Game Day Preview December 31 at Swift Current
Published on December 31, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release
LAST GAME: 3-2 L @ Lethbridge Hurricanes: Logan Wormald would be the hero Tuesday night at the Enmax Centre as the Lethbridge Hurricanes defeated the Medicine Hat Tigers 3-2 for their 4th straight win against the Tigers. Brenden Lee and Owen MacNeil would score in a losing cause for the Tigers while Beckett Langkow made 15 saves in the Tigers net.
VS SWIFT CURRENT: It's the 1st of 8 meetings this season between the Broncos & Tigers. Last season the Tigers were 2-6 against the Broncos, winning one of their games in overtime on October 19, 2021. Tigers Defenceman and Latvian world junior Bogdans Hodass lead the way for the tabbies scoring 2 goals and 7 assists in the 8 game set. While Captain Owen MacNeil would put up 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 8 GP against Swift Current. Bronco forward Matthew Ward was the top point getter for Swift Current in 8 games against Medicine Hat scoring 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) while just behind him was Raphael Pelletier with 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists).
Broncos goaltender Reid Dyck was 2-0-1 against Medicine Hat last season with a .910 save percentage and a 2.63 goals against average.
Since the 1996-97 season the Tigers 71-60-5-1 with one tie in 139 games played while on the road against the Broncos, Medicine Hat is 28-39-2-1.
HEAD TO HEAD
2021-2022 2022-23
Oct 1 @ SC (2-0 L) Dec 28 @ MH
Oct 2 @ MH (3-2 L) Dec 31 @ SC
Oct 19 @ MH (5-4 OTW) Jan 7 @ MH
Nov 5 @ SC (3-2 L) Jan 10 @ SC
Feb 18 @ SC (7-2 L) Jan 18 @ SC
Mar 5 @ MH (2-0 W) Feb 28 @ MH
Mar 18 @ SC (5-1 L) Mar 24 @ SC
Mar 19 @ MH (2-0 L) Mar 25 @ MH
TALE OF THE TAPE
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (13-18-4-1) 31pts
5TH in Central Division
10TH in Eastern Conference
PP - Overall 32/160 - 20.0% - Away 16/84 - 19.0%
PK - Overall 121/160 -75.6% - Away 63/85 -83.3%
SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS (15-15-01) 31pts
4TH in Central Division
9TH in Eastern Conference
PP - Overall 24/119 - 20.2% - Home 11/74 - 14.9%
PK - Overall 130/167 -77.8% - Home 75/95 - 73.7%
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS
Goals - Lee (19) Assists - Basha (25)
Points - Lee (34) +/- Parsons (+12)
PIMS - Bocharov (50) Wins - Langkow (13)
Shutouts - N/A Save % - Langkow .887%
GAA - Langkow (3.11)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Andrew Basha 35 GP: 7-25-32 PTS - Oasiz Wiesblatt 36 GP: 15-13-28 PTS
- Brenden Lee 36 GP: 19-15-34 PTS (12 PPG) - Brayden Boehm 36 GP: 13-10-23 PTS
- Tyler MacKenzie 36 GP: 12-11-23 PTS - Dru Krebs 35 GP: 3-16-19 PTS
- Reid Andresen 36 GP: 5-15-20 PTS - Cayden Lindstrom 28 GP: 9-9-18 PTS
(06 Born)
MILESTONE WATCH
Beckett Langkow - 1 GP from 60 Career GP Hunter St. Martin - 4 GP from 50 career GP
Reid Andresen - 2 PTS away from 40 Career PTS Brenden Lee - 1 PTS away from 75 Career PTS
NEWS & NOTES
Latvian Leap: Second year defenceman Bogdans Hodass will represent Team Lativa at the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the second straight year. In 24 GP this season, Hodass has 4 goals and 11 assists for 15 points. At this summer's World Juniors in Edmonton, Hodass had 1 goal and 1 assist in 5 games making it to the Quarter Finals.
Mr. 400: Tigers Head Coach & Willie Desjardins notched his 400th win as a Head Coach with the Medicine Hat Tigers December 10th in a 6-3 win at home against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Desjardins record in his 13 seasons coaching in the WHL. Desjardins first win as Tigers Head Coach was a 4-3 win on September 24, 2002 against the Saskatoon Blades.
Busy Beckett:Tigers Goaltender Beckett Langkow leads the WHL in minutes played with 1695 including a stretch of ten straight starts from September 24 to October 2.
Latvian Leap: Second year defenceman Bogdans Hodass will represent Team Lativa at the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the second straight year. In 24 GP this season, Hodass has 4 goals and 11 assists for 15 points. At this summer's World Juniors in Edmonton, Hodass had 1 goal and 1 assist in 5 games making it to the Quarter Finals.
Defenders Attacking: The Tigers defence core of Rhett Parsons, Bogdans Hodass, Dru Krebs, Pasha Bocharov, Josh Van Mulligen & Reid Andresen have contributed to 88 points (20 goals, 68 assists)
Silver Lining: Tigers forward Tomas Mrsic returns to the Tigers after taking home a silver medal at the World U17s in Langley, BC. Mrsic had one goal and one assists for Team Canada Red. Cayden Lindstrom also participated in the U17s as a member of Team White scoring two goals and two assists in the tournament.
