NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll carries the puck up ice in the first period of a 10-1 win Monday at Co-op Place over the Red Deer Rebels.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
With 14 games left in his sophomore regular season, Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll has a simple look at his priorities – stay healthy and win another championship.
The Medicine Hat Tigers forward has battled the injury bug this season, limited to just 27 games after missing the start of the season, all of November and the beginning of the February slate.
Despite the injuries, the 17-year-old Salt Lake City, Utah product has matched last year’s point total, with 11 goals and 25 points this season, good for a 0.93 point per game pace.
Going through the injuries, comes with experience of how to battle through it, he says.
“It’s obviously not the year I’ve wanted with injuries, but I just have to stay healthy and hope I can peak at the right time here,” Gordon-Carroll said. “Over the summer I know I have to strengthen myself, and it’s good for me mentally.”
Gordon-Carroll says he doesn’t plan to change much when it comes to his summer preparations following the injuries, just focusing on “bulletproofing his body” so no more injuries happen.
Before then, he’s focused on being at his best during the most important time of the season. Gordon-Carroll doesn’t have any individual goals for the rest of the season, beyond being his best.
“I have to get my habits better, structurally, too. I don’t really have goals for myself right now, it’s more focusing on getting the habits, trying to win a championship and getting those details in, that’s my goal right now,” Gordon-Carroll said.
He made his return to the lineup on the road Feb. 13 in the 5-4 overtime loss to the Red Deer Rebels. He was held off the scoresheet in that game and the next night’s 4-3 overtime loss at home to the Everett Silvertips.
Gordon-Carroll couldn’t be tamed Monday, tallying a goal and four assists in the 10-1 win over Red Deer. He says he felt tired through the first two games of the weekend, feeling closer to the speed on Monday.
“It was good to come back, I definitely have to try to get the hockey stamina back playing some games, hopefully that comes back soon,” Gordon-Carroll said.
He likes where the Tigers are as a team at this point but he sees them having more to give down the stretch. Last season they had to win games to hold onto the Eastern Conference lead, a change this season as they sit seven points back of the Prince Albert Raiders for the conference.
Gordon-Carroll says that chase adds more fuel to the fire as they head toward the playoffs.
“We’re aiming for that right now, that’s a grind but we just have to work hard and get through it,” Gordon-Carroll said.
After Gordon-Carroll’s return, the Tigers’ injury list features a four-pack of players tabbed as day to day.
Forward Ethan Neutens, hit awkwardly in Monday’s win by the recently suspended Kohen Lodge, did not practise Wednesday. Neither did defenceman Veeti Väisänen or Niilopekka Muhonen, Väisänen a scratch Monday and Muhonen who left the game midway through. Captain Bryce Pickford is still not practising.
All four are considered day to day, according to head coach Willie Desjardins.
