NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Former Medicine Hat Tiger Beckett Langkow lines up to stop a puck during Edmonton Oil Kings morning skate Friday morning at Co-op Place.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Beckett Langkow is back in the Western Hockey League.
The 20-year-old former Medicine Hat Tigers net minder signed with the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday and started against his former club on Friday. While standing on the visitors side of Co-op Place, Langkow says it was a different experience in the rink he had known for three seasons.
“It was different taking the long way around to my (dressing) room,” Langkow said.” I’m just excited to be back, I had a good time here my few years here. I’m just excited to get back and play in the WHL again.”
The Vegreville product compiled a record of 32-38-8-2 in 83 games as a Tiger, sporting a 3.53 goals-against average and .881 save percentage. Langkow was looking forward to facing his former club.
“It’ll be fun but a little weird, I wonder what kind of chirps they’ll throw out at me but it’ll be funny, it goes both ways,” Langkow said. “Maybe they think they know me and I know where they like to shoot. I’m sure there’ll be a bit of mind games tonight, but I’m just excited.”
That game was not complete by press time.
He was listed and signed by the Tigers in April of 2020, playing five games in the bubble season. He backed up starter Garin Bjorklund in the Tigers’ 11-win 2021-22 season before taking the reins as the starter in 2022-23.
Langkow recorded his only WHL shutout in a 7-0 routing of the Connor Bedard-led Regina Pats on March 11. He backstopped the Tigers in a Game-68 win to clinch their first postseason appearance since COVID-19 and started all four games in their first-round loss to the first seed Winnipeg Ice.
Despite being released by the club in September in favour of younger goaltenders, Langkow looks back on his time donning the orange and black in a positive light.
“There’s a lot of ups and downs maybe through the three years,” Langkow said. “I was really fortunate to play here for three years, had a lot of fun and a lot of good memories. I’m just really happy I got those experiences.”
Langkow joined the Oil Kings after starting the season with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints following a release from Medicine Hat. He had a 3-5-0 record with a 3.12 GAA and an .892 SVP in eight starts at the AJHL level.
Langkow says he was keeping himself ready in case a WHL club came looking, and he was excited for the opportunity to join the Oil Kings who are in a rebuilding stage.
“It’s a little bit similar to the (Tigers) last year for us, coming off a down year, so I just think I’m trying to provide whatever I can to help the guys out,” Langkow said. “I’ll try to kind of pass on some past experiences that maybe help them. I don’t know everyone too well yet, it’s only been a couple days, but I”m just enjoying it.”
Playing for the Oil Kings allows him to be closer to home, where he is a familiar ‘billet son’ for his parents, a change of pace after playing away from home the last three years.
“It’s different with the junior lifestyles of living away, I’ve been gone for a couple years,” Langkow said. “So it’s kind of nice to be back and it’ll be nice to have them at games, all my family lives right around that area. It’ll be a cool experience.”
