McKenna’s hat trick lifts Tigers past Silvertips in battle between top two WHL squads
Everett, Wash.- Medicine Hat Tigers star Gavin McKenna‘s shorthanded magic powered the Tabbies to a dominant 7-3 win over the league-leading Everett Silvertips in a heavyweight Wednesday Night in the Dub matchup.
The projected first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft potted his second hat trick of the 2024-25 season- highlighted by two shorthanded markers- while adding an assist.
The Eastern Conference-leading Tigers have now won 11 straight games, including four wins on their U.S. Division road trip, while McKenna is now atop the WHL scoring race and tied for first across the CHL with 83 points (25G-58A).
McKenna, the 2024 Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy winner as WHL Rookie of the Year, is also sitting on 198 career points.
However, the home side struck first as Carter Bear found the icebreaker midway through the first period.
2024 Anaheim Ducks third-round pick Tarin Smith wired the puck to veteran Jesse Heslop, who pushed it ahead for Bear to drive the net and bury his own rebound.
That's 33 goals on the season for Carter Bear!
The 2025 #NHLDraft top prospect opens the scoring for the @WHLsilvertips.
📺 | https://t.co/mJMVx4PnYd#WHLWednesday pic.twitter.com/oiPlhBukpz
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 30, 2025
Bear, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is now one goal behind Spokane’s Shea Van Olm for the lead in the WHL goals race and leads all WHLers with nine game-winning goals.
The Tigers got some revenge thanks to some heavy pressure on a delayed penalty.
With less than three minutes remaining in the first period, rookie Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, from Salt Lake City, Utah, hammered a loose puck past Jesse Sanche for the equalizer.
That's 33 goals on the season for Carter Bear!
The 2025 #NHLDraft top prospect opens the scoring for the @WHLsilvertips.
📺 | https://t.co/mJMVx4PnYd#WHLWednesday pic.twitter.com/oiPlhBukpz
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 30, 2025
Florida Panthers prospect Hunter St. Martin and Nashville Predators pick Tanner Molendyk picked up the helpers.
St. Martin, who signed his entry-level contract with the reigning Stanley Cup Champions in October 2024, dished up another assist less than a minute later as Marcus Pacheco gave the Tabbies their first lead of the night with a deceptive wrister.
Medicine Hat proved to be the faster team off the hop in the second frame, as Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt stole a puck on the penalty kill and streaked down the ice on a partial break.
At the last second, the veteran dished for a wide-open Gavin McKenna to bury his first shorthanded WHL goal and 23rd of the season to make it 3-1.
The Gavin McKenna Show is on the air!@tigershockey | #WHLWednesday
📺 | https://t.co/mJMVx4PnYd pic.twitter.com/BtzbdW5I6X
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 30, 2025
Tips Captain Kaden Hammell nearly got his team within one with a deft shot late in the second period, but rang the puck off the iron.
Tampa Bay Lightning prospect and back-to-back WHL Goaltender of the Week winner Harrison Meneghin came up with another spectacular save with a kicking toe stop on Jesse Heslop as the netminder sprawled on the ice.
In the third period, Everett quickly drew within one with a one-time blast from import forward Dominik Rymon just 32 seconds into the final frame.
Never count the League-leading, @WHLsilvertips out!
Dominik Rymon gets them within striking distance. #WHLWednesday
📺 | https://t.co/mJMVx4PnYd pic.twitter.com/ewI1VLCdQA
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 30, 2025
Smith and veteran Tyler MacKenzie snagged the assists.
Heslop nearly drew the game level seconds later but put the puck wide of Meneghin.
However, another penalty proved costly for the host squad.
Defenceman Bryce Pickford restored the two-goal lead seconds later with a powerplay tally of his own with a one-timer from the faceoff dot, with McKenna and Molendyk continuing to boost their assist stats.
Three-on-one? Oh YEA, we are taking Gavin McKenna's odds!@tigershockey | #WHLWednesday
📺 | https://t.co/mJMVx4PnYd pic.twitter.com/FxR2WyEkL0
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 30, 2025
McKenna put the game well and truly out of reach with a stunning shorthanded breakaway goal to make it 5-2.
THE TIGER KING STRIKES AGAIN!
Gavin McKenna's first two shorthanded goals in the WHL have come in tonight's #WHLWednesday Night in The Dub meeting.
📺 | https://t.co/mJMVx4PnYd pic.twitter.com/S70jdg3ALV
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 30, 2025
Defenceman Jonas Woo added to the pile-on with his 20th career goal by capitalizing on a rebound from Dallas Stars defensive pick Niilopekka Muhonen, and McKenna capped off his night with a precision wrist shot and a hat trick.
#WHLWednesday Night in The Dub 🤝 Gavin McKenna.
It's a hat-trick for the 17-year-old sensation!
📺 | https://t.co/mJMVx4PnYd@tigershockey pic.twitter.com/1wusXyQqEP
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 30, 2025
Cole Temple would get a late one back for the Silvertips, but it was too late as the Tigers wrapped up a 7-3 decision.
Meneghin stopped 27 of 30 shots on the night while holding Everett 0/4 on the powerplay.
Medicine Hat (32-15-2-0) looks to stay unbeaten on the road trip when they visit Portland (27-16-2-1) on Friday, January 31 at 7:00 p.m. PST.
Everett (34-7-4-3) goes back to the drawing board against the 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets (16-23-4-1) on the same night at the same time.
Wednesday Night in the Dub returns on Wednesday, February 5 as top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Cole Reschny and the Victoria Royals host high-scoring Hayden Paupanekis and the Kelowna Rockets at 7:05 p.m. PST.
The program is available for fans as a freeview opportunity through the WHL’s YouTube channel and WHL Live on CHL TV.
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