GAME DAY PREVIEW MARCH 25 VS SWIFT CURRENT
GAME DAY LINE-UP DIGITAL GAME NOTES & PROGRAM WHL MEDIA KIT
LAST GAME 3-1 L @ Swift Current Broncos: Caleb Wyrostok’s pair of goals in the third period last night was enough for the Broncos to force tonight’s winner take all match-up. Josh Filmon opened the scoring in the first period. The Tigers did get on the board late in the third from the 4th straight game with a goal from Gavin McKenna.
Road to the Post Season: The Tigers find themselves 8th the Eastern Conference heading into tonight’s game, to guarantee a playoff spot of any kind, the Tigers need a win of any kind against Swift Current.
Vs SWIFT CURRENT: It’s 8th and final meeting between the Tigers & Broncos with the Tigers having a 1-4-2 record against the Broncos. The most recent match-up on March 24th at the Innovation Plex saw the Broncos come away with a 3-1 victory thanks to a pair of goals from Caleb Wyrostok and an opening mark from Josh Filmon. While Gavin McKenna notched the lone goal for the Tigers
Oasiz Wiesblatt leads the Tigers in scoring against Swift Current this season with 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) while Beckett Langkow has been the goaltender of record going 1-4-2 with .843 save percentage and 4.30 GAA.
Since the 1996-97 WHL Season the Tigers have a 72-64-7-1 record with two ties, when playing at home Medicine Hat is 43-23-4-0 with 2 ties.
HEAD TO HEAD
Dec 31 @ SC (4-3 OTL)
Jan 7 @ MH (6-4 L)
Jan 10 @ SC (3-1 L)
Jan 18 @ SC (5-4 SOW)
Jan 22 @ MH (4-3 OTL)
Feb 28 @ MH (5-2 L)
Mar 24 @ SC (3-1 L)
Mar 25 @ MH
TALE OF THE TAPE
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (29-29-8-1) 67pts
4TH in Central Division
8TH in Eastern Conference
PP – Overall 51/275 – 18.5% – Home 25/130 – 19.2%
Vs SC – 1/17 – 5.8% @ SC – 3/14 – 21.4%
PK -Overall 218/295 -73.8% – Home 107/145 – 74.8%
Vs SC – 9/14 – 64.2% @ SC – 18/21 – 85.7%
SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS (31-32-1-3) 66pts
5TH in Central Division
9TH in Eastern Conference
PP – Overall 56/269 – 20.8% – Away 35/137- 25.5%
Vs MH – 4/20 20.0% @MH – 5/13 – 38.4%
PK – Overall 239/313 -76.4% – Away 132/168 -78.6%
Vs MH – 11/14 – 78.5% @MH – 16/17 -94.1%
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS
Goals – Lee (32) Wins – Langkow (24)
Assists – Basha (36) Shutouts – Langkow (1)
Points – Wiesblatt (59) Save % – Langkow & May (.888)
+/- Krebs & Basha (+29) GAA – Langkow (3.06)
PIMS – Wiesblatt (115)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
– Andrew Basha 67 GP: 20-36-56 PTS – Oasiz Wiesblatt 67 GP: 25-34-59 PTS
– Brenden Lee 56 GP: 32-26-58 PTS – Cayden Lindstrom 60 GP: 18-23-41 PTS
– Dallon Melin 66 GP: 15-25-40 PTS – Gavin McKenna 15 GP: 4-12-16 PTS
– Dru Krebs 66 GP: 8-32-40 PTS – Reid Andresen 67 GP: 7-28-37 PTS
MILESTONE WATCH
– Dallon Melin: 254 Career GP – Kurtis Smythe: 177 Career GP
– Brenden Lee: 180 Career GP
– Owen MacNeil: 4 GP away from 200 GP – Reid Andresen: 8 GP from 150 career GP
– Reid Andresen: 8 GP from 150 career GP – Oasiz Wiesblatt: 7 pts away from 100 in career
– Brenden Lee: 1 pt away from 100 in career
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 BREAKD OWN (* 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 Yukon-1–McKenna*
USA – 3 – Lee, Hanas & Bocharov Latvia – 1 – Hodass
PREVIOUS THREE GAMES NEXT THREE GAMES (all times MT/SD
Sun Mar 19 @ Calgary Hitmen (4-3 L Fri Mar 24 @ Swift Current Broncos (7pm)
Wed Mar 22 Vs Edmonton Oil Kings (8-2 W) Sat Mar 25 Vs Swift Current Broncos(7pm)
Fri Mar 24 @ Swift Current Broncos (3-1 L) TBD
NEWS & NOTES
Giddy for Gavin: Tigers #1 pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Gavin McKenna has joined the Tigers on a full-time basis after the conclusion of the 2022-23 CSSHL Season. In 15 games played this season McKenna has 16 points (four goals, twelve assists) and has a four game goal scoring streak.
Slip On Down To The Oasiz!: Tigers F Oasiz Wiesblatt is currently leading the Tigers in points with 59. (25 goals, 34 assists) and has suited up in every single game this season.
When 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 173 points (44 goals, 129) assists)
Bend It Like Beckett: Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow is 16th among WHL goaltenders, while he’s 2nd amongst WHL goaltenders with minutes played, 3024, as well as he’s 2nd in games played with 52. 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 6th in WHL Rookie Goal Scoring with 19. Tigers Centre Cayden Lindstrom is 8th in WHL Rookie scoring with 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists) in 60 games played. Hunter St. Martin is T-18th in rookie scoring with 22 points (8 goals, 14 assists)
Man Down, No Problem: Going into tonight’s game against Swift Current, the Tigers are tied for 5th in shorthanded goals for in the WHL with 12, (Smith x2, St. Martin x2, Bocharov, Boehm x2, MacNeil, Lee, Melin, MacKenzie, Krebs)
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.
