Tikhon Chaika has been an absolute workhorse in the Raiders' crease. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Raiders Hockey

Chaika chasing Raiders’ rearguard record; can’t stop, won’t stop playing games

Jan 27, 2022 | 4:55 PM

Due to visa issues while trying to depart his native Belarus, Tikhon Chaika couldn’t report to the Prince Albert Raiders until the fourth week of this WHL season.

But Chaika has certainly made up for lost time.

He’s appeared in 21 consecutive games for the Raiders, dating back to Nov. 24. That’s the longest regular-season streak for a Raiders’ goaltender since Rejean Beauchemin played in the first 23 games of the 2003-04 season—the franchise record for consecutive appearances in the WHL internet era. Chaika is currently tied with Evan Lindsay, who also played in 21 straight games in the 1996-97 season.

Other than Chaika, the Raiders’ crease has been a game of musical chairs. Carter Serhyenko was set to be the starter in his 19-year-old season but has since been reassigned to the Penticton Vees, the Junior A powerhouse in the BCHL. Other options like Cole Tisdale and Ronin Geraghty have also been acquired this season by the Raiders, only to also be reassigned to Junior A.

Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid has relied heavily on Chaika to steady the ship as a result, something that has not gone unnoticed.

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“The confidence of the coaches is really important and so serious for me,” Chaika said. “I’m so thankful for this time. I always try my best. That’s it.”

It isn’t just the coaching staff Chaika has won over. Raiders defenceman and assistant captain Remy Aquilon said Chaika has not only made huge strides since his arrival but has worked his way to be one of the team’s key players.

“He’s done awesome. He’s a huge part of the team and he’s really picked his game up since the start of the year,” Aquilon said. “He’s been someone back there that we can count on, and when we need a save, we can count on him to do that. That’s a huge thing for the D, and especially for the whole team as a confidence booster.”

Players don’t play huge stretches of games without some help from the medical staff. Chaika credits Raiders’ strength and conditional coach Terry Lange for Lange’s programs and assistance to continue to perform during this big stretch of consecutive games.

“We got a pretty good physical coach, Terry. Now, I just focus to recover after the game all the time. No workout, just stretch, yoga, something like this. It’s really helped me. I’m so thankful for Terry, for his work,” Chaika said.

Even though he missed almost a month of the regular season, Chaika has still appeared in 25 of the Raiders’ 39 games. He has a 9-11-0-1 record, with a 3.10 goals against average and 0.892 save percentage.

The Raiders will play the Regina Pats on Friday at the Brandt Centre. Check out Rob Mahon’s call of the game on CKBI starting at 6:30 p.m.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW