(Prince Albert Raiders/Facebook)

By Nick Nielsen

hear from new assistant coach Bell

Introducing Raiders new assistant coach Bell heading into camp

Aug 13, 2025 | 3:53 PM

The weeks are counting down until the start of camp for the Prince Albert Raiders, and the coaching staff lead by Head Coach Ryan McDonald is already discussing practice plans and strategy.

It was announced earlier in the summer that McDonald was going to be given the reigns as Head Coach after leading the team to their first playoff win since the 2019 championship. What was only announced recently was that Assistant Coach Conor Yawney is also returning for his second season with the team.

After going through a coaching change weeks before playoffs started that forced both McDonald and Yawney take on more responsibilities, McDonald is happy to know he has already has that established relationships with one of his assistant coaches going into his first full year as a head coach.

“I’m really excited to have Yawney back. Great relationship, we work well together and I’m really excited for what the season can bring,” he said.

The other news for the Raiders coaching staff is the hiring of Cole Bell. The Davenport, Iowa native has a coaching career that’s taken him to different leagues all over the U.S., from college hockey with in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and NCAA Division III, to junior hockey in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and the USHL, and even to the professional ranks with a year in the ECHL.

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“He just meshes really well with us. From an age dynamic as well, too, all three of us are roughly around the same age, and I think work ethic wise and we think the game the same way and all complement each other,” McDonald said.

As for Bell himself, he’s only made it to Prince Albert in the last few days but is already sitting in the coach’s room helping to plan what camp is going to look like. Part of what made Bell the right fit for the Raiders coaching staff was that he has a similar philosophy to McDonald and Yawney.

“I think when it comes down to it, no matter what level you’re coaching at it, it all starts with relationships and getting to know the players and the people that you’re working with, and having a respect for them and enjoying their presence and their company. I think that applies here (in junior), it applies to pro hockey, it applies to youth hockey, and everywhere in between, and it helps me do my job. I genuinely care about the people you’re around, but also understanding where they come from and their perspective and how they view things and how they handle adversity and handle good things that are happening to them helps me kind of form my message and help them along their path,” he said.

The last two seasons, Bell has served as a scout for the Madison Capitols of the USHL, but was also overseas as an assistant coach for China’s international teams at different levels, working under former NHL assistant coach Perry Pearn. The last two years were a challenge for Bell, not only having to coach through a significant language barrier, but also the challenge of helping China’s hockey program grow with their own players.

“That was an amazing experience there. Chinese hockey was kind of going through a transition when we got there two years ago. It was the first time in a long time that the national team was made-up of Chinese nationals rather than any kind of import players, and those guys took a lot of pride in that opportunity and that responsibility to represent their country. Just a fantastic group of young men to work with.”

For Bell, he has wanted to work in the WHL for a number of years, and the move also helps him get closer to some of his wife’s family in central Alberta.

“I’ve been very interested in working in this league for a long time. To be closer to her family, that was important to me, and obviously a pretty high level of hockey too. You could argue and probably strongly argue that this is the best Junior League in the world right now, and to be able to come here and help these guys accomplish their dreams of playing in the NHL or playing pro hockey is a pretty special opportunity.”

With camp set to start in just a few weeks, McDonald is excited for not only this coming season, but the long term future of the Raiders. With a young coaching staff, a team that has a young core, and more prospects coming to camp than before, the Raiders are set up with a group that could be together for years to come.

“It’s exciting. I mean, you take things year by year, you take things month by month by month as the season starts. For us, it’s getting everybody back in for camp and continuing to build on our game, like you heard me talk about so much last year, and keep hammering home on our habits and making sure that we’re ready for puck drop game one.”