2023 WHL Graduates – Medicine Hat Tigers

Throughout the month of July, WHL.ca will be featuring the WHL Graduates from the 2022-23 season in a 22-part, team-by-team series.

We continue with the graduating players from the Medicine Hat Tigers!

Brendan Lee

Forward Brendan Lee enjoyed the best offensive production of his WHL career with the Medicine Hat Tigers, scoring 37 times over 79 regular season appearances with the Club. Lee, who hails from Seattle, Wash., began his WHL career in his home state with the Everett Silvertips in 2019-20 after signing with Everett in August of 2019. Lee shot out of the gate, scoring three goals over his first five games as a Silvertip. He completed his rookie campaign with nine goals and 13 points. The 2021-22 season brought with it a move East to the Saskatoon Blades, with whom Lee suited up for 30 games, counting 11 points before he was dealt again to the Tigers ahead of the 2022 WHL Trade Deadline. This past season, Lee counted 32 goals, 12 on the power-play, both of which were tops among Medicine Hat skaters. He concluded his time in the WHL by scoring once and adding an assist in four post-season contests, as the Tigers reached the WHL Playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Not too Tabby, Brendan Lee! 🎩🎩🎩@tigershockey | #WHLHatTricks pic.twitter.com/0RMjudGkbp

— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 23, 2023

Dallon Melin
Hailing from Czar, Alta., forward Dallon Melin spent his entire WHL career in his home province. Originally selected by the Victoria Royals in the second round of the 2017 WHL Draft, Melin made his debut in September of 2018 with the Red Deer Rebels after being involved in a four-player trade in September of 2018. He scored his first WHL goal with the Club in a 7-0 shutout win over Kelowna November 16, 2018. Melin spent four seasons in Red Deer, topping out with an 11-goal, 24-point campaign in 2021-22. His 20-year-old season was spent in Medicine Hat: Melin appeared in all but one of the Tigers’ 68 regular season contests, scoring a career-best 16 goals and 41 points in the process. He finished his WHL career with 254 regular season outings under his belt, totalling 91 points (38G-53A).

According to our friends at Wikipedia, Czar, Alberta's motto is "Where the Cowboys Reign."

Petition to make the new motto "Home of @tigershockey Penalty Shot Enjoyer Dallon Melin." pic.twitter.com/zAYDVuZOsq

— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 6, 2023

Kurtis Smythe
Originally selected by the Saskatoon Blades in the second round of the 2017 WHL Draft, defenceman Kurtis Smythe played the majority of his 178 WHL contests on the West Coast with the Portland Winterhawks. The product of Cloverdale, B.C. appeared in 29 games during his rookie campaign in 2019-10, counting six assists. His first WHL goal came during the shortened 2020-21 season, April 2 versus the Tri-City Americans. Over his time in the WHL, Smythe was known as a dependable defensive presence; his plus-minus rating was on the plus side of the ledger in each of his four seasons. After a career-high 19 points in 2021-22, a year in which he served as an alternate captain with the Winterhawks, Smythe was traded from Portland to Medicine Hat early in the 2022-23 campaign. As a Tiger, he recorded 13 points in 57 games, to up his totals to 44 points (4G-40A) over the course of his WHL career.

The Medicine Hat Tigers acquired a pair of new players over the last month. Goaltender Evan May and forward Kurtis Smythe. Get to know the newbies ahead of tonight's contest with another edition of Tigers in 2. Brought to you by @MedHatHouses pic.twitter.com/IfeOqPboMy

— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) November 11, 2022