NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Mat Ward makes a pass up ice in the first period of the Tigers' 7-5 win Friday at Co-op Place over the Brandon Wheat Kings.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
After playing four years in Swift Current, Mat Ward will have a unique experience visiting the InnovationPlex tonight.
The 20-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers forward is returning to the place his WHL career began, as the Tigers head to Swift Current tonight for the first matchup this season. For Ward, he’s suiting up against his former Broncos for the first time since being acquired in the summer.
Medicine Hat sent three draft picks to the Broncos for Ward’s services, sending a 2024 second-round pick, a third-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-round pick in 2028. He suited up in the green and blue for 199 games across the four seasons, with 73 goals and 208 points.
It’s a night the Kamloops product says will be special.
“It’s a hard building to play in, they’re really comfortable there and playing in their home rink, we gotta squeak one out there,” Ward said.
Tigers’ players and staff have long lamented on the difficulty of playing at Swift Current’s 2,879 seat arena. Swift Current’s dominated the regular season series with Medicine Hat on home ice, with the Broncos’ record over the last five years 11-0-1-1.
Associate coach Joe Frazer compares it to Prince Albert’s Art Hauser Centre.
“It’s hard to get two points there, everything happens quick,” Frazer said. “It feels tighter, feels smaller, everything happens fast and they play well at home. Swift Current is a really good home team.”
The former Bronco says playing at the IPlex brought a comforting feeling to him. Returning for the first time, he’s not sure what his reception will be.
“I’ve spent a lot of time there, I think I was an appreciated guy there, I hope so,” Ward said. “But at the end of the day, I get it if it’s the other way around, too. It’s hockey, junior hockey and the fans are exciting there.”
Tigers’ head coach Willie Desjardins has liked how Ward has looked as of late as the forward has gotten healthier since the start of the year. He’s looking forward to seeing him return to Swift Current.
“He put a lot of time in there, he was a good player for them,” Desjardins said. “They have a good team, it’s going to be a really tough game for us. It’s interesting, Ward has been playing way better lately, he’s playing like we thought he would.”
He has a goal and three points in his last four games, bringing his season total to five goals and 16 points in 25 games.
Ward is looking forward to facing the entire team, turning away friends’ phone calls ahead of the matchup and looking forward to speaking with them afterwards.
“Some of my best friends that moved on to the NHL, or are still there as well, so when you’re there for that long, you make a lot of relationships,” Ward said. “Going on a little bit of a run last year is something I’ll never forget there, I had a great time.”
Meneghin, Basha updates
The Tigers will head to Swift Current without starter Harrison Meneghin who is projected to miss a fifth game since suffering a lower body injury on Nov. 20. Frazer says the net minder is still classified as day to day and says the play of Jordan Switzer has helped the process.
“We’ve really liked how Switzer has played, and with Harrison, it’s one of those thing you can’t rush back from,” Frazer said. “We have to make sure that everything he does, whether it’s a workout or a light practice, we have to see how he feels the next day and kind of build off that.”
Forward Andrew Basha practised with the Tigers on Tuesday, skating in a grey jersey contrasting the orange and black the rest of the team donned. Frazer says they’ve missed him in the room as much as they have on the ice. He says the Calgary Flames prospect is close to a return and could potentially return this week.
“We’ve missed his energy in the room, he’s a guy who loves being at the rink and his energy is contagious,” Frazer said. “He’s a lot like Oasiz (Wiesblatt), both those guys have just loved being here, they love being at the rink, so we need that energy back. He looks great on the ice, looks fast, so he’s real close.”
