Tanner Molendyk Named Tempo WHL Player of the Week

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WHL Medicine Hat Tigers

Tanner Molendyk Named Tempo WHL Player of the Week

May 5, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release


Calgary, AB. - Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Tanner Molendyk has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, May 4, 2025, the Western Hockey League announced Monday.

Molendyk is just the seventh defenceman to win the award in 2024-25.

The Nashville Predators prospect erupted for a goal and five assists for six points in two road games to help the Tigers eliminate the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2025 WHL Eastern Conference Championship presented by Nutrien.

The 20-year-old sparked a critical comeback in Game 3 as the Tigers erased a three-goal deficit for a dramatic 7-6 overtime win against the Hurricanes on April 29. With Lethbridge holding a daunting 4-1 lead midway through the second period, Molendyk fired a pass to rookie Liam Ruck to trim the deficit to two on the powerplay. Three minutes later, the McBride, B.C. product took matters into his own hands as he skated up the right wing and ripped the puck into the twine to get the Tabbies within one. In the third period, Molendyk turned a penalty kill into a power kill as he rimmed the puck up the boards to spring Mathew Ward for a shorthanded breakaway goal, though Lethbridge would re-gain a late lead. Finally, with 70 seconds remaining in regulation time, Molendyk served up an assist on Bryce Pickford's game-tying goal, setting up an overtime period that saw Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt bury the game-winning goal. Molendyk was named first star as the Tigers took a 3-0 stranglehold on the series. His four-point effort is also tied for the highest-scoring game of his career (regular season + playoffs).

The 6-foot, 180-pound blueliner was just as impactful in Game 4, where he helped break a 1-1 stalemate with a secondary assist on a Pickford powerplay strike. Medicine Hat wouldn't relinquish the lead after that, though Molendyk would add another helper on a second-period tally from Misha Volotovskii. The Tigers went on to a 5-3 win, punching their ticket to the WHL Championship Series for the first time since 2007.

Molendyk has registered three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 13 playoff games as he prepares to battle for the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in his career.

He's tied for fourth in assists among all defencemen in the postseason.

The smooth-skating rearguard is a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy for WHL Defenceman of the Year and was recently named to the 2025 WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team.

Medicine Hat acquired Molendyk from the Saskatoon Blades in a splashy 2025 WHL Trade Deadline Deal and closed out the regular season with nine goals and 38 assists for 47 points and a +25 rating in 49 games.

Originally selected by the Blades with the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Molendyk has gone on to pile up 31 goals and 129 assists for 160 points in 238 regular-season games.

On the international stage, Moldenyk has represented Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and won gold at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

He was drafted by the Nashville Predators with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville, Tenn.

The Tigers and Spokane Chiefs kick off the 2025 WHL Championship Series on Friday, May 9, at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat.

2024-25 Tempo WHL Player of the Week

September 23, 2024: Roger McQueen, Brandon Wheat Kings

September 30, 2024: Nathan Behm, Kamloops Blazers

October 7, 2024: Shea Van Olm, Spokane Chiefs

October 15, 2024: Mazden Leslie, Vancouver Giants

October 21, 2024: Ben Kindel, Calgary Hitmen

October 28, 2024: Nathan Behm, Kamloops Blazers

November 4, 2024: Brady Birnie, Swift Current Broncos

November 11, 2024: Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George Cougars (Los Angeles Kings)

November 18, 2024: Tomas Mrsic, Prince Albert Raiders (St. Louis Blues)

November 25, 2024: Andrew Cristall, Kelowna Rockets (Washington Capitals)

December 2, 2024: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers

December 9, 2024: Tyson Jugnauth, Portland Winterhawks (Seattle Kraken)

December 16, 2024: Gracyn Sawchyn, Edmonton Oil Kings (Florida Panthers)

December 23, 2024: Rilen Kovacevic, Moose Jaw Warriors

December 30, 2024: Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips

January 6, 2025: Evan Friesen, Wenatchee Wild

January 13, 2025: Andrew Cristall, Spokane Chiefs (Washington Capitals)

January 20, 2025: Berkly Catton, Spokane Chiefs (Seattle Kraken)

January 27, 2025: Quinn Mantei, Brandon Wheat Kings

February 3, 2025: Andrew Cristall, Spokane Chiefs (Washington Capitals)

February 10, 2025: Cole Reschny, Victoria Royals

February 18, 2025: Berkly Catton, Spokane Chiefs (Seattle Kraken)

February 24, 2025: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers

March 3, 2025: Teydon Trembecky, Victoria Royals

March 10, 2025: Hunter Laing, Saskatoon Blades (Calgary Flames)

March 17, 2025: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers

March 24, 2025: Jackson Smith, Tri-City Americans

March 31, 2025: Oasiz Wiesblatt, Medicine Hat Tigers

April 7, 2025: Berkly Catton, Spokane Chiefs (Seattle Kraken)

April 14, 2025: Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips

April 21, 2025: Cole Reschny, Victoria Royals

April 28, 2025: Andrew Cristall, Spokane Chiefs (Washington Capitals)

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