Stalwarts and standouts: Pickford, Woo leading Tigers from the blue line

By James Tubb on January 15, 2026.

NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Jonas Woo and Bryce Pickford shake hands before puck drop in the 2025-26 season. The pair have led the Tigers from the backend in their second season with the WHL club.

There are many iconic pairings where each piece is strong on their own but they thrive as a duo. Peas and carrots, cheese and crackers, peanut butter and jelly.

The Medicine Hat Tigers have been led this season by a duo that rivals the rest — the captain and his literal righthanded man.

The defending WHL Champions have seen a historic season from the top defence pairing of captain Bryce Pickford and Jonas Woo. The duo, in their second year with the club, are on pace to break single-season franchise records and push for another shot at the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

There’s a trust between the two that has made their success possible.

“We’re really close off the ice and it pays off on the ice,” Woo said. “We do everything together and we have fun with it. Our play styles match very well and we just like playing alongside each other.”

They spend a majority of their time together, on the ice, at and away from the rink. There’s a bond almost as strong as Liam and Markus Ruck share as twins.

“I don’t know if we’re quite at that level but we’re pretty close,” Pickford said.

The Tigers’ 42nd captain enters play Wednesday in Edmonton with 32 goals and 60 points in 38 games, leading the WHL and all CHL defenceman in goals. His 60 points is good for third in the league and leads all CHL defenceman. The Montreal Canadiens prospect entered play Wednesday one goal away from breaking the Tigers’ single-season defenceman record set by Kris Russell in 2006-07.

“I’ve been trying not to get too carried away with my confidence, so just trying to stay level headed, and a lot of credit comes from these guys,” Pickford said. “They just give me an open net and it’s pretty hard to miss it. So hopefully I can keep that going and hopefully we can keep winning.”

His D-partner isn’t far behind, Woo has tallied 20 goals and 56 points in 33 games. He sits seventh in WHL scoring and second among CHL defenceman scoring.

They both lead the WHL in plus-minus, with Woo at +51 and Pickford +47.

The pair carries high expectations for themselves and the team. Pickford, a two-time Ed Chynoweth Cup raiser, wants a third. Woo wants a second ring, as well as the pro contract his D-partner signed in December.

The Tigers expected big seasons from the pair. They were an essential part of their championship run last season and have been tasked as the top pairing this year. Associate coach Joe Frazer expected the two to be great and he has been impressed with how consistent they’ve been.

“The way they train and prepare, they had a great summer, so you knew they were going to be really good this year, and they’ve been great every night,” Frazer said. “It’s not easy to be great every night but the way they prepare, the way they train, both have gotten quicker, both of their shots are better, they’re in the zone right now, playing free and playing confident.”

Woo is also on pace to break Russell’s single-season goal record, on the path to finish with 37 goals and 104 points. Pickford is on pace for 56 goals and 105 points, putting him six past the WHL record for goals by a defenceman in a single season.

If both of their paces continue, they would own the best two seasons by a Tigers defenceman, passing Cliff Lane’s 197576 season of 19 goals and 82 points in 72 games.

Pickford said in the preseason he was looking to score 50 goals. Woo won’t publicly name any specific stat aims he has, just hoping to continue on the path to another championship.

“We’re reaching for big numbers and we’re just looking to play good hockey,” Woo said. “We’re going to try and make this team go all the way. All we want to do is win, and us putting up those numbers will definitely help.”

They are often the first two at the rink in the morning, beating head coach Willie Desjardins to Co-op Place. The Tigers bench boss sees it as a display of their drive for more than the personal success they’ve revelled in this season.

“They just have such a drive. They love playing, they want to be on the ice, they want to play, and they’re not afraid of big situations,” Desjardins said. “They want the big situation. To get one guy like that, you’re lucky. To get two, it’s pretty unreal.”

Desjardins coached Russell in his record-setting season, the same year he was named CHL and WHL defenceman of the year, as well as WHL player of the year.

He sees similarities in skating between Woo and Russell, with Pickford carrying the same leadership abilities as the 15-year NHLer. Both also carry a sense of selflessness, according to Desjardins.

“Both those guys compete hard and both of them, their best quality is they never put themselves first,” Desjardins said. “For them the team’s first and they’re OK with what they get after that — you don’t always get that.”