if he will become a Raider or join the two time defending RBC Cup champion Vernon Vipers of the B.C. Hockey League. Basara is a soft spoken but very intelligent young man who has made a meteroric rise up the hockey ladder..obiviously making the most of his first season in Midget AAA.
There are others who will at least challenge for roster spots this fall. Defenseman Mathew Lamontange could break in much like Emerson Hrynyk did last season. The Vancouver area boy is described by Derkatch is a stay at home defenseman with size and strength. Waseylenko will be heading to his third main camp and should also make a strong challenge for a spot on the blueline.
Up front, T.J. Constant carried the momentum of a strong camp last fall into a solid season in Manitoba Junior-A. The former Beardys Blackhawk isn't tall but has a thick body with power to go along with it. Daniel Dale who was Basara's teamate with the Hounds also had a very good main camp last season and should make a strong challenge again because of his work ethic and aggressive style. Winther has at the very least an excellent shot at cracking the lineup and Danyluk is at least a strong candidate to skate on to the ice at the Raider home opener.
In goal, Williams and Edwards will battle for the backup spot to Jamie Tucker. Edwards came to spring camp with a limp but will be ready in August.
All 19 players have been have been told what it will take to become a Raider. We will see how many take notice and come to camp with designs on donning a Raider Jersey in late September.
We need more fans!!!!06/01/2010 9:56 AM - Drew Wilson
That was the underlying theme at the Raiders Membership meeting.
President Dale McFee was preaching to the converted in the Ches Leach Lounge but his address was an eye opener.
He made it clear this franchise cannot survive with an average paid attendance of 2-thousand per game. It is a message that has remained consistant since the end of the 2008-2009 season but will anyone outside the room take notice?
The Raiders have recorded the lowest attendance in the WHL for two straight seasons. This past campaign the front office offered second half seasons ticket packages in addition to flex packs and the opportunity to redeem any unused seasons tickets for any game. It's an added inceptive for young busy adults take the leap into the thirty-six game package. However it doesn't help when those unused tickets are being handed out in front of the box office to people who came to the Art Hauser Centre willing to pay for a night of hockey entertainment.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to say this team cannot continue to take a balance sheet bath for much longer. The Raiders will lose in the neighbourhood of 150-thousand dollars from 2009-2010 when the final numbers are crunched. That means the bottom line will take a combined hit of about 380-thousand dollars for the three seasons the team has finished out of the playoffs. That's not operating expenses. The team has qualified for a 50-thousand dollar WHL cash infusion in each of those three seasons. There is also a bump forthcoming from the financially successful World Junior championships in Saskatoon and at least 60-thousand on its way from the Memorial Cup in Brandon. Whatever the final numbers are... they will not be pretty.
As a result the team has trimmed around 150-thousand from next season's budget of a little over 2-million dollars. However, the hockey operations budget is increasing by over 20-thousand meaning the budgetary focus remains on the ice. The team estimates it can break even with a regular season average (paid) attendance of 22-hundred, an increase of about 200.
What this means is Prince Albert hockey fans need to step up. Seasons ticket sales, despite monthly early bird incentives remain around 1-thousand. Prices for Children's seasons tickets are available for 170-dollars while the line has been held on Adult prices.
Raider staff continues to find creative ways to raise money like the upcoming Johnny Reid concert and the business community continues to be extremely generous, so the onus is on the fans.
McFee, the board and the members on hand for the meeting will move heaven and earth to keep the Raiders in Prince Albert with one possible option if the sitation doesn't improve being the sale of limited partnerships.
Although it hasn't come to that, there could be a time in the not too distant future when McFee and company are pounding the pavement in a last ditch effort to save the franchise.
We should find out this coming season if Prince Albert is paying attention, or in fact even cares.
Up next, a look at Spring Camp.
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