GAME DAY PREVIEW FEBRUARY 22 @ REGINA
LAST GAME 4-1 W @ Red Deer Rebels: Brenden Lee lead the way scoring twice for his team leading 23rd & 24th goals of the season while Cayden Lindstrom & Andrew Basha helped the Tigers power play go 2/6 in the final meeting of the season against the Rebels. Beckett Langkow made 16 saves for his 20th win of the season and help put the Tigers in the 8th and final playoff spot going into action Wednesday night against Regina.
VS REGINA: Despite giving up the first goal in both games thus far against Regina, the Tigers have won both meetings against the Pats including their most recent encounter February 5th at Co-op Place in front of 6178 fans where the Tigers had five different goal scorers including Pasha Bocharov, Kurtis Smythe, Rhett Parsons, Dallon Melin (Penalty Shot) & Oasiz Wiesblatt. In the season series, Bogdans Hodass (2g, 2a) and Oasiz Wiesblatt (1g, 3a) lead the team in points against the Pats both with four points.
Head to Head going back to the 1996-1997 season the Tigers are 53-41-4-5 with 3 ties, while on the road the Tigers are just above .500 at 24-22-2-4 with two ties.
HEAD TO HEAD
Jan 29 @ REG (6-4 W)
Feb 5 @ MH (5-1 W
Feb 22 @ REG
Mar 11 @ MH
TALE OF THE TAPE
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (23-22-8-1) 55pts
4TH in Central Division
8TH in Eastern Conference
PP – Overall 45/224 – 19.6% – Away 23/123 – 18.7%
Vs REG – 0/3 – 0.0% @ REG – 0/2 – 0.0%
Vs REG – 3/3 – 100.0% @ REG – 2/3 – 66.6%
REGINA PATS (15-26-2-1) 55pts
4TH in East Division
6TH in Eastern Conference
PP – Overall 55/202 – 27.2% – Home 25/92 – 27.2%
Vs MH – 1/3 – 33.3% @MH – 0/3 – 0.0%
PK -Overall 201/247 -81.4% – Home 95/115 – 82.6%
Vs MH – 1/3 – 33.3% @MH – 3/3 – 100.0%
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS
Goals – Lee (24) Assists – Basha (35)
Points – Basha & Wiesblatt (47) +/- Krebs (+17)
PIMS – Wiesblatt (78) Wins – Langkow (20)
Shutouts – N/A Save % – May .889%
GAA – Langkow (3.18)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
– Andrew Basha 54 GP: 12-35-47 PTS – Oasiz Wiesblatt 53 GP: 20-27-47 PTS
– Brenden Lee 43 GP: 24-18-42 PTS – Cayden Lindstrom 47 GP: 16-17-33 PTS
– Dallon Melin 53 GP: 13-21-34 PTS – Bogdans Hodass 42 GP: 9-15-24 PTS
– Dru Krebs 53 GP: 5-29-34 PTS
MILESTONE WATCH
– Dru Krebs: 2 GP away from 200 GP – Owen MacNeil: 17 GP away from 200 GP
– Bogdans Hodass: 2 GP from 100 career GP – Rhett Parsons: 12 GP from 150 career GP
– Oasiz Wiesblatt: 10 GP from 150 career GP
HOW THE TIGERS WERE BUILT
WHL Draft (13): Andresen, Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, Smith, St. Martin, Boehm, Van Mulligen, Mrsic, Lindstrom, Basha, McKenna, Calhoon
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 – 6 – Smythe, Lindstrom *, Mrsic *, Boehm, Calhoon AP & 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
Sat Feb 11 Vs Lethbridge Hurricanes (3-2 SOW) Wed Feb 22 @ Regina Pats (6pm)
Sat Feb 18 Vs Red Deer Rebels (5-4 OTW) Sat Feb 25 Vs Kamloops Blazers (7pm))
Mon Feb 20 @ Red Deer Rebels (4-1 W) Tue Feb 28 Vs Swift Current Broncos (7pm)
NEWS & NOTES
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 140 points (37 goals, 105) assists)
Just Like He Dru It Up: Tigers defenceman and Washington Capitals prospect Dru Krebs is tied for 19th in WHL Defencemen points (5 goals, 29 assists) in 53 games.
Bend It Like Beckett: Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow is 17th among WHL goaltenders, while he’s 2nd amongst WHL goaltenders with minutes played, 2430, as well as he leads in games played with 42. 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.
The Chetwynd Kid: Tigers Centre Cayden Lindstrom is 8th in WHL Rookie scoring with 32 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 47 games played.
The Cessford Shooter: Tigers Rookie Forward Shane Smith is 3rd in Rookie goal scoring with 18.
Man Down, No Problem: Going into tonight’s game against Swift Current, the Tigers are 7th in shorthanded goals for in the WHL with 9, (Smith x2, St. Martin, Bocharov, Boehm x2, MacNeil, Lee, Melin)
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.