
Game Day Preview February 28 vs Swift Current
February 28, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release
LAST GAME 7-3 W Vs Kamloops Blazers: Despite giving up the first goal, the Medicine Hat Tigers would be unfazed by the Memorial Cup Hosts from Kamloops Saturday Night at Co-op Place. Thanks to goals from Bogdans Hodass (PPG), Reid Andresen, Andrew Basha x2, Brenden Lee & Brett Callhoon's first WHL & game winning goal would vault the Tigers into 3rd in the Central Division and 7th in the Eastern Conference in the win.
Vs SWIFT CURRENT: This is the 6th of 8 meetings between the Swift Current Broncos & the Medicine Hat Tigers, with the Tigers sporting a 1-2-2 record against the Broncos thus far. Oasiz Wiesblatt, Dallon Melin and Andrew Basha lead the way in the point department for the Tigers registering fives in the season series.
Head to Head going back to the 1996-97 WHL Season has the Tigers with a 72-62-7-1 record with 2 ties, while at home, Medicine Hat is 43-22-4-0 with 2 ties.
HEAD TO HEAD
Dec 31 @ SC 4-3 OTL
Jan 7 @ MH 6-4 L
Jan 10 @ SC 3-1 L
Jan 18 @ SC 5-4 SOW
Jan 22 @ MH 4-3 OTL
Feb 28 @ MH -
Mar 24 @ SC -
Mar 25 @ MH -
TALE OF THE TAPE
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (24-23-8-1) 57pts
3RD in Central Division
7TH in Eastern Conference
PP - Overall 48/240 - 20.0% - Home 23/111 - 20.7%
Vs SC - 0/10 - 0.0% @ SC - 3/11 - 27.2%
PK -Overall 176/243 -72.4% - Home 85/115 - 73.9%
Vs SC - 6/8 - 75.0% @ SC - 11/14 - 78.5%
SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS (26-27-1-2) 55pts
5TH in Central Division
9TH in Eastern Conference
PP - Overall 46/223 - 20.6% - Away 26/105 - 24.8%
Vs MH - 4/13 30.7% @MH - 2/7 - 28.5%
PK - Overall 205/270 -75.9% -Away 109/137 -79.6%
Vs MH - 8/11 -72.7% @MH - 10/10 -100.0%
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS
Goals - Lee (25) Wins - Langkow (21)
Assists - Basha (36) Shutouts - N/A
Points - Basha & Wiesblatt (50) Save % - Langkow .886%
+/- Basha (+18) GAA - Langkow (3.18)
PIMS - Wiesblatt (80)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Andrew Basha 55 GP: 14-36-50 PTS - Oasiz Wiesblatt 56 GP: 21-29-40 PTS
- Brenden Lee 45 GP: 25-19-44 PTS - Cayden Lindstrom 49 GP: 16-17-33 PTS
- Dallon Melin 55 GP: 13-23-36 PTS - Bogdans Hodass 44 GP: 10-18-28 PTS
- Dru Krebs 55 GP: 5-30-35 PTS
MILESTONE WATCH
- Dru Krebs: Playing Career GP 200 - Owen MacNeil: 15 GP away from 200 GP
- Rhett Parsons: 11 GP from 150 career GP - Oasiz Wiesblatt: 7 GP from 150 career GP
- Reid Andresen: 19 GP from 150 career GP - Dallon Melin: 7 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
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)
Sat Feb 25 Vs Kamloops Blazers (7-3 W) Fri Mar 3 Vs Edmonton Oil Kings (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 149 points (39 goals, 110) assists)
Just Like He Dru It Up: Tigers defenceman and Washington Capitals prospect Dru Krebs is tied for 19th 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.
Western Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2023
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- Wheat Kings & Warriors Conclude Season Series in Moose Jaw - Brandon Wheat Kings
- February 28 - Canes Chatter - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Game Day Preview February 28 vs Swift Current - Medicine Hat Tigers
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