Only Lukas Dragicevic knows why he requested a trade from the WHL Tri-City Americans. The Seattle Kraken 2023 3rd round draft choice intends to keep it that way.
“My time in Tri-City was really good.” the defenseman said to the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “They treated me really well, so I’m not going to say too much about why (I requested a trade).”
Whatever the reason, it wasn’t because Dragicevic desired to relocate to a particular team. “I had no idea where I was going,” he said. In July, he found out; the Americans engineered a multi-player trade which sent Dragicevic to the WHL Prince Albert Raiders.
Defenseman’s First Taste Of Pro Hockey
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A converted forward who once said “defense is my happy place,” Dragicevic desires to be a leader on his new team. “I’ve grown as a defensive player, and that’s where I can lead by example. With the younger guys, even with older guys as well. Just play my game every single day and hopefully the guys follow and it’ll lead to good things.”
To be sure, the blueliner hasn’t forgotten how to operate in the offensive zone. He scored 14 goals for Tri-City last year, and 15 the season before that.
Like many Kraken prospects, Dragicevic spent a late-season apprenticeship at AHL Coachella Valley. “Those guys never took a shift off,” says the 18-year-old, who appeared in three regular-season Firebirds games. “Every time they were on the ice, it was go, go, go, which was awesome to see. To be able to see that live was something I’m going to add to my game every time I’m on the ice.”
About Dragicevic’s New Home
I hope this isn’t damning with faint praise, but Prince Albert, 350 miles east of Edmonton, is the third largest city in the province of Saskatchewan. The record low temperature is -70 degrees F. Namesake Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, spoke out against slavery and child labor, while championing education and the working class. Prince Albert the city calls itself “Hockeytown North,” a riff on Detroit’s “Hockeytown.”
Speaking of nicknames, while Dragicevic will be a Raider in 2024-25, he may also end up playing for the Cobra Chickens (which is neither a cobra nor a chicken). The Raiders for one game last season suited up in special “Cobra Chicken” jerseys, based on the nickname for Canadian geese, who make a hissing sound. The promotional rebrand proved so popular – requests for merchandise came from all over North America and even Europe – it may return this season.