Tigers announce pair for Most Improved Player awards
By Medicine Hat News on April 16, 2020.
The Medicine Hat Tigers paid respect to a pair of rising stars Thursday as they announced co-winners of their MacLean Wiedemann Lawyers LLP Most Improved Player Award. Daniel Baker and Corson Hopwo shared the award, each notably setting career highs in a season cut short by the pandemic. Baker, a 6-foot-4 defenceman from Edmonton, put up 38 points in 62 games along with a plus-38 rating. That was up from 17 points in 2018-19 and a minus-9 rating. The Tigers’ announcement video noted he was called upon to help shut down opposing teams’ top lines often. Hopwo, who’s four days older than fellow 18-year-old Baker, was sixth in team scoring with 41 points in 62 games and a plus-28 rating. He had 17 points the prior season and was a plus-2. The Duncan, B.C. product similarly saw increased ice time as a forward on the WHL’s third-highest scoring team. The Tigers will announce their top defensive forward tonight, their best defenceman Saturday and their MVP Sunday to round out their awards season. 6-5
