NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Andrew Basha points to the sky while celebrating his first of two goals in a 10-4 win Sunday at Co-op Place over the Spokane Chiefs.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The bulbs in the goal lamps at Co-op Place might need to be replaced after the Medicine Hat Tigers’ weekend.
The Tigers outscored the Tri-City Americans and Spokane Chiefs 22-5 across Saturday and Sunday at Co-op Place, bouncing back from a 5-3 loss Friday at Red Deer to the Rebels.
They scored 12 unanswered goals and won two fights on Saturday, then completed a three-goal comeback Sunday before running away with the win. It’s a weekend the Tigers believe is a statement to the rest of the league that they’re ready to win.
“We played really good, just two huge wins, and putting up that many goals just shows what kind of team we are and the speed to create like that, it’s been a good past few games,” forward Tomas Mrsic said.
The 17-year-old 2024 NHL draft prospect had four goals and two assists in the two games. Medicine Hat comes out of the weekend still in second place of the Eastern conference with a record of 25-12-2. They now lead the league in scoring with 178 goals and their special teams numbers continue to rise, with the power play first in the WHL (29.5) and penalty kill third (83.1).
“We’re a pretty high octane offence and teams know, if you put us on the power play, you’re gonna pay,” Andrew Basha said. “We’re rolling right now and obviously (there’s) confidence throughout the whole room.”
It was an offensive party for a lot of Tigers over the weekend. Hunter St. Martin scored his first career WHL hat trick in Saturday’s win and added a penalty shot goal and assist Sunday. Shane Smith had five assists on the weekend, Hayden Harsanyi had a four-point night Saturday and Andrew Basha had two assists Saturday that were supplemented with two goals and an assist Sunday.
The big offensive leader for the Tigers came from their youngest player, with Gavin McKenna recording three goals and 10 points in the two games and 13 points in their last four games total. The 16-year-old earned the WHL’s player of the week honours for his performance.
McKenna credited his teammates for the points when he spoke with the News on Saturday. He described that win as a showcase of what the Tigers can do without adding players and despite missing a player like Cayden Lindstrom, who was still absent from the lineup this weekend.
“It just shows the team we have and it sets a statement around the league,” McKenna said. “We’re not loading up like everyone else and we win like this. It sent a big statement.
“We have guys stepping up when we need them and it shows it’s just a whole team game. It’s not a one-man or two-man thing, it’s the whole team.”
Head coach Willie Desjardins didn’t have an update after Sunday’s win on Lindstrom who missed his seventh straight game with an upper body injury. He says they’ll know more this week. Desjardins liked how all four lines worked over the weekend and how they’ll continue their efforts heading into the week.
“If we work and do our game plan, both games we weren’t great at the start but we stuck with it got rewarded in the end,” Desjardins said. “That’s a big part, stick with the game plan and keep working.”
Lindstrom’s absence was filled by his usual line mate in Basha who stole the show in the second period of Sunday’s win. The 18-year-old left the game before the end of the first period and returned halfway through the second after receiving stitches for a cut on his leg after being stepped on in a pileup.
In a 10-minute span Basha recorded two goals and an assist before sitting most of the third alongside Oasiz Wiesblatt. Basha says the cut missed anything important in his leg and Desjardins sat him only to give him and Wiesblatt some rest.
Basha’s first goal gave the Calgary product a moment he had hoped would have come the night prior. He knocked in a pass from Smith in the corner and when the puck hit the back of the net, Basha pointed to the sky and kept his arm stretched high until he hugged Smith and the rest of his teammates.
Basha says the celebration was about honouring his grandpa Herb Knowles who passed on Jan. 4 at the age of 87. He says he and his grandpa shared a lot of memories with hockey being a big part of their bond.
“My hockey was kind of what he was holding on to at the end,” Basha said. “It was great (to score) and I am going to cherish all the memories with him.”
Trade deadline Wednesday
The WHL’s trade deadline is Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Tigers aren’t expecting to make any moves but will still be listening, Desjardins says.
“You always look to improve your team if you can, I’m happy with our guys, we have a good group of guys,” Desjardins said. “We’ll just have to see what it brings.”
Desjardins says trade prices are high heading into the deadline.
Lethbridge acquired 20-year-old forward Sean Tschigerl from the Calgary Hitmen on Monday, sending back a second and third round pick in the 2025 WHL draft.
