GAME STORY: Medicine Hat Tigers clinch 2025 WHL Championship presented by Nutrien

Spokane, Wash.- The Tigers have officially earned their stripes- and a couple of scars- with a five-game victory over the Spokane Chiefs in the 2025 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien.

Medicine Hat locked up a victory in enemy territory with a 4-2 win on Friday night.

The Eastern Conference Champions drew first blood in their first-ever Championship matchup against Spokane with a 4-1 victory in Game 1 before the Chiefs roared back to level the series with a 6-2 decision in Game 2.

Medicine Hat went on to win all three games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (6-0, 5-2, 4-2).

With a 14-1-0-0 record, a 2.35 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and three shutouts, Tigers goaltender and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Harrison Meneghin was named the WHL Playoff MVP.

Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt called up Meneghin to be the first Tigers player to lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup after the trophy presentation with WHL Commissioner Dan Near.

“You live for moments like this,” Meneghin said. “I’m super proud of my teammates, and even my family, too.”

Meneghin’s father, Derek, passed away just before the end of the regular season and the Tigers have worn special pins throughout the postseason honouring his memory and the Meneghin family.

“My teammates have been unbelievable,” Meneghin added. “Right before playoffs started, I was at home, and Willie (Desjardins) sent a few of my teammates down to come support me and my family and even for my father’s funeral, too. That’s the type of stuff that makes life special, and you really want to run through a wall for your team. The support has been unbelievable.”

Seventeen-year-old Gavin McKenna led the Tigers in postseason points with 38 points (9G-28A) in 16 games, while Florida Panthers prospect Hunter St. Martin and 2025 NHL Draft-eligible defenceman Bryce Pickford paced all skaters in the Championship Series with seven points each.

Medicine Hat got an incredible boost in the Championship as NHL prospects Andrew Basha (Calgary Flames) and Cayden Lindstrom (Columbus Blue Jackets) returned to the lineup and scored the game-opening goals in Games 1 and 2, respectively.

Even as stars like McKenna and Lindstrom were forced to miss additional time in Games 3 and 4, their teammates embraced a next-man-up mentality, with six different skaters finding the back of the net in a 6-0 win in Game 3.

The final game of the 2025 WHL Championship Series saw both teams head to the dressing room scoreless after 20 minutes.

The Chiefs started to build pressure in the second period, including a dangerous opportunity that saw Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall rip a cross-ice pass to regular-season goals leader Shea Van Olm for a one-timer that breezed just wide of the net.

With the shots deadlocked 19-19 just past the halfway point of the game, veteran Marcus Pacheco won a faceoff back to Dallas Stars prospect Niilopekka Muhonen, who wired a long wrister from the point for his first career WHL Playoff goal.

Medicine Hat opened the scoring in all five games in the series.

Whitehorse sensation Gavin McKenna halted dreams of a Spokane comeback by doubling the lead on a Tigers powerplay in the early goings of the third period.

The WHL Player of the Year converted a slick wrister from the left faceoff dot off a feed from NHL Draft-eligible defenceman Jonas Woo and Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha.

McKenna’s marker was even more impactful as the projected 2026 NHL Draft-eligible winger made his return from a two-game absence with an undisclosed injury.

St. Martin got in on the action just 44 seconds later as he banged home a loose puck after Mathew Ward crashed into Chiefs netminder Cowan.

Despite the dagger, Spokane dug deep to break Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Harrison Meneghin’s shutout bid as Cristall buried his league-leading 21st goal of the postseason with a laserbeam destined for the top of the net from the high slot.

Alternate captain Brayden Crampton picked up the primary assist, while Captain and Seattle Kraken prospect Berkly Catton snagged the secondary.

The Chiefs trimmed the deficit to one as gritty draft-eligible forward Assanali Sarkenov drifted to the slot to snap a Sam Oremba pass high on Meneghin and get the crowd back on its feet, but Bryce Pickford sealed the win with an empty net goal- extending his WHL record-setting defenceman goal streak to eight games.

Meneghin stopped 34 of 36 shots in the victory for a blistering .944 save percentage, marking his third-busiest game of the 2024-25 season.

This marks the sixth time the Tigers have hoisted the Ed Chynoweth Cup and the first time since 2007.

Medicine Hat now marches on to the 2025 Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Que., beginning on May 22, 2025.