Longtime Prince Albert Raiders netminder Max Hildebrand is one of eight current and former Raiders to be named to an NHL Development Camp, skating in Los Angeles with the Kings. Here, he's seen saluting the Art Hauser Centre crowd following a game last season. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)
Going Camping

Locals and Raiders among names at NHL Development Camps

Jul 2, 2025 | 1:15 PM

The Prince Albert and North Central areas of the province are well represented at NHL Development Camps this week.

Among those attending camps with one of the 32 NHL clubs include eight current and former Raiders and a handful of players who were born around the area.

Starting off with the locals, two players hail from Prince Albert, growing up and learning the sport in Hockeytown North. The first is forward Brayden Yager, who is at the Jets Development Camp in Winnipeg. Yager was drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2023 draft, but was dealt to Winnipeg in a 2024 trade that sent Rutger McGroarty south of the border. In the WHL last season, Yager was traded in a blockbuster that sent him from Moose Jaw to Lethbridge, where he combined for 82 points (25G-57A) in 54 games.

The second local talent whose gone camping is netminder Jayden Kraus, who did not hear his name called in last week’s draft. Despite the disappointment though, the 2006-born puck stopper is down in Denver this week after receiving an invite for the Colorado Avalanche development camp. This past season with Victoria, the former Minto posted a 25-8-4-5 (W-L-OTL) record with a 2.86 GAA and a .908 SV%.

Other local players attending camps this week include Porcupine Plain native Tarin Smith attending Anaheim Ducks camp, Melfort’s Nate Misskey at San Jose Sharks camp, Meadow Lake’s Dawson Gerwing in L.A. for Kings camp, and Waldheim’s Alex Worthington who’s with Yager in Winnipeg.

Smith played in Everett this past season with the Silvertips and managed 16 goals and 44 assists as one of the club’s alternate captains. Meanwhile, Misskey nearly had a 50-point season in Victoria, posting 10 goals and 37 assists, while Gerwing split his season between Swift Current and Kelowna, tallying 28 points (15G-13A) in 58 games with both teams. Worthington is the other local goaltender attending camp this year after posting a 22-18-0-2 record with a 2.99 GAA and .902 SV% with Edmonton.

Kraus isn’t the only connection that P.A. has to Colorado this year as Raiders graduate from this season Rilen Kovacevic inked an AHL contract with the Colorado Eagles while also attending Avalanche camp. Kovacevic was acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors at the 2025 trade deadline and suited up in 27 games for the Raiders this season, scoring five goals and 19 assists in the Green and Gold.

Fellow graduate from this season and WHL Goaltender of the Year Max Hildebrand has also gone camping, heading to Hollywood for L.A. Kings camp. Hildebrand spent his entire WHL tenure with the Raiders with 2024-25 being his best by far, managing a 31-15-5-0 record to go with a 2.87 GAA and .918 SV%. The Martensville product is set to play at Bemidji State University in Minnesota next season.

Raiders leading scorer from last season Tomas Mrsic is off to St. Louis for Blues camp. The left winger had a team high 90 points (33G-57A) in the Green and Gold after he was acquired from Medicine Hat in the 2024 offseason. Despite being eligible to return to P.A., Mrsic is opting to take the college route and will head to Colorado College in NCAA Div I next season. Also new to the Raiders last year was Lukas Dragicevic, who is at Kraken camp in Seattle. Like Mrsic, Dragicevic was brought to P.A. via a trade with Tri-City, and he lit up the blueline in his first season in Hockeytown North. The Richmond, B.C. native managed a career-high in goals with 18 while tacking on 52 assists.

The newest face to Prince Albert is also the latest NHL drafted player for the team, despite having never played a game for the Raiders. Max Heise was signed to the team on June 25 and heard his named called at the draft just a few days later, going in the fifth round to San Jose where he’s at Sharks camp this week. The Calgary native registered a career-high 40 points (27G-13A) with Penticton in the BCHL last season.

Three former Raiders also received invites to camps this week, including former captain Sloan Stanick, defenceman Terrell Goldsmith, and German import Norwin Panocha.

Stanick is with the Golden Knights in Vegas following a solid season with their ECHL affliate Tahoe Knight Monsters. Stanick led the team in scoring in his rookie season, netting 79 points (29G-50A) in 70 games with the club. While in P.A., Stanick appeared in 196 games for the Raiders, scoring 193 career points (81G-112A).

Meanwhile, Goldsmith is in Utah, skating with the Mammoth. After his lone season with Tri-City in 2024-25, the big body blueliner tallied four goals and 12 assists in 56 games before a scary injury took him out for the remainder of the year. With the Raiders, Goldsmith scored 30 points (10G-20A) in 185 games across four seasons. He’s set to play with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners next year.

Finally, Panocha is the lone Raider headed to the Eastern Conference as he’s in Buffalo with the Sabres. The Bayreuth, Germany forward was selected by P.A. in the 2024 CHL Import Draft with the 26th overall pick. He appeared in just three games for the Raiders before being cut, and eventually found his way back to Europe and is currently signed with Eisbären Berlin in the DEL, the top pro league in Germany.

NHL Development Camps began on June 30 and wrap up July 3.

loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

On Bluesky: @loganlehmann.bsky.social

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