Rassell focused on having fun amid five-game point streak
By Ryan McCracken on January 5, 2018.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken It should come as little surprise that Mark Rassell is at his best with a smile on his face. The 20-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers captain — known for his upbeat attitude and lighthearted post-game interviews — says he allowed frustration to enter his game last month. But ever since sitting down with team sports psychologist Bob Wilkie, Rassell says he’s been able to focus on the better side of his game. “I’m just having fun. I was getting frustrated before the break, I wasn’t getting the results, but I talked with our sports psychologist and we decided that when I’m having fun, I’m playing my best,” said Rassell, who competed as a free agent with the Calgary Flames this pre-season. “My mindset the last couple games has just been to have fun no matter what happens.” That mindset has been paying off. After putting up nine points in the first nine games of December, Rassell has strung together a five-game point streak with five goals and four assists in the span. The 6-foot-1, 186-pound Calgary product leads his team with 33 goals — three shy of a career best and fourth in the Western Hockey League — and sits second in the league with seven game-winners. “He’s been huge for us,” said Tigers goaltender Michael Bullion. “I think with losing (Mason) Shaw at the beginning f the year, Rassell had to really step into that role and I don’t think we could have asked for a better captain. To do what he’s doing —before OT starts he’s going to every guy and saying ‘Hey, we got this, let’s go, let’s go.'” Rassell broke out of his shell last year, leading the team with 36 goals after registering just 13 in 2015-16. Tigers head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston says it’s been a textbook tale of hard work paying off in the long run, as Rassell has truly demonstrated the value of dedication in his road to all-star status. “Nobody gets to be where he’s at without working at his game, without practicing hard and doing all the little things. It didn’t come easy to him,” said Clouston. “The hard work, the perseverance, the patience in learning our systems and the structure through his 17 and 18-year-old years, to me, it allowed him the opportunity to excel at 19 and now at 20. He earned the coach’s trust.” While Shaw was initially penned in to captain the team this year, a torn ACL in pre-season sidelined him for the majority of the season while opening the door for Rassell to lead the team in his final year of WHL eligibility — a decision Clouston says was a no-brainer. “He’s a very intelligent person, a very intuitive guy and he’s great for the room. He’s basically impossible not to like,” Clouston said of his captain. “He’s the most liked guy and the most respected guy in that room.” 11
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