CHLTVGOTW: Five players to watch — Blazers @ Tigers
In tonight’s second CHLTV Game of the Week, the Kamloops Blazers (38-10-6) visit the Medicine Hat Tigers (23-23-9) in an inter-conference matchup.
The Blazers are one of five WHL clubs to have already secured their spot in the 2023 WHL Playoffs. Hosts of the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia, the Blazers’ offensively loaded squad has scored 239 times this year, the third most in the WHL.
Medicine Hat continue to hold onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a .500 record although they are also four points from moving into the sixth seed.
The Tigers will wear their Real Canadian SuperStore Your Team Your Jersey winning design, created by Maddyson, tonight.
Tonight’s contest will likely fill the scoreboard with the Blazers boasting nine NHL Drafted prospects while the Tigers are three goals shy of 200 this season.
Jakub Demek — Kamloops
It might seem strange to include a player who’s appeared in just three games this year, but the return of Demek to the Blazers lineup adds another layer of offence for a club that already has no issues scoring goals.
Acquire from Edmonton Nov. 15, Demek made his season debut Feb. 20 after offseason shoulder surgery and has one assist and nine shots. A year ago, the Slovak had 20 goals and 54 points, as well as 17 postseason points, as he helped lead Edmonton to the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the third time in 10 years.
Demek was the 128th overall pick by the Golden Knights in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Dru Krebs — Medicine Hat
The youngest of three Krebs brothers, Dru has had a career year in 2022-23 with the Tigers.
His five goals, 30 assists and 35 points are all new season bests while tonight is his 199th WHL game as he inches closer to becoming the 25th defencemen to play 200 games for the Tigers.
Krebs was a sixth-round pick, 176th overall, by Washington in 2021.
Dru Krebs gets the party started for the Tigers with his third of the season!@Capitals pic.twitter.com/KV5cdhaU74
— The WHL (@TheWHL) December 10, 2022
Logan Stankoven — Kamloops
After Regina’s Connor Bedard, it’s safe to say that Stankoven has been the next best player in the WHL this year.
His 35-game point streak, where he recorded 27 goals and 79 points, matched Bedard’s season-high while the Dallas Stars prospect sits third in WHL scoring with 84 points in just 39 games.
The defending CHL Player of the Year, Stankoven is a two-time World Juniors gold medallist having helped Canada win the tournament in 2022 and 2023. The Kamloops native sits 17th in Blazer scoring with 247 points and will soon become just the 14th player in team history to tally 250 points with the franchise.
The #TexasHockey prospect Stankoven squares things up!#CHLTVGOTW | @blazerhockey pic.twitter.com/U5JPbXeQRP
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 22, 2023
Oasiz Wiesblatt — Medicine Hat
A career year for Wiesblatt sees him lead the Tigers in scoring this season.
Through 55 games, the Calgary native has 49 points, a new career high. His 21 goals trail only Brendan Lee’s 24 while his 28 assists are the third most. Twenty of his points have come via the power play, tied for the team lead.
We ❤️ buzzer beaters.
Oasiz Wiesblatt ties the score for the @tigershockey as time expires in the first! pic.twitter.com/H82vBcwHN8
— The WHL (@TheWHL) December 18, 2022
Olen Zellweger — Kamloops
One of the premier defencemen in not just the WHL, but the CHL as a whole, Zellweger has been as advertised since his trade to Kamloops.
Acquired from Everett Jan. 8, the back-to-back World Juniors gold medallist has 10 goals and 32 points in 18 games. He has nine multi-point outings as a Blazer that included a five-point (1G, 4A) effort Jan. 21 in a 6-5 overtime win over Tri-City.
In 2021-22 with the Silvertips, the Calgary native collected the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHL’s Top Defenceman after a 78-point campaign.
Yes, Olen Zellweger can snipe a puck 💨@AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/hPqQSJDYIT
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) February 11, 2023
Where to watch
Saturday’s contest can be seen live for free on CHL TV at 9pm ET / 6pm PT.
Available to fans from coast to coast, CHL TV is accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca. Each year, CHL TV offers access to more than 2,000 regular-season games covering the CHL’s three Member Leagues and 60 markets across Canada and the United States. Fans can download the free CHL app via the App Store and Google Play.
