The Prince Albert Raiders are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan . Founded in 1971 as a member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League , the Raiders have been members of the Western Hockey League since 1982. They play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference and host games at the Art Hauser Centre .The Raiders are two-time Ed Chynoweth Cup winners, and won the Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions in 1985.
32-519: The Raiders were founded as a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) club in 1971, playing out of the newly constructed Prince Albert Communiplex, later renamed the Art Hauser Centre. The Raiders quickly established themselves as one of the most successful Tier II junior clubs in Canada. The team won seven consecutive Anavet Cups from 1976 to 1982, defeating Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions for
64-647: A decade-long run in which the Raiders won five national championships. The following season, the Raiders finished second overall before losing the Division Final in seven games to the Medicine Hat Tigers . Simpson won his second coach-of-the-year award, and then left the team to coach the New York Islanders , marking the end of an era. Simpson would return for a single season in 1989–90 before leaving again for
96-536: A longer road in the playoffs than in 1985, culminating in a seven-game championship series against the Vancouver Giants , a series in which they led 3 games to 1. The Raiders won their second WHL title with a 3–2 game 7 overtime win over the Giants, with Dante Hannoun scoring the overtime winner. The win sent the Raiders to their second Memorial Cup tournament, where they were knocked out in the preliminary round. Led by
128-452: A pirate's head—the Raiders stirred controversy in the twenty-first century by bringing back elements of branding from the era. In 2014, the team faced criticism for introducing a mascot that was a caricature of an Arab man; the team ultimately retired the mascot and would late introduce a parrot mascot in its place. In 2021, the team forced the WHL to apologize when it brought back its 1980s jerseys as
160-427: A third-jersey; the move was called "insensitive and offensive". The Raiders re-adopted green as the primary colour in 2013, and ditched the pirate logo in favour of a sword-and-shield logo featuring "PA" initials. A new third jersey introduced in 2022 paid homage to the pirate era. Like many junior teams, the Raiders frequently adopt limited-edition and special-event jerseys. In 2024, the team temporarily re-branded as
192-681: The Canadian non-for-profit organization ANAVETS, or Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada . The Western region's ANAVET Cup Champion traditionally played against the Pacific region's Doyle Cup champion for the Abbott Cup , the Western Canadian Championship. However, the Abbott Cup diminished in importance following the reorganization of the national championship in 1990. The Abbott Cup
224-507: The Medicine Hat Tigers , narrowly losing the series in the second overtime period of game seven. However, the Giants were selected to host the 2007 Memorial Cup , which secured them a berth in the tournament despite their championship series defeat. The Giants secured a spot in the tournament final with an 8–1 semifinal win over the Plymouth Whalers , setting up a rematch with the Tigers. In
256-826: The Western Hockey League (WHL). Founded in 2001, the Giants won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions in 2006 and the Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions in 2007 . The team was based in the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver , the former arena of the National Hockey League 's Vancouver Canucks , until moving to the Langley Events Centre in 2016. British Columbia-based businessman Ron Toigo
288-406: The 2010, the team failed to win another playoff series until they returned to the championship final in 2019. During that stretch, Bonner stepped down as manager after 15 seasons, replaced first by Glen Hanlon and then, in 2018, by Barclay Parneta, who hired Michael Dyck as head coach. In the 2019 final, the Giants faced the regular season champion Prince Albert Raiders ; the Giants fell behind in
320-611: The Cobra Chickens, unveiling a new jersey featuring a Canada goose logo. Memorial Cups Ed Chynoweth Cups Playoff Division/Conference Champions Scotty Munro Memorial Trophies Regular season Division Champions Centennial Cup Champions Abbott Cup Champions Anavet Cup Champions Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Champions Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against The following list includes alumni from
352-450: The NHL. The Raiders remained competitive for much of the next decade, including another four runs to the division playoff final between 1990 and 1996. However, despite boasting future NHL players such as Mike Modano , Shane Hnidy , Scott Hartnell , Kyle Chipchura , and Josh Morrissey , the next 22 seasons would see the Raiders win only four playoff series—and none between 2005 and 2019—missing
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#1732848874742384-812: The Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and the Western Hockey League (WHL) who went on to play in the National Hockey League. Numbers retired by the Raiders: Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL player of the year) Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL rookie of the year) Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL top defenceman) Del Wilson Trophy (WHL top goaltender) Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (WHL coach of
416-476: The Raiders beat Verdun 5–3 with 2 goals from defenceman Dave Goertz . In their third game, the Raiders defeated Sault Ste. Marie 8–6; Hodgson had 5 assists in the match. The Raiders and Greyhounds would play each other again in the semi-finals, and Prince Albert would prevail again by a score of 8–3. The Raiders became national champions by defeating the Cataractes 6–1 in the final. The Memorial Cup victory capped off
448-473: The Raiders were the last team to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup at when the 2021–22 campaign began. The Raiders originally wore green and yellow uniforms with a logo featuring a skating hockey player. From 1985 until the mid-1990s, the team adopted imagery featuring an Arab mascot wielding a scimitar . Although the team moved away from this look in 1996—adopting black as its primary colour and a new logo featuring
480-469: The coach "synonymous with winning and competing"—and he remained coach when the team moved up to the top junior ranks by joining the WHL in 1982. The Raiders' first year in the WHL was a challenging one—the team finished last in the East Division and missed the playoffs. However, Dan Hodgson was named the league's rookie of the year, and the team rapidly improved under Simpson's guidance. The Raiders made
512-467: The final, the Giants avenged their WHL title defeat with a 3–1 victory over the Tigers to secure the team's first Memorial Cup championship. Lucic was named tournament MVP. In 2023, the 2007 Giants team was inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Giants would set franchise records with 57 wins 119 points in 2008–09 and make consecutive runs to the Conference finals in 2009 and 2010. However, after
