NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Hunter St. Martin battles for net front position in the first period of a 12-1 win Jan. 6 at Co-op Place over the Tri-City Americans.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Hunter St. Martin and Shane Smith have been reunited and it’s felt so good for Medicine Hat Tigers fans.
The duo of 18-year-old forwards run the top penalty kill unit for the Tigers and have long played on a line together. They started the season with Brayden Boehm before his long-term lower body injury created a rotating cast on the wing.
Other injures have created a scramble throughout the Tigers’ lineup this season, with Smith and St. Martin playing alongside other teammates besides their responsibilities. The duo was reunited over the weekend, due to more injuries, and combined for four goals and five points.
It was a welcomed reunion for both.
“We have a lot of familiarity, we’ve played a lot together, having been on the PK for two years now and it’s nice,” St. Martin said. “We just kind of click, he’s always a reliable guy.”
St. Martin and Smith are the first two Tigers rolled out for the penalty kill and often have several shifts on each kill. It’s a duo associate coach Joe Frazer says plays a big role in their success.
“Just the work ethic both those two play with, they’re tenacious on the forecheck, creating turnovers, playing physical, great on the penalty kill,” Frazer said after Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. “They came up with a huge power play goal as well. So just all around, both those two are outstanding.”
The pair are on a hot streak dating back to the Tigers’ statement weekend against the Tri-City Americans and Spokane Chiefs.
St. Martin had five goals and seven points in his last four games and Smith put up three goals and eight points in his last four, recording a point in all of the contests.
The hot streak is something St. Martin says he just keeps in his pocket.
“It’s nice knowing I’ve been doing some things out there points wise, but it’s just bringing the same thing every night, day in, day out, working hard and practice working hard off the ice,” St. Martin said. “Just come to the game and do what I can to help the team win and that’s what I want. I just want to do everything out there to get the points and keep going on the road to a championship.”
The point streak also comes at a high point for Smith who was one of four Tigers to be ranked on the NHL’s Central Scouting midterm ranks. The Cessford product was ranked the 188th skater prospect in North America.
He says the point streak is a confidence boost and the ranking is just a testament of the offseason work and first half.
“Obviously it doesn’t mean too much, just trying to block a lot of it out and just kind of continue to build my way up the list,” Smith said. “Hopefully just getting better every day and not letting that affect anything.”
