Isolation won’t stop newest Tiger from getting better

By RYAN MCCRACKEN on April 24, 2020.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken

It may have altered the present, but Reid Andresen is refusing to let the COVID-19 pandemic impact his future.

The 2005-born defenceman joined the Medicine Hat Tigers as the 11th overall pick in Wednesday’s Western Hockey League bantam draft. Social distancing guidelines prevented Andresen from celebrating the announcement outside his family home in Saskatoon, but he’s been using the isolation to build strength and fine tune a few aspects of his game in anticipation of his Dub debut.

“I’ve been working out five days a week,” Andresen said in a phone interview with the News following Wednesday’s draft. “I’ve been shooting pucks to keep my shot good, stick handling, just doing as much as I can to keep myself in shape.”

While the pandemic has created a unique challenge for athletes the world over, Tigers director of player personnel Bobby Fox says the best players will always find a way to develop and thrive – and that’s the message he’s sending to his young prospects.

“The message doesn’t really change. The message is that you’ve got to do what you can to get better every day,” said Fox. “The guys that do that are the ones that rise to the top. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work. That’s a cliché but it rings true. The player out of this draft group that wants it the most is going to find a way.”

Andresen – a 5-foot-7, 125-pound left-shot defenceman – racked up 13 goals and 38 assists with the Saskatchewan Bantam AA Hockey League’s Saskatoon Generals this season, then added three goals and seven assists in just four playoff games.

He may not be too familiar with Medicine Hat, but he knows a few important tidbits.

“I’ve heard lots of things. I’ve heard they’ve got a great coach, a great new facility,” said Andresen. “(Willie Desjardins) is obviously a great coach, I’ve heard, so it’s an honour to be part of that organization.”

Andresen was the first of five defencemen selected by Medicine Hat in Wednesday’s draft – a list that includes a pair of local products in South East Athletic Club blueliners Josh Van Mulligen and Cole Unger.

“I don’t think it was necessarily the plan. We just felt at that point in time that those were the best players available,” Fox said of drafting five defencemen, along with six forwards and one goalie. “We just wanted to make sure we’re getting good hockey players. You don’t want average guys and you don’t know what your particular needs are going to be when these guys are ready to step into your lineup in a couple of years.”

Regardless of what the lineup looks like to start the 2021-22 season, Andresen will be expected to compete for a place on the blue line. Boasting two-way skill and vision beyond his years, Fox says Andresen will be a key piece on the Tabby roster when he gets the chance.

“He’s a good kid with a good family, and he’s an excellent hockey player. He’s a smooth, mobile, puck-moving guy. He’s extremely intelligent. He controls the game from the back end,” said Fox. “When I describe his skating, he’s almost a better skater when he has the puck. He can shake forecheckers, he can juke through the neutral zone, he can make little bump plays. He sees the ice extremely well.”

The Tigers usually plan to host the draft class – as well as the bulk of last year’s group and a handful of free agents – at orientation camp in late May or early June, but COVID-19 has placed the status of the event in jeopardy.

“We’re going to wait to get direction from the league next week as to when we can start holding camps and extending invitations to free agents as well,” said Fox. “We’ll hold off and see what the league comes up with here for us.”

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