NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Pasha Bocharov stands at attention for his pregame introduction ahead of a 5-4 overtime loss against the Red Deer Rebels on Feb. 18 at Co-op Place.
Pasha Bocharov has been cheering his Medicine Hat Tigers teammates on while working his way back into the lineup. Now the utility man has his chance to be cheered once again.
The 19-year-old forward and defenceman was back in the lineup Friday night when the Tigers hosted the Edmonton Oil Kings at Co-op Place, his first time suiting up since Feb. 20 when he received a high hit from Red Deer Rebels Christoffer Sedoff in the first period of a 4-1 Medicine Hat win.
Bocharov left the game against Red Deer and did not return, and Sedoff was handed a four-game suspension after receiving a game misconduct penalty.
“I’ve been watching games and just waiting for a chance to get back out there,” Bocharov said. “Just training hard trying to get my legs back and I’m super pumped.”
While he was in the press box watching games, the Escondido, Calif. product says he was able to notice things about his team and others he hadn’t before while watching video or on the ice.
“It’s just different when you play versus watching and I noticed how when teams say we’re fast, you don’t really know what they’re talking about because you’re just playing and you’re skating but what it looks like getting pucks in, breaking out clean and we really are just skating fast, I never really noticed that before,” Bocharov said.
“That was the one thing and we just never give up, we just stick with it, we always stick with it no matter what. It’s worked out in the last couple games.”
In 54 games this season Bocharov has 11 goals and 24 points. He was playing on the top forward line alongside Oasiz Wiesblatt and Andrew Basha before going down with injury.
He’s had some exciting games to watch as the Tigers make their way through the run to the playoffs, including their wins against the third-place Kamloops Blazers on Feb. 25 and beating the CHL’s top ranked Winnipeg Ice on Wednesday. Both games contained first WesternHockey League goals for Brett Calhoon and Cru Hanas respectively, a sight Bocharov says was special to watch.
“Everybody just wants to see everyone succeed, if every single guy in that locker room could sign an NHL contract, I don’t think there’d be any jealousy, we would all be happy for one another,” Bocharov said. “It doesn’t always work out that way (everyone getting a contract) but when you see guys get goals and they’re young guys, the joy they feel is really contagious. You’re just excited about it, all through the room everybody is.”
