Game Day Preview October 14 at Spokane
October 14, 2022 – Western Hockey League (WHL) – Medicine Hat Tigers News Release
2022-2023 TIGERS RECORD: 3-3-1-0 Home: 1-1-0-0 Road: 2-2-1-0
2021-2022 TIGERS RECORD: 11-53-3-1 Home: 8-25-1-0 Road: 3-28-2-1
LAST GAME: 11-3 W at Tri City Americans: The Medicine Hat Tigers beat their single game total for goals in a game Wednesday night in Kennewick as they took care of the Tri City Americans 11-3. The Tigers got goals from Shane Smith who scored his first career WHL hat-trick along with a pair of goals from Brayden Boehm, Dallon Melin, Cayden Lindstrom Pasha Bocharov, Brenden Lee and Andrew Basha all scored in the win while Beckett Langkow made 21 saves for his third win of the season. With the win the Tigers are now second in the Central Division heading into tonight’s action.
VS CHIEFS: As the Tigers wrap up their first trip to the United States in over four years, they last battled the Chiefs at home in Medicine Hat February 22, 2020 with the Chiefs scoring a 2-1 win over the Tigers, the only Tiger remaining on the roster was Dru Krebs, while former Chief and now Tiger Owen MacNeil was suited up for Spokane in the win. The last game between the Tigers and Chiefs in Spokane was on October 5, 2018 where it would be the Tigers coming away with a 3-2 shootout win. The All-time record for the Tigers over the Chiefs is through 27 GP: 11-12-3-1 and in 14 games at the Spokane Arena, the Tigers are 6-6-1-1.
2022-2023 REGULAR SEASON STATS LEADERS:
Goals (4) – Wiesblatt, Basha, Smith, MacKenzie, Lee Assists (9) – Hodass
Points (10) – Andrew Basha, Bogdans Hodass
PIMS (17) – Oasiz Wiesblatt Plus/Minus (12) – Rhett Parsons
Wins (3) – Beckett Langkow Shutouts (0) – N/A
Save % (.876) – Beckett Langkow Goals Against Average (3.45) – Beckett Langkow
WHO’S HOT
– Andrew Basha 7 GP: 4G 6A – 10 PTS
– Bogdans Hodass: 7 GP: 1G 9A – 10 PTS
– Brenden Lee 7 GP: 4G-4A – 8PTS
– Rhett Parsons 7 GP: 4G 3A – 7 PTS
– Tyler MacKenzie 4 GP: 4G-1A – 5 PTS
MILESTONE WATCH:
Owen MacNeil, 2 games away from 140
Oren Shtrom, 2 games away from 90
Andrew Basha, 5 games away 60
Bogdans Hodass, playing in game 65
Brenden Lee, 2 points away from 50 career points
Willie Desjardin, 8 wins away from 400 as Tigers Head Coach
NEWS & NOTES:
Thru 7: The Medicine Hat Tigers are sporting a 3-3-1record in the 2022-23 WHL Season so far after winning their season opener against Lethbridge, the Tigers have lost two straight to Lethbridge (5-4 Sept 30) & Winnipeg (5-2 Oct 1). This is the Tigers first US road trip since February 2019. They snapped their two game losing skid with a 6-3 win in Everett (Oct 7) but fell 4-3 in overtime on Saturday in Portland and dropped their second straight game to the Seattle Thunderbirds Tuesday 5-2, but followed up scoring 11 on the Tri City Americans Wednesday night in Kennewick winning 11-3.
From Jelgava With Love: Tigers defenceman Bogdans Hodass leads WHL defencemen in scoring 10 points through 7 games.
Basha in the Top 10: Tigers F Andrew Basha has now reached the League’s Top Ten Scorers after his power play goal Wednesday in Seattle tied with seven other skaters with ten point.
Busy Beckett: If he starts Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow will start his 8th straight game for the Tigers, sporting a 3-3-1 record with a .884 Save Percentage and a 3.45 GAA,
First Road Trip, First Goal: Three Medicine Hat Tigers rookies have scored their 1st Western Hockey League goals on this US road trip, Cayden Lindstrom and Shane Smith scored their 1st Friday October 7 in Everett while Hunter St.Martin scored his first WHL goal on a shorthanded break-away against Seattle Tuesday night.
Parsons a Plus!: Tigers defencemen Rhett Parsons improved his +/- rating to 12 through 7 games, including a +5 performance Wednesday in Tri City.
Shooting Gallery: The Medicine Hat Tigers are the highest scoring team in the WHL after their 11 goal effort against Tri City as they’ve scored 37 times, including a 9-1 win on September 24 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
One for the Road: The Tigers are 2-1-1 on their US Road Trip, in the 10 days of travel they’ve scored 22 goals, given up 15 goals. The Power Play has gone 6/16 & the penalty kill 12/16 while scoring two shorthanded goals.
Behind the Bench: This is Tigers Head Coach Willie Desjardins’ 11th season coaching the Tigers in two different tenures and is just 9 wins away from 400 while coaching the Orange & Black
HOW THE TIGERS WERE BUILT:
WHL Draft (12): Andresen, Parsons, Shtrom, Wiesblatt, Ekren-Bratton*, MacKenzie, Krebs, St. Martin, Boehm, Van Mulligen, Mrsic, Lindstrom, Basha, McKenna, McCallum
Trade (3): Bocharov, Lee, MacNeil
CHL Import Draft (1): Hodass (18)
Listed/Signed (2): Langkow, Hanas
Waivers (1): Drover, Melin
GEOGRAPHICAL BREAKDOWN (* indicates rookie):
Alberta – 11 – Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, Langkow, St. Martin *, Smith *, Melin, Van Mulligen *, MacNeil, Basha
BC – 3 – Lindstrom *, Mrsic *, Boehm *
Saskatchewan – 2 – Andresen, Ekren-Bratton *
Manitoba – 1 – McCallum *
Newfoundland – 1 Drover
Yukon – McKenna *
USA – 3 – Hanas, Shtrom, Bocharov Latvia – 1 – Hodass
ROSTER AGE BREAKDOWN (* indicates rookie):
2002 – 3 – (Drover, Melin, Lee,)
2003 – 5 – (Langkow, Parsons, Krebs, Hodass, MacNeil
2004 – 5 – (Shtrom, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Bocharov, Boehm)
2005 – 7 – (Andresen, Ekren-Bratton *, St. Martin *, Smith *, Hanas *, Van Mulligen *, Basha)
2006 – 3 – (McCallum*, Mrsic *, Lindstrom *)
2007 – 2 – McKenna AP & Paranych AP
Previous Three Games Next Three Games (all times MT)
Fri, Oct 8th – at Portland (4-3 OT Loss) Fri, Oct. 14th – at Spokane Chiefs (8:00pm)
Tues, Oct 11th – at Seattle (5-2 Loss) Fri, Oct. 21st – vs Red Deer Rebels (7:00pm)
Wed, Oct 12th – at Tri City (11-3 Win) Sat, Oct. 22nd – vs Branden Wheat Kings (7:00pm)
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