NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Jordan Switzer looks for the puck through a snow-shower for one of his 22 saves in a 5-1 win on Oct. 26 at Co-op Place over the Regina Pats.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Willie Desjardins has found his goaltending duo for the season.
The Medicine Hat Tigers started the season with a goaltending trio of 19-year-old Zach Zahara, 18-year-old Ethan McCallum and 17-year-old Jordan Switzer.
After the third contest of a four-game losing streak, Desjardins swung a deal on Oct. 5 for 20-year-old Harrison Meneghin from the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
“Coming into the year, I thought Ethan could be our No. 1, and the problem was, Meneghin just came available too early,” Desjardins said. “I would have rather waited until the deadline to see what (Ethan) was going to bring but when Meneghin came available, we had either the choice to get him or not be able to pick him up at all. I just felt that Harrison was too good of a goaltender, we had to take him.”
His acquisition left the Tigers with four goaltenders, creating a task of finding the right mix for the orange and black and the right opportunities for each player.
Zahara was traded to the Wenatchee Wild on Oct. 16 for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2025 eighth-round pick. McCallum was sent to the Saskatoon Blades on Monday for a fourth-round pick in 2027 and a conditional fourth rounder in 2028. Desjardins says Monday’s trade was not an easy one but he expects McCallum to find success with the Blades.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity for him, they have a really good structure,” Desjardins said. “One of my big fears is that he could do really well there. I believe that. But I’ve got to take care of our goaltending and I think our best chance is with Meneghin and Switzer right now.”
The move doesn’t change anything for Meneghin who will be a starter on a team with championship expectations. He’s started eight of the nine games since he was acquired with a 4-4 record, .887 save percentage and a 2.86 goals against average. For Switzer, it’s a sign of trust and the accomplishment of long-term goal of making it to the WHL level.
“It’s nice to know you have that belief in the room, that now you can kind of take that next step,” Switzer said.
Switzer has appeared in four games, making three starts with a 2-2 record. He’s running a 2.74 GAA and a .899 SV% on the year. He credits both Zahara and McCallum for welcoming him into the organization since being drafted in 2022.
“Coming in as a 15-year-old, you’re kind of scared to hop in that room, what it’s like at the next level, but those guys are so welcoming,” Switzer said. “They were bringing me around, showing me the ways of the league and I can never repay them for that.”
Desjardins isn’t looking for anything different from Switzer, he want’s the Edmonton product to continue giving the Tigers a chance to win.
For his team, the acquisition of Meneghin has created more wrinkles than the pair of goaltender trades. The Tigers had to send 19-year-old forward Shane Smith to Lethbridge in the deal and as a result, send 20-year-old forward Brayden Boehm to the Victoria Royals for a pair of draft picks to get under the overage limit.
They were difficult moves for a general manager and head coach who likes his team and likes winning with his group even more. The cost of the four trades was a difficult part of the process Desjardins says he anticipated.
“If you’re going to win a championship, you need a championship goaltenders, that’s just the way it is,” Desjardins said. “It’s really, really unfortunate. We had to move the pieces we’ve had to move, but I think in the end, that’s going to be what’s going to help us.”
The Tigers open the first game of the two-goalie era tonight at Calgary against the Hitmen, the first of a four-game streak of road games. Medicine Hat beat the Hitmen 4-2 on Oct. 23 at Co-op Place, a win Desjardins says will only fuel their opponent.
“They’re a better team defensively than they have been in past years, they’re going to play hard,” Desjardins said. “They have a good group, they have talent with four really good lines. They have some depth up front, so we’re going to have to be ready.”
The Tigers could see some reinforcements on the blue line with defenceman Niilopekka Muhonen a full participant in practice Tuesday. A final decision on his status will be made ahead of the drive to Calgary according to Desjardins.
Beyond the Finnish D-man on the injury front, Medicine Hat product Josh Van Mulligen remains a few weeks away from a return from his upper body injury.
