NEWS FILE PHOTO Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Joel Craven moves the puck up the ice during a Western Hockey League game against the Seattle Thunderbirds on Nov. 4, 2017 at Canalta Centre.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken
Joel Craven is ready to seize the moment.
The 18-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman spent last year bouncing in and out of the lineup, but with a few open doors on the back end this season he’s planning on making his presence a little more permanent.
“Coming into that second-year role I’m hoping to get some more ice time and to be relied on in more high-pressure situations,” said Craven. “I’m hoping for the coaches to rely on me more.”
Tigers head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston says he indeed plans on giving Craven the chance to step into a larger role this season. The Tabbies parted ways with overage defenceman Kristians Rubins in the off-season, David Quenneville is not expected to return to the team after signing a contract with the New York Islanders and impending overage blueliners Linus Nassen and Dylan MacPherson are both currently attending training camp with the Florida Panthers — leaving plenty of opportunity for young blueliners like Craven to fill important minutes.
“We lost a couple of high-end defencemen — two guys that see a lot of ice time, maybe three guys, maybe four with guys in camp right now,” said Clouston. “What we are hoping for is that Joel can accept an elevated role, some more responsibility, some more ice time, and he appears ready to go.”
Craven laced them up in 33 games with the Tigers last season, scoring his first career goal in his WHL debut on Oct. 24, 2017 — a 5-2 victory over the Rebels in Red Deer. Craven went on to record six more assists before a high hit from Moose Jaw Warriors winger Barrett Sheen forced him onto the injured reserve with a concussion.
The Whitefish, Mont. product and son of Tigers alumnus Murray Craven missed 16 games as a result of the injury, but was able to return for three games at the end of the regular season. Despite the punishing collision that caused the injury, Craven says the most difficult aspect of his rehabilitation was restoring his confidence in time for the playoffs.
“The biggest thing was my confidence, getting that back. It was more of a mental injury than physical,” he said, adding it took a while before he felt completely comfortable entering the gritty areas of the ice again. “There was a little bit of hesitation, but now I feel good and I’ve fully recovered.”
Craven added he’s thankful to have returned for playoffs, as he says the game truly changes when the schedule shifts to the post-season.
“Playoff hockey is a whole different kind of hockey. It’s pretty crazy,” said Craven, who played five games in his team’s six-game series loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Eastern Conference quarter-finals. “Bringing that speed to the regular season and the pre-season now that I’m used to it, I can use that to build confidence.”
