The Prince Albert Raiders are the first ones to the party.
The Eastern Conference leaders have qualified for the 2026 WHL Playoffs after gaining one point in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Calgary Hitmen on Wednesday night.
Vancouver Canucks prospect and 2026 WHL Trade Deadline acquisition Braeden Cootes scored a late-game-tying goal to secure the single point needed for Prince Albert to qualify.
With a 37-7-5-0 record, the Raiders sit second in the WHL’s overall standings and remain within striking distance of the reigning Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy champion Everett Silvertips.
The Raiders are also chasing a second consecutive East Division title as the group continues one of the franchise’s best seasons since winning it all in 2019.
Prince Albert has flexed its depth this year by cementing itself as one of the WHL’s highest scoring squads while allowing precious few goals against.
The group boasts five players who have surpassed the 20-goal mark, headlined by San Jose Sharks prospect Max Heise, Dallas Stars pick Brandon Gorzynski and top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Daxon Rudolph.
Rudolph, 17, was ranked sixth among all North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm player rankings and has already smashed his point totals from his rookie year.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound blueliner was also named an Eastern Conference finalist for the 2025 Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy, which recognized the WHL’s Rookie of the Year.
Between the pipes, fellow draft-eligible Michal Orsulak’s first North American season has given the Raiders faithful plenty to cheer about.
Fresh off of winning silver at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, the Czech product is 16-4-3-0 with a 2.45 goals-against average and .900 save percentage and two shutouts.
He sits second in GAA among all WHL netminders.
Orsulak, 18, sits second among all North American netminders in NHL CSS’s midterm projection.
This marks the third-straight season Prince Albert has qualified for the postseason.
Saskatchewan’s northernmost club has hoisted the Ed Chynoweth Cup twice- reigning as league champion in 1985, when captain Dan Hodgson led the team to its first Memorial Cup, and most recently in 2019, powered by current NHLers like Kaiden Guhle, Aliaksei Protas, Ozzy Wiesblatt and Brayden Pachal.
Prince Albert is in the home stretch of the season with 20 regular-season games remaining, starting with a four-game homestand at the Art Hauser Centre.
Stay up to date on the race for the WHL Playoffs and catch the NHL’s stars of tomorrow for free by streaming on Victory+.
