NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Brayden Boehm carries a puck in the offensive end during a scrimmage Friday at Co-op Place on the second day of training camp.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Brayden Boehm is looking to take up where he left off suddenly last season.
The 20-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers forward is back in action after missing all but 12 games last season due to a knee injury suffered Oct. 22, 2023 in a 7-5 loss to the Prince George Cougars.
He took part in training camp over the weekend and enjoyed every second of being able to skate in the orange and black again.
“It’s great to be back, I knew if I had surgery when I did and worked towards it, I knew I’d be here and be ready to go,” Boehm said. “That was my goal, making sure that my body, my muscles and everything were good to go to be back here on the ice.”
Before the injury, Boehm was off to a hot start to the 2023-24 season, with five goals and 10 points in the 12 games. The hole he left in the lineup, with speed and ability to play both special teams, was never filled. It was further missed as team injuries piled up in the second half of the season.
Getting to see the forward back in action put a long-lasting smile on the face of associate coach Joe Frazer.
“It’s awesome. To go through surgery and he’s been through so much, not just physically, but mentally going through a surgery like that it’s hard to see,” Frazer said. “Watching him during some captain skates here, he hasn’t lost a step, I think he actually got faster, which is pretty remarkable.
“I’m filled with happiness for him to get to play again, because it’s been a long journey for him to rehab and getting back. Just seeing him on the ice and enjoying the game again, that’s priceless.”
Boehm quickly agreed that he feels faster on the ice post-injury and recovery and credits it to paying more attention to the little things in the process and specific workouts.
Before the offseason, he returned to Medicine Hat in February for a week’s visit. At the time, he told the News he never felt comfortable knowing he was back in the city and back with his friends, but couldn’t get on the ice. That feeling of uncomfortableness is long gone.
“It feels like I never left again, I’ve been ready for this,” Boehm said. “I’ve been waiting on this for how many months it’s been and I just can’t wait to get in the games and play.”
Boehm also worked on and achieved his personal trainer’s certification over the summer. It’s something he says was easy to do with his love for fitness, and a task he says helped with his recovery.
“It’s something I took pride in and I love to do,” Boehm said. “I work out with a couple trainers during the summer and it was awesome to learn some stuff like dietary and supplementation and the different muscle groups.”
Entering his 20-year-old season, Boehm says he hasn’t thought about it being his last year of junior hockey and is more focused on the exciting season ahead. He enjoyed seeing the moves the Tigers made during the offseason and the roster that’s entering preseason.
“I’m looking forward to having a good group and I’m glad to be part of it,” Boehm said. “But it’s just one step at a time.”
Before the WHL season gets underway, Boehm will head to Edmonton to take part in the Oilers training camp. He found out about the chance two weeks ago, having to send in papers proving he has recovered from the injury.
It’s an experience the Nanaimo, B.C. product says was a shock but one he’s looking forward to professionally and personally.
“I didn’t think I’d played enough to get that opportunity and I knew there was a little bit of a possibility, but wasn’t too certain about it,” Boehm said. “I got a call the next day and found out that I had made, it was pretty surreal feeling.”
His dad Dave is a longtime Oilers fan and Boehm says there’s a photo back home with him with the Oilers’ logo at the age of five.
The family connection for the Tigers’ forward runs strong, with Boehm donning a tattoo of a heart and a spine. The tattoo has the dates of his dad’s heart surgery and his younger sister Hailey’s spine surgery from 2021, serving as a reminder of what they’ve been through.
Boehm says the opportunity to showcase his skills in Edmonton and suit up for his dad’s favourite team far surpasses any hometown rivalries coming from B.C.
“Hockey’s hockey, and you’re not gonna pass up an opportunity,” Boehm said. “It just means more that he’s an Oilers fan, it means a lot to him.”
Van Mulligen off to Detroit NHL camp
For the second preseason in a row, Josh Van Mulligen will attend an NHL training camp.
The Tigers’ defenceman has been invited to the Detroit Red Wings training camp and will take part in their prospects games against other NHL clubs’ prospects.
The Medicine Hat product attended the Edmonton Oilers rookie/training camp last season.
