McKenna returns as Tigers head to Red Deer for lone weekend game

By JAMES TUBB on March 7, 2025.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

The Medicine Hat Tigers get quite the lineup injection heading into the weekend.

The Tigers will see the return of forward Gavin McKenna who finished up his three-game suspension on Tuesday during the 5-2 win at Co-op Place over the Kelowna Rockets. His first game back comes tonight on the road, taking on the Red Deer Rebels.

“It was good to get a little rest, I guess,” McKenna said following practice Thursday. “I’m pumped to be back. It’s good for the boys for getting those three wins while I was gone, and we’re looking to keep it rolling.”

McKenna was suspended three games as a result of a slashing major and game misconduct in the last five minutes of a 5-3 win Feb. 23 at Edmonton over the Oil Kings.

The Tigers have managed success without the star from Whitehorse, Yuk., with a 9-2-1 record from his time at the World Juniors and the suspension. He watched along as the Tigers picked up wins, riding a five-game streak heading into play tonight. Beyond the lesson learned from the suspension, McKenna picked up some bits from the press box.

“Just that every single game matters, we have to be ready for every team,” McKenna said. “We can’t take any teams lightly. We weren’t ready for a couple of those games, so we just have to be ready for these next ones.”

Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins was impressed with how the 17-year-old handled himself following the suspension, and as he slots back into the lineup, he’s looking for McKenna to just continue playing his game.

“I want to see him play the way he has all year, he’s a good player for us, he’s been elite and he creates so much for us,” Desjardins said. “That’s one good thing about our team, guys stick together. When he went out, the boys battled for him and they were able to get wins in all those games. That’s just part because they appreciate how hard he’s worked for us and it was good to see the team step up for him.”

McKenna will also return to action with the CHL’s longest point streak of the season, with 23 goals and 77 points in 35 straight games. That streak is tied for the fourth-longest by a CHL skater in a single season over the last 25 years. He trails London Knights’ forward Easton Cowan (36 games in 2023-24), Rimouski Océanic alumnus Sidney Crosby (37 games in 2004-05) and Québec Remparts alumnus Alexander Radulov (50 games in 2005-06).

“Our team success has been helping me a lot,” McKenna said. “With all my line mates and the guys around me, I wouldn’t be able to do that. It is pretty special, though, for me and my family. I’m pretty pumped and hopefully it keeps going for a little longer.”

He’s passed careers highs with 32 goals and 106 points in 51 games in his sophomore season, the first Tiger to hit 100 points since Chad Butcher had 103 points in 2016-17.

His point total also reached a couple of unique milestones that involve Desjardins.

McKenna’s 106 points so far this season makes him the highest scoring single-season player Desjardins has coached in his 37 years behind a bench. It also ties the coach’s highest point total as a player, Desjardins had 48 goals and 106 points in 47 games with Vissers Nijmegen in the Netherlands in 1983-84.

Desjardins won a championship while captaining that Nijmegen team, the franchise’s first of seven titles. He admits he never had a point streak near 35 games and was a different player than McKenna.

“It’s hard to believe, since I was such a good player but I can’t say that, we’re totally two different classes,” Desjardins said. “He’s an unbelievable player, I enjoyed the game, but there was a big difference. But 106 is a good number, he’s had an incredible year, I have tons of respect for him.

“He goes through a lot every game and he just loves the game. He loves to play and I can’t say enough about him and how he comes to the rink ready to play.”

The Tigers could see the return of forward Kadon McCann this weekend after missing the last three games with an upper body injury. The 17-year-old has skated in a non-contact jersey since suffering an injury on Feb. 23. Desjardins says he remains day to day but that there’s a “good chance” he plays tonight.

Red Deer is 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and still holding some hope for a playoff spot, sitting 11 points back of the eight seed Swift Current Broncos who have 66 points, both teams playing 59 games. The Tigers have just five games left over the last 17 days of the regular season, still sitting in first place of the Eastern conference and Central division with a 42-17-3-1 record. They’re four points up on the Calgary Hitmen (39-15-3-3) who have played three fewer games.

Desjardins says the lighter schedule and the standings situation put them in a spot where each of the last five games are all playoff-like matchups.

“Red Deer is still a playoff team, maybe they’re not quite in the picture right now, but their last 12 games they have eight wins,” Desjardins said. “We’re playing playoff teams the whole way through which is great for us. There’s no cheating, we have to be ready, it’s going to be a battle.”

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