Lindstrom, Basha back at right time

By JAMES TUBB on May 10, 2025.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

It’s been a long time coming but Medicine Hat Tigers fans get their first look at a complete lineup.

Head coach Willie Desjardins answered a season-long question Friday morning ahead of Game 1 of the WHL Championship Seres with the Spokane Chiefs.

When would Cayden Lindstrom and Andrew Basha return? Just in time for the WHL Finals.

The pair of 2024 NHL Draft prospects, Lindstrom fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets and Basha 41st to his hometown Calgary Flames, had skated with the team in the week leading up to Friday’s series opener.

Desjardins says he doesn’t know what he will get from both skaters, missing as much time as they have, but is more than welcoming the two NHL prospects into the mix.

“That’s the one thing that’s hard for me right now as a coach, you want to know exactly what you have and I don’t know what I have right now going in,” Desjardins said. “They might be able to play one period, they might be able to play the full game, I don’t know. So we’ll have to give a lot of reads as the game goes on. But saying that, I’m still really excited to see them.”

It’s been a long time coming for Lindstrom, he missed the entire second half of the 2022-24 WHL before playing in four playoff games against the Red Deer Rebels, the last on April 5, 2024, his last game. He started the season in Columbus, rehabbing a back injury that required surgery in November.

“It just feels great to back to be with the boys and being able to battle with them through this last series coming up for the WHL,” Lindstrom said. “I’m just excited to be back and just be with all the guys again.”

He says it was a tough rehab, a learning experience as he navigated the highs and lows of the process. Lindstrom says he learned a lot about taking care of his body and he matured through the months spent working on getting back to this point.

He credits the Columbus staff and players and his Medicine Hat teammates for helping him through the process.

“They’re all so supportive, they all wanted to help me every single day, none of them took time off of me or nothing like that. They did a great job with me there and they all really cared. That was a big thing.

“Definitely family, just talking to family every day, just keeping in touch with all my buddies and the Tigers here, kept in touch every day. So that helped quite a bit for me wanting to come back and really push to try and play this year.”

Lindstrom played 32 games last season before falling to injury, with 27 goals and 46 points in the regular season. He added a goal and an assist in the four playoff games. He knows it will take some time before he’s back up to the speed he wants to play at.

“I’m not too worried about that, I’m just gonna play my role and I know what I have to do, and my game will come as the series goes on,” Lindstrom said. “I’m not worried about that, I’m only worried about winning, helping my team win, helping my teammates and being a good leader out there. So that’s all I’m going to do.”

Desjardins says Lindstrom is under a process for his return. He’s cleared to play but they will have to take his play one shift, one period and one game at a time.

“It’s not like he’s full bore, you’ve missed that kind of time you’re going to work through it,” Desjardins said. “So we’ll evaluate his ability to play after every game. But saying that, if we get him in one game, I’m excited to get that one game. He’s such a great athlete and a real character person. So we’re excited.”

Basha has been out of the lineup since Dec. 28 after receiving ankle surgery to repair damages suffered in early 2024 and re-aggravated throughout the season before being shut down.

“I’ve had a bit of a slow winter for myself, but did a lot of work to get here, and obviously the boys did a great job,” Basha said. “This is what you dream of going all the way back to the Bantam draft. It’s surreal to be here and I’m just really excited for puck drop.”

He had nine goals and 29 points in 23 games before he underwent surgery. When he had the procedure, Basha says the Flames told him to be ready for Development Camp in the summer. That wasn’t a timeline he was willing to settle with.

“I knew we were going to get to this point, I told them right away, I’m going to do anything I can to be where I’m standing right now,” he said outside the Tigers dressing room. “So it took a lot. It was certainly a grind and just full days of rehab for the past few months, but it paid off and I’m just really happy here.”

Desjardins heard the same message from Basha on his surgery day, and admits he agreed the 20-year-old would return just so he would stop bringing it up.

“I didn’t think there was any chance he’d be back, like none, and he kept saying that every day he went working with the Flames,” Desjardins said. “I know how impressed with how hard he tried and what he did. So it was pretty impressive that he was able to make it back, because that was a lot of hard work for him to get back here.”

Basha has been around the team throughout the playoffs, enjoying their wins on home ice. He says while he was happy for the team, it was hard for him to be around but not on the ice.

“I almost put on a mask, deep down I could have ran through a wall this entire playoff run,” Basha said. “If we ever got down a goal or something, I was just kind of shaking, but ultimately I knew how special of a group we have, it’s probably the closest group I’ve ever been a part of.

“Throughout this entire year, we knew we were going to get to this point and now it’s four more. So it was tough but it’s fun. I tried to stay as close as I could to these guys coming down on the odd weekends and stuff. So just really glad to get back in the dressing room for good.”

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