Filling roles: Reschny, Kor step up in first round

By JAMES TUBB on April 9, 2026.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

The Medicine Hat Tigers’ regular season success came from players stepping up into new roles and making the most of new opportunities.

They showcased that ability again in their first-round series win over the Regina Pats.

Forward Dayton Reschny started the series up front, playing two games at his natural position before Cam Parr returned to the lineup and Reschny slotted on the blue line for the last three games against Regina.

It was his first look at the playoffs at the junior hockey level, missing last year’s postseason with the AJHL Bonnyville Pontiacs due to injury. He says the regular season and playoff atmospheres are night and day.

“It’s so much fun, especially here, like, the crowd, I can’t believe it,” Reschny said. “It was unreal. Even Game 5, I got to start and it was pretty cool to come out and see all the flashlights.

“Watching your shifts after the game, you can just hear the crowd, and comparing the regular season to the playoffs, it’s crazy. It helps us so much, it gets us so excited to play every night, especially in front of these fans.”

When it comes to playing on the blue line, the 19-year-old forward says he just wants to do whatever he can to be in the lineup and help the Tigers win.

“I love to play this game, so once (Cam) Parr came back, he’s been a huge part of our team this year, he’s so good, he’s physical, he gets on guys and then he gets rewarded in Game 5 with the winner,” Reschny said. “But once he came back, I knew he would slot in at forward and then Joe told me I’d be playing D and I was more than happy to.

“I just want to help the team win, our goal here is to win a championship.”

With Jonas Woo suspended for Game 5, Reschny skated alongside captain Bryce Pickford, facing the Pats’ top line. He picked up an assist on Pickford’s last-minute goal to end the second period trailing by just one. Reschny jokes Woo doesn’t have to worry about losing that spot, but he enjoyed facing the Pats’