Medicine Hat News
The Medicine Hat Tigers remain on the road to face the WHL’s hottest goaltender tonight.
Brandon Wheat Kings netminder Jiri Patera was named goalie of the week by the WHL Monday after earning a pair of wins in Swift Current.
Patera, who like Tigers goalie Mads Søgaard will be going to his home country’s world junior selection camp later this month, saved 62 of 65 shots faced by the Broncos. The Wheat Kings won 5-1 on Wednesday and 5-2 on Saturday.
Patera has an invite to the Czech Republic’s world junior camp, while Søgaard will be headed to Denmark’s camp. Should they both make their respective rosters, Denmark and the Czech Republic do play on New Year’s Eve in Vancouver in the last preliminary round game for each side.
As for tonight, the Tigers will be looking to avenge a 4-1 loss in Brandon Nov. 16 in which neither Søgaard nor Patera played.
Neither the Tigers or Wheat Kings had any players picked for Canada’s world junior camp. Stelio Mattheos, who leads Brandon with 41 points, was eligible to be picked. So was Tigers captain and leading scorer James Hamblin, who’s got 32 points.
After tonight the Tigers head to Moose Jaw Wednesday to play the Warriors, before returning home Saturday against Regina.
