NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Tanner Molendyk corralls a puck in-front of fellow fomer Saskatoon Blade forward Misah Volotovskii during morning skate ahead of Wednesday night action against the Prince Albert Raiders at Co-op Place.
It’s a night of returns and new faces at Co-op Place tonight between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Prince Albert Raiders.
Tigers fans get a first-look at newly acquired defenceman Tanner Molendyk and forward Misha Volotovskii, their first game in the orange and black since being traded to Medicine Hat from Saskatoon on Monday.
Both spoke with the News following morning skate Wednesday about their excitement to join the Tigers.
“I’m pumped to be here, super excited,” Volotovskii said. “It seems like they have a super-tight group here and I want to join that.”
Volotovskii has notched four goals and 11 points in 37 games this season. In his WHL career, the Calgary product has 19 goals and 35 points in 195 games.
Molendyk has four goals and 21 points in 21 games this season. He returns from representing Canada at the World Junior tournament alongside Tigers forward Gavin McKenna. In 210 career WHL games, all with the Blades, the McBride, B.C. product has 26 goals and 134 points.
“It’s different colours but it’s special, it’s part of hockey,” Molendyk said. “I kind of knew it was coming. But, to go to a team like this is really, really cool.”
Volotovskii will wear No. 19, Molendyk donning 24. Associate coach Joe Frazer liked what he saw from both skaters in their first skate with the Tigers and he’s happy to have them in his line-up, as opposed to on the opposing bench.
“They’re going to have a ton of speed, ton of playoff experience, so we’re really looking forward to getting them in the lineup,” Frazer said.
See more about Molendyk and Volotovskii in Thursday’s News.
Wednesday night also marks a trio of returns for the Tigers. Forward Gavin McKenna (Canada) and defenceman Veeti Väisänen (Finland) are back from the World Juniors and will be in the lineup Wednesday at Co-op Place. Goaltender Harrison Meneghin will make his first appearance since Nov. 20, when he suffered a lower-body injury in the first period of a 3-2 road, overtime win over the Prince Albert Raiders. He will back up 17-year-old net minder Jordan Switzer.
Also making a return is Raiders’ forward Tomas Mrsic, tonight is his first appearance at Co-op Place since being traded to the East division opponent in August.
The Tigers sent the 18-year-old Mrsic to Prince Albert, as well as a 2025 third-round pick and a conditional 2028 third-round pick, in exchange for 18-year-old forward Ryder Ritchie. Following the Raiders’ morning skate, Mrsic spoke with media about being on the different side of the rink.
“It was definitely a weird feeling pulling up here as an away team, but it’s pretty cool,” Mrsic said. “It’s cool to be back where I played the past two years of my career. Definitely a special place, especially for my draft year, it was pretty special. So it’s definitely great to be back here.”
Mrsic was the eighth overall pick of the Tigers in the 2021 WHL draft and after a 2023-24 season of 23 goals and 62 points, was selected 113th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Surrey, B.C. product has found quick success with his new club, notching 21 goals and 49 points in 32 games for the Raiders. He sits second in team scoring, behind linemate Aiden Oiring (16 goals and 51 points).
“It’s a hard, hard working group (in Prince Albert), everyone comes to the rink every day, working hard to try to make everyone better,” Mrsic said. “So it’s definitely a great group of guys and we should have a good rest of the season.”
Medicine Hat (22-15-2) enters play tied for second place in the Eastern conference, the Raiders (19-13-3) are in seventh. Prince Albert enters the contest with the best road power play percentage in the WHL (34.8) and on the flip side, the league’s worst road penalty kill (61.7). The Tigers’ power play at home is running at 22.8 per cent (11th) and the penalty kill sits 14th at 77.1 per cent.
The Raiders will get their first look at Rilen Kovacevic in the green and black, acquiring the 20-year-old forward from the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday. They sent 20-year-old forward Krzysztof Macias, 17-year-old forward Luke Moroz and a fourth-round pick in 2027 to Moose Jaw in the deal.
Prince Albert lost 5-3 to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday. The Tigers look for a second-straight win, after a 5-2 win at home on Saturday over the Swift Current Broncos.
“Prince Albert is a really good hockey team, they’ve been playing really well lately, so it’s going to be a great challenge,” Frazer said.
Puck drops at 7 p.m.
