NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers captain Oasiz Wiesblatt embraces the crowd after a skirmish in the third period of a 5-2 win over the Kelowna Rockets at Co-op Place on March 4.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
It’s been a long road for Oasiz Wiesblatt.
The Medicine Hat Tigers captain played two full seasons before getting his first chance at the playoffs. He went from the lively rookie, full of piss and vinegar, to the grizzled veteran, walking around Co-op Place with purpose and calmness. Throughout his five-year WHL career he’s never wavered from the passion and intensity on the ice – 148 penalty minutes on the season explains that well.
The 20-year-old hasn’t started reflecting too much, enjoying his overage season as much as he can by continuing to be a presence in the community to soak up the moment. Wiesblatt, who is the longest-tenured player on the roster, gets shivers thinking about the idea of ending his junior career with a championship.
“Obviously it means a lot to me to do this for the fans in the city,” Wiesblatt said. “Now it’s not just for that, it’s for Harry’s dad, and there’s a lot of pride in this room where we really want it. We don’t have only just one or two reasons for it, we have a few, and we just have to do it for the guys in the room. Now our group has kind of tightened up a little bit closer.”
Wiesblatt and the Tigers kick off their first-round series against Swift Current, hosting the Broncos tonight at Co-op Place. Throughout his career in the orange and black, the two teams have battled a lot, with the Broncos formerly in the Central division. It’s a matchup that comes with instant intensity, setting the scene for a fun series for the Calgary product.
“We’ve had some huge battles with them in the last five years for me and it’s really exciting,” Wiesblatt said. “They’re a really good team. They transition really well, they play good defence, they have a good goalie, so it’s going to be a good series. It’s going to be a war zone and we’re looking forward to it.”
Wiesblatt enters the playoffs off a career season with 36 goals and 103 points in 66 games. He’s propelled himself up the career charts with the Tigers, sitting ninth in assists (187), 13th in points (288) and 14th in games played (284). As he looks to continue the strong season, Wiesblatt reminds himself to avoid complacency while also not looking too far ahead.
He’s also looking forward to playing in front of the expected near-sellout crowds at Co-op Place as the series gets underway, looking to give back to the fanbase that has given him so much as he’s grown up in Medicine Hat.
“These fans mean a lot to me, I’ve met a lot of them, and they’re such great people,” Wiesblatt said. “They’re so passionate and caring, it’s great to play in front of them and make them happy.”
