NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll looks to redirect a puck in the first period of a 4-3 win Jan. 20 at Co-op Place over the Calgary Hitmen.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Tigers have taken the first step to their title defence.
The defending WHL champions clinched their spot in the 2026 WHL playoffs with the Red Deer Rebels 6-3 loss Tuesday to the Everett Silvertips, putting the Tigers in the postseason for a fourth straight year.
“That’s your first goal, that’s your first step, so that’s huge because if you don’t get the first step, you don’t get any chances at the second,” head coach Willie Desjardins said. “So that’s big, it’s a great job by the boys, they fought hard for it and it’s good to see them get rewarded. But now it goes on to the second step and the second step is to make sure you’re ready to go for the playoffs.”
The Tigers are the first defending champions to make the WHL playoffs since the Prince Albert Raiders clinched a spot in the 2020 playoffs after capturing their second franchise in 2019.
The 2022 WHL champion Edmonton Oil Kings took two years to return to the playoffs, losing in the first round last year to the Raiders. The Seattle Thunderbirds, 2023 champions, also returned in 2025. Moose Jaw won their first franchise title in 2024 and after missing last year’s post season, the Warriors look to get back to the dance, sitting seventh in the Eastern conference entering the weekend.
Medicine Hat leads the Central division, five points up on the Oil Kings and seven back of the Raiders for the Eastern conference lead, weathered a storm of turnover in the offseason. They had the graduation of Hunter St. Martin and Tanner Molendyk to pro hockey as well as the departures of forwards Ryder Ritchie, Cayden Lindstrom and Gavin McKenna to the college ranks.
Desjardins credits his staff, assistant general manager Bobby Fox, associate coach Joe Frazer and assistant coach Josh Maser and their group for making it possible.
“We did have a big turnover, you imagine having those three guys in our lineup, it’s unbelievable,” Desjardins said. “So a lot of credit to our guys, what they did and the biggest credit goes to the players because the players got something in them that they want to find a way to win.
“It’s going to be tough, we’re going to have some tough games coming up, so it’ll be good.”
The Tigers push for the conference continues tonight in Red Deer against the Rebels who sit one point up on the Regina Pats, who hold a game in hand, for the final playoff spot. Medicine Hat leads the season series 2-0-0-1 and hosts Red Deer for a Family Day matinee on Monday.
“We’ve always had battles with Red Deer, that’s always been a tough building for us, going into their building will be tough,” Desjardins said. “They’re playing better, like a lot better. They made some trades and they’re more skilled team now. So it’s going to be a battle.”
Saturday the Tigers host the WHL-leading Everett Silvertips who carry an 11-game win streak into tonight in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes. Everett blanked the Oil Kings 4-0 on Wednesday.
“They don’t make a lot of mistakes, they have good skill there, they pass the puck well, they handle pressure well, they don’t turn it over, they make plays out of it,” Desjardins said. “They have a great defense and they’re hard to fore check.”
It’s a tough test of a weekend for forward Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll to work back into the lineup. The 17-year-old Salt Lake City, Utah product has been out of the lineup since leaving partway thorough a 5-1 loss Jan. 24 in Prince Albert.
“It’s a big weekend for us, Everett’s gonna be a tough game and Red Deer is also going to be a tough game too,” Gordon-Carroll said. “So it’s going to be two good challenges for the weekend.”
Gordon-Carroll has been held to just 24 games this season due to injury, falling 10 goals and 21 points. He says it’s been one of the more difficult seasons he’s had, being in and out of the lineup. It’s challenged him mentally as much as it has physically, he says.
“It’s a mental battle but at the same time, I’m learning a lot with my body, working out and lots of mobility,” Gordon-Carroll said.
Forward Carter Cunningham practised Thursday in a non-contact jersey and is day to day. Captain Bryce Pickford was around the team last weekend but has not returned to practice.
