NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Noah Danielson digs for the puck in the Broncos' end during the first period of the Tigers home opener. Medicine Hat would lose the game 3-2 against Swift Current.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
It will be a welcoming experience for Noah Danielson in Red Deer.
He’s played a lot of games against Red Deer in the last three seasons, but only a few have had fans with friends and family in the stands.
As Medicine Hat returns to face the Rebels at their home on Friday, the game has special meaning for the Tabby centreman.
“I think it’s always special playing in-front of friends and family at home,” Danielson said. “You grow up in your hometown rinks watching those kind of teams and you idolize those guys. So it’s always special to go back there and get to play.”
This will be Danielson’s fourth season with the Tigers, but likely his first full campaign. He debuted in the orange and black in 2018-19 for two games and was on the team for COVID-shortened seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
The Tigers have started this season slow, off to an 0-2 record with both loses against the Swift Current Broncos, but Danielson says they just need to stick with their game play and the wins will come.
“I think just stick with our game plan, stick with what we’ve been doing, keep working,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being the hardest-working team in the league. So I think just stick to what has made us successful in the past few years and it’s going to happen for us eventually.”
The Red Deer product could play a big role for the Tigers, who don’t have a solidified number one centreman with Cole Sillinger away at NHL camp. Danielson says getting the confidence of head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins in big moments feels good.
“It’s definitely a confidence booster and I think just having the coaches’ confidence just helps me perform and not worry about other stuff, just focus on my game,” he said.
The Tigers have a tough weekend ahead with Red Deer tonight on the road and the Edmonton Oil Kings at home on Saturday. The Rebels are a fierce rival and the Oil Kings were rated the top team by the CHL to start the season.
Danielson says Medicine Hat will need to get motivated earlier if they want to have success.
“I think we just need to get excited before the game, before puck drop we have to get excited and ready to go,” he said. “I think obviously with this past weekend we’ve learned that it’s got to start on puck drop, it can’t happen in the second and the third. So I think those two games taught us a lesson and we will be ready for puck drop this weekend.”
