Tigers Put Up 10 In Front Of A Sold Out Crowd

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WHL Medicine Hat Tigers

Tigers Put Up 10 In Front Of A Sold Out Crowd

March 23, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release


The Tigers hosted the rival Lethbridge Hurricanes in their final home game of the regular season. Fans packed Co-op Place hoping to watch their Tigers secure the #1 seed for the playoffs. To do this the Tigers would need to win and get a little help from the Rebels in their game against the Hitmen.

The electricity from the sold-out crowd had the Tigers' players buzzing from the opening faceoff. They came out and dominated the play in the opening frame outshooting the Hurricanes 16 to 5.

The Tigers got an early power play and made the most of it. From the faceoff dot, Gavin McKenna found Liam Ruck parked at the side of the net with a backdoor pass. Ruck tapped in the 24th of his rookie season to give the Tigers an early lead. Bryce Pickford also grabbed an assist on the opening goal.

Medicine Hat would make it a two-goal game a couple of minutes later. Veeti Vaisanen let a slapshot go from the high slot that McKenna was able to tip in for his 38th of the season. Marcus Pacheco picked up the secondary assist on the goal.

The Tigers would add one more before the end of the first period. Coming in on a two on one, Hunter St. Martin decided to keep and fire a shot on net. His shot beat the Canes netminder over the blocker to tie him for the team lead in goals with his 38th. Oasiz Wiesblatt and McKenna picked up the assists.

The Hurricanes would get one back early in the second period. On a two on one of their own, Jordan Gustafson got off a wrister that beat the goalie through the five-hole. The unassisted goal was Gustafson's sixth of the season.

The rest of the second period was all Tigers though as they would go on to score four unanswered goals through the rest of the period.

Mathew Ward would reinstate the Tigers' three goal lead at the 4:03 mark of the second. Ethan Neutens found Ward in the high slot with a great backhand pass off the side wall. Ward let a big wrister go that found the top corner for his 18th of the season. Niilopekka Muhonen found the scoresheet with the secondary assist.

The Tigers continued to pressure and added another goal less than two minutes later. Liam Ruck found Vaisanen with a backhand pass that he one-timed home for his third goal of the season. Tanner Molendyk picked up a point with a helper on the goal.

Ward would strike again just before the midway point of the period to make it a 6-1 game. Wiesblatt went to skate the puck around the net but let a pass go before that surprised everyone. Wiesblatt found Ward in front where he fired home the puck for his second of the night.

The Tigers would add one more goal late in the period to take a six goal into the third. Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll won the faceoff back to Vaisanen on the side wall. He let a backhand pass go that found Liam Ruck just in front of the blue line. Ruck skated in and let wrister go that found its way through traffic for his second of the night. His 25 goals lead all rookies this season in the WHL.

The third period was much of the same with the Tigers controlling the play. McKenna started the scoring early with a beauty. While shorthanded, he came in alone with two defenders watching him. One defender went to make a play on the puck but McKenna made a move that got him spinning around. While the defender was trying to figure out where the puck was, McKenna snapped it over the goalie's glove for his second of the night. St. Martin picked up the assist off a great breakout pass.

Later in the final frame, Ryder Ritchie got on the scoresheet with his 29th of the season. He didn't get all of his shot but luck was on the Tigers side tonight as it deflected on a Hurricanes stick and in. McKenna and Jonas Woo grabbed the helpers.

The Tigers would put the final nail in the coffin 17 seconds later. While shorthanded, St. Martin skated the puck up and drove around the left wall. He skated past the defenders and let a wrister go that found the bottom corner for his second of the night. Josh Van Mulligen and Ward picked up the helpers on St. Martin's league leading seventh shorthanded goal of the season.

Harrison Meneghin got the start in net for the Tigers for the fourth straight game. He had a strong game making 18 saves on 19 shots. The win was his 22nd of the season extended his win streak to six games. Koen Cleaver was in net for the Hurricanes. He had a busy night allowing 10 goals against on 43 shots.

Shots:

Medicine Hat - 43

Lethbridge - 19

Special Teams:

PP: 1/4 - 25%

PK: 7/7 - 100%

Stringam Law Three Stars:

Oasiz Wiesblatt - Medicine Hat

Mathew Ward - Medicine Hat

Harrison Meneghin - Medicine Hat

Supplement King Hardest Working Player: Gavin McKenna

The Tigers are back in action tomorrow night when they head to Calgary to take on the Hitmen in a winner take all for the East's #1 seed. Game time is 5:00 PM (MST). You can listen live on Wild 94.5 FM or watch on watch.chl.ca.

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