Soakin’ in the Tubb: Early bits and bites from the Tigers’ season

By JAMES TUBB on October 18, 2025.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

Five weeks and nine games into the WHL season for the Medicine Hat Tigers and there’s only so much to be learned.

It’s a small sample size for a 7-2 team, sitting tied for third in the whole league. Small samples can be tasty enough, see Costco for a shooter of smoothie or paper cup of organic chips. Don’t get me started on the blessing of there being mini sandwiches or hot food available to nibble on walking down aisles.

Where were we?

There’s been a lot to like through the first nine games of the Tigers championship defence season as they’ve reached past the halfway point to the quarter-mark of the season. Last year, the Tigers hit the 17-game mark (the quarter point) with a 9-8 record. It would be quite the cold stretch over the next six games to duplicate that, giving this year’s squad the runway to start hotter than last year.

Of course, it’s how teams finish the season that matters most, and last year’s team set the bar for success high, like it would take a WHL-record seventh Ed Chynoweth Cup to match the year, kinda high.

The Tigers are in B.C. as this prints, starting a six-game trip against the Western division, which is actually a seven-game roadie that finishes Nov. 2 in Edmonton against the Oil Kings. On their Western conference trip last year the Tigers went 5-0-1, another high standard to replicate.

They boast strong team numbers early (entering play Friday), fifth in goals scored (38) and have surrendered the fourth-fewest (20). The special teams have been exceptional with the penalty kill running second best at 89.2 per cent and the power play scoring at 24.2 per cent (ninth). Coming into the season, the expectation was a defensive team that would push to score. They’re finding the back of the net and succeeding at keeping the puck out, encouraging early results.

Also an early improvement over the last 365 days, the penalty numbers are down from ghastly highs to start last year. Just 116 minutes through nine games, the 11th most.

Individually, there are a few standouts. The Tigers have two of the top goaltenders to start the season in Jordan Switzer and Carter Casey. The Tigers are one of five teams to have two qualified goalies (having played more than 40 per cent of their team’s total minutes) with a .900 save percentage.

Switzer has continued the effort he had in December 2024 when he took over for an injured Harrison Meneghin. Casey shook off his first WHL appearance, coming in relief in a forgettable 6-3 loss at Swift Current on Sept. 26. Since then he’s allowed one goal on 62 shots, recording his first WHL shutout.

Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll returned from injury full of piss and vinegar – six goals and eight points in five games. He’s throwing hits, playing with pace and has set the tone to start his sophomore year. Playing a limited role last year gave him an easy welcome to the WHL, but he’s not taking it easy on anyone this year.

Yaroslav Bryzgalov is an early force as well, leading the team in scoring with three goals and 11 points in nine games. He wants to score, and has been talking about putting the puck in since training camp. It’s encouraging to see his early chemistry with Misha Volotovskii, who is also on a new stride with five goals and eight points in nine games. When looking for offence in a game or in a stretch, moving single players around pairs like Volotovskii and Bryzgalov or the Rucks is easier than a complete blender of lines.

Some early positives for the Tigers, encouraging and exciting with a lot of runway ahead.

Tub(b) Thoughts

• Was nice to see Willie Desjardins get selected to coach Team CHL at the CHL USA Prospect challenge. He’s won a lot, 10th all-time in the WHL and one of three CHL head coaches to capture three or more league titles in the 21st century and just the 13th coach in CHL history to achieve that feat. Seeing Jayce Desjardins, the Tigers’ video coach and Desjardins’ youngest son get the opportunity with team CHL is also a positive. The youngest Desjardins puts in a lot of work, combing video of the Tigers and of opponents, when the WHL allowed challenges he was perfect on the reviews. There’s an NHL future there whenever he chooses to make the move to pro.

• We focus a lot on the players and the team, but on the family side, the Desjardins are on quite a run. Willie and Jayce winning their first championship together, Brayden Desjardins has grown SAHA’s U18 team since its inception, winning two Circle K Classics in the process, and their lone daughter Sheehan has excelled with CBC. How much credit does Willie take for his kids’ success? None of course, he says it’s all from his wife Rhonda. “I was gone for a lot of it and she was really incredible with the kids when they were young. She did a great job raising them and I’m lucky I have really good kids. They’re good at what they do, but in my mind, they’re better people and that’s important to me.”

• All last season the Tigers had three players receive suspensions, totalling seven games. They’ve already had two suspensions this year, Carter Cunningham receiving a two-game ban and Jonas Woo slapped with a one-gamer. Neither play resulted in injury but were, as a result, major penalties.

The Tigers have found themselves on the short end of the supplemental discipline stick over the last two seasons. Defenceman Josh Van Mulligen was hit from behind, suffering the upper-body injury that has had him out over a month, in the same game Cunningham was handed a major. The hit on the overage blue liner was in front of a ref but went uncalled.

Majors getting reviewed by the league makes sense, but the continuation of injuries from dangerous plays going undisciplined is troubling.

• Been meaning to get this into the paper somehow. I asked Desjardins early in camp if he replaces his trusted whiteboard after winning a championship. He said no, meaning it’s the same whiteboard tasked with standing guard for the moustache man.

James Tubb is sports reporter with the Medicine Hat News. He can be reached at jtubb@medicinehatnews.com

23
-22