Prince Albert Raiders Begin 2026-27 With a New Core After Run to WHL Final

The Prince Albert Raiders will begin the 2026-27 Western Hockey League season with a 24-player roster featuring 15 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders.

Prince Albert enters the season following one of the strongest campaigns in franchise history. The Raiders finished 2025-26 with a 52-10-6 record, scoring 310 goals while allowing only 165. Their 110 points led the Eastern Conference and represented the franchise’s best regular season since its 2019 WHL championship.

The Raiders advanced through Red Deer, Saskatoon and Medicine Hat to capture the Eastern Conference championship before losing to the Everett Silvertips in the WHL Championship Series.

Repeating that success will be difficult.

Prince Albert lost several of the players responsible for last season’s dominant run, including Daxon Rudolph, Max Heise, Braeden Cootes, Aiden Oiring and Justice Christensen. Rudolph led the team with 78 points and added 26 more during the playoffs before being selected fourth overall by the Buffalo Sabres and committing to the University of Denver.

Heise, Oiring and Cootes were also significant contributors, leaving Prince Albert with substantial production to replace.

The Raiders are not beginning a complete rebuild, however. Their opening roster still includes multiple proven scorers, two NHL-drafted forwards, one of the top defencemen eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft and both goaltenders who helped produce the WHL’s best defensive record last season.

Brandon Gorzynski Is Ready to Lead the Offence

Brandon Gorzynski enters the season as one of Prince Albert’s most important returning players.

The Dallas Stars prospect began last season with the Calgary Hitmen, recording 13 goals and 16 assists in 27 games. After being acquired by Prince Albert in December, he produced 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points in only 38 games.

Across the two clubs, Gorzynski finished with 27 goals and 69 points in 65 games.

He added five goals and four assists in 12 playoff appearances for the Raiders.

Gorzynski’s production increased following the trade, but his value is not limited to offence. The 6-foot-3 winger plays with speed, applies pressure on the forecheck and uses his size to win possession. Elite Prospects describes him as a relentless checking forward who creates space through his physicality and work rate.

Dallas selected Gorzynski 126th overall in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

The Raiders included him on their opening roster, although he remained away at Dallas Stars camp when the roster was announced. Assuming he returns as expected, Gorzynski should be one of Prince Albert’s leading scorers and a central member of its leadership group.

His production after joining the Raiders translates to approximately 72 points across a full 68-game season. With Rudolph, Heise, Cootes and Oiring no longer occupying the leading offensive roles, Gorzynski should receive every opportunity to approach that total.

Riley Boychuk Is the Leading Returning Scorer

Riley Boychuk returns after producing the best season of his WHL career.

Boychuk recorded 15 goals and 44 assists for 59 points in 68 games last season. He finished second on the team in assists behind Rudolph and established himself as one of Prince Albert’s most reliable playmakers.

His 59 points represent a 30-point improvement over the 29 he recorded as a WHL rookie in 2024-25.

Boychuk is particularly effective when playing with pace and connecting with teammates through quick exchanges. His ability to distribute the puck should make him an important partner for Prince Albert’s more dangerous finishers.

The Raiders will need him to take another step.

Last season, Boychuk could operate behind a group that included Rudolph, Heise, Oiring, Cootes and Gorzynski. This year, he will be expected to drive a scoring line and help replace the opportunities created by those departed players.

A 60-point season should be a reasonable expectation. If his goal production increases, Boychuk could emerge as Prince Albert’s leading scorer.

Jonah Sivertson Brings NHL-Level Shooting Ability

Jonah Sivertson enters his second full WHL season after recording 24 goals and 29 assists for 53 points in 66 games.

The 6-foot-3 forward also finished at plus-46, one of the strongest ratings on a Prince Albert team that consistently controlled play.

Vegas selected Sivertson 113th overall in the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Draft. He remained at Golden Knights camp when Prince Albert announced its opening roster.

Sivertson’s shot is his most dangerous offensive weapon. He can receive and release the puck quickly, generate power without requiring additional time and score from outside the immediate crease area. He also showed more playmaking ability than his reputation as a shooter might suggest.

His playoff production was more modest, with three goals and seven assists in 20 games, but his regular-season performance demonstrated that he can already produce against WHL competition.

Prince Albert will need Sivertson to become one of its primary finishers.

He scored 24 goals while playing his first full WHL season. With increased power-play responsibility and more offensive minutes, reaching 30 goals is realistic.

