Crazy train Ozzy staying put in Prince Albert as Raiders don’t budge on trade deadline day

“In the end, it isn’t so much about picks to me, it’s about what players come back,” Hunt added. “Because there’s a couple different journeys here, there’s Ozzy’s journey, there’s the journey of the club and the franchise, and there’s the journey of 21 other players. Right now, we’re four games back, we’ve yet to be healthy 100 per cent here after Christmas, and we feel we can push for the postseason.”

But it’s not like Hunt sat on his thumbs for the first half of this year. He made 11 trades, including dealing the eventual captain of the Canadian World Junior team in Kaiden Guhle to the Edmonton Oil Kings, for top line forward Carson Latimer, defenceman Eric Johnston, the 13^th overall pick in the 2021 draft (the Raiders drafted Cole Peardon with this pick), a conditional third round pick in 2025 and a sixth rounder in 2022.

Another big move the Raiders made this year was acquiring Sloan Stanick from the Regina Pats, who has also blossomed into a top-line forward role with the Raiders.

“I like our group. The addition of Stanick and Latimer early has given us a legitimate top line that can play with anybody, with Ozzy in the middle. We found some magic, well the coaches did, with the Vitelli [of captain Reece Vitelli in the middle of fellow veterans Keaton Sorensen and Cale Sanders]. Those guys play a big, heavy game, they’re older players, so they can play against anybody.”

Hunt has also been encouraged with how well Tikhon Chaika has taken over as the Raiders’ workhorse goaltender, making appearances in all of the past 14 games for the Raiders, and how Johnston is filling in on the blueline.

Mintos on the move

Of the five moves that were made on Monday’s trade deadline day, two involved former Mintos. Logan Barlage scored 76 points for the Mintos in the 2016-17 season, the highest point total since Tyler Fiddler had 88 points in the 2007-08 year. Barlage was dealt from the Lethbridge Hurricanes to the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for Carson Hopwo. The Hurricanes also gave the Tigers a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft in the deal.

And Kamloops Blazers forward Josh Pillar was dealt to his hometown Saskatoon Blades in exchange for a second round draft choice in 2024 and a third rounder in 2022. Pillar had 50 points in 44 games for the Mintos in the 2017-18 season.

The Raiders take on the Red Deer Rebels Monday night at 8 p.m. Saskatchewan time, before taking on the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday, also at 8 p.m. Check out Rob Mahon’s calls for the game on CKBI.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW

by Jeff D’Andrea

Crazy train Ozzy staying put in Prince Albert as Raiders don’t budge on trade deadline day

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