With seven games remaining, the Prince Albert Raiders are on the verge of their 50th win this 2018-19 season.
The team only has eight regulation losses in 61 games so far.
Head coach Marc Habscheid nearly had his 500th career win in the Western Hockey League (WHL) pass by awhile back, if it weren’t for his players.
“At that game I had, no idea. I just went in to congratulate the guys, and all of a sudden they said ‘where are you going?’ and I looked and (Cole) Fonstad had the hat, we have a little top hat they give out, so they plopped that on my head, gave me the (game) puck, and I didn’t know what to think really,” Habscheid said.
“The memory of they remembered … is something that I will keep with me forever, and that’s what means everything to me”. The 500 wins, I really couldn’t care less. But that evening meant a lot.”
Behind this 56-year-old coach is a family that was uprooted many times to allow him to get to where he is today.
“My kids went to 10 different schools in 12 years. We moved around a lot. But, hockey is a journey. It’s the only job where the only thing that is certain is uncertainty,” Habscheid said.
“What I know is change, and I’m used to that, and it makes life interesting. It makes it fun.”
The Raiders look to secure their 50th win of the season this Friday when they host the Red Deer Rebels at Art Hauser Centre at 7 p.m. CT.