Raiders in the hunt for championship banner

Charleswood

The Oak Park Raiders are at the top of the Winnipeg High School Hockey League to end 2025, and that’s exactly where the team intends to be at season’s end.

“Since Day 1, the goal is to go the distance and be playing in the last game of the year,” coach Ian McDonald said. “That’s something we talk about weekly.”

In the WHSHL’s top Platinum Promotions Division, Oak Park held the top spot with a 13-1-2 record going into a Dec. 19 game against Lord Selkirk, though both Vincent Massey and Sturgeon Heights were within a pair of wins at press time.

“There are about four of us — Vincent Massey, Steinbach, Sturgeon Heights — where almost every game goes to extra time,” McDonald said. “Those are the teams that we’ll key in on. But any team can beat any team, that’s the strength of the league. Any game we’re not at our best, we can lose to anyone.”

This year’s Raiders roster is heavy on Grade 12 players, McDonald said, with a core group of eight who have played on the team since Oak Park won the provincial title in 2024, when they were in Grade 10.

“We came up short last year, but hope to get back there this year,” McDonald said, adding that Oak Park will host the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association’s AAAA hockey provincial tournament in March. “We knew this would be a big year.”

On the ice, McDonald said the team relies on speed and strong defense for success.

“We have a really good offence, a good offence that comes from defence as well,” he said. “Our top line has been driving us, Karsten Ross and David Sudoski are the top leaders in the league. They’re very fast, a lot of speed, and they play very unselfish hockey. They’re very willing to give up opportunities for assists rather than just chasing goals. Those guys definitely drive the bus, but depth is also a strength.”

McDonald said the Raiders’ power play has been a big strength this season, but its penalty kill remains a work in progress. With only seven games remaining on the schedule in 2026, if the team is to achieve its goal of a championship banner, McDonald said the squad must remain committed to team defense.

“We need to give up fewer high danger opportunities and to keep pushing the puck out of our zone as much as possible,” he said.