ICE and Tigers to meet in First Round of 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien

The final First Round matchup of the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien is set, featuring the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy-winning Winnipeg ICE and the Medicine Hat Tigers.

The first-round series between the ICE and Tigers was confirmed Saturday after the Tigers defeated the Swift Current Broncos 4-3. Winnipeg is the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while Medicine Hat enters the post-season as the eighth seed.

The series will mark the first WHL Playoffs meeting between the ICE and Tigers since a Second Round affair in 2014. Medicine Hat rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Kootenay ICE in seven games. Overall, the Clubs have met four times in the post-season with each Club winning two series.

Winnipeg enjoyed a record-setting season, achieving new franchise bests with 57 wins and 115 points. The ICE clinched the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as Regular Season Champions Friday evening, doing so for the second consecutive year.

After winning only 11 games in 2021-22, Medicine Hat makes its return to the WHL Playoffs next weekend, skating to a fourth-place finish in the Central Division and improving the Club’s win total by 19.

Three of the four regular season meetings went Winnipeg’s way, including the most recent encounter, a 3-1 ICE victory March 7 at Wayne Fleming Arena. The home side ran out winners in three of the four meetings, too, including the lone Tigers victory, a 6-4 affair March 1 at Co-op Place.

The ICE were led in scoring in the season series by veteran forward Connor McClennon, who finished with four goals and six points. Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie and defenceman Ben Zloty each added a half-dozen points versus Medicine Hat this season, while Arizona Coyotes first-rounder Conor Geekie had five goals in the four games between the two teams.

Forward Oasiz Wiesblatt finished with five points (3G-2A) in the season series to hold a share of the Tigers scoring lead versus Winnipeg, with defenceman Reid Andresen also factoring in on five Medicine Hat goals (1G-4A). Wiesblatt was the lone Tigers skater to score more than once against the ICE during the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season.

San Jose Sharks prospect Mason Beaupit and Chestermere, Alta. product Daniel Hauser each earned a victory for Winnipeg in the season series, with Beaupit standing as the lone ICE netminder to appear more than once against Medicine Hat.

Rookie puck-stopper Evan May was the goaltender of record in the aforementioned Tigers win March 1, posting a 1-1-0-0 record from his three outings versus Winnipeg.

Game 1 of the first-round series between the Winnipeg ICE and Medicine Hat Tigers is scheduled for Friday, March 31 at 7:05 p.m. CT in Winnipeg(Wayne Fleming Arena). The series will shift to Medicine Hat for Game 3 on Tuesday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m. MT (Co-op Place).

2023 WHL PLAYOFFS – SERIES A SCHEDULE

* – if necessary