Birch Hills, Sask.- The Prince Albert Raiders players are a staple at minor hockey practices across the city.
But as one of the largest cities in the province, Prince Albert also serves as a hub for outlying communities- and hockey fans.
So when Birch Hills mayor Stewart Adams floated the idea for the team to come visit the town for a practice and skate, the team was all aboard.
The town of roughly 1,000 people lies about 40 kilometres south of Prince Albert.
On January 20, fans packed the Hesje Centre to see the East Division leaders in action and get on the ice afterward.
“Lots of those smaller communities often come into P.A. for some their needs and stuff, so they know the Raiders are a big part of Prince Albert and they come out and support us,” Captain Justice Christensen said. “When we can get into their communities and check out where they’re from and things like that and spend some time with the kids, it’s always an honour.”
Thank you again to Birch Hills for having us out yesterday for an afternoon of fun! pic.twitter.com/1Yh1EYZGvr
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) January 21, 2025
About 24 kids of various age groups hit the ice with the team to practice their skills and pepper the players with questions.
Christensen noted the youngsters were particularly interested in the gear the Raiders used- especially their green hockey sticks.
“A dad came up to me after and he said, ‘My son just told me this was the best day of my life,'” Christensen grinned. ‘That was that was super awesome, that kind of made my day.”
Adams also hopes events like this one can help forge a bond between the communities.
“I think it’s positive for the players and it’s an opportunity for these guys to work with kids again,” Adams said. “We welcome them in this community, and I hope it builds more support for the Raiders from within Birch Hills. I think it’s an opportunity for the community to get to grow and come together and find common ground.
The opportunity is always there with sports to become leaders and team players.”
The Western Hockey League strives to promote and foster a welcoming environment in communities close to our 22 clubs in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Every team has the creative freedom to allow their players and staff to work with the organizations and groups that they are most passionate about. The end goal is to create and maintain long-lasting relationships and ongoing partnerships within their community.
Through the McSweeney’s WHL Community Collective, we aim to highlight these outstanding initiatives done by each club throughout the season.
