Lacombe’s Daxon Rudolph has continued to impress, yet his young hockey career is just starting.
This week the 16-year-old defenceman was honoured with not one but two noteworthy awards for his fantastic season in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL).
Following his rookie campaign with the Northern Alberta Xtreme U18 Prep team, Rudolph was named the league’s top freshman and Co-MVP alongside Yale Hockey Academy’s Tommy Lafreniere.
Rudolph said receiving recognition for his play is a huge honour.
“There’s so many top young guys in our league this year so it definitely meant a lot for me and summarized my year. I definitely take pride in that,” he said.
“To win MVP alongside Tommy who’s another great player means a lot. The CSSHL is filled with so many high-end players. To be recognized as one of the league’s top players is truly an honour. It means a lot to me and my family.”
Selected first overall by the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft last summer, he recorded career highs with the Xtreme with 22 goals and 37 assists for 59 points in 28 games, which was second among all defencemen.
His 59 points are also second most all-time in a single U18 Prep season by a defenceman.
Last season Rudolph played for the U15 Prep team where he recorded 50 points in 30 games.
“It was good for me to move up and play against older guys who are stronger and faster. It was great for personal development pushing me to get better every time I am on the ice,” he said.
“It was a big jump from U15 to U18 this year but that’s what I want is to be pushed. I think it’s just another in getting me ready for next year.”
Rudolph explained the Xtreme had plenty of depth which made them one of the toughest teams to solve in the CSSHL.
They finished on top of the standings with a 24-3-2-0-0-1 record but ultimately fell in the league final Calgary’s Edge School U18 Prep.
The Edge finished just below them in the regular season standings but grabbed the upper hand in overtime in the final when defenceman Luke Vlooswyk scored the game-winning goal.
“It was tough. We had lost some good battles against them all year and came out on top most of the time but they got us in the end… Tough to lose to our rivals but it was a good year,” Rudolph added.
His focus now shifts to getting prepared for next season.
He’ll spend most of the summer training in Red Deer at The Dome but plans to also spend some time in British Columbia. Among his top priorities is improving his foot speed and overall getting quicker.
He’ll have a good shot at cracking the Raiders roster once training camp begins in late August.
“That’s definitely where I want to be and I think I can get that done. I’ve just got to keep getting better every day and just focus on taking it one day at a time,” he said.
“The end goal is to go to camp next year and hopefully stick around for the whole season… I think the jump to the WHL is a pretty big one. How fast the game is played is going to be the biggest jump for me.”
The Prince Albert Raiders future is one of the brightest in the league.
Not only do they have Rudolph coming up the ranks but also Riley Boychuk who was a fellow first-round selection in 2023.
This year they won the draft lottery again and will be expected to take another marquee player off the board in May. This season the Raiders also made the playoffs but lost in the first round to the Saskatoon Blades.
Despite the loss, it’s a valuable experience for a young team moving forward.
“The future in Prince Albert is super exciting,” Rudolph said.
“It’s a great time to be there. Alongside all the other prospects and young guys on the team we’re all excited about the future. They have a couple more high-end picks this year so we’ll see where that goes. We’re building a good run here in Prince Albert.”