NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers rookie forward Gavin McKenna scans for options with the puck in the first period of a 12-1 win Jan. 6 at Co-op Place over the Tri-City Americans.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Gavin McKenna said after Christmas he wanted to be a better player for the Medicine Hat Tigers. The 16-year-old is finding that next level.
McKenna has continued to put up the points he did right from the get go in Medicine Hat. His four-assist WHL debut against the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season has been overmatched by a five-assist, six-point night against the Tri-City Americans on Jan. 6.
The Whitehorse product has seven goals and 24 points in the 13 games since returning from the holidays. In the first 26 games on the year, he had 11 goals and 32 points.
The extra production has brought even more attention on McKenna, earning player of the week honours and rookie of the week in two of the last three. Those climbing numbers are a confidence booster, McKenna says, but the extra attention is just outside noise.
“On the ice you don’t really notice it at all, just kind of play your game,” McKenna said. “You may have a bit of a target on your back or might be getting the harder matchups but you don’t really notice that out there. You just play your game and when you’ve got a full five guys on the ice with you, you can use them to your best advantage.”
McKenna credits his line mates for the on-ice success, touting his chemistry with 19-year-old Oasiz Wiesblatt, 18-year-old Hunter St. Martin and 17-year-old Tomas Mrsic as the reason he’s been able to have such offensive success.
While the rookie star points the attention at his teammates, St. Martin says he’s seen a growing confidence in McKenna that has helped him find the next level.
“He has an absurd skill set and he knows what he can do, and now he’s going out there and doing it and helping the group,” St. Martin said. “That’s with everyone. Confidence helps me, it helps everyone and when we get these wins it helps the group.”
McKenna says he is getting more comfortable in the WHL, with 55 games under his belt and his 16th birthday only a month in the rear view. His goal of getting better after the holidays wasn’t point related. McKenna wanted to be better at even strength and at all times for the Tigers, not just on a power play. He’s raised his plus/minus from a -10 at the holidays to a -1.
He’s put in the work off the ice and remains one of the last players to come off the ice after practice. McKenna has added conditioning skates of his own to his practice routine, skating across the ice until he can’t. He’s watching more video and breaking down his play with and without the puck.
It wasn’t a step that was asked of him from the coaching staff or because he wasn’t performing on the ice. He just wanted to raise his already high level up another notch.
“Before Christmas I thought I could do better and maybe I wasn’t putting the time in when I needed to,” McKenna said. “I’ve started to do that and, knock on wood, I think I’ve played pretty well, so I’m going to keep working at it.”
It’s a motivation that has stood out to head coach Willie Desjardins, who says he continues to be impressed by McKenna’s attitude toward his own game.
“The really good players, they take charge of their own game. When things weren’t going good, he took charge of it,” Desjardins said. “He started working harder at practice, he skated himself after practice and was committed to play better defence. He’s really smart, so it’s good to see. Sometimes you do that, it doesn’t pay off, for us we’re fortunate he did it and it paid off.
“It’s something he’ll probably keep doing in the future but he’s an incredible talent, his passing is unbelievable.
“For a young guy, he makes a big difference.”
Compared to the rookies around the league, McKenna is first in assists with 38 and his 1.44 points-per-game average is first among all CHL first-year players. He still trails Prince George Cougars forward Terik Parascak in rookie scoring.
The 17-year-old Parascak has 27 goals and 63 points in 44 games, giving him seven more points in five more games played than McKenna, who is a year and six months younger.
McKenna says he’s not thinking about the rookie scoring race but is using it as yet another piece of motivation to drive himself.
Basha, Team Red win at CHL top
prospects game
Andrew Basha and his prospect team came out on top Wednesday night.
Basha and Team Red won the CHL/NHL Top Prospects game, beating Team White 3-1.
The game, hosted in Moncton, N.B., featured 40 players from the CHL divided into two teams to play in front of scouts and fans.
Basha didn’t get on the scoresheet but recorded two face-off wins and was on the ice when the game winner was scored.
The 18-year-old NHL draft prospect is expected to be back in the Tigers’ lineup Friday when they head to Moose Jaw to face the Warriors.
