Van Mulligen expected in Tigers lineup tonight

By JAMES TUBB on November 13, 2024.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

The Medicine Hat Tigers are expecting to see the long-awaited return of a friendly face tonight.

Defenceman Josh Van Mulligen is slated to make his return to the lineup when the Tigers head to Edmonton to face the Oil Kings. The Medicine Hat product has been out since Sept. 28 with an upper-body injury suffered in a first-minute fight of a 4-3 loss to the Red Deer Rebels.

Head coach Willie Desjardins says the 19-year-old should be good to go and he is looking forward to the veteran experience in the lineup.

“We’re excited to get him back, he’s a big part of our group,” Desjardins said. “We’ve missed him when he’s been gone, so it’s always good when you get a guy with his character returning.”

Van Mulligen is looking forward to the return and he doesn’t expect the break to affect him after a lot of offseason work and the experience at the Detroit Red Wings camp this fall.

“It’s really nice just being out there with the guys again, I definitely miss it, watching a lot of games and practice,” Van Mulligen said. “I’m just pumped to get out there.”

Van Mulligen had a 137-game ironman streak snapped with the injury. He’ll don an A in the next home game, his first since being named an official member of the leadership group.

“It’s a huge honour, ever since I got drafted here, I wanted to be a leader, so I’m really looking forward to this opportunity and helping lead this group here,” Van Mulligen said.

When it comes to the Tigers’ other injuries, Desjardins says forward Ryder Ritchie (upper body) won’t play tonight but is close to a return.

Forward Andrew Basha (lower body) is being evaluated by the Calgary Flames. Desjardins says he’s with the Flames just because they’re close.

“We just need to get him checked and we’ll figure it out when he comes back,” Desjardins said.

The Tigers head to Edmonton looking to make good off a 4-2 loss to the Oil Kings on Nov. 8 at Co-op Place.

Desjardins says the return of Van Mulligen, Markus and Liam Ruck, and eventually Ritchie, will help them return the lineup to normal.

“We can play guys less, guys won’t have to play so many minutes,” Desjardins said. “If we kept playing the way we’ve had to play, we’d be burned out by Christmas. We just wouldn’t have any gas left. So it should help us get a little bit more gas and play that way. I do believe, like I’ve said, once our defence gets healthy and ready, it’ll be pretty solid. That’ll help us.”

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