Tigers make trade, stay at four overagers

By Medicine Hat News on September 17, 2019.

Edit: The original article incorrectly stated Mads Søgaard is 20, which of course he is not, and left out Tyler Preziuso as the fourth overager.

The Medicine Hat Tigers bid adieu to one of their 20-year-olds, only to add another to the mix.

With the WHL season set to kick off later this week, the Tigers traded a fourth-round draft pick in 2021 to Edmonton for 20-year-old defenceman Parker Gavlas Monday.

Gavlas enters the mix as centre Logan Christensen was let go by the team. Christensen, also in his 20-year-old season, had 19 points in 54 games after coming over last season from the Saskatoon Blades.

Gavlas, from Saskatoon, could not be reached for interview by press time. He had 10 points and a plus-15 rating in 46 games last season with the Oil Kings, then four points and a plus-9 rating in 16 playoff games as Edmonton got to the conference finals. Originally drafted by Regina, he only played 20 games with the Pats in two seasons.

Gavlas joins captain James Hamblin, Tyler Preziuso and Hayden Ostir as the Tigers’ overagers. Only three can stay in the long run, though the team is allowed to keep more for the first month or so provided they only dress three per game.

Goalie Mads Søgaard was released back to Medicine Hat Sunday following an extended stay with at Ottawa Senators training camp. Eighteen-year-old goalie Evan Fradette, who the team acquired last week from Portland, was released.

The Tigers begin their season Friday in Lethbridge, followed by Saturday’s home opener rematch at Canalta Centre.