Maddix McCagherty Provides Proven Secondary Scoring

Maddix McCagherty was another player whose production increased significantly after arriving in Prince Albert.

McCagherty began last season with the Wenatchee Wild, producing six goals and nine assists in 22 games. He recorded 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 points in 44 games after joining the Raiders.

That gave him 20 goals and 57 points across 66 regular-season games.

The 2006-born forward is one of Prince Albert’s three overage players and should be asked to provide experience on a roster that includes several teenagers entering their first full WHL seasons.

McCagherty’s 42 points with Prince Albert represented a 65-point pace over 68 games. He does not need to lead the team in scoring, but maintaining something close to that rate would give the Raiders another dependable top-six forward.

His ability to contribute immediately after changing teams also suggests that Prince Albert’s system suited him. A complete season with the Raiders could produce the best statistical campaign of his WHL career.

Alisher Sarkenov Could Become Prince Albert’s Breakout Star

Alisher Sarkenov may be the most compelling breakout candidate on the roster.

The Kazakhstan-born winger recorded 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points in only 47 games during his first WHL season. He finished at plus-35 and added five goals and five assists during Prince Albert’s playoff run.

His regular-season production translates to approximately 59 points across 68 games.

Sarkenov creates opportunities through intelligent movement away from the puck, quick passes in tight areas and an ability to find open space near the scoring areas. He does not require extended possession to influence an offensive sequence.

He also produced nine points in five games for Kazakhstan at the 2026 Division 1A World Junior Championship.

Sarkenov is committed to Western Michigan University for 2027-28, but remains with Prince Albert for the upcoming season.

With a complete WHL season and a larger role available, Sarkenov could challenge Gorzynski, Boychuk and Sivertson for the team scoring lead. Reaching 25 goals and 60 points would not be an unreasonable projection.

Prince Albert Still Has Experienced Depth

The Raiders’ offence is not limited to its leading four or five players.

Evan Smith returns after recording 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points last season. He added nine points in 19 playoff games and gives Prince Albert another experienced forward capable of playing throughout the lineup.

Carsyn Dyck joins the Raiders after spending the previous two seasons with the Portland Winterhawks. He recorded six goals and 14 points in 36 games last season and brings 105 games of WHL experience.

Cash Lanigan, Malaki Martin, Kyle Obobaifo, Ben Harvey and Connor Howe will compete for larger roles after spending time within the organization’s development system.

Prince Albert also recently acquired Carter Kingerski from the Tri-City Americans for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2030 WHL Prospects Draft.

Kingerski recorded three goals and seven assists in 45 games with Tri-City last season. His WHL production has been limited, but his earlier scoring history is notable. He produced 107 points in 34 games with the Winnipeg Wild U15 AAA program and later recorded 52 points in 43 U18 AAA games.

The Raiders are betting that a change of environment can help Kingerski rediscover some of that offensive confidence.

Athens Shingoose Is the Young Player to Watch

Athens Shingoose is the youngest player on Prince Albert’s opening roster.

Born in 2010, Shingoose recorded 15 goals and 16 assists in 30 games with RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg U18 Prep last season. He added six goals and three assists in four playoff games.

Shingoose also represented Manitoba at the WHL Cup, producing six goals and six assists in five games. He followed that with 11 points in four games at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship.

The transition into the WHL will present a significant challenge. Shingoose is entering a league in which many opponents will be three or four years older, physically stronger and more experienced.

Prince Albert does not need him to become an immediate top-six scorer.

His presence on the opening roster is still meaningful. Shingoose has consistently produced at every previous level, and his offensive instincts give him significant long-term potential.

If he earns regular minutes and adapts quickly to the pace of the WHL, he could become one of the most interesting young players on the roster by the second half of the season.

Brock Cripps Takes Control of the Blue Line

No player on Prince Albert’s roster faces a larger change in responsibility than Brock Cripps.

Cripps recorded six goals and 31 assists for 37 points in 62 games as a 16-year-old rookie. He finished at plus-33 before elevating his production during the playoffs.

In 20 postseason games, Cripps produced four goals and 17 assists for 21 points.

Only Rudolph recorded more playoff points among Prince Albert defencemen. Cripps’ 21 points also placed him among the leading playoff scorers at any position.

With Rudolph and Christensen gone, Cripps becomes the clear offensive centrepiece of the Raiders’ blue line.

He is already regarded as one of the leading prospects eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft. Elite Prospects placed him eighth in its early ranking, while several other scouting services have ranked him inside the top 20.

