GAME DAY PREVIEW MARCH 17 @ EDMONTON
LAST GAME 7-0 W Vs Regina Pats: Andrew Basha scored a career high four goals to lead the way scoring for the Tigers on route to a 7-0 Medicine Hat win over Regina Saturday night with 6405 in the largest attended hockey game in the city’s history. Rhett Parsons scored the game winner 17:49 into the 1st, while Tomas Mrsic and Gavin McKenna (First WHL Goal) added to the win while Beckett Langkow recorded his first career WHL shutout.
Vs EDMONTON: This is the 5th of 6 meetings between the Tigers and Oil Kings with Medicine Hat a perfect 4-0, including the most recent match-up occurring March 3 at Co-op Place where a four goal first period made the difference in the Tigers 5-2 win over the defending league champs. Brenden Lee scored a pair while, Tyler MacKenzie, Tomas Mrsic and Cayden Lindstrom would all cash in for goals.
Oasiz Wiesblatt & Andrew Basha, lead the Tigers in scoring against Edmonton this season with five points, while Beckett Langkow is 3-0 vs Edmonton with a 1.67 GAA & .930 save percentage.
Head to Head dating back to the 1996-97 Season Series against Edmonton, the Tigers are 57-36-3-2 and 27-18-1-3.
HEAD TO HEAD
Nov 22 @ MH (6–1 W)
Dec 6 @ EDM (3-2 W)
Jan 6 @ EDM (3-2 W)
Mar 3 @ MH (5-2 W)
Mar 16 @ EDM
Mar 22 @ MH
TALE OF THE TAPE
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (27-26-8-1) 63pts
3RD in Central Division
7TH in Eastern Conference
PP – Overall 50/260 – 19.2% – Away 25/135 – 18.5%
Vs EDM – 2/4 – 50.0% @ EDM – 2/8 – 25.0%
PK -Overall 197/273 -73.0% – Away 97/138 – 71.9%
Vs EDM – 7/7 – 100.0% @ EDM – 4/6 – 66.6%
EDMONTON OIL KINGS (9-49-4-0) 22pts
6TH in East Division
12TH in Eastern Conference
PP – Overall 38/275 – 13.8% – Home 19/152- 12.5%
Vs MH – 2/6 33.3% @MH – 0/7 – 0.0%
PK – Overall 180/259 -69.5% – Home 101/144 -70.1%
Vs MH – 6/8 -75.0% @MH – 2/4 -50.0%
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS
Goals – Lee (27) Wins – Langkow (23)
Assists – Basha (36) Shutouts – Langkow (1)
Points – Wiesblatt (55) Save % – May (.888)
+/– Basha (+25) GAA – Langkow (3.10)
PIMS – Wiesblatt (103)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
– Andrew Basha 61 GP: 19-36-55 PTS – Oasiz Wiesblatt 62 GP: 24-33-57 PTS
– Brenden Lee 51 GP: 27-23-50 PTS – Cayden Lindstrom 55 GP: 17-20-37 PTS
– Dallon Melin 61 GP: 13-25-38 PTS – Bogdans Hodass 50 GP: 10-22-32 PTS
– Dru Krebs 61 GP: 5-32-37 PTS – Reid Andresen 62 GP: 7-26-35 PTS
MILESTONE WATCH
– Owen MacNeil: 9 GP away from 200 GP – Rhett Parsons: 7 GP from 150 career GP
– Oasiz Wiesblatt: 1 GP from 150 career GP – Reid Andresen: 13 GP from 150 career GP
– Dallon Melin: 2 GP from 250 GP
HOW THE TIGERS WERE BUILT
WHL Draft (13): Andresen, Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, Smith, St. Martin, Boehm, Van Mulligen, Mrsic, Lindstrom, Basha, McKenna,
Trade (5): Bocharov, Lee, MacNeil, Smythe & May CHL Import Draft (1): Hodass
Listed/Signed (2): Langkow, Hanas Waivers (1): Melin
ROSTER AGE BREAKDOWN (* indicates rookie):
Alberta – 12 – Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, Langkow, St. Martin *, Smith *, Melin, Van Mulligen *, MacNeil, Basha,
BC – 5 – Smythe, Lindstrom *, Mrsic *, Boehm, & May
Saskatchewan– 1 – Andresen Manitoba – McCallum Yukon-1–McKenna*
USA – 3 – Lee, Hanas & Bocharov Latvia – 1 – Hodass
PREVIOUS THREE GAMES NEXT THREE GAMES (all times MT/SD
Tue Mar 7 @ Winnipeg ICE (3-1 L) Fri Mar 17 @ Edmonton Oil Kings (7pm)
Wed Mar 8 @ Brandon Wheat Kings (2-0 L) Sat Mar 18 Vs Calgary Hitmen (7pm)
Sat Mar 11 Vs Regina Pats (7-0 W) Sun Mar 19 @ Calgary Hitmen (4pm)
NEWS & NOTES
Slip On Down To The Oasiz!: Tigers F Oasiz Wiesblatt is currently leading the Tigers in points with 57. (24 goals, 33 assists) and has suited up in every single game this season.
Defenders Attack: The Tigers defence core of Kurtis Smythe, Rhett Parsons, Bogdans Hodass, Dru Krebs, Pasha Bocharov, Josh Van Mulligen & Reid Andresen have contributed to 162 points (41 goals, 121) assists)
Bend It Like Beckett: Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow is 15th among WHL goaltenders, while he’s 3rd amongst WHL goaltenders with minutes played, 2789, as well as he’s 2nd in games played with 48. Langkow is also tied for the league lead with shootout wins with 3.
Young Bucks: Tigers Rookie forwards Hunter St. Martin & Shane Smith are tied for first in WHL Rookie Shorthanded scoring with 3 points. While Shane Smith is tied for 4th in WHL Rookie Goal Scoring with 19.
The Chetwynd Kid: Tigers Centre Cayden Lindstrom is 8th in WHL Rookie scoring with 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists) in 55 games played.
Man Down, No Problem: Going into tonight’s game against Swift Current, the Tigers are tied 6th in shorthanded goals for in the WHL with 10, (Smith x2, St. Martin, Bocharov, Boehm x2, MacNeil, Lee, Melin, MacKenzie)
Mr. 400: Tigers Head Coach & Willie Desjardins notched his 400th win as a Head Coach with the Medicine Hat Tigers December 10th in a 6-3 win at home against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Desjardins record in his 13 seasons coaching in the WHL. Desjardins first win as Tigers Head Coach was a 4-3 win on September 24, 2002 against the Saskatoon Blades.
Latvian Leap: Second year defenceman Bogdans Hodass represented Team Lativa at the completed 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the second straight year. Hodass had 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists
Silver Lining: Tigers forward Tomas Mrsic returns to the Tigers after taking home a silver medal at the World U17s in Langley, BC. Mrsic had one goal and one assists for Team Canada Red. Cayden Lindstrom also participated in the U17s as a member of Team White scoring two goals and two assists in the tournament.
MacNeil’s Navy: The Tigers announced their leadership group for the 2022-23 WHL Season, Owen MacNeil was named the 39th Captain in Tigers history, while Rhett Parsons, Dru Krebs, Tyler MacKenzie & Dallon Melin will all wear alternate captain’s A’s on their jerseys this season.
