jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
As games get tighter and intensity ramps up with playoffs near, Tomas Mrsic’s game continues to find a new level.
The 18-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers forward has been a state of consistency since the calendar flipped to 2024. He missed time immediately after Christmas due to illness but has remained a different kind of sick since.
In the 21 games he’s played in 2024, Mrsic has been held scoreless only four times and has totalled 11 goals and 26 points. The Surrey, B.C. product says he’s put in more work and is seeing the dividends.
“Obviously it’s tough having a slow start but ever since that I’ve just been doing extra stuff and gaining more confidence every game,” Mrsic said. “It’s been pretty good for me, just working harder and that’s leading to more success for me.”
His first 32 games of the season brought six goals and 26 points, nothing to scoff at but not where he’d like it to be heading into his first eligible NHL draft. The NHL’s Central Scouting had Mrsic ranked as the 90th North American skater in their January rankings.
Head coach Willie Desjardins says Mrsic can be a factor for them as playoffs near.
“He’s a really good player and he’s got great skill, can really shoot a puck, can one-time a puck, he’s fast,” Desjardins said. “He has lots of things he can add to the lineup. He was playing really well before Christmas, he got sick and then his game wasn’t quite as good but he’s getting back into stride again.”
Mrsic’s success has helped the Tigers navigate the injuries they’ve endured at forward with Brayden Boehm out since October, Cayden Lindstrom still working his way back from a week-to-week injury and others missing select games here and there. Stepping up and helping provide the missing offence is something he says he enjoyed and saw the rest of the team doing.
“When key guys go out like that we need guys stepping up into those roles, whether it’s penalty kill or power play,” Mrsic said. “Just for myself, getting those extra minutes was pretty good for me this weekend and just stepping up is good.”
His production and the way he has stepped up has been noticed by teammates who say it’s important for both Mrsic and the team.
“He’s put in the work the last couple of years and he’s been a good guy and a role model for the young guys,” captain Tyler MacKenzie said. “Seeing him being able to get that success to pay off is really important and it’s good to see. It’s really helping us down the stretch, and for guys to be able to step up in big roles like that, especially when guys are out and kind of down, that’s really important.”
Mrsic has worked his way into more penalty-kill time and has found himself at the left wall on the power play, making him the one-timer option on their five-forward power play. It’s a position he’s never had, usually being the puck carrier or at the bumper spot, but one he’s enjoyed.
“That’s a pretty good spot for me, I work on that every practice for a bit with Joe (Frazer) so I think ever since I started doing that it’s been good and I’ve been scoring from there.”
Mrsic has also adopted a mean streak to his game, not straying from hits and throwing more of his own to win puck battles. It’s adding another element to his game and expanding what he brings to the Tigers.
“Every day I try to work out, try to get that physical strength into me, but that’s something I’ve been getting told, just be more physical,” Mrsic said. “Lay hits, checking harder, so I’ve added that to my game.”
