Tigers battling health as B.C. division trip comes to close

By JAMES TUBB on October 28, 2025.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

It’s been a long 10 days on the road for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

The Tigers’ six-game B.C. division trip ended Monday at Penticton against the expansion Vees. After a pair of losses to open the trip, they beat the Prince George Cougars 6-3 on Oct. 22 before falling 5-4 in overtime Friday to the Kamloops Blazers.

It’s a loss where the Tigers led 4-2 halfway through the third before allowing three unanswered to lose in extra time. They rebounded on Saturday in Kelowna, overcoming a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 lead in the last minute. After the Rockets forced overtime, the Tigers iced their second win of the trip with an OT goal from Dayton Reschny.

“They came out really hard in the first, Carter (Casey) was outstanding in the pipes,” associate coach Joe Frazer said. “Then we got our legs going in the second, just as a huge comeback. That’s a tough team, they have lots of skill and talent up front, so that’s a big one.”

Casey finished Saturday’s win with 37 saves for his third win of the season. It was the first time this season Casey started on back-to-back nights, making 21 saves on Friday.

In Friday’s loss, Tyson Moss scored his first WHL goal and added an assist. Misha Volotovskii scored twice and Noah Davidson scored as well.

Saturday saw Gavin Kor score and Kadon McCann get a power play marker. Carter Cunningham tied the game up at 2-2 with a shorthanded breakaway goal, his first shorty in the WHL.

The Tigers’ lineup was missing Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, who did not play Monday due to a day-to-day injury. They’ve been dealing with a flu bug all trip, with starter Jordan Switzer held out of the weekend due to sickness before starting Monday.

Frazer, speaking with the News after the win Saturday, says the trip has reaffirmed every night is difficult to win.

“Every game has been hard fought, physical and guys are learning just how hard it is to win in this league and that’s great, lots of diversity,” Frazer said. “A lot of guys sick, but just really proud of how hard the guys battle. We’ve been pretty sick, just to see how much they’re competing and how much effort they’re putting into this, it’s great to see.”

Overage forward Ethan Neutens returned to the lineup on Friday after missing the first 12 games due to injury. Frazer says he’s been a benefit around the team to start his second season and the 20-year-old will get to bring more of that on the ice.

“Whether it’s on the bench in the room and then just his speed, he’s got great speed,” Frazer said. “He’s a big body and when he hits guys, he hits them hard, he goes to the net. He did a great job (Saturday) on the power play, winning the face-off for us.”

Monday’s game in Penticton was not complete by press time, visit medicinehatnews.com/sports for a full game story.

WHL Cup wraps up

The Tigers had three prospects compete in the four-team tournament held in Red Deer last week.

Defenceman Hunter Saddleback represented Team Alberta, forward Michael Kuzik was on Team B.C. and goaltender Ben Meyer was between the pipes for Team Saskatchewan.

Team B.C. lost in the final to Team Manitoba 6-1. Kuzik had a goal and four points in five games.

Alberta finished third, beating Saskatchewan 4-2 in the third-place game. Saddleback had a goal on the Alberta blue line in five games. Making four starts, Meyer had a 1.59 goals against average and an .884 save percentage in four losses.

Prince Albert Raiders prospect Athens Shingoose was the tournament’s leading scorer, leading Manitoba with six goals and 12 points in five games, named tournament MVP.

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