Graduating Raiders reflect on early ending

Staff and players got to experience together what can happen when a team, an organization, and a city work together toward one goal.

The euphoria in the building after Dante Hannoun’s legendary goal made every ounce of sacrifice and commitment worthwhile. This year, there’s no opportunity for fans, players, and staff alike to pursue another championship.

And for three 20-year-old players, full WHL careers led to this spring, that one last chance to go out on top is taken away. Instead Zack Hayes, Jeremy Masella, and Brayden Watts find themselves at home like the rest of us.

The graduating players are disappointed, but they share a mature outlook on the situation.

“It’s a tough way to go out, but our health is much more important than the game of hockey right now,” said Hayes, the team’s captain.

“Obviously it’s the right thing to do from the perspective of keeping everyone safe, but it’s definitely a weird way to go out,” echoed Watts, the productive forward who joined the Raiders early in the year from the Vancouver Giants.

“It’s no fun to be home in March, it’s definitely the longest offseason I’ve ever been a part of,” said Masella, the hulking defenceman who’s continued to provide a steadying presence on the blueline for two and a half seasons in Prince Albert.

“It sucks but there’s not much you can do about it.”

Hayes is back home in Calgary with his family, who have been busy with card games, board games, and movies. He’s already cleaned his room and he said when he needs a break, it’s out to the backyard to shoot pucks and get some fresh air.

Masella is with his family in suburban Seattle, spending quality time with his dogs and enjoying the temperate climate. He says this is the first time he and his brother have been able to spend this much time together.

Watts has returned to Bakersfield, California, where summer is right around the corner and he’s been enjoying the warmer weather (mid-to-high teens Celsius). His local golf course remains open with certain restrictions, so he’s been able to get out and swing the sticks.

While they all do what they can to make the most of this unexpected downtime, they’re in agreement that this team had potential to run it back.

“When we had big games guys stepped up and competed hard, played hard, played within the structure, and I thought we had a great chance to repeat,” Hayes said.

Between the time that the regular season was paused and the playoffs were officially cancelled, a 12-day span that felt more like a month, the players were just like many of us, throwing around hypothetical ways that a playoff scenario could work.

Masella pondered a shortened format with best-of-five, best-of-three, or even single-game elimination series to determine the WHL championship.

“[Maybe] they could have also done it March Madness-style with all 16 teams and every winner moves on. Who knows, there’s a million different ways,” Masella said.

Unfortunately, the seriousness of the pandemic has eliminated any further possibilities for this season. The three 20-year-olds have had their WHL careers officially punctuated and can now look back on a full body of work.

Hayes is the only one of the three that was a Raider from day one, having been drafted in the ninth round back in 2014. Reflecting on his time as a Raider, he credits the coaching staff for developing him to the player he’s become, trusting him even when the team struggled.

“Coming in [2016-17] as a rookie, we weren’t a very good team, but we still played lots and I think that really helped us develop into the team we had last year. A lot of guys were on that team when we weren’t as dominant, but the coaches put us in a spot to succeed, and it showed,” Hayes said.

Masella started his career with the Victoria Royals, where he spent some time playing forward due to a crowded blue line. He appreciated the opportunity he had on the west coast but found new life when he was traded to Prince Albert ahead of the 2018 deadline.

“That’s when I got a real opportunity, and I definitely bonded with the coaching staff in PA with [Marc Habscheid] and [Dave Manson]. I’m super thankful that Curtis [Hunt] went out and pulled me in there,” Masella said, admitting that he didn’t know what to expect upon arrival in Prince Albert.

“I don’t think I would’ve ever said a good thing about P.A. [when I was in Victoria], but now living there the last couple years I can’t imagine ever saying a bad thing. It’s unbelievable.”

As for Watts, he had good reason to hold bitter feelings towards Prince Albert before joining the team this year. After all, he was a member of the Vancouver Giants who suffered a crushing loss at the Art Hauser Centre last May.

If there was a bitterness to start, it’s safe to say that’s gone now.

“P.A. was probably the best move of my career,” Watts said.

“I made so many memories this year with all the guys and just the city, things like my billets, everyone in the organization was awesome and amazing to me. Prince Albert will definitely have a special place in my heart forever.”

All three are in a similar situation with hopes to join the professional ranks this fall while knowing that the WHL scholarship program is there for them should they end up in school instead.

As they sit at home in Calgary or California or the Pacific Northwest, they have plenty of memories to go over as they look back at remarkable careers at the highest level of junior hockey.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden

by Trevor Redden

Graduating Raiders reflect on early ending

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