Hurricanes Season Ends with 5-3 Loss to Tigers in Eastern Conference Championship
Lethbridge, AB – The Lethbridge Hurricanes had their season end on Wednesday with a 5-3 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Championship Series at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
The Hurricanes entered the game trailing 3-0 in the best-of-seven series but has posted a 2-0 record when facing elimination in the 2025 WHL Playoffs. Lethbridge had a great start to the game as they jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Logan Wormald who finished off a four-way passing play before slipping a shot home on a backhand just 2:32 into the game; Brayden Edwards and Miguel Marques earned the assists on the goal. Medicine Hat answered with a shorthanded goal by Mathew Ward – his second shorthanded goal in as many games – at the 9:37 mark to tie the game 1-1. The Tigers took the lead with just over five-minutes remaining in the period when Bryce Pickford buried a wrist shot from the right circle on a power play to put Medicine Hat up 2-1 after twenty minutes of play. Medicine Hat outshot Lethbridge 13-9 in the first period.
Medicine Hat dominated the second period as they peppered Lethbridge outshooting the Hurricanes 19-6 in the middle frame. The Tigers added to their lead on a pinball puck at the 12:20 mark when Misha Volotovskii banged home a loose puck after Ethan Neutens wired a shot off the crossbar to make it a 3-1 game. Before the end of the period, the Tigers added another goal as Ward snapped home his second goal of the game – and fifth of the post-season – on a power play to make it a 4-1 Medicine Hat lead; Ryder Ritchie and Hunter St. Martin picked up the assists on the play as the Tigers held the three-goal lead after two periods.
In the third period, the Hurricanes dug into the lead just 1:32 into the period when Kash Andresen buried his second goal of the post-season – and second in as many nights – to pull Lethbridge to within two; Luke Cozens and Trae Johnson were credited with the helpers on the goal. Just under five-minutes later, the ‘Canes struck again as Anthony Wilson redirected a Caden Price point shot passed Harrison Meneghin to make it a one-goal game with 13:43 remaining in regulation. The Hurricanes continued to press in hopes of finding an equalizer, but with the goaltender pulled, Tigers forward Gavin McKenna jumped after a loose puck and sealed a victory with an empty-net goal with 37-seconds left in the game to make it a 5-3 contest. The Hurricanes were outshot 7-6 in the third period by the Tigers.
Lethbridge was outshot 39-21 in the game by Medicine Hat. The Hurricanes went 0/1 on the power play while the Tigers were 2/2 with the extra man.
Three stars of the game were:
1) ‘Canes – #2 Logan McCutcheon
2) ‘Canes – #19 Brayden Edwards
3) ‘Canes – #8 Noah Chadwick
The loss for the Hurricanes ends their season in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Championship marking the fourth straight season Lethbridge has been eliminated from the post-season in a series sweep. The ‘Canes ended the playoffs with an 8-5-3 record in the playoffs while Medicine Hat advances to the WHL Championship Series for the first time since 2007. Lethbridge falls to 2-1 all-time in playoff series against Medicine Hat dating back to 1987.
