Game Preview: Game 34 Vs Lethbridge Hurricanes
Tonight’s Matchup: Tonight’s matchup is the third of eight matchups this season between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Tigers trail 2-1 in the season series with Lethbridge, after grabbing last nights matchup in Medicine Hat. The Tigers are looking to continue their success without the presence of Gavin McKenna who was officially named to Canada’s World Jr Roster yesterday.
2024 Season Series:
- Medicine Hat 6 @ Lethbridge 7 (Nov. 06, 2024)
- Medicine Hat 3 @ Lethbridge 4 (Dec. 06, 2024)
- Lethbridge 2 @ Medicine Hat 3 (Dec. 14, 2024)
Last Game: The Medicine Hat Tigers held off a late surge by the Lethbridge Hurricanes to earn a 3-2 victory. After building a 2-0 lead through two periods, the Tigers saw their advantage cut in half before Oasiz Weisblatt restored the cushion. Although Lethbridge pulled within one again, Jordan Switzer and the Tigers’ penalty kill weathered the final onslaught for the win.
2024-25 Standings:
19-13-1-0 Central Div. – 1st Eastern Con. – 1st Home (12-5-1-0) Away (7-8-0-0)
2024-25 Tigers Statistical Leaders:
| Skater Stats | Goalie Stats |
| Goals – Hunter St. Martin (22) | Wins – Jordan Switzer (11) |
| Assists – Gavin McKenna (41) | Save % – Harrison Meneghin (.891) |
| Points – Gavin McKenna (60) | GAA – Harrison Meneghin (2.93) |
| PIMs – Oasiz Wiesblatt (78) | Shutouts – Harrison Meneghin (1) |
| Plus/Minus – Gavin McKenna (+24) |
Special Teams:
- Power Play: 26 – 127 – 23.8%
- Penalty Kill: 104 – 137 – 75.9%
Recent Transactions: 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. The Tigers most recently traded Matt Paranych to the Regina Pats in exchange for a 2025 3rd Round Pick and 2028 4th Round Pick.
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 13, while sitting second in points by a defencemen with 33. 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 the Medicine Hat Tigers. Pickford currently sits at 33 points through 27 games with Medicine Hat this season, placing him tied for second in points by a defencemen and first in goals by a defencemen with 13. Pickford was also named to the CHL’s Team Of The Month for November, showcasing his importance to the Tigers lineup. Pickford’s 33 points through 26 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 was 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. On December 13, McKenna was officially named to the squad.
Roaring Runs:
| Player Name | Streak |
| Gavin McKenna | 14 Game Point Streak – (31 Points) |
| Oasiz Weisblatt | 9 Game Point Streak – (16 Points) |
| Ryder Ritchie | 5 Game Point Streak – (7 Points) |
League Leaders:
| Stat Categories | Player (Rank) |
| Points | Gavin McKenna – 60 Points (1st) |
| Points (Defencemen) | Bryce Pickford – 33 Points (Tied 2nd) |
| Goals | Hunter St. Martin – 22 Goals (Tied 5th) |
| Goals (Defencemen) | Bryce Pickford – 13 Goals (1st) |
| Assists | Gavin McKenna – 41 Assists (1st) |
| Short Handed Goals | Hunter St. Martin – 4 SHG (Tied 1st) |
| Power Play Assists | Gavin McKenna – 14 PPA (5th) |
| Game Winning Goals | Hunter St. Martin – 4 GWG (Tied 4th) |
Roster Makeup: 26 players on the roster – 3 Goaltenders – 7 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, 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 |
| @ 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 29 | 2:00 PM (MT) |
| @ Moose Jaw | 5-1 Win | Vs Calgary, Mon. Dec 30 | 7:00 PM (MT) |
| Vs Lethbridge | 3-2 Win | @ Swift Current Fri. Jan 3 | 6:00 PM (MT) |
Gametime is 6:00 PM (MST) You can listen live with the voice of the Tigers, Will Bryant on Wild 94.5 FM OR watch live on watch.chl.ca
