Howe scores twice as Raiders defeat Pats on opening night

Connor Howe might just as well have been known as Gordie Howe on Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre.

The hometown kid scored two back-to-back goals in the first period as his Prince Albert Raiders went on to defeat the Regina Pats 7-4 on the opening night of the WHL regular season.

It was a banner night all around for the Raiders, who raised their East Division and Eastern Conference championship banners from last season to kick off the 2026-27 campaign.

Opening nights are always a big deal, especially in Hockey Town North for the likes of Howe, who has grown up in Prince Albert and appreciates the magic of home-openers from both a fan’s perspective and now as a second-year Raiders forward.

“Of course, me and my family would always try to get to every single home-opener and every Raider game we could,” said Howe, 17. “I’ve always cheered for them growing up, so to play for them is truly special.”

Making the most of his five-foot-seven, 180-pound frame, Howe set the Raiders up for success as he helped them gain a 3-0 lead in the first period, much to the delight of almost 3,000 fans who showed up for the season kickoff.

“The hometown crowd, there’s always some love there for everybody,” he said. “Just the home-opener excitement, it really pumps up the guys. The fans are really good.”

Howe served up plenty of home-cookin’ as he meshed well with linemates Ben Harvey and Maddix McCagherty, two of the stars from Prince Albert’s pre-season. The trio combined for nine points Friday, including a short-handed, empty-net goal and three assists from Harvey and a goal and two assists from McCagherty.

“Our line was really connecting,” said Howe, younger brother of Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospect and former Regina captain Tanner Howe. “We were finding each other really good. I think we were ahead of the play. The chemistry with me and Harv last year, then Cags jumping in there, I thought we played really good together.”

Raiders coach Ryan McDonald had the same opinion.

“I thought that line was really good and dangerous all night,” McDonald said. “Really sustained some pressure for us and was able to tilt the ice back in our favour when we needed to.

“You saw Howie at his finest out there. He got the puck off his stick in a real hurry. He’s got a tremendous release. Getting in on the forecheck, being heavy, having a good stick, he was a dog around the net and really good defensively for us.”

From the outset, the 17-year-old Harvey is on track for a breakout year.

“He skates well — a big, strong, long guy,” McDonald said. “He plays right wing but he steps into the faceoff circle when it goes to his dot and he’s really strong at centre as well.”

The Raiders never trailed on Friday and withstood a worthy push from the Pats, who trailed 4-1 early in the second period but closed the deficit to 5-4 with a power-play goal in the final minute of the second.

Just 1:10 into the game, Prince Albert defenceman Benett Kelly scored on a wrist shot from the point. Carsyn Dyck, with the eventual winner midway through the game, and Alisher Sarkenov, on a power play with four minutes left in the third period, scored the Raiders’ other goals. Riley Boychuk picked up two assists.

Pats veteran Keets Fawcett netted a pair of goals, including a power-play marker. Ellis Mieyette, with two points, and Jace Egland also scored for Regina.

In the absence of NHL training camp participants Brandon Gorzynski (Dallas Stars) and Jonah Sivertson (Vegas Golden Knights), the Raiders banked on more production from the rest of the forwards. The Harvey-Howe-McCagherty certainly delivered in that respect.

“Gorzynski and Siv, they’re going to be big pieces of our team this upcoming year, so everyone has got to step up and do a little extra and be ready for when they step right back into the lineup,” said Harvey, who showed patience in precisely setting up his linemates on multiple occasions Friday.

“You want to manage the puck and make plays when you can. You have to be smart with it, so that’s what I try to do every time I touch it. I want to make positive plays and make a positive impact on the game, and I think I did that tonight.

“My teammates are in the right spots, and it makes it easy for me to find them, and they finish when they get the chance. That was great to see tonight. Definitely lots to build off, and especially in the second period (also) things to fix, but it’s a good first win and a good place to start from.”

Coach McDonald concurred with that assessment on an emotional night that began with the Raiders paying tribute to one of their own, the late Mark Odnokon, a valued community member, teacher and coach who died last spring at age 63. Another longtime member of the Raiders’ family, Carole Ring, sang the national anthem.

“It was a real special night in a number of ways,” said McDonald, reflecting on the banner-raising ceremony for last year’s WHL runner-up and the contributions of his lifelong friend Odnokon.

“It was great to get into a real live contest. There were a lot of things to like and there were some learning moments in there, too. Again, just managing emotions and making sure you’re continuing to play the right way.”

A memorable evening was even extra special for Prince Albert rookies Darius Hordal, Liam Myhre and Athens Shingoose as each of them earned assists to record their first WHL points. The post-game smile on the 16-year-old Shingoose’s face illustrated the magnitude of the moment.

Raiders goaltender Michal Orsulak drew an assist on Sarkenov’s insurance goal, which resulted from Boychuk’s dogged work on a power play created when Dayton Deschamps was penalized for checking Boychuk from behind.

In an earlier minor skirmish, Deschamps and Raiders’ rookie Kyle Obobaifo fought during the second period. In the first period, Raiders newcomer Cash Lanigan — a Regina-born forward — was handed a kneeing major and a game misconduct.

Orsulak made 20 saves to earn the victory just days after returning from the Detroit Red Wings’ rookie camp.

Pats’ starter Taylor Tabashniuk made 10 saves on 13 first-period shots before giving way to Drake Mooney, who registered 12 stops on 15 shots, including a couple of highlight-reel saves.

The Pats went 7-0 during their perfect pre-season, and they demonstrated some of that form in fighting back against a Raiders team that was in command for most of the night.

“Yeah, pre-season, we were down a couple of times, so we had a lot of belief in the group,” said Fawcett, the Pats’ spunky 20-year-old forward from Grimshaw, Alta. “We’ve made a lot of progress as a team from last year, and I think it showed tonight. We just fell a little short.

“Again, with building confidence and knowing what this team is capable of, we’re just going to use that going forward. We might have dug ourselves a hole a couple of times — hopefully not next time.”

Regina went into the game short of a few key players, with 18-year-old forward Zach Lansard still away at the Carolina Hurricanes’ training camp and injuries sidelining overage defenceman Kolten Bridgeman and 16-year-old forward sensation Maddox Schultz.

“Lansard is an NHL third-rounder, Schultz is amazing and Bridgey is a big guy, so we’re missing a lot when we don’t have those guys,” Fawcett said. “But I think some other guys got opportunities tonight and they stepped up and did the best they could. But we’re excited to get them back.”

Schultz said he sat for precautionary reasons and he hopes to be back in the lineup next Friday when the Pats visit the Brandon Wheat Kings. Bridgeman believes he’s on a similar timeline for his return.

Even from the sidelines, Schultz kept busy Friday, posing for photos with fans at the Art Hauser Centre and carrying sticks to the Pats’ bus after the game.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Raiders, who board their bus for Saturday night’s road game against the Swift Current Broncos.

“I think we just regroup,” Howe said. “We get some recovery in and start focusing on tomorrow. It’s going to be a battle, but I think we’re going to be good.”

It’s the first game of the season for Swift Current.

Along with their remaining NHL campers, Gorzynski and Sivertson, Friday’s scratches for the Raiders included 17-year-old rookie defenceman Kade Corbet and 18-year-old forward Carter Kingerski, who was acquired in a mid-week trade with the Tri-City Americans.

On the eve of the regular season, Prince Albert trimmed its roster to 24 players, cutting two players originally pencilled in on the opening-night roster — 19-year-old goaltender Brady Holtvogt of Humboldt, Sask., and 17-year-old forward Kai Richards of St. Albert, Alta.

Those changes left the Raiders with two goalies, seven defencemen and 15 forwards.