Game Preview: Game 32 Vs Moose Jaw Warriors
Tonight’s Matchup: Tonight’s matchup is the fourth and final matchup of the season between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Tigers lead the season series with the Warriors 2-1. Winning their previous matchup in Medicine Hat in dominating fashion, 8-4. The Tigers will look to continue their success with Gavin McKenna away at Team Canada’s World Jr. Camp.
2024 Season Series:
- Moose Jaw 6 @ Medicine Hat 3 (Oct. 05, 2024)
- Medicine Hat 6 @ Moose Jaw 3 (Oct. 18, 2024)
- Moose Jaw 4 @ Medicine Hat 8 (Nov. 09, 2024)
Last Game: The Tigers are coming off a thriller against the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday in Medicine Hat. The Tigers won a 6-4 battle with Liam and Markus Ruck combining for 7 points in the game as the 16-year-olds continue their hot streak since their return from the U17 Championships in November. Bryce Pickford collected 3 assists on the night to add to his breakout season, while Oasiz Weisblatt and Andrew Basha also got in on the action with two points each with Ryder Ritchie collecting a goal.
2024-25 Standings:
17-13-1-0 Central Div. – 1st Eastern Con. – 2nd Home (11-5-1-0) Away (6-8-0-0)
2024-25 Tigers Statistical Leaders:
| Skater Stats | Goalie Stats |
| Goals – Hunter St. Martin (20) | Wins – Jordan Switzer (9) |
| Assists – Gavin McKenna (41) | Save % – Harrison Meneghin (.891) |
| Points – Gavin McKenna (60) | GAA – Harrison Meneghin (2.93) |
| PIMs – Oasiz Wiesblatt (72) | Shutouts – Harrison Meneghin (1) |
| Plus/Minus – Gavin McKenna (+24) |
Special Teams:
- Power Play: 24 – 123 – 23.0%
- Penalty Kill: 100 – 131 – 76.3%
Recent Transactions: Cash Christie (G) has returned to St. Georges. The Tigers have returned Riley Steen (D) to SAHA. Most recently, the Tigers have signed 17-year-old Tyson Moss from the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL. Medicine Hat also traded for Zach Zahara in exchange for a 2027 4th Round Pick on December 12.
Real Recognize Real:
Bryce Pickford and Gavin McKenna were both named to the CHL’s Team of the Month this week. Pickford currently leads the league in goals by a defencemen with 12, while sitting tied for fourth in points by a defencemen with 29. McKenna is the WHL’s league leader in points with 60 and has been on a tear all season.
Picking It Up:
The offseason addition of Bryce Pickford from the Seattle Thunderbirds has been gold for Medicine Hat. Pickford currently sits at 32 points through 25 games with Medicine Hat this season, placing him tied for second in points by a defencemen and first in goals by a defencemen with 12. Pickford was also named to the CHL’s Team Of The Month for November, showcasing his importance to the Tigers lineup. Pickford’s 32 points through 25 games shows significant growth from the 18-year-old having only posted 34 points through his previous 121 games with Seattle.
McKenna Magic: Tigers phenom Gavin McKenna headed to Ottawa for Team Canada’s World Jr. Camp on December 10. The 16-year-old is the only player selected to the camp who isn’t draft-eligible until the 2026 NHL draft. McKenna currently leads the league in points with 60 through 30 games and is riding a 14-game point streak posting 31 points during his run. McKenna looks to continue his success at the World Jr. Championships and display his excellence to all of the hockey world.
Roaring Runs:
| Player Name | Streak |
| Gavin McKenna | 14 Game Point Streak – (31 Points) |
| Bryce Pickford | 8 Game Point Streak – (14 Points) |
| Oasiz Weisblatt | 7 Game Point Streak – (13 Points) |
| Ryder Ritchie | 3 Game Point Streak – (3 Points) |
League Leaders:
| Stat Categories | Player (Rank) |
| Points | Gavin McKenna – 60 Points (1st) |
| Points (Defencemen) | Bryce Pickford – 32 Points (Tied 2nd) |
| Goals | Hunter St. Martin – 20 Goals (7th) |
| Goals (Defencemen) | Bryce Pickford – 12 Goals (1st) |
| Assists | Gavin McKenna – 41 Assists (1st) |
| Short Handed Goals | Hunter St. Martin – 4 SHG (1st) |
| Power Play Assists | Gavin McKenna – 14 PPA (Tied 4th) |
| Game Winning Goals | Hunter St. Martin – 4 GWG (Tied 4th) |
Roster Makeup: 26 players on the roster – 3 Goaltenders – 8 Defencemen – 15 Forwards
| 20 Years Old (2004) | Meneghin, Ward, Weisblatt |
| 19 Years Old (2005) | Pacheco, St. Martin, Basha, Van Mulligen, Neutens, Zahara |
| 18 Years Old (2006) | Cunningham, Lindstrom, Ritchie, Vaisanen, Muhonen, Pickford, Woo |
| 17 Years Old (2007) | Harsanyi, McCann, McKenna, Kashkowski, Paranych, Switzer, Moss |
| 16 Years Old (2008) | M. Ruck, L. Ruck, Gordon-Carroll |
NHL Drafted / Signed Players: Andrew Basha (Calgary Flames), Cayden Lindstrom (Columbus Blue Jackets), Harrison Meneghin (Tampa Bay Lightning), Niilopekka Muhonen (Dallas Stars), Ryder Ritchie (Minnesota Wild), Hunter St. Martin (Florida Panthers), Veeti Vaisanen (Utah Hockey Club)
Tigers Schedule:
| LAST FIVE | RESULTS | NEXT FIVE | TIME |
| Vs Calgary | 7-3 Win | @ Moose Jaw, Fri. Dec 13 | 6:00 PM (MT) |
| @ Swift Current | 4-3 Win | Vs Lethbridge, Sat. Dec, 14 | 7:00 PM (MT) |
| @ Lethbridge | 4-3 Loss | @ Lethbridge, Sun. Dec, 15 | 6:00 PM (MT) |
| Vs Edmonton | 7-4 Loss | Vs Lethbridge, Sat. Dec, 28 | 7:00 PM (MT) |
| Vs Saskatoon | 6-4 Win | @ Calgary, Sun. Dec 30 | 2:00 PM (MT) |
Gametime is 6:00 PM (MST) You can listen to the voice of the Tigers Will Bryant, on Wild 94.5 OR you can watch the game on watch.chl.ca
