GAME DAY PREVIEW GAME 1 WHL PLAYOFFS @ WINNIPEG
LAST GAME 4-3 W Vs Swift Current Broncos: Cayden Lindstrom would score the eventual game winner 6:00 into the third period in front of 4506 strong at Co-op Place helping the Tigers punch their ticket to the WHL Playoffs over the Swift Current Broncos. Tyler MacKenzie, Oasiz Wiesblatt & Dallon Melin also chipped in on the scoresheet. While Beckett Langkow made 21 saves for his 25th win of the season.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: The most improved team in the WHL this season after an 11-53-4 record in the 2021-22 season. The Tigers increased their win total by 19 wins for a 30-29-8-1 record finishing in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Oasiz Wiesblatt (04) lead the team in scoring with 60 points (26 goals, 34 assists). Beckett Langkow took the bulk of the load in between the pipes with a career season of 53 games played with a 25-20-7-1 record, where he recorded one shutout and also added three assists.
The Tigers are lead by the coaching staff of Head Coach Willie Desjardins, Associate Coach Joe Frazer & Assistant Coach Josh Maser. In his tenure with the Tigers Organization, Coach Desjardins has achieved a record of 429-323-67 in 752 games coached. In the WHL Playoffs, Desjardins’ record stands at 67-47 in 114 games, leading the Tigers to Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2004 & 2007 along with two Memorial Cup berths.
Vs WINNIPEG: During the Regular Season, the Tigers were able to defeat the Scotty Munroe Trophy winners in the Winnipeg ICE once in their four meetings this season. A 6-4 victory at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat March 1, 2023. Hunter St. Martin, Oasiz Wiesblatt x2, Andrew Basha, Cru Hanas & Reid Andresen lead the way in scoring, while goaltender Evan May made 40 saves in between the pipes.
Head to Head with the Winnipeg, Kootenay & Edmonton ICE organizations the Tigers have a 74-77-5-0 record with 5 ties dating back to the 1996-97 WHL season. While Medicine Hat on the road against the ICE are 30-44-4-1 with one tie.
Historically come the WHL Playoffs the Tigers/ICE franchises have faced off four different times. The most recent in 2014 where the Tigers won in 7 games despite trailing in the series 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Semi-Final. In 2011, the ICE would sweep the Tigers in another East Semi Final on route to a WHL Championship. 2010 saw the Tigers take the ICE to six games before prevailing in an Eastern Conference Quarter Final and in the Tigers/ICE first playoff match-up it was the ICE taking in another Quarter Final in 2008 four games to one.
HEAD TO HEAD (Regular Season)
Oct 1 @ MH 5-2 L
Jan 14 @ WPG 8-3 L
Mar 1 @ MH 6-4 W
Mar 7 @ WPG 3-1 L
Playoff Schedule
TALE OF THE TAPE
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (30-29-8-1) 67pts
4TH in Central Division
8TH in Eastern Conference
PP – Overall 53/281 – 18.9% – Away 26/145 – 17.9%
Vs WPG – 1/6 – 5.8% @ WPG – 1/8 – 21.4%
PK -Overall 221/299 -73.9% – Away 111/152 – 73.0%
Vs WPG – 7/10 – 70.0% @ WPG – 6/9 – 66.6%
WINNIPEG ICE (57-10-1-0) 115pts
1ST in East Division
1ST in Eastern Conference
PP – Overall 66/277 – 23.8% – Home 36/140- 25.7%
Vs MH – 3/9 20.0% @MH – 3/10 – 30.0%
PK – Overall 215/267 -80.5% – Home 106/132 -80.3%
Vs MH – 7/8 – 87.5% @MH – 5/6 -83.3%
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS
Goals – Lee (32) Wins – Langkow (25)
Assists – Basha (36) Shutouts – Langkow (1)
Points – Wiesblatt (60) Save % – Langkow & May (.888)
+/– Krebs & Basha (+27) GAA – Langkow (3.05)
PIMS – Wiesblatt (115)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
– Andrew Basha 67 GP: 20-36-56 PTS – Oasiz Wiesblatt 68 GP: 26-34-60 PTS
– Brenden Lee 57 GP: 32-27-59 PTS – Cayden Lindstrom 61 GP: 19-23-42 PTS
– Dallon Melin 67 GP: 16-25-41 PTS – Gavin McKenna 16 GP: 4-14-18 PTS
– Dru Krebs 67 GP: 8-33-41 PTS – Tyler MacKenzie 58 GP: 18-22-40 PTS
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 Yukon-1–McKenna*
USA – 3 – Lee, Hanas & Bocharov Latvia – 1 – Hodass
PREVIOUS THREE GAMES NEXT THREE GAMES (all times MT/SD
Wed Mar 22 Vs Edmonton Oil Kings (8-2 W) Fri Mar 31 @ Winnipeg ICE (6pm)
Fri Mar 24 @ Swift Current Broncos (3-1 L) Sat Apr 1 @ Winnipeg ICE (5pm)
Sat Mar 25 Vs Swift Current Broncos(4-3 W) Tues Apr 4 Vs Winnipeg ICE (7pm)
NEWS & NOTES
Playoff Experience: Plenty of playoff firsts will occur in Round 1 between the Tigers & ICE. When it comes to game played in the post season, 20 year old forward Dallon Melin (Czar, AB) has 12 games of WHL experience with the Red Deer Rebels in 2022 & 2019 with one assist in those post season games. As for 02 born defenceman Kurtis Smythe (Cloverdale, BC), in 11 post game appearances with the Portland Winterhawks, Smythe has a goal and two assists, and has played in one Game 7 against the Seattle Thunderbird last spring.
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 16 games played this season McKenna has 18 points (4 goals, 14 assists).
Slip On Down To The Oasiz!: Tigers F Oasiz Wiesblatt is currently leading the Tigers in points with 60. (26 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 176 points (44 goals, 132) assists)
Bend It Like Beckett: Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow is 16th among WHL goaltenders, while he was the busiest amongst WHL goaltenders with minutes played, 3084, as well as he’s 2nd in games played with 53. 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 finished 9th in WHL Rookie scoring with 41 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 61 games played. Tigers rookie Centre Tomas Mrsic finished 19th in rookie scoring with 23 points, (9 goals, 14 assists) in 58 GP.
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.
