From rival to Tabby teammate: Gavlas made the most of short WHL career

By RYAN MCCRACKEN on March 30, 2020.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken

When Parker Gavlas first pulled into the Canalta Centre parking lot back in September, he had no idea what to expect.

The 6-foot, 184-pound defenceman had played a key role in eliminating the Medicine Hat Tigers from the playoffs as a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings just a few months earlier – but a trade between the rival clubs left Gavlas in the Gas City for his final Western Hockey League season.

“Finding out I got traded to the team we played in the first round was pretty weird, but I was pretty excited because I thought the team knew me pretty well,” said Gavlas, who went on to record five goals and 21 assists in 57 games with the Tigers. “I didn’t know if they liked me or disliked me, but I thought it would be a pretty fun time walking into the room for the first time and seeing the guys that I battled against all last year, and it was pretty cool.”

While his career was cut shorter than he hoped due to the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted the cancellation or postponement of virtually every sporting event across the planet, Gavlas says he still made the most of his time in the WHL.

The 20-year-old Saskatoon product didn’t crack the league until he was 18, when the Regina Pats invited him to training camp. While his stint with the Pats was short, it allowed Gavlas to experience the pace of major junior hockey while sticking around as a scratch through the Memorial Cup.

“I decided to sign there with Regina then played a couple games, I think eight games, then I got sent down to play in Yorkton (Terriers, SJHL) for the rest of the season,” he said. “That was a struggle. It was a different league, obviously. It’s a little slower and a little different paced, but it was good for my development. After my season was done there I got brought back up with Regina and got to be there for the Memorial Cup. That was pretty cool, pretty surreal for me. Especially as my first year, I guess – not really a full year, but half a year in the WHL. It was pretty cool to witness the Memorial Cup, and I was lucky enough to play three playoff games when we were in the first round, due to injury. That was pretty neat for me.”

Gavlas also got the chance to learn from a number of NHL-bound players in Regina that season, an experience he says gave him the toolkit to crack a full-time role in the WHL.

“We had some pretty good players like Sam Steel, Josh Mahura, Cam Hebig – some big name guys I didn’t really know before the year started,” he said. “Just being able to watch them in practice and stuff, it was pretty cool for me. I think it helped me a lot in realizing where I was at and where I needed to be to play in the league the next year. It was a pretty special year, even though I wasn’t there for much of it.”

The following year, Gavlas got the chance to join a surging Oil Kings squad for one heck of a playoff run. After taking down the Tabbies in six games, Edmonton swept the Calgary Hitmen before ultimately falling to the eventual champion Prince Albert Raiders in six – but Gavlas says the toughest test may have been their battle with the Tigers.

“I kept saying it the whole year. I was saying that even though we lost to PA, it was one of the hardest series that I’ve ever played in,” said Gavlas. “It was crazy. It was really physical and that’s the type of game that I play.”

Gavlas then joined the Tigers as an overage defenceman with just 66 regular season games under his belt. While captain James Hamblin admits he wasn’t sure what they would get from Gavlas, he was certainly surprised for the better.

“I didn’t know what to expect from him but I was very surprised,” said Hamblin. “He brought just so much when it came to physicality and the locker room.”

Gavlas added he quickly embraced his role with the Tigers – serving as an aggressor on the back end while providing leadership to a young defensive corps – and fell in love with the city and its fans.

“I honestly think it was the best place for me. Medicine Hat is a special place, it’ll always be close to me. They really pushed me to be the player I am today. If I wasn’t there, I don’t know where I’d be in the league,” said Gavlas, who finished his 123-game career with six goals and 37 assists.

“Since Day 1, I think the fans really embraced me and let me into their family. That’s what it felt like, it felt like a family in Medicine Hat. I knew the fans were great, that’s what the guys told me, and the community was unreal. That was the best part about it. I got to meet a bunch of people, go to a bunch of schools and talk to kids. That was really the best thing for me, because it brings you closer to the community and the organization … It’s pretty sad that it’s over, but it’ll always be there in the back of my mind that they were some of the greatest fans I’ve ever played for.”

Gavlas says he plans on using his WHL scholarship to continue his playing career at the university level next season. He hasn’t signed anywhere yet, but if possible, he’d like to stay close to home.

“I haven’t really got anything set in stone yet, but the (University of Saskatchewan) has been intriguing for sure,” he said. “I’d like to stay at home and play. That would be really cool for me and my family, because my brother also plays for the volleyball team. I think it would be really cool to have two Gavlas sons in the organization, but I’m not sure yet. I’ve got a bunch of time left before next season and a lot of decisions to make before that.”

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