NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Oasiz Wiesblatt fires a pass across the blue line in the first period of the Tigers 4-1 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Dec. 4.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
In his second season, Oasiz Wiesblatt is starting to show what he can do in the Western Hockey League.
For being in his sophomore year, the Medicine Hat Tigers forward only played in his 60th WHL game on Sunday, the same contest in which he scored a hat trick to propel his team over the Prince Albert Raiders.
Through that 60-game measuring stick for a full rookie season, Wiesblatt has 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points.
This season alone, in 37 games donning the orange and black, Wiesblatt has eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points.
He said he’s getting more confident with every game he plays
“Just being more confident around the guys, the team and my abilities,” Wiesblatt said. “I can do whatever I want on the ice.”
A majority of the Calgary product’s scoring this season has come since the Tigers returned from their Christmas break, with six of his goals and three assists coming after Santa made his rounds.
Wiesblatt said before the break that he was having a slower start to the year and he wanted to embrace the second half of the season with a positive attitude, seeing it as a fresh start. Talking with the News on Tuesday, he said he’s doing what he wanted to in the second half.
“I think I am getting more confident every game, just what I wanted to do throughout the second half of the year, make myself known and get myself involved and help this team win,” Wiesblatt said.
Tigers associate coach Joe Frazer said himself that Wiesblatt is playing with speed, confidence and he’s going to the net more.
“A lot of times when younger guys are trying to find their way in the league they are a little more on the outside, and you watch the last two to three weeks and he’s more inside the dots,” Frazer said. “Playing inside the game. A couple of those goals against PA, He’s just going hard to the net and that’s what you have to do if you want to score in this league.”
Wiesblatt was selected by the Tigers 12th overall in the 2019 WHL draft. When asked if he is starting to living up to the first round potential, Frazer said he thinks so.
“When we picked him we knew we were getting a hard working guy with a lot of skill and he’s great with the puck,” Frazer said. “I think there’s a lot of pressure on these kids, Especially these young guys that are first rounders, his brother being a first-round NHL pick I know he feels the pressure. I think it’s tough on young guys, Every day he keeps working at it and he’s excited to come to the rink and he’s just going to continue to get better.”
Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins said previously that Wiesblatt is one of multiple players the team will look to keep developing as leaders of the team in the future.
“Oasiz’s skill level is good so it’s really good to see, those are guys that are developing and are going to be our future leaders down the road and we’re excited about that,” Desjardins said.
Wiesblatt said for him to continue the offensive tear he is on and keep up the production through the rest of the season, it comes down to being prepared.
“I think just being mentally and physically prepared heading into games, just for my game staying into it, whatever I can do,” Wiesblatt said.
