The Raiders retired Modano's no. 9 in a stirring pre-game ceremony at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday, followed by a 7-1 Raiders victory over the Regina Pats in a fight filled affair that included 156 penalty minutes.

"Thrill, shock, honour, all in the same breath," Modano said of watching his number rise to the rafters of the Art Hauser Centre where he scored his first WHL goal, and then two more, in his first game as a Raider.

"I had never imagined in a million years that game unfolding like it did," Modano said of his first WHL game with the Raiders where he scored a hat-trick. "Playing with Pat Elynuik made life real easy, he was a gifted guy, a couple of great passes from him and that was that. It was a remarkable way to start a career out here."

Continued