Soakin’ in the Tubb: Tigers’ fans showing up at Co-op Place to start the season

By JAMES TUBB on November 1, 2024.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

As the Medicine Hat Tigers head on their first weekend road trip of the season, the Co-op Place ticket counters get a much-needed break.

The Tigers have showed up at home to start the 2024-25 season, with a 6-3 record in nine games at Co-op Place. They’ll look to improve on a 2-3 road record with three more away contests following a 4-3 shootout win over the Calgary Hitmen on Wednesday.

Just as the team has put on a display in the friendly confines, the fan base has shown up at a rate not seen in almost a decade. Through nine home games the Tigers have seen 31,754 faithful jumping from their seats with every goal.

It’s the fourth-highest attendance in the league, trailing the Saskatoon Blades (33,812), Spokane Chiefs (32,185) and Everett Silvertips (31,910). Breaking that down a little further, the Tigers are one of three teams entering play Friday who have had nine home games.

That gives them an average of 3,528 fans in attendance for the first nine of 34 home games, the 11th highest average.

It’s the first time since the 2016-17 season Medicine Hat has averaged more than 3,500 fans a game. That season, the second at the formerly named Canalta Centre, saw an average of 3,586 fans a night. Funnily enough, that is the last season the Tigers won a playoff round, sweeping the Brandon Wheat Kings in the first round before falling 4-3 to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the second round.

The showing of fans has been a welcomed sight, even as the Tigers weathered the storm of a four-game losing streak and a puzzling, almost humorous difficulty against the Red Deer Rebels. That’s a discussion for another column.

“Build it and they will come,” is an oft played upon line from the 1989 baseball film, Field of Dreams.

The location of Co-op Place has been a somewhat lazy excuse for fans to not attend games. A down year following the COVID-19 pandemic provided a fair enough reason for a lack of attendance. But since the rise of expectations following the ever-increasing bright star that is Gavin McKenna and the rest of the roster littered with NHL potential, attendance has slowly climbed.

From an average of 2,166 in 2021-22, 2,651 in 2022-23 and 3,193 in 2023-24, an effort to find success has been matched with butts in seats. Willie Desjardins has built a roster that when healthy, if that ever happens, looks poised for a run at the franchise’s first title since 2007.

The moustache man has built the roster, more and more fans are starting as success builds. While the team continues to build momentum, the fan base should find its own momentum and get some more butts in seats, filling that upper deck that is begging to be uncovered.

It doesn’t have to happen over night, there’s still 25 home games left for fans to filter in and become regulars.

But look at that another way, there’s only roughly 15 home games this season and another 25 next season to see McKenna in person before he makes the jump to the NHL (he’ll miss a combined 20 games playing for Team Canada at the World Juniors).

Tub(b) Thoughts

– Gavin McKenna was named the WHL’s player of the month to start the season, with seven goals and 23 points. Everett Silvertips’ exceptional status defenceman Landon DuPont was the rookie of the month and ‘Tips goaltender Jesse Sanche. DuPont had four goals and 16 points in 14 games, definitively exceptional. Sanche went 9-2 with a 1.71 goals against average, a .932 save percentage and a shutout to help Everett sit atop the WHL.

– Speaking of the Silvertips, former Tigers’ captain Tyler MacKenzie has settled in nicely in the green and white. He’s tied for second in league scoring with 12 goals and 22 points in 14 games. Almost halfway to his career high of 47 points reached in 68 games last season.

• Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch wrote on Oct. 25 that fourth overall pick Cayden Lindstrom is working out in the gym, skating on his own while rehabbing his back injury. Hedger says Lindstrom is tentatively expected to remain in Columbus until mid-November, with full health the deciding factor. Patience will prevail with the power forward.

– A day after Halloween, candy is likely to be made available on sale. A quick power ranking of Halloween candy: 1. Reese’s Cup 2. Snickers 3. Coffee Crisp 4. Kit Kat 5. Twizzlers

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