Highway 11 rivals look forward to facing off in highly anticipated playoff series

The Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders are gearing up to face each other in the second round of the WHL playoffs. Jasmine Pelletier reports.

The Highway 11 rivalry has made its way into the playoffs and excitement is mounting for the upcoming second round WHL playoff series between the Blades and Raiders.

“We had a really tight regular-season matchup against them,” said Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph. “So, really looking forward to the games here this weekend and getting after them.”

The Saskatoon Blades and the Prince Albert Raiders last went head-to-head in the playoffs in 2024 with the Blades taking the first round series in five.

The last time the rivals met in the second round was in 2019, with the series going to the Raiders in six games before they went on to win the WHL title.

Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald grew up in Prince Albert, and he knows how big it is to face the Blades in the playoffs.

“I’ve been coming to games since I was a young boy and hockey player,” said McDonald.

“Now, on the coaching staff, being a part of it and then being a part of a couple of playoff series as well too. And again, two great atmospheres, two barns that are going to be extremely electric when you go into and two teams that are going to compete extremely hard.”

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While the Raiders were first in the Eastern Conference to the Blades sixth, the Blades aren’t to be underestimated, and head coach Dan DaSilva said the team is ready for a challenge going into Game 1.

“We’re a proud group. I think we learned that, we’ve been saying it all year, that we can play with anyone in this league when we’re at our best.”

The Blades have already pulled off a post-season upset, taking the higher ranked Edmonton Oil Kings to seven games and claiming the series in overtime. Now, in the second round, facing the Raiders provides that much more motivation.

Blades goalie Evan Gardner said the rivalry feels very real to his team.

“Every time we play them, we have this fire in us,” he told reporters on Thursday. “Like you really do hate them you know, you wanna beat them so bad.”

The highly anticipated second round series starts in Prince Albert, with the first two games going on Friday and Saturday at Art Hauser Centre.