THE CANADIAN PRESS DARREN CALABRESE
Team White's Carson Wetsch gets hit while battling for the puck against Team Red's Nathan Villeneuve and Medicine Hat Tiger Andrew Basha during the first period of the CHL/NHL Top Prospects game in Moncton, N.B. on Wednesday.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The CHL top prospects game flew by but left Andrew Basha with a lot of memories.
The 18-year-old returned to the Medicine Hat Tigers late Thursday night after playing alongside 39 of the top CHL’s prospects in the showcase game in Moncton, N.B. on Wednesday.
He says it was a special event to be part of.
“It was just quick, it was cool to get to know some of the guys from around the different leagues in Canada,” Basha said. “It’s cool to just go through that whole experience, I’m super grateful for the whole event.”
He was able to share the experience with a plethora of family members who he’s never played in front of before. He has family on his mom Ronda’s side from Janeville, a small town just east of Bathurst. He’s visited them before but finally got to hit the ice with them in the stands.
“It was special for me to be able to have lots of family to be in attendance,” Basha said. “It definitely meant a lot to me, to be able to be in front of them and play for them for the first time in my life.”
Basha didn’t get onto the scoresheet but recorded two face-off wins in his Team Red’s 3-1 win over Team White. He didn’t think it was his best game and says he’s still feeling the effects from the cut on his leg suffered on Jan. 7 that kept him out of three games.
“I felt like I was playing on one foot, it’s tough it definitely wasn’t my best game,” Basha said. “But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really mean much, so I’ll just soak in the whole experience and that’s all that matters.”
“It’s an awful big compliment for him, those games are hard games, you’re with different guys, there’s lots of different things but I thought he showed what he could do,” head coach Willie Desjardins said. “He has great talent, he made some good passes and that’s what he can do. He had the one rush where he got the goalie’s shoulder or the post but he’s a skilled player and it was exciting to see him.”
Basha feels the cut, which was above the ankle, also played into his discomfort throughout the training combine on the Tuesday. While battling that, he says he enjoyed going through all of the tests for the first time and believes he could have been higher with a healthy leg.
He was supposed to be joined by teammate Cayden Lindstrom but he can’t attend due to his 4-6 week timeline recovering from surgery.
Desjardins watched the game from Medicine Hat and was still excited to see the Basha’s jersey on the ice. He liked his forward’s game and is glad to have him back in one piece.
Basha says the on and off-ice training and the gauntlet of media they went through ahead of the prospects game served as an appetizer for what will only be increased ahead of the NHL draft in June.
“That was kind of the first event of the year for the draft year guys so it was great and a good warmup because the (draft) combine is going to a lot more intense,” Basha said. “But the playoffs are next and then the combine is after that, so I’m looking forward to that and it’s still a long ways away. I’m just focused on one game at a time right now.”
Basha was in the lineup for the Tigers on Friday at Moose Jaw against the Warriors. With the prospects game over and 23 games – including Friday, remaining on Medicine Hat’s schedule, Basha says keeping the Tigers high in the standings is all he’s concerned about going forward.
“It’s definitely not a team oriented event, everyone’s there to showcase their own personal skills, so now it’s more just forgetting about it and cherishing the memory,” Basha said. “Now that I’m back where I want to be, this playoff blush and wanting to finish first in the conference is all I’m thinking about.”
