(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Raiders Hockey

Raiders avoided the COVID postponements until now

Jan 7, 2022 | 12:28 PM

The Prince Albert Raiders had a good run of avoiding COVID-19-related postponements and protocols.

After the holiday break, they were one of three teams in the WHL that did not have any players or coaches in COVID-19 protocols. But this week, that unfortunately came to an end.

Both of the Raiders’ games that were scheduled for this weekend have been postponed, including the scheduled home game Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre. Their would-be opponents, the Swift Current Broncos, had eight players in COVID-19 protocol according to the WHL Weekly Report that was released on Tuesday, including their workhorse starting goaltender Isaac Poulter, and their top two point-scorers, Mathew Ward and Josh Filmon.

The Raiders now have one player in protocol, Trevor Thurston, who was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Hurricanes had to pause all team activities after having 14 players in protocol last week.

The Raiders and Broncos’ situation is hardly an outlier though, as almost all of this weekend’s games have been pushed back. Out of the 20 scheduled games on Friday and Saturday, 18 of them have been postponed, including all 10 of Friday’s games. Out of the 18 pushbacks, 16 of them are COVID-related. The other two have to do with weather in the Pacific North West, as games in Seattle and Everett have been postponed.

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Since the holiday break and the emergence of the ever-spreading Omicron variant, the WHL has been in a constant state of pausing and postponing.

On Dec. 29, the Portland Winterhawks and Tri-City Americans couldn’t play as goaltenders on both sides were suffering from injuries or had entered COVID-19 protocols.

Later on Dec. 29, four regular-season games scheduled in Manitoba were postponed after provincial restrictions capped attendance for sporting events at just 250 people. That makes playing major junior hockey games that rely on ticket sales to make money not very feasible.

Then came the team pausing. The Broncos were the first team since the holiday break to pause all team activities after having four players in COVID-19 protocol on Dec. 30. They have yet to play a game since, as have the Lethbridge Hurricanes who were paused on New Year’s Day after having 14 players in protocol. On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oil Kings, Moose Jaw Warriors, and Red Deer Rebels were all forced to pause and postpone their upcoming games.

It’s unclear when the Raiders will next be able to actually play a game. Their next four scheduled games are all next week in Alberta; against the currently-paused Oil Kings on Jan. 11, the currently-paused Rebels on Jan. 12 and the currently-paused Hurricanes on Jan. 14. The only game of the road trip that is not against a team that is in a COVID-related pause are the Calgary Hitmen, scheduled for Jan. 15.

The Raiders’ next home game on their schedule is on Jan. 21 against the Winnipeg ICE, who can’t play games in their home province.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW