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Medicine Hat Tigers

Rebels and Tigers Have Rich Playoff History

March 27, 2015 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release


Medicine Hat, AB -- The Western Hockey League playoff history between Medicine Hat and Red Deer may only span 5 playoff seasons, but when the two teams clash on Saturday night it will mark the first time since 2010-11 that the clubs will tangle in the "second season".

The Tigers, who finished second in the Central Division after the Calgary Hitmen took over down the stretch and won the pennant, will look to continue their regular season dominance over of the Rebels when they sported a 4-2-0-0 record.

After downing Swift Current in the opening round last spring, the Tigers then took care of the Kootenay Ice in dramatic fashion coming from behind and winning in Game 7. Medicine Hat then took on the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Eastern Conference Finals, which the Tigers were disposed of in 5 games to the eventual Memorial Cup Champions.

Both clubs normally have met in the Conference Semis or Conference Finals, however Medicine Hat enters this year's post season hoping to build on a regular season filled with ups and downs including winning streaks of 6 and 7 games and a month of February to forget in order to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals, against probable opponent the Brandon Wheat Kings.

While Medicine Hat had a great season in the Eastern Conference, the Red Deer Rebels had a season of their own, compiling a record of 38-23-5-6 for 87 points.

During the 6-game regular season series between the two, Medicine Hat won four of the six, including being a perfect 3-0-0-0 at the Medicine Hat Arena.

Medicine Hat's Trevor Cox, who finished second in the WHL scoring race with 29 goals, 80 assists (WHL leader) and 109 points, led the Tigers in scoring against Red Deer with two goals and 10 points, followed by line mate Cole Sanford with 7 points and Steven Owre with 6 points.

As for the Rebels, Wyatt Johnson and local Medicine Hat product Presten Kopeck finished 1-2 in scoring against Medicine Hat tied with 5 points in the 6 games played.

In goal, it was a battle of the starters this season as both Marek Langhamer and Rylan Toth started in all 6 games. Langhamer sported a 4-2-0-0 record with a 2.33 GAA and 0.918 SV %, while Toth went 2-3-1-0 with a 3.48 GAA and a 0.897 %.

The Rebels and Tigers have met in the playoffs five times since the Rebels inception in 1992. The first meeting was in 2002-03 when the Rebels defeated the Tigers in seven games.

In 2003-04 would see the Rebels face-off against the high flying Tigers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Tigers boasted some great talent having 7 of the top 10 playoff scoring leaders including Chris St. Jacques, Darren Reid, Clarke MacArthur and Stefan Meyer. The Tigers after defeating the Rebels in 6 games went on to win the WHL Championship in Everett, sweeping the Tips.

The following year in 2004-05 the top ranked Tigers took on the Rebels in the opening round of the playoffs, forcing a game 7 back at the Arena. The Tigers would take the game in dramatic fashion and moved on to the semis that year, falling in 6 games to Prince Albert.

The clubs would take a year off from playoff competition against each other in 2005-06 before meeting again in 2006-07 in a first round matchup against another talented Tigers squad. The Tigers were the best team in the Eastern Conference compiling 107 points and 52 victories. The Tigers dispatched the Rebels in another grueling 7 game series and went on to eventually winning another WHL Championship on the heels of Matt Keetley's goaltending performance.

The fifth and final time the Tigers and Rebels have met was in 2010-11 in the semi-finals when Emerson Etem and Linden Vey led the Tigers to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Rebels in 5 games.

This season the opening round of the 2015 edition of this Central Division rivalry opens on Saturday night in the historic Medicine Hat Arena for games 1 and 2 before heading to Red Deer for games 3 and 4 during the week, April 1st and 2nd.

Tickets to the first two playoff home games are on sale now at the Tigers box office. Fans can buy tickets in person or by calling the box office at (403) 526-8406.

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