White hoping for a return to form with hometown Tigers

By Ryan McCracken on October 5, 2017.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

After a 19-month hiatus from the Western Hockey League, Jaeger White is ready to prove he still has what it takes to thrive on the ice.

A dislocated collarbone forced the 19-year-old Medicine Hat product off the ice near the end of the 2015-16 season. While the road to recovery was an arduous one, White says it’s all worth it knowing he gets to pull on a jersey with his hometown Tigers.

“It’s definitely something I always dreamed of as a kid, so to be able to put on the Tigers jersey is pretty surreal. I’m just trying to take it all in and enjoy the experience,” said White, who joined the team last week after spending his pre-season trying out for the Moose Jaw Warriors. “It was a really hard and long recovery. I was really cautious about it and really focused on getting in better shape off the ice. I took some time off the ice and I think right now it’s all worth it.”

White grew up watching the Tigers as the stepson of head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston. While he broke into the league as a 16-year-old with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and went on to play three games for the Everett Silvertips and 13 more with the Brandon Wheat Kings — where he suffered the dislocated collarbone in a game against the Saskatoon Blades — last week marks the first time White has ever played under Clouston.

“It’s pretty normal. You put the personal stuff aside and it’s just like playing for any other coach,” said White. “He’s obviously a very intelligent coach and really well respected by the guys. It’s a good experience and I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes.”

The 5-foot-10, 172-pound centre was drafted to the Hurricanes in the fourth round of the 2013 WHL bantam draft after posting 165 points in 58 Pacific Coast Bantam Hockey League games with Burnaby Winter Club.

While he played his bantam draft year in Burnaby, White spent his formative years in Medicine Hat’s minor hockey system, playing for the Hounds bantam AAA squad and the SEAC Tigers midget AAA squad before breaking into the league.

White went on to post four goals and 12 assists in 40 games as a rookie with the Hurricanes before getting bounced around the league the following year and eventually forced off the ice.

The injury and subsequent surgery kept White out of the game for the next year. While he attempted to make a return to hockey with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Brooks Bandits, he decided he wasn’t ready after a two-game stint.

But White’s wait finally reached an end entering pre-season. Clouston says he still has a ways to go before hitting his full potential.

“I think he’ll have to push himself to adapt to the pace — I do think we practice and play fairly fast — so that will be one step. Then hopefully finding the confidence that he had as a younger player,” said Clouston. “It’s a really tough league but he does have close to 90 games in the league and I think a little bit of confidence comes with that. Hopefully the next step is getting up to speed and then capturing some of that confidence.”

White agreed building confidence will be a key factor in re-establishing himself as an offensive threat in the WHL, and recording an assist three minutes into his debut en route to a 6-2 win over the Saskatoon Blades last Friday was a great first step.

“This year being a 19-year-old, something I want to do is be able to contribute offensively,” said White. “To get some confidence there right off the hop is big and hopefully it’ll continue.”

White and the Tigers (2-2-0-0) return to the ice at the Canalta Centre Friday to face the Regina Pats (2-2-1-0) at 7:30 p.m.

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