NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Garin Bjorklund fist Bumps Tigers fans on his way to the ice for the second period of the Tabbies 2-0 loss to the Calgary Hitmen at Co-op Place on Mar. 26.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Tigers are looking to enjoy their final opportunity together.
After making the 8.5-hour bus ride from Co-op Place to Brandon, the Tigers will face the Wheat Kings tonight in the first of a three-game Manitoba road trip. They face Winnipeg on Saturday and Sunday before returning home from their final trip of the year.
Forward Brayden Boehm said it’s an opportunity to hang out with guys who won’t be back in the orange and black next season, like 20-year-old line mate Logan Barlage.
“You don’t want to see guys go, especially just starting to play with Barlage at the end of the season, which is frustrating a little bit because obviously that chemistry is there, “Boehm said. “Obviously you want to make the most of all your last games here and we just have got to capitalize on our opportunity.”
He said – with a laugh – that everyone on the team is a good roommate on the road, and they’ve rotated throughout the season, which has allowed him to get to know the whole team.
Boehm’s go-to source of entertainment, besides comedy movies, is the mobile phone game, ‘Clash of Clans” – a game a lot of the team plays.
Defensemen Josh Van Mulligen shares the same movie genre as Boehm and says he watched Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore on their last road trip. The 16-year-old is looking forward to the long bus ride.
“It will be fun, obviously it’s going to be a long trip, but get a lot of bonding time with the guys and hopefully get a couple wins here, play some good hockey and end on a good stretch,” Van Mulligen said.
After the three-game Manitoba stretch, the Tigers return to the Gas City with their final game set for April 15 at Co-op Place against the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Tigers associate coach Joe Frazer says this trip allows the younger Tigers to better get to know their future teammates ahead of next season.
“Any time you get on the road with the guys it’s great camaraderie,” Frazer said. “With the amount of guys and young guys we have here, they’re going to be future teammates a lot of them. It’s important to get away together and that’s all you have, your teammates and hockey on the road. It’s always fun and I know the guys are looking forward to it.”
After he’s done watching video on the Tigers’ next opponent, or breaking down the special teams, Frazer said he loads up on reading and listening to business and real estate podcasts such as the Brad Lea, Cardone. He mixes in Apple’s No. 1 ranked hockey podcast ‘Spittin Chiclets’ and a little sleep into his bus routine as well.
Defenceman Reid Andresen says it’s sad it’s the last trip but they’ll make sure to enjoy it.
“It’s obviously going to be fun, we’re going to soak it in, but it’s kind of sad, too, that some of the guys are going to be leaving next year,” Andresen said. “But we’ll try to have lots of fun and hopefully get some wins this weekend.”
