Tigers pre-season update

By JAMES TUBB on September 22, 2021.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

With the regular season on the horizon, the Tigers have some decisions ahead.

Medicine Hat’s regular season gets underway Oct. 1 in Swift Current, against the same Broncos they will face this up-coming weekend in a home-and-home series.

Between now and then, head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins will have to slim down the roster, assign the leadership group and decide how young he wants his team to be. The Tigers have a lot of young talent in camp who Desjardins says performed well in their series split against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

“I was really impressed with our young players, I think St. Martin, Basha, Smith, Calhoon even with the 16-year-olds played well,” he said. “That’s who you want, it’s hard to see with some of the stuff this year until you get a little deeper into camp but it’s really good to see those young guys playing that well.”

Hunter St. Martin and Brett Calhoon both signed contracts with the Tigers last week after only being drafted in 2020 and had impactful first games with Medicine Hat. St. Martin had two assists in the Tigers win on Saturday.

For Desjardins, having a veteran presence on his back end is something he likes and something that stood out in Saturday’s win.

“Those ‘D’ with a little more experience, it’s been easier for them with that pressure (in their end) so I think that was a difference between the two games,” Desjardins said. “Back here on Saturday we had a little more veteran defence and I think we broke it out a little easier.”

Desjardins was asked about his veterans and how he planned on handling the inevitably of having to part ways with an overage player from the team. The Tigers currently have four players listed as overagers, Corson Hopwo, Lukas Svejkovsky, Daniel Baker and Eric Van Impe. Svejkovsky is currently at NHL camp with the Pittsburgh Penguins, giving the Tigers only three players at camp born in 2001. For Desjardins, he said he won’t address the issue until it is one.

“Talent will just tell where that goes.”

As for his goalies, with Garin Bjorklund arriving at NHL camp with the Washington Capitals today, the Tigers have two guys in camp who have played WHL games before. Desjardins says they will let the play dictate how time is split this weekend between Beckett Langkow and James Venne.

“They’ve played well,” said Desjardins. “Langkow has been with us here before so we have a little bit better read on him, I’ve liked how he’s played. I think Venne’s young, he’s come in and he’s been good as well. Both guys will get a little better time this weekend and we’ll see where it goes.”

The Tigers play the Broncos Friday night in Swift Current before returning to Co-op Place on Saturday for a 7 p.m. puck drop. Any fans in attendance must be masked and are required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within the last 72 hours.

14
-13