NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Zach Zahara slides to his right to make a breakaway save in the first period of a 5-2 win at Co-op Place over the Regina Pats on Feb. 6.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Zach Zahara had a smile on his face the second he learned he was returning to Medicine Hat.
The 19-year-old net minder was reacquired by the Tigers from the Wenatchee Wild on Thursday, almost two months after he was sent to the Western conference team on Oct. 16.
He was traded to Wenatchee for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2025 eighth-round pick. That same 2027 fourth-rounder, originally belonging to Moose Jaw, is returning to Wenatchee with his reacquisition.
Zahara practised with the Tigers on Thursday, feeling at home again.
“There’s nothing like playing in the Hat, I’m pumped to be back,” Zahara said.
“I had been in Medicine Hat since I was 16, playing at SAHA, so it’s obviously a familiar city I’ve been in. So it’ll be pretty easy adjusting to be back.”
Zahara was originally selected in the eighth round, 171st overall by the Tigers in the 2020 WHL draft. He suited up in 33 games for the Tigers across two seasons, also playing for the Dunmore-based South Alberta Hockey Academy, breaking records and winning two championships at the Circle K Classic.
The 19-year-old Rocky View product left Wenatchee on Wednesday around 1:45 p.m. local time, making only one stop in Cranbrook for an A&W teen burger before continuing to Medicine Hat for a 1:30 a.m. arrival.
“I was pretty sad to leave (Medicine Hat), so to get back and get that opportunity here is awesome,” Zahara said.
During his time in Wenatchee, Zahara appeared in 10 games with an .884 save percentage, 4.05 goals-against average and a 3-7-0 record.
“I was super thankful be part of that organization,” Zahara said. “It’s a great place to play and I can’t say anything bad about it.”
He leaves the Wild with the lesson of how to better handle adversity, whether in game or in life.
He started the season in Medicine Hat in the press box, recovering from an upper-body injury. Before he returned and questions loomed with goaltending, the Tigers acquired 20-year-old Harrison Meneghin from the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Head coach and general manager made the decision to put Zahara and 18-year-old Ethan McCallum in positions to get ice time elsewhere, trading Zahara to Wenatchee and McCallum to the Saskatoon Blades.
With Meneghin out with a lower-body injury, projected to return after the holiday break, the Tigers were left with 17-year-old Jordan Switzer and one injury away from 15-year-old Cash Christie being the starter.
“Switzer got hit the other day, and if he would have went down, we probably would be trouble,” Desjardins said. “Zach’s the perfect guy. We know he’s a good goaltender, we know what he does in the room, so he’s the perfect guy.”
Desjardins says when Meneghin returns they will figure out how they’ll proceed from there, he wanted insurance to not put their youngest net minder in a bad spot.
“He’s too young, he’s just not ready to play yet, so we just have to have another guy,” Desjardins said.
The Tigers have utilized local product Beck Boiteau this week, the Everett Silvertips prospect served as an emergency backup in Tuesday’s 6-4 win over the Saskatoon Blades.
Zahara isn’t concerned about what his role would be when the Tigers have three goaltenders again, he’s just looking to show what he can do.
“We’ve got a really good team here, so I just have to put it on the ice now,” Zahara said. “There’s some people to prove wrong.”
He’s looking forward to getting back to his go-to food spot, Bar Burrito, and other Medicine Hat favourites. There’s one spot in particular he’s looking forward to being at, and he hopes more than 4,000 residents will join him sooner than later.
“Co-op Place, where else.”
