NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs captain Kyle Woolridge hoists the HJHL's Gary Arnush Trophy after the Cubs won Game 3 of the HJHL finals Saturday in Red Deer over the Vipers to capture their first league title.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Kyle Woolridge has done a lot of leading in his HJHL career. First in the league in goals, points, breaking the Medicine Hat Cubs goals and games played records.
In his fourth and final season in the league, he was first in postseason scoring and led the Cubs to the franchise’s first HJHL title.
“Even getting to this point, to get a chance, get a sniff and to be able to be a champion of the whole league, it’s just an amazing feeling,” Woolridge said.
Woolridge holds the franchise record in career games played with 147, and the goals record of 134, sitting second in points with 222. Come the playoffs, he holds the Cubs’ career playoff points record (53) and goals (36).
He had a goal and two assists Saturday in the championship-clinching win, solidifying his scoring lead in the Heritage Junior Hockey League playoffs with 12 goals and 17 points in 11 games.
“He’s a leader on the ice, you see it when he’s putting points up,” head coach Trent Derzaph said. “He’s a leader on the bench, he’s a leader in the room, on the bus, it don’t matter, he’s a leader, he’s a great kid.”
Woolridge has played all but five regular season games in his career. He’s been a special player for them, general manager Randy Wong says, leading the Cubs in scoring in every season expect his rookie year.
That year he led them in the playoffs, with 10 goals and 16 points in 10 postseason games. The Cubs’ captain has led them throughout his career, Wong says, ultimately paying off in his last chance.
“It takes those special players to bring home a championship, I don’t know of this group how many guys have really won and so to be able to do this at this level, it speaks volumes for Kyle,” Wong said. “He led the right way, on ice he was the workhorse and he made believers of everybody else. So you had to kind of bring your ‘A’ game because if he was working that hard on both sides of the puck, offensively and defensively, solid.
“When your leader goes, then you follow. We had a lot of good followers, so that’s the icing on the cake is that we had a solid team this year, and for that, they get awarded the championship.”
Woolridge says he’s been thinking of the overagers from previous seasons as they made the championship push.
“Some great players who don’t get the chance and you just have to be very thankful everyone buys in at the right time,” Woolridge said. “It’s not just one player, it’s a whole team.
“You play two or three years, you have great leaders around you. You figure out the game and I’m just very thankful for the guys who helped me throughout the program.”
His junior hockey career continues as the Cubs have earned a spot in the Jr. B Provincials April 1-5 in Lloydminster. It will be another opportunity for the career Cub to lead the way again.
“He’s a guy who gets a goal every game, such a good captain and leader, Wooldridge has been carrying us throughout this season,” goaltender Marlo DeRosa said. “He gets the boys going every single night, we have a good leadership group.”
