vs Brandon

[TalkHockey]

I dont have much to say about tonights game, we played just as good as Brandon did. Get rid of a certain player who leads the league in minor penalties and took 2 more tonight and who coughed up the puck for the 6th goal and I think that the raiders have a legitimate chance to win.
A weak first goal holowenko let in however we put up enough effort that would get a win on most nights.

One bad apple on this team is costing us games and until something is done about it I am going to refrain from posting on this site as one only has so much tolerance for watching a good team on paper suck on the ice.

[puckdad]

After watching the last 2 games against Brandon, I was struck by the difference in the 2 teams. Both teams are located in similarly-sized cities, play in comparable facilities, with Brandon's rink seating more than the AHC. Both have a GM, Director of Player Personnel, Head Coach, 2 Assistants Coaches, Goal-tending Consultant, and Athletic Trainer. The similarities end there.

Brandon has a single owner, Kelly McKrimmon, a knowledgeable hockey personality, with a vision for the team both financially and on the ice.
Prince Albert has Board of Directors consisting of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and 9 Directors, each with their own thoughts and views of the team and its role. What contributions these 12 make to the decision processes that govern the running of this team are not very evident. The franchise is simply not successful on the ice or in the bank. 12 individuals doing what? Surely a more realistic number is a maximum of 5. If they are truly business-minded individuals, they would take a long look at what they bring to the table and trim the deadwood.

Brandon seems to have an eye for hockey talent, with a strong local flavor. Look at the number of Manitoba kids on their roster and in their system. They draft with a purpose, to fill a projected need on the team in upcoming years. They take the best players available in the early rounds, then pursue solid local prospects in the later rounds. Those locals have friends & family that put butts in the seats.
Prince Albert seems to draft haphazardly, without a solid plan for the future. The only local kids on the team are Lange from PA and Herrod & Fiddler from Meadow Lake. They consistently overlook solid players (recent examples: Seaman of Brandon played bantam in Tisdale, Roy from Brandon played bantam in Meadow Lake, Fiddler the former Calgary Hitmen captain played bantam in PA and for the Mintos) who play in their own back yard in search of prospects from BC or Alberta.

Brandon drafts players capable of playing in this league, and many of them do, if not for Brandon, then stockpiled as prospects and used in trades for capable players to fill a specific role(eg. Hosting Memorial Cup 2 years ago).
Prince Albert's drafts have been a crap-shoot: Example: PA drafted 12 players in the '09 bantam draft. 3 are still in the Raider system; Winther, 1st round, Danyluk, 2nd round, Lange, 4th round. (Maybe Feibelkorn, I don't know if he's still on the 50).

McKrimmon has a loan shark's personality when it comes to dealing players. Look at the deal he made last year with Saskatoon for Brayden Schenn. They'll turn Nikkel, McGauley, etal into blue chip prospects that will win the franchise a lot of games for years to come.
PA holds onto mature players beyond their trade value in the hopes of winning a few more games that season. Or it misjudges players' value and holds them when they are without value as players or as part of a trade deal. (Brock Balson, anyone?)

The biggest difference, though is player development. Look at Brandon last year. They loaded up to host the Mem Cup in '10, and everyone thought they would suck last year. Well, at the start of the season they did, losing 9 straight at one time, and 10 in a row later in the year. What KM did during those losses was let the young players play. In all situations. They learned from their mistakes, and ended up a pretty good team in the 2nd half of the season. Finished ahead of PA and their veteran-loaded team. It has paid off big time this year. Brandon has probably the best young blue line in the league. Roy and Pulock lead all WHL defensemen in scoring, and Fransoo is real good at both ends. They'll be set on D for a good # of years.
Raiders trade prospects for other teams cast-offs and malcontents (eg. Teal Burns). They play the 19-year olds at the expense of the 16 and 17-year old prospects (Exception: Morrissey), so it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle. Next year the players who have been with the team for a year or 2 who should be developing and able to step up and take a leading role don't have the experience to do so, so you have to bring in someone else's 19-year-olds again (Sounds a lot like Berry-Lamontagna).

Brandon uses line combination s that allow younger players to play alongside veterans to give them confidence and put them in a position to succeed.
PA will place a young player on the 4th line with the least skilled players and hope they don't get scored on.

Brandon keeps the same key people in position for years. Success breeds success as players actually want to play there, even though they have the hardest travel schedule of anyone in the league. Notable exception: Bringing Cory Clouston on board as coach this year. They are a much more defensively sound team under his tutelage.
PA has had a revolving door of coaches, GM's Scouts, etc. and it shows. This year is the culmination of 5 futile years of rebuilding, that will start all over again next season under a new regime.

Brandon seems to find a way to win. Power play is one of the league's best. PK improving. Even Miller scored vs PA. They will find a way to beat you.
PA seems to find a way not to win. Power play is hard to watch and not a threat to score. Short-handed goals against, untimely penalties, bad bounces, broken sticks, missed opportunities. Sometimes they just plain beat themselves.

Brandon is used to winning and expects to be in the playoffs every year.
PA has accepted losing and hopes to make the playoffs every year.

[Sabes]

Best post i have read on here. Hands down

[AAAScout]

could also mention that Seamens and Roy also played for the Mintos here in prince Albert.

Very good post

[puckdad]

They were both drafted by the time they played here for the Mintos. Roy was 18th overall and Seaman was available 'til the 4rth round. Picked ahead of Tyrell that year, PA chose Connor Sutton in the 3rd and Brent Lashuk as one of 3 4rth Round picks. Tyler Fiddler was undrafted out of bantam and listed by Calgary. He played on a pretty good Minto team out of the same rink and whose dressing room is 50 feet from the Raiders' coaches office. On an interesting side note, Ryan Pulock was not chosen until the 7th round and was drafted out of Bantam as a centreman. Looks like he made the transition to D pretty well, taking Morgan Reilly's spot on the WHL Roster for the Subway Series due to his injury.

[Joe Hallenback]

Well said Puckdad

[the voice]

I believe Pulock played defense up til bantam, was dominant at it and also logged 40-55 minutes of icetime. So it's no surprise he's a good d man.