NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Rhett Parsons keeps an eye of Swift Current's Brady Birnie in the first period of the Tigers 3-0 preseason win against the Broncos at Co-op Place on Sept. 17.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Tigers defence core is younger heading into the 2022-23 season but according to head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins, it’s also better.
The group of 19-year-olds – Rhett Parsons, Dru Krebs and Bogdans Hodass – are paired with 18-year-old Pasha Bocharov and 17-year-olds Reid Andresen, Josh Van Mulligen and rookie Blake Ekren-Bratton.
Desjardins said he thinks the group has improved since last campaign.
“It’s pretty solid all the way through,” Desjardins said. “We will see where Krebs is at when he comes back, he was good in preseason, Hodass has improved, Bocharov’s improved, Andy’s improved. I think there’s been some good improvement from all of our guys.”
The Tigers will start the season Saturday against the Lethbridge Hurricanes without Krebs, who is attending Washington Capitals training camp alongside former Tigers net minder Garin Bjorklund.
Capitals camp does not officially get started until today, which means the Tigers may be without Krebs for the season opener and potentially their two games next week if he remains with the NHL club for an extended preseason chance.
His absence means an increased role for Ekren-Bratton, who was signed to a contract during training camp, and for Hat product Van Mulligen, who played in 13 games last season with two goals and an assist.
Desjardins says the season will be a step up for the local defenceman.
“He’s got the ability, he has to adjust to the league, but he’s smart,” Desjardins said. “I didn’t think he played as well in Swift Current but I thought he responded with a really good game here (against Swift Current). So it’s not that he’s not capable of playing good games, he just has to put it together.”
Bocharov, who had two goals and seven points in 39 games after being traded to the Tigers from Saskatoon last season, said he is looking forward to playing with the faster defence core and teaching the two younger defenders as much as he can.
“With Blake it’s just being in the right spots, so we help him with that, and JVM is a good young player, too,” Bocharov said. “Being the same hand it’s a huge thing, and just skill stuff. It’s a big step and it’s just getting used to playing a lot more games and you just end up getting better.”
Parsons played alongside Hodass for the latter half of the season after 20-year-old captain Daniel Baker suffered a season ending injury. He said he is already looking forward to playing alongside his Latvian partner.
“He’s great to play with, he’s an NHLer,” Parsons said. “He comes to the rink, he wants to get better, that’s the guy you want to play with on the ice. He’s always focused and I think me and him have pretty good chemistry, I’m really excited.”
In 63 games last season Parsons had five goals and 15 points while sitting second in the league for penalty minutes with 127. Hodass, in his rookie season in the WHL, had seven goals and 24 points in 57 games.
Hodass and Bocharov were named to the NHL’s central scouting rankings ahead of the NHL draft last July. Neither were taken but Bocharov said he’s looking to prove people wrong this season.
“I have a lot to prove and with that you don’t really have that pressure, it’s just show what you got,” Bocharov said. “It’s almost bounce-back time for me, it’s a big thing.”
Parsons wore an ‘A’ on his jersey for the Tigers last season, and while no official leadership group has been announced yet, the Cremona product said he’s looking to continue his role as a leader.
“I think just trying to help the young guys, if they have a question or anything on the bench, or just in the room or anything, just trying to help them,” Parsons said. “I know it’s some guys’ first year, so I think it’s a bit of a learning curve for them. But I just have to be there to help them and give them the advice they need.”
Andresen is coming off his own rookie season in the WHL, he had four goals and 10 points in his first full campaign. He said his goal for the offseason was to get quicker and he is looking forward to playing a quick paced game with whomever his defence partner is.
“We’re all pretty mobile and we all play in the D zone, too, we’re all pretty excited for it,” Andresen said. “Anyone is able to play with each other so it doesn’t really matter who we play with and we’re super excited.”
