Cubs to ice two all-stars

By Ryan McCracken on December 7, 2018.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

The Medicine Hat Travelodge Cubs will be led onto the ice by a pair of all-stars as they host the High River Flyers and Blackfalds Wranglers at the Kinplex this weekend.

The Cubs announced Wednesday that forwards Noah Irvine and Chandler Aleman will represent the Southern Division at the Heritage Junior Hockey League All-Star Game on Jan. 6 in Airdrie after leading Medicine Hat to an 8-11-2 start.

“They’re both not only skilled kids on the ice but they’re really good kids off the ice and in the community. They’re two guys I’m really happy to see go to the All-Star Game and represent the Cubs,” said head coach JD Gaetan, whose Cubs host the Flyers Saturday at 7:45 p.m. and the Wranglers Sunday at 2:15 p.m. “It’s definitely four points we expect to get and we’re looking forward to it.”

Irvine leads the Cubs with 28 points, including 10 goals, while Aleman sits close behind with 13 goals and 13 assists in 21 games this season.

The Cubs are coming off one heck of an up-and-down weekend on the road after defeating the Three Hills Thrashers in a 13-0 landslide Saturday and dropping a 9-0 blowout to the Okotoks Bisons Sunday. Gaetan says both contests came with opportunities to learn.

“We were firing on all cylinders on Saturday in Three Hills. Everybody was on a good high, but then we went into Okotoks against a much better team and got into a bit of penalty trouble. There was an incident where Chandler Aleman had his nose broken and it sort of went downhill from there,” said Gaetan, adding Aleman will be sporting a cage this weekend. “It’s something we have to learn from, no matter what happens we have to stay focused on our game and stay out of the penalty box. We’re not going to win games in the penalty box.”

The Cubs will have the chance to climb the Southern Division standings while bouncing back into the win column on home ice this weekend. A pair of wins could push Medicine Hat past High River and within striking distance of the Strathmore Wheatland Kings for fourth in the division.

The Cubs lead the season series against both High River and Blackfalds by a 1-0 margin after defeating the Flyers 6-1 in November and topping the Wranglers 7-6 in an October overtime thriller.

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