The Lindstrom Lightning: Tigers Centre Cayden Lindstrom is 8th in WHL Rookie scoring with 18 points (9 goals, 9 assists) in 28 games played.
From Cessford with Love: Tigers Rookie Forward Shane Smith is 3rd in Rookie goal scoring with 11 goals.
Man Down, No Problem: Going into tonight's game in Red Deer, the Tigers are 9th in shorthanded goals for in the WHL with 5, (Smith, St. Martin, Bocharov, Boehm, MacNeil)
Lee's Laser: Coming into action tonight, Tigers forward Brenden Lee is 2nd in the Western Hockey League with 12 power play goals but also 2nd in the entire Canadian Hockey League.
MacNeil's Navy: The Tigers announced their leadership group for the 2022-23 WHL Season, Owen MacNeil was named the 39th Captain in Tigers history, while Rhett Parsons, Dru Krebs, Tyler MacKenzie & Dallon Melin will all wear alternate captain's A's on their jerseys this season.
HOW THE TIGERS WERE BUILT
WHL Draft (9): Andresen, Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, St. Martin, Boehm, Van Mulligen, Mrsic, Lindstrom, Basha, McKenna
Trade (5): Bocharov, Lee, MacNeil, Smythe & May
CHL Import Draft (1): Hodass
Listed/Signed (2): Langkow, Hanas
Waivers (1): Melin
ROSTER AGE BREAKDOWN (* indicates rookie):
Alberta - 11 -Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, Langkow, St. Martin *, Smith *, Melin, Van Mulligen *, MacNeil, Basha
BC - 5 - Smythe, Lindstrom *, Mrsic *, Boehm & May
Saskatchewan- 1 - Andresen
Yukon-1-McKenna*
USA - 3 - Lee, Hanas & Bocharov Latvia - 1 - Hodass
PREVIOUS THREE GAMES NEXT THREE GAMES (all times MT/SD
Fri Dec 16 Vs Red Deer Rebels (6-4 L) Sat Dec 31 @ Swift Current Broncos (6pm)
Sat Dec 17 Vs Kelowna Rockets (4-1 W) Fri Jan 6 @ Edmonton Oil Kings (7pm)
Tue Dec 27 @ Lethbridge Hurricanes (3-2 L) Sat Jan 7 Vs Swift Current Broncos (6pm)
Western Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2022
- T-Birds Defuse Rockets - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Rockets Fall to Thunderbirds - Kelowna Rockets
- Filmon's Overtime Winner Lifts Broncos Over Tigers - Swift Current Broncos
- Chiefs Drop New Year's Eve Game 7-6 to Americans in OT - Spokane Chiefs
- Five-Goal First Carries Hawks Past Tips on New Year's Eve - Portland Winterhawks
- Tigers Fall in New Year's Eve Thriller to Broncos - Medicine Hat Tigers
- ICE Defeat Saskatoon in Overtime - Winnipeg Ice
- Blades Come Home with Point in 2-1 Loss to ICE - Saskatoon Blades
- Warriors Get Their Revenge on New Year's Eve - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Fromm-Delorme, Litke Star in Hawks' 7-2 Romp - Portland Winterhawks
- WORLD JUNIORS: Bedard Ties Lindros Points Record, Svozil & Czechia Finish First - Regina Pats
- Warriors Bounce Back with Big Win in Brandon - Moose Jaw Warriors
- 32nd Annual New Year's Eve Game Between Ams and Chiefs - Tri-City Americans
- Chiefs to Ring in New Year in Kennewick as they Face Americans Saturday - Spokane Chiefs
- Raiders Acquire Skilled Rookie Center from ICE - Prince Albert Raiders
- ICE Acquire Latimer from Prince Albert - Winnipeg Ice
- Game Day Preview December 31 at Swift Current - Medicine Hat Tigers
- ICE vs Saskatoon, 5:00 at the ICE Cave Inside Wayne Fleming Arena - Winnipeg Ice
- T-Birds Rocket Past Kelowna - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Hawks' Win Streak Hits Seven in Everett - Portland Winterhawks
- Despite Late Goal, Royals Fall to Giants 4-3 in Shootout - Victoria Royals
- Cougars Fall 4-2 in Kamloops to Start Second Half - Prince George Cougars
- Thunderbirds Hold Off Rockets - Kelowna Rockets
- Chiefs Pull Off Gritty 2-1 Win Over Americans in Last Home Game of 2022 - Spokane Chiefs
- Stefan, Cagnoni Help Hawks Stretch Win Streak to Seven - Portland Winterhawks
- Giants End 2022 on a High Note, Win 4-3 in Vic - Vancouver Giants
- GAME HUB: Wheat Kings & Warriors Clash on New Years Eve - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Tips Welcome 7,963 Fans, Fall to Winterhawks - Everett Silvertips
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