Broadcaster Bob Ridley (right) calls the action in his 4,000th game with the Medicine Hat Tigers while Barry Prins (left) adds the colour commmentary during Saturday's Western Hockey League battle against the Red Deer Rebels. -- NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
On a night celebrating the unparalleled accomplishments of broadcaster Bob Ridley, the Medicine Hat Tigers left nothing to chance.
Cole Clayton set the stage for the evening to come with a goal and two assists in a four-goal first period, and the Tigers came away with a 7-2 victory.
Eager to give Ridley something to shout about on the night of his 4,000th game, Medicine Hat gained the zone off the opening draw and Clayton snuck a point shot past Rebel netminder Byron Fancy to open the scoring — setting off the man at the mic with another one of his trademark calls.
“Back to the point, Cole Clayton shoots — he scores!” Bob belted out over the broadcast.
Medicine Hat continued to lay the pressure on thick, gaining an early power play and cashing in just 12 seconds into the advantage, courtesy of captain Ryan Chyzowski.
Lukas Svejkovsky pushed the lead even further when he took a stretch pass from Dru Krebs and beat Fancy on a breakaway, then rookie forward Oasiz Wiesblatt ripped home the first goal of his career less than a minute later. The tally chased Fancy from the Rebel crease in favour of Ethan Anders after four goals on 12 shots.
Red Deer managed to settle things down in the second period and Chris Douglas cut into the lead entering the final minute of the frame.
Riding some new momentum, the Rebels struck again early in the third when defenceman Chase Leslie beat Bjorklund for his first of the campaign. But the Tigers regrouped and Brayden Boehm re-established a three-goal lead with the first of his career later in the frame.
Kemp added an empty-netter in the dying minutes of regulation, then Noah Danielson put one past Anders 19 seconds later to round out the scoring.
Clayton closed out the game with four points.
Bjorklund locked up the victory with a 20-save performance. Anders stopped 22 in relief of Fancy.
Medicine Hat went 1-for-6 on the power play while holding Red Deer off the board in the sole power play of the evening.
One to remember
The day opened with WHL commissioner Ron Robison announcing the new Bob Ridley Award for Media Excellence, and none other than Ridley was named as the first recipient of the honour. A special tribute video was played prior to puck drop, and video messages from dozens of former Tigers — from Jim Nill to David Quenneville — were broadcast during breaks in play throughout the game.
The Tigers are back in action next weekend with a home-and-home set against the Oil Kings, starting Friday in Edmonton at 7 p.m.
