NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs forward Nolen Sutherland works his way to the front of the net in the first period of a 9-2 win Saturday at the Kinplex over the Okotoks Bisons.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Cubs have put themselves in prime position heading into the new year.
The Cubs swept their weekend slate, a ninth-straight weekend sweep, to enter the holidays with a 12-game win streak and in first place of the South division. They beat the Coaldale Copperheads 7-3 Friday before beating up on the Okotoks Bisons Saturday 9-2.
“We’re in a really good spot,” head coach Trent Derzaph said. “We have nothing but climb to do come January and start preparing for the last half of the season and going into playoffs. So we’re peaking at that time.”
They traded goals with the Copperheads on Friday, tied at 3-3 through 40 minutes before the Cubs rattled off four unanswered goals in the third period for the win.
Makhi Carriere scored twice, Jacob Hazzard had a goal and two assists, Nolen Sutherland tallied a goal and an assist and all three of Austin Derzaph, Jesse Klimosko and captain Kyle Woolridge scored solo tallies. Marlo DeRosa made 27 saves.
Woolridge led the way in Saturday’s win, recording five goals with an assist for a six-point night. Sutherland had a goal and three assists, Josiah Jackson and Mason Osinski each had a goal and an assist, and Blake Girard had a solo mark. DeRosa made 27 saves.
“It was two big games, we came out and we were the better team both times. We played as a team and it was great,” Woolridge said. “Everyone’s buying into the system and we’re wearing down teams. Everything’s clicking and it’s great to see.”
On Sunday the Cubs donned alternate jerseys with the team name in script, throwing back to the 1975-76 season, their second year as a franchise. They will wear them periodically throughout the rest of the season before auctioning them off.
“I love them and I know a lot of guys in the room love them, too,” Woolridge said. “It’s great to be able to bring back jerseys for the community and have a good turnout. It’s awesome. We’ve got a lot of guys here on the board that were growing up seeing those jerseys, and to be able to bring them back is special for them.”
Woolridge’s six-goal, seven-point weekend propelled him into first in HJHL goals with 24 and second in points with 43, one point back of Sylvan Lake Wrangler Maddex Bignell.
The Cubs (19-6-1) are off until January with 12 games left in the regular season before they look to the playoffs. They lead the South division by six points, ahead of the Copperheads and Strathmore Wheatland Kings, both tied at 33 points.
Derzaph says they have the team primed to continue success in the new year, not resting on their previous success.
“These guys want to win, they’re buying into our systems and they’re coming to play every night,” he said.
The Cubs are pushing for a first HJHL division title since the 2001-02 season when they finished atop the whole league in their first year in the HJHL. Woolridge says they don’t want to let off the gas pedal.
“It’s so close, it’s four points here and there, so you have to keep winning,” Woolridge said. “Every game is important and we just have to keep going. Everyone’s got to keep going, show up to the rink. The big thing for us is everyone’s got to show up wanting to win. You show up wanting to win and everyone’s buying into the system, it’s going to be a good game.”
The Cubs start 2026 with a pair of home games, Jan. 3 and 4 at the Kinplex. They’ll host the High River Flyers on Jan. 3 (7:30 p.m.) and the Ponoka Stampeders on Jan. 4 (3 p.m.).
