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FELIX17
05-05-2006, 10:58 AM
Cole Penner Already Proud to be a Raider

From The Medicine Hat News

Cole Penner already has a head start in his hockey future. He already knows the lyrics to "the Song in Prince Albert is Go Raiders Go."

The 15-year-old star left-winger from the Medicine Hat Hockey Hounds bantam AAA team was selected by the Prince Albert Raiders fourth overall in the WHL Bantam Draft held Thursday in Calgary.
During the Hounds' run to the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League (AMBHL) championship, Chris Schlenker, the team's assistant coach and a Raiders alumnus, played his old WHL team's classic fight song for the Hounds.

"It got stuck in my head," said Penner, who stands 6-feet tall and weighs
185 pounds. "We always played it before every game. Now I can say I am a
Raider now and sing that song proudly."

Penner was a highly touted prospect in the draft. As the Hounds captain, he
netted 47 goals and 29 assists in 31 regular season games. In the AMBHL
playoffs, he added another 16 goals and 14 assists in 13 contests helping
his team win the league title. While he has posted impressive numbers, Penner took his draft selection in a
humble manner.

"Just to be drafted is an honour, and to be (picked) that high, it is very
special," said Penner, who was the AMBHL South Division MVP and most
outstanding forward. "I have heard (the Raiders are) a great organization
from (Schlenker). He said it is an awesome place to play.

"I am going to take his word for it. I am going to go out there and just
work really hard."

Traditionally, the Raiders play a more physical and aggressive style of
hockey. With the implemented rule changes designed to create a more
offensive game, the Raiders are looking for players with Penner's skill.

"Our town likes a rough and tumble team, and the game is changing to the
point where speed and skill are going to be what the game is about," said
Raiders head scout Dave O'Brien over the phone from Calgary. "He (Penner) is
a gritty guy, but he can score and he has a great set of hands. He has world
class skill."

O'Brien said a big selling point in picking Penner was his performance in
the post-season.

"He played on a team where the second level of scoring was probably not as
quite as good as it should have been," said O'Brien. "All the way along in
the playoffs, the other teams focused on him.

"He still found a way to lead the playoff scoring by a country mile. I saw
him play a lot in the playoffs, and I thought he did a tremendous job of
battling through. He was a big part of that team winning."

The Raiders head scout also received a good reference from Schlenker.

"Chris Schlenker is one of the best kids we have had in Prince Albert since
I have been involved," said O'Brien. "To have him to go to bat for Cole as a
person says a lot.

"Picking fourth in the draft, you have a lot of options and a lot of guys
you can look at. When you know he (Penner) is a great player and you get
someone you trust telling you he is a great person, it makes it easy."

O'Brien went on to add that Penner was a player that could play for the
Raiders right now. Penner shrugged off that assessment.

"I am not sure about that," said Penner, who won't get a shot to make the
club full time for another year. "I think I have a lot of work to do here in
the summer yet.

"I know they will treat me well. I am just going to go out there and work
hard and bring to the table what I have to show to them."

Good article. Can't wait to see this kid in a Raider uniform!

Knuckle Chucker
05-05-2006, 11:35 AM
Sounds like he is a solid pick. Chris endorsing him says a lot IMO

Dwight Schrute
05-05-2006, 01:29 PM
be nice to see chris behind our bench .
i'd welcome back the schlenker show. and he can replace drew wilson ANYDAY !

FELIX17
05-05-2006, 01:38 PM
be nice to see chris behind our bench .

I was thinking the same thing. IMO, you will see him somewhere in the WHL down the road.

Dwight Schrute
05-05-2006, 07:20 PM
so how does andy smith centreing cole penner and jordon trach sound to you guys ??? :thumb:

Triton
05-05-2006, 09:53 PM
so how does andy smith centreing cole penner and jordon trach sound to you guys ??? :thumb:

We'll see in a couple years.