In just a handful of games at the junior level, Prince Albert Raiders rookie defenceman Daxon Rudolph is proving why he was taken with the first overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
“I came in this year and really expected more out of myself,” said Rudolph. “I thought I played a much better game this year and obviously a year’s time of growth and getting strong really helps.”
The Raiders are finally reaping the benefits of that 2023 draft class with Rudolph, Riley Boychuk and Ty Meunier all making their debuts in Prince Albert this fall.
For Boychuk, who was taken with the second overall pick, it’s been a learning process getting acclimatized to life in the WHL.
“Everybody is improved and I think as time goes on we’ll get more and more comfortable with it,” said Boychuk. “But it’s going to be really fun.”
The trio have been some of Western Canada’s most hyped prospects, all landing in the top-10 selections and are now full-fledged members of the Raiders.
Head coach Jeff Truitt has watched the development progress for his star rookies, adding the buzz around the rink has been building for months.
“The fans have voiced their excitement an awful lot about these guys,” said Truitt. “The skill level is as high as I’ve seen it since the [2019] year. They’re not just going to be guys that are just part-timers, they’re going to be guys who are going to contribute in this league.”
The connection between the three rookies isn’t just beginning in Prince Albert, however, as they either grew up in or played their minor hockey in the Edmonton area over the last several years.
Rudolph and Boychuk were U18 AAA teammates this past year with Edmonton’s NAX program, while Rudolph and Meunier have known each other for the better part of a decade.
“I’ve played with Daxon pretty much every year for spring [hockey] since we were eight so that’s been super fun.” said Meunier. “I’ve really got to know Riley and all of the other young guys have been great.”
The Raiders will be receiving more young talent in the pipeline next season, with 2024 top-five selections Brock Cripps and Ben Harvey expected to join the WHL ranks.
While the team has struggled out of the gate with a 2-5-2 record, Rudolph added it’s a new era of Raiders hockey which he hopes will build to a contender down the road.
“We’re all in it together,” said Rudolph. “We’re all going through the same stuff, so it’s been really good for the young core that we got here.”
Coming off a 5-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday night, the Raiders continue their western road trip against the Victoria Royals on Friday.