544-573: The lockout was a definite factor in "putting us on the map". The Giants capitalized by putting together a string of successful seasons that saw the team capture five consecutive B.C. Division titles between 2005 and 2010. The run of success began with the hiring of former NHL coach Don Hay as head coach, replacing Dean Evason . Then, in 2005, general manager Scott Bonner acquired a number of key players including Kenndal McArdle , Wacey Rabbit , and goaltender Dustin Slade , who, along with Brule, would lead
576-450: The organization to join the professional ranks, the Giants hired Manny Viveiros as their new head coach. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts, SOL = Shootout losses Pts, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Canadian Hockey League champion Western Hockey League playoff champion First place in regular season List of National Hockey League (NHL) alumni: List of players on
608-495: The playoffs altogether eleven times. Marc Habscheid joined the team as coach in 2014, and he worked to rebuild the team into a contender. That work paid off by 2018, when the Raiders began their most successful season in more than two decades. Led by Brett Leason , Noah Gregor , and Ian Scott , 2018–19 saw the Raiders put together their first 100-point season since 1995–96 and their best since 1984–85, securing their second Scotty Munro Trophy as regular season champions. They had
640-455: The playoffs in their second season, and were a bona fide contender by their third year in the league, boasting a defensive star in Manny Viveiros and future National Hockey League players such as Dave Manson and Ken Baumgartner . Hodgson, now captain, finished second in the league in scoring in 1984–85, and helped pace the Raiders to 58 wins and the league's best regular season record. In
672-767: The playoffs, the Raiders lost only one game en route to their first league championship, securing the President's Cup with a sweep of the Kamloops Blazers . The Raiders thus earned a spot in the 1985 Memorial Cup . The Memorial Cup tournament also featured the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds , the Verdun Junior Canadiens , and the Shawinigan Cataractes . In an opening game that featured 108 minutes in penalties, Prince Albert lost 6–2 to Shawinigan. The second game saw
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#1732848874742704-588: The right to play for the national championship. Prince Albert went on to win the national championship, the Centennial Cup , four times between 1977 and 1982. In this era, the Raiders competed against a number of future Ontario Hockey League teams, including the Guelph Platers and the Belleville Bulls . The team's early success came under manager and coach Terry Simpson —former player James Patrick called
736-515: The series three games to one before forcing a decisive game seven in Prince Albert. In game seven, the Raiders won 3–2 in overtime, marking the second game seven overtime defeat in the finals in Giants history. In 2022, the Giants made history by selecting Chloe Primerano in the thirteenth round of the WHL prospects draft, making Primerano the first-ever female skater selected in a Canadian Hockey League draft. In 2023, when Michael Dyck left
768-597: The team moved to the Langley Events Centre. After a dismal inaugural season, typical for an expansion team, that saw the Giants win only 13 games, the team rapidly improved. In 2002, the Giants selected Gilbert Brule first overall in the WHL Bantam Draft —Brule would go on to become the team's first major star player, beginning with winning the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's rookie of
800-472: The team to its first championship. In 2006, the Giants captured their first league championship, defeating the Moose Jaw Warriors in the league final in four games, with Brule earning most valuable player honours. The win advanced the Giants to their first Memorial Cup tournament, in which they were eliminated in the semifinal by the host Moncton Wildcats . Despite the loss, Brule recorded 12 points in
832-505: The team's first 18-year old captain in Kaiden Guhle , the Raiders had another strong season in 2019–20; however, with the team atop the East Division, the season was cut short and the playoffs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic , ending the Raiders' hopes of repeating. The team participated in a shortened 2020–21 campaign featuring only East Division opponents. Due to the modified campaigns,
864-471: The tournament, the highest total in the tournament since 1997 and enough to secure the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as the leading scorer. With the breakthrough of second-year forward Milan Lucic helping to make up for the off-season loss of Brule, the Giants returned to the WHL championship series in 2007 in a playoff run that also featured the debut of future star Evander Kane . In the final, they faced
896-595: The winners of a best-of-seven series between the championship teams of the SJHL and the MJHL . The winner also earned a berth in the Centennial Cup national championship tournament. The series was an annual staple since 1971, excluding the years from 2013 to 2017, when it was replaced by the Western Canada Cup , and 2020–2021, when the competition was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . The term "ANAVET" comes from
928-461: The year in 2004. That season, the team won its first playoff round, defeating the Kamloops Blazers before losing to the Everett Silvertips in the second round. Along with the Giants' improving play, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to a boost in attendance for the club—nearly 9,000 fans attended the team's season-opener, and the team averaged 8,400 spectators that season; Toigo later stated that
960-536: The year) Doc Seaman Trophy (WHL scholastic player of the year) WHL Playoff MVP (Awarded since 1992) Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (Memorial Cup MVP) Hap Emms Memorial Trophy (Memorial Cup top goaltender) George Parsons Trophy (Memorial Cup sportsmanship) ANAVET Cup The ANAVET Cup was an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Canadian Junior Hockey League to
992-446: Was granted a WHL expansion franchise for the city of Vancouver ahead of the 2001–02 season . In the following years, the club's ownership group would grow to include Sultan Thiara, former Vancouver Canucks head coach Pat Quinn , the estate of Hockey Hall of Fame member Gordie Howe , and singer Michael Bublé . The team was first based out of Pacific Coliseum, the former Canucks arena in downtown Vancouver; in 2016, after 15 seasons,
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1024-520: Was then presented to the winner of the round-robin game, between the Pacific champion and Western champion, during the larger national competition; this practice ended, and the Abbott Cup was retired, after the 1999 season. This ice hockey article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vancouver Giants The Vancouver Giants are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team playing based in Langley, British Columbia , and playing in
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