'We view ourselves as a wolf pack': Saskatoon Blades set for playoff tilt against Raiders
The rivalry between the Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades is about to heat up.
Both teams are set to clash in the first round of the WHL playoffs, which begin Thursday night at SaskTel Centre.
And although the stakes are high, and emotion couldn’t be higher, Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said his team will be disciplined.
“It’s on our wall, it’s part of our values — we view ourselves as a wolf pack. We’re just going to keep coming and coming and coming. And we’re gonna run and hunt and chase, and run and hunt and chase. And were just gonna’ keep coming. And you do that between the whistles,” Sonne said Monday.
“It has nothing to do with ego, or the war of words. There is no Connor McGregors in here. We’re just a wolf pack that are going to run and chase and hunt and bite and keep goin.”
The Blades downed the Raiders 5-0 on Saturday, and 5-1 on Friday night, capping off the season with two convincing victories over the first round playoff opponent.
Saskatoon finished with the best record in the WHL, notching their first 50-win season since 2010-11.
Prince Albert finished the season with 67 points, staying ahead of the Calgary Hitmen for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The last time the Blades and Raiders met in the playoffs was in the second round of 2019 when the Raiders took the series in six games. That season, Prince Albert went on to win the WHL Championship, defeating the Vancouver Giants in seven games.
The Blades are coming off a conference final appearance last season. It was the first appearance in the third round for Saskatoon since 1994.
This season, expectations are high for the Blades to overcome that barrier, and one player who brings playoff experience is Fraser Minten.
“I think I’ve played almost close to 30 games now in the playoffs, the memorial cup, too, so I’m used to it and know how exciting it can be. And how emotional it can be, too. So, I think all good experiences to draw back on from trying to not get too high and not get too low; stay present; stay even keeled and focus on the game,” Minten said.
Defenceman Charlie Wright says he will be feeding off the crowd.
“You can feel the energy in the building with lots of people there. You definitely get a little bit more amped up yourself too for these big time games.”
Tickets for games one and two went on sale Monday morning, with several sections in the upper bowl at SaskTel Centre opened up for fans.
Puck drop for game one is 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.