A significant milestone was reached on Saturday for Swift Current product, and Prince Albert Raiders head coach, Marc Habscheid.

The Raiders' bench boss logged his 500th WHL win as a head coach in a 6-5 road victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

"Just probably means I'm old, that's all," the humble Habscheid said of becoming the eighth coach in league history to reach the plateau. 

Habscheid secured his first win in the 1997-98 season as part of the Kamloops Blazers, though that seems like a world away for the 55-year-old.

"I'm not even sure I remember that, that was back with the Blazers," he said. "You have to get an opportunity, and (GM) Stu MacGregor gave me that opportunity. We're still close friends to this day. As in life, you think you have everything planned out, and that never works that way - whether it be in hockey or in life."

Habscheid spent one more season with the Blazers, before shifting over to the divisional rival Kelowna Rockets for the next five. His time with Kelowna was highlighted by a 2003 WHL Championship, and 2004 Memorial Cup.

He then logged two years with Team Canada at various tournament, along with a season as the Boston Bruins assistant coach (2006-07).

Habscheid returned to the WHL as the head coach of the Chilliwack Bruins for two seasons (2009-11), along with the next season with the Victoria Royals in that same role.

Not just the changes of scenery, but the game itself, required plenty of learning and adaptation to see continued success over two decades in the league.

"Systems have changed, this age group has changed from when I played, to when I started coaching, to they are now," noted Habscheid. "They're going to change, and you have to evolve with it. You always have to strive to get better, and that's for anybody whether it be at work or in life - you just want to be better the next day than you were this day."

The former NHLer's stint in Prince Albert began midway through the 2014-15 season, when he replaced then-head coach Cory Clouston.

The Raiders finished that season 31-37-2-2, and in the subsequent seasons, the Raiders posted records of:

2015-16: 38-26-7-1
2016-17: 21-44-5-2
2017-18: 32-27-9-4

Now, Habscheid and the Raiders are enjoying an historic season for the franchise, as their .855 win percentage (46-7-0-2) has them on pace for their best mark as a WHL franchise.

That success doesn't change Habscheid's approach to the game or team.

"I'm no better or worse than the players, I just have a different job. Carry bags off the bus, we all do it, and we're a part of it - we're in this together," he said. "We share ideas, a lot of times they have better ideas than I do, and I'll take those ideas. We're a team, we play as a team, and that team includes the staff, the head coach, and the assistant coaches. We work together, and we have fun while we're doing it."

Winning has certainly worked wonders for team-building over the course of the season, with the latest team-bonding coming via a trip to Dairy Queen for blizzards after Habscheid's 500th W. 

Meanwhile, the Raiders are looking to surge deep into the WHL playoffs this season, which is a welcome thought for a fan base that hasn't seen a second-round playoff series since the 2004-05 season.

After securing win #501 against the Swift Current Broncos Wednesday night, Habscheid and the Raiders go for the team's sixth-straight victory Friday night when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings.