Medicine Hat Tigers Win Game 1 of 2025 WHL Championship Series Presented by Nutrien

May 9, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release

Medicine Hat Tigers' Hunter St. Martin versus Spokane Chiefs' Berkly Catton
(, Credit: Randy Feere / Medicine Hat Tigers)

The Eastern Conference Champions held off a late barrage from the Spokane Chiefs to earn a 4-1 victory in Game 1 on Friday night.

Spokane outshot the Tigers 37-22, but Chiefs Head Coach Brad Lauer believes their own mistakes cost the young squad.

"It's one of those games where we kind of kept giving them the puck- especially the second period," The 2022 WHL Champion said. "(It) put us on our heels for a little bit. We did stick around. We did find a way to get to one. We've done that all year, we've been finding ways to get back in the games."

Tigers standout Andrew Basha got the sellout crowd of more than 6,000 at Co-op Place on their feet with a wild goal and an even more emotional celebration less than a minute into the match.

The Calgary Flames prospect found the icebreaker with :54 off the clock as he drove the Spokane net and snapped a Hunter St. Martin feed over the blocker of Dawson Cowan.

Basha had been out of the Tigers lineup since December 28, 2024, when he was injured and underwent surgery for a lower body injury.

Even sweeter?

Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Caydon Lindstrom, who hadn't seen game action since the 2024 WHL Playoffs, earned the secondary assist.

"Doesn't get much better than that," Basha said postgame. "I've never seen this place like that. It was unbelievable. So, you know, we rallied behind them and used their energy."

Regular season goals leader Shea Van Olm nearly found the equalizer for Spokane a minute later, but Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Harrison Meneghin made the first of dozens of key stops before Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt made a critical clear.

2025 NHL Draft-eligible defenceman Bryce Pickford doubled the lead for the Tabbies before the period ended.

WHL Player of the Year Gavin McKenna wove through the offensive zone before sliding the puck to a trailing Pickford for a precision shot from the slot.

The assist sees McKenna extend his modern CHL-record point streak (regular season + playoffs) to a staggering 54 games.

The score held until the early goings of the final frame, when Seattle Kraken prospect Berkly Catton got his side on the board with a powerplay marker.

Van Olm fed the puck through the legs of a Tigers defender to send Catton in tight on Meneghin, where the Chiefs Captain tucked the puck five-hole to slice the deficit in half.

"Special teams is huge," Catton said. "Obviously, even bigger in the playoffs. We like to have speed in our break-in. Shea made a great play to me and (I) just finished it."

Obviously it's a big stage, but it is just hockey at the end of the day. I think that start was a little shaky, we played from behind most of the night, but I think now we've seen it, and we'll be ready to go here."

The Tigers- and their fans- got some breathing room just over a minute later as an Ethan Neutens shot tipped off the blocker and the butt end of Dawson Cowan's stick as it fluttered into the net before Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk sent the puck sailing into the empty net, with McKenna picking up his second assist of the evening.

Meneghin maintained his undefeated postseason record and was near-perfect as he steered aside 36 of 37 shots for his busiest game of the 2025 WHL Playoffs.

"The bigger the game, the more he gets dialed in," Tigers Head Coach Willie Desjardins said. "He's been great for us. He's gone through a lot and for him to be able to stay focused. I know all our guys are really excited for him when he makes saves and gets a win."

Spokane went 1/4 on the man advantage, while Medicine Hat didn't score on two powerplay opportunities.

Game 2 is set for Sunday, May 11, at 7:00 p.m. MST at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat.

TSN will carry the game for Canadian viewers, while fans in the United States and across the world can stream the match on Victory+.

Medicine Hat Tigers' Hunter St. Martin versus Spokane Chiefs' Berkly Catton (Randy Feere / Medicine Hat Tigers)

Western Hockey League Stories from May 9, 2025

• Medicine Hat Tigers Win Game 1 of 2025 WHL Championship Series Presented by Nutrien - WHL
• Basha Scored in Return, Tigers Claw Out Game 1 Win in 2025 WHL Championship Series - Spokane Chiefs
• Hurricanes Sign Maloney - Lethbridge Hurricanes
• 2025 WHL Championship Series Presented by Nutrien Begins Tonight in Medicine Hat - WHL
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