Tigers comeback to force overtime, fall to Wheat Kings after missed call

By James Tubb on November 15, 2025.

Medicine Hat News

The Medicine Hat Tigers battled to pick up a point Saturday night in Brandon.

The Tigers scored two goals late in the third period with the goalie pulled to force overtime, eventually falling 6-5 in the extra frame to the Wheat Kings.

Medicine Hat overcame a 5-3 deficit to force the extra frame, losing on a missed hooking call that led to the game winner. It was the fourth time in their last five games the Tigers played into extra time, coming off a 4-3 overtime win Friday at Regina over the Pats.

On Saturday, Brandon struck first in a busy opening period, getting on the board 2:11 into the game.

Wheat Kings’ forward Nicholas Johnson carried the puck into the Tigers’ end and dished off to a streaking Brady Turko who went forehand-backhand to beat starter Jordan Switzer on the rush.

The Tigers responded a little over two minutes later. Jonas Woo had the puck up near the point in the Brandon end and he skated toward the net. Instead of shooting he passed to Carter Cunningham in the slot where the 19-year-old forward scored his fourth of the season for the 1-1 tie. Kadon McCann had the second assist.

They grabbed a brief 2-1 lead 5:06 later with a breakaway goal from Cam Parr. The 19-year-old was sprung by a pass from Dayton Reschny and was pushed down near the net, still seeing the puck cross the goal line for his first as a Tigers and the 2-1 lead. Riley Steen had the second assist on the goal.

The Wheat Kings rattled off a pair in the opening frame to carry a 3-2 lead through 20 minutes of play.

Luke Miselbacher, who tallied a hat trick in Brandon’s 7-4 win Nov. 8 over the Tigers, scored at the side of the net off a pass from Jaxon Jacobson to tie the game up at 2-2. They grabbed a lead with Turko’s second of the night as the Wheat Kings forward was left all alone in front of the Tigers’ net and tapped in a pass with 48 seconds left in the frame.

The second period looked destined for no score before the Tigers tied things up. Medicine Hat appeared to scored on a net-front play that saw Cunningham jam at a puck with the play ruled goaltenders interference. They made good with 2:49 left in the period. Defenceman Bryce Pickford fired a shot from below the Wheat Kings’ goal line, banking the puck into the net off the pad of starter Filip Ruzicka. Liam Ruck had the lone assist on the captain’s 10th of the season.

The Tigers led the game in shots after 40 minutes 29-18 and started the third with 1:34 left on a power play.

They had their chances on the early third period power play with Pickford turned aside by a post and McCann missing just wide on an opportunity from the slot. After killing off the penalty it was the Wheat Kings who capitalized first in the third.

Joby Baumuller sprung Jordan Gavin for a breakaway and the former Tri-City Americans scored five hole on Switzer for the 4-3 lead 4:06 into the third period.

The Wheat Kings jumped ahead by a pair 4:18 later. Mistelbacher skated in and was stopped in close by Switzer, with the puck sitting in the crease. Caleb Hadland knocked at the loose puck to no avail before Jacobson got the final knock, scoring his sixth of the season for the 5-3 lead.

The Tigers pulled Switzer for the extra attacker with 3:24 left in the third. After the Wheat Kings had the puck in the Tigers end but couldn’t score, Medicine Hat had a face-off in the Brandon end. The puck was won back to Pickford who dished off to Liam Ruck. He fired a shot from the top of the circles that beat Ruzicka to bring them within one with 2:02 left in the third. McCann had the second assist on Ruck’s seventh.

The Tigers tied the game up with a 1:10 left in the frame on the captain’s second of the night. Pickford fired a shot from the high circles off a face-off that beat Ruzicka for the late tie. Woo and McCann had the assists on Pickford’s 11th, tying Woo for the league lead in goals by a defencemen and the Tigers’ team mark.

Medicine Hat had a chance in overtime with Misha Volotovskii sprung on break, turned away on a backhand shot. They had another chance when Markus Ruck slipped in behind the Wehat Kings defence, tied up behind the net. He skated out from behind the net and was hooked up, causing the turnover that sent Jacobson the other way and the Wheat Kings’ forward scored his second of the night and the game winner 1:36 into overtime.

Switzer finished with 26 saves in the loss, across the ice from him Ruzicka had 43 saves. Medicine Hat outshot Brandon 48-32 and won the face-off battle 33-30. Medicine Hat was held scoreless on their lone power play, also keeping the Wheat Kings power play without a goal on five chances.

The Tigers (11-6-3-1) are on the road Wednesday to face the Calgary Hitmen.

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