Medicine Hat Tigers' Parker Gavlas and Saskatoon Blades' Nolan Kneen race for a loose puck during a Western Hockey League game at the Canalta Centre on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019.--NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
When Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Parker Gavlas closed the book on his Western Hockey League career, he set his sights on the University of Saskatchewan.
The Saskatoon product put pen to paper with the U of S Huskies men’s hockey team Wednesday, becoming the second member of his family to join the school’s athletics program behind his older brother CJ.
“I’d like to stay at home and play. That would be really cool for me and my family, because my brother also plays for the volleyball team,” Gavlas said in a phone interview in late March. “I think it would be really cool to have two Gavlas sons in the organization.”
Gavlas cracked the WHL as an 18-year-old and joined the Tigers in a trade at the start of this past season. The 6-foot, 184-pound blueliner quickly established himself as a key physical presence on Medicine Hat’s blue line while recording five goals and 21 assists with a plus-26 rating to finish his 123-game career at plus-32 with 37 points.
Gavlas kicked off his career with the Regina Pats, playing in eight games with the Pats through his first year and 12 the following season before getting shipped to the Edmonton Oil Kings in a 2018 trade.
Gavlas spent 46 regular season games in Alberta’s capital and helped the Oil Kings reach the Eastern Conference final in 2019 – a run that included a six-game victory over Medicine Hat to open the playoffs – before getting shipped to the Gas City a few months later.
While the Huskies were unable to compete for a national title this season due to the spread of COVID-19, U of S still managed to clinch its 11th Canada West championship this year after finishing second in the regular season with a 22-4-2 record and defeating the University of British Columbia’s Thunderbirds 2-0 in the best-of-three Canada West final.
Pronghorns no more
The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns recently announced it will be longer be hosting a hockey program at the school as “one of a number of budget reduction strategies in response to unprecedented cuts from the provincial government.”
The decision impacts both men’s and women’s hockey, leaving dozens of players without a team entering next season – including Hatters Michael Clarke and Torrin White.
“We have had to make several difficult decisions in the past few months and this one is equally challenging,” Mike Mahon, U of L president and vice-chancellor said in a release. “The Pronghorn hockey programs have been a source of great pride for our athletes, students, alumni, donors, sponsors, the campus community and supporters throughout southern Alberta. I know this news will significantly impact everyone associated with these programs.”