Cripps will be asked to quarterback the power play, drive offence from the back end and handle more difficult defensive assignments. He will no longer be developing behind Rudolph. He is now the defenceman Prince Albert will build around.

Matching last season’s regular-season production would already be impressive. If his playoff performance carries into the new season, Cripps could challenge for 50 points.

Replacing Daxon Rudolph Will Require a Group Effort

Replacing Rudolph cannot be treated as a one-player assignment.

The Buffalo Sabres prospect scored 28 goals and recorded 78 points in 68 games last season. He then added nine goals and 17 assists in 20 playoff games.

Those are extraordinary numbers for a defenceman.

Cripps can absorb part of that responsibility, but the Raiders will also need meaningful contributions from Hubert Clarke, Bennett Kelly, Darius Hordal, Kade Corbet, Liam Myhre and Latvian import Oskars Luks.

Luks is particularly intriguing.

The 6-foot-5, 214-pound defender recorded four goals and 20 assists in 39 games with Jukurit U18 in Finland last season. He also represented Latvia at the IIHF U18 World Championship and is eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft.

His size immediately changes the profile of Prince Albert’s defensive group. The question will be how quickly he adjusts to the smaller North American ice surface and the speed of WHL forechecking pressure.

Clarke and Kelly provide returning experience, while Corbet and Myhre represent younger pieces selected through the Raiders’ recent draft classes.

Prince Albert allowed only 165 goals last season. Maintaining that standard without Rudolph and Christensen will require its younger defenders to develop quickly.

Michal Orsulak Gives the Raiders Stability in Goal

The strongest argument for Prince Albert remaining competitive is its goaltending.

Michal Orsulak returns after posting a 28-4-3-1 record, a 2.22 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and four shutouts in 36 appearances.

He followed that with a 13-4 playoff record, a 2.46 goals-against average, a .900 save percentage and three shutouts as the Raiders advanced to the WHL final.

The Detroit Red Wings selected Orsulak 79th overall in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft.

At 6-foot-4 and approximately 220 pounds, Orsulak possesses the size NHL teams covet. He also catches with his right hand, giving shooters a less familiar visual when attacking him.

Prince Albert’s roster announcement confirmed that Orsulak will return for the season. That gives the Raiders an established starter capable of keeping the team competitive while its defence adjusts to significant personnel changes.

Orsulak will also have an opportunity to handle a larger workload. He played 36 regular-season games last year as part of an effective tandem. Reaching 45 or more appearances would not be surprising this season.

Steele Bass Is More Than a Traditional Backup

Steele Bass gives Prince Albert another goaltender with strong WHL results.

Bass appeared in 16 games for the Raiders last season, posting an 11-4-1 record, a 1.94 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage and three shutouts.

He also played nine games for the Battlefords North Stars, where he recorded a .924 save percentage.

Bass’ numbers mean Prince Albert should not need to overwork Orsulak. The Raiders can continue using both goaltenders and should remain comfortable starting Bass during difficult portions of the schedule.

The tandem was one of the league’s best last season. Even with a younger defensive group in front of them, Orsulak and Bass give Prince Albert a strong foundation.

The Raiders Are Rebuilding Without Starting Over

Prince Albert will not begin the season with the same overwhelming depth that carried it to 52 wins and an Eastern Conference championship.

Rudolph was one of the best players in junior hockey. Heise, Cootes and Oiring gave the Raiders multiple high-end scoring options, while Christensen provided experience on the blue line.

Those losses will be felt.

This is not, however, an empty roster.

Gorzynski produced at better than a point-per-game pace after arriving in Prince Albert. Boychuk recorded 59 points, Sivertson scored 24 goals as a rookie and Sarkenov produced 41 points in only 47 games.

McCagherty, Smith and Dyck provide experience. Shingoose brings significant long-term potential. Cripps is one of the leading prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft, while Orsulak and Bass form a proven goaltending tandem.

The Raiders should not be expected to repeat a 110-point regular season. Their defence has changed considerably, their leading offensive players will face more difficult assignments and several young players must adjust to expanded roles.

They should nevertheless remain competitive in the Eastern Conference.

Prince Albert’s championship window has changed, but it has not necessarily closed. The Raiders still possess enough high-end talent, scoring depth and goaltending to return to the playoffs and become a difficult opponent once they get there.

The central question is no longer whether Prince Albert has talent.

It is whether the next generation can replace enough of what last year’s finalists left behind.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arik Krause

Editor

Arik Krause is the Founder/COO of NetFront Sports