FILE PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Josh Van Mulligen plays the puck during a game in his first full Western Hockey League season playing for his hometown team.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Josh Van Mulligen is getting ready for a big summer ahead.
The local product is coming off his first full season in the Western Hockey League manning the blue line for his hometown Medicine Hat Tigers. He suited up in all 68 regular season games, putting up a goal and nine points.
“I’ve grown a lot this year, it was a big learning year and a good learning experience,” Van Mulligen said. “I have just taken everything I’ve learned this year and am putting it into my game next year.”
The 17-year-old played in 13 WHL games in the 2021-22 season while competing in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. He worked his way into a full-time role this season and didn’t look back, playing at both 5-on-5 and earning penalty kill responsibilities.
He says he enjoyed getting as much responsibility as he did throughout the year.
“I just got better every game this year and got more comfortable,” Van Mulligen said. “Just taking those lessons learned in every game and just trying to get better every day.”
He says his biggest improvement throughout the year was his speed as he worked to keep up with the play and get a step ahead. Just like all but two of his Tigers teammates, Medicine Hat’s trip to the playoffs was his first experience in the WHL postseason.
Van Mulligen says he enjoyed the experience of getting to play against a top team like the Winnipeg Ice and getting to be in a packed Co-op Place.
“I was a season ticket holder growing up and obviously at the Arena the crowd was always just buzzing, the atmosphere at the Arena was unbelievable,” Van Mulligen said. “Co-op Place hasn’t yet been the same but it’s continuously getting better. This year we saw a couple times there it was just really awesome, the fans were great.”
Coming off his first full WHL season and playoff experience, Van Mulligen is gearing up to take a step in the summer. He’s looking to get bigger and stronger heading into camp and earn some more responsibility in the lineup.
“It’s going to be a big summer, I’m looking to take a big jump,” Van Mulligen said. “Hopefully I can move up in the lineup and get more responsibility next year and just be ready to take a big jump so the team can get better.”
He also sees the Tigers team making a big jump as a whole, moving past the goal of just making the playoffs.
“We want to be a championship team and just get ready for a long playoff run next year,” Van Mulligen said. “This year we took a couple teams by surprise and next year we’re going to be on every team’s radar. So we have to be ready to take a big jump.”
Van Mulligen is heading into his NHL draft summer but the local product isn’t worried about it, he says whatever happens, happens, and is focused on being his best for the Tigers.
When he’s not in the gym, Van Mulligen says he will be spending his time with friends and family, making up for lost time while he was focused on the grind of the regular season.
He says he’ll also look to hit the links a couple of times, enjoying playing at Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club and Desert Blume. Van Mulligen says the openness of the Blume helps out his game.
“It’s open, that’s what I like, so you can slice it and you still have a decent shot at the hole,” Van Mulligen said.