WHL Medicine Hat Tigers

Game Day Preview February 25 vs Kamloops

Published on February 25, 2023 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release


LAST GAME 6-3 L @ Regina Pats: Hunter St. Martin, Oasiz Wiesblatt & Tyler MacKenzie would score in a tough loss at the Brandt Centre Wednesday night. Pats Centre Connor Bedard would lead the way for the winning Pats with a five-point night. The Tigers still lead the season series against the Pats, two games to one.

VS KAMLOOPS: This is the first meeting between the Blazers & Tigers since November 9,2019 or 1204 days ago when the Tigers travelled to Kamloops and the Blazers would come away with a 7-3 win, the last time the Blazers were at Co-op Place was December 12, 2018 as the Tigers doubled the Blazers 4-2. The only players remaining still on the Blazers and Tigers roster are Dru Krebs, while Caeden Bankier & Matthew Seminoff.

Head to Head since the 1996-97 season the Tigers have a 26-22-0-1 record and are 14-8-0-1 at home against Kamloops.

HEAD TO HEAD

Feb 25 @ MH -

TALE OF THE TAPE

MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (23-23-8-1) 55pts

4TH in Central Division

8TH in Eastern Conference

PP - Overall 47/236 - 19.9% - Home 22/107 - 20.6%

Vs KAM - @ KAM -

PK - Overall 172/237 -72.6% - Home 81/109 -74.3%

Vs KAM - @ KAM -

KAMLOOPS BLAZERS (37-10-4-2) 80pts

1ST in B.C. Division

2ND in Western Conference

PP - Overall 71/230 - 30.9% - Away 39/101 - 38.6%

Vs MH - @MH -

PK -Overall 147/194 -75.8% - Away 73/96 - 76.0%

Vs MH - @MH -

2022-23 REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS

Goals - Lee (24) Wins - Langkow (20)

Assists - Basha (35) Shutouts - N/A

Points - Wiesblatt (49) Save % - Langkow .886%

+/- Basha & Krebs (+15) GAA - Langkow (3.18)

PIMS - Wiesblatt (78)

GAA - Langkow (3.18)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

- Andrew Basha 54 GP: 12-35-47 PTS - Oasiz Wiesblatt 55 GP: 21-28-49 PTS

- Brenden Lee 44 GP: 24-19-43 PTS - Cayden Lindstrom 48 GP: 16-17-33 PTS

- Dallon Melin 54 GP: 13-22-35 PTS - Bogdans Hodass 43 GP: 10-16-24 PTS

- Dru Krebs 54 GP: 5-29-34 PTS

MILESTONE WATCH

- Dru Krebs: 2 GP away from 200 GP - Owen MacNeil: 16 GP away from 200 GP

- Rhett Parsons: 12 GP from 150 career GP - Oasiz Wiesblatt: 8 GP from 150 career GP

- Reid Andresen: 20 GP from 150 career GP - Dallon Melin: 9 GP from 250 GP

HOW THE TIGERS WERE BUILT

WHL Draft (14): Andresen, Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, Smith, St. Martin, Boehm, Van Mulligen, Mrsic, Lindstrom, Basha, McKenna, Calhoon

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 - 12 - Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, Langkow, St. Martin *, Smith *, Melin, Van Mulligen *, MacNeil, Basha,

BC - 6 - Smythe, Lindstrom *, Mrsic *, Boehm, Calhoon AP & May

Saskatchewan- 1 - Andresen Manitoba - McCallum Yukon-1-McKenna*

USA - 3 - Lee, Hanas & Bocharov Latvia - 1 - Hodass

PREVIOUS THREE GAMES NEXT THREE GAMES (all times MT/SD

Sat Feb 18 Vs Red Deer Rebels (5-4 OTL Sat Feb 25 Vs Kamloops Blazers (7pm

Mon Feb 20 @ Red Deer Rebels (4-1 W) Tue Feb 28 Vs Swift Current Broncos (7pm)

Wed Feb 22 @ Regina Pats (6-3 L) Wed Mar 1 Vs Winnipeg ICE (7pm)

NEWS & NOTES

Defenders Attack: The Tigers defence core of Kurtis Smythe, Rhett Parsons, Bogdans Hodass, Dru Krebs, Pasha Bocharov, Josh Van Mulligen & Reid Andresen have contributed to 143 points (37 goals, 108) assists)

Just Like He Dru It Up: Tigers defenceman and Washington Capitals prospect Dru Krebs is tied for 18th in WHL Defencemen points (5 goals, 30 assists) in 55 games.

Bend It Like Beckett: Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow is 17th among WHL goaltenders, while he's 2nd amongst WHL goaltenders with minutes played, 2430, as well as he leads in games played with 42. Langkow is also tied for the league lead with shootout wins with 3.

Young Bucks: Tigers Rookie forwards Hunter St. Martin & Shane Smith are tied for first in WHL Rookie Shorthanded scoring with 3 points.

The Chetwynd Kid: Tigers Centre Cayden Lindstrom is 8th in WHL Rookie scoring with 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 48 games played.

The Cessford Shooter: Tigers Rookie Forward Shane Smith is tied for 3rd in Rookie goal scoring with 18.

Man Down, No Problem: Going into tonight's game against Swift Current, the Tigers are 7th in shorthanded goals for in the WHL with 9, (Smith x2, St. Martin, Bocharov, Boehm x2, MacNeil, Lee, Melin)

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.

Latvian Leap: Second year defenceman Bogdans Hodass represented Team Lativa at the completed 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the second straight year. Hodass had 4 points (2 goals, 2 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.

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.

Check out the Medicine Hat Tigers Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 25, 2023


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