Barlage brings character to Tigers

By JAMES TUBB on January 19, 2022.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

Logan Barlage said it was a nice drive from Lethbridge to Medicine Hat Tuesday morning.

The 20-year-old arrived at Co-op Place mid-day and quickly had his first interactions with the Medicine Hat Tigers coaches and players before speaking with the media. Barlage said it was weird joining a rival he’s battled with for years but he’s excited to be in the Hat.

“I’m excited, I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for me, a good fresh start here,” Barlage said. “I’m excited about the group here and still half a season left, so I’m excited about what’s to come.”

Barlage was acquired by the Tigers ahead of Monday’s WHL trade deadline from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for veteran forward Corson Hopwo. Medicine Hat also received a 2022 fourth-round pick in the deal.

Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins called the move a lateral one for the team and said if they wanted to bring in something good they had to give up something good as well.

Desjardins said Barlage is a hard worker and he’ll find his leadership role with how he works on the ice.

“He works hard, lots of really good things about him. Obviously we checked into it, character and work ethic before we made the trade, that’s really important to us,” Desjardins said. “That’s a really important thing and he fits both those things. He works out hard, trains hard and he wants to be a player. So, those are things that were important to us and he’ll naturally find his way because of those things.”

Hopwo was one of the leaders on a young Tigers roster navigating a season with limited success in the standings. Barlage said he’d tell the younger players to just enjoy it and said he thinks he’ll help by leading by example.

“I think I’m going to just help them out as much as I can and give them the knowledge that I think I have and just help the team and lead by example if I can. Show them the right ways to do things,” Barlage said.

Tyler MacKeznie, who has embraced a higher role with the Tigers since the Christmas break and leads the team in scoring with 19 points, said as a centre he’s looking forward to learning from a guy with 259 WHL games of experience.

“It’s great, we have more guys, he’s an older and experienced guy in the league so it will be good for me to learn from him,” MacKenzie said. “Just how he trains and the way he takes face-offs, I think it will be awesome for to learn from that.”

Barlage’s experience in the league and especially the face-off dot is something Desjardins said he likes about the Humboldt product. He said he’s likes the idea of having a centreman that’s good in draws late in games and on the power play.

Which is a role the 6-foot-5 forward is looking to fill as he said he just want’s to play his game and help the Tigers win as much as he can.

“I think I do good on face-offs, I think that’s a big key in my game is winning a lot of face-offs and playing the right way in the defensive zone so I get more offensive time,” Barlage said. “Obviously I want to score goals, produce as much as I can while I am here and have as good as possible rest of the regular season.”

Desjardins said the Tigers will have a lineup of depth and that Barlage will be on one of their top lines and be counted on as a key guy down the stretch.

A stretch that will include four more matchups against the Hurricanes, two in MedHat and two down Highway 3.

Both Desjardins and Barlage said the trade will add to the rivalry for both teams and the former Hurricane said he will be fired up for that first game against a familiar foe.

“I think that’s going to be exciting for me,” Barlage said. “I definitely want to beat them and be excited for that game and I think they will be too. Every game of Medicine Hat against Lethbridge is always a battle of a game so I think it’s going to be exciting.”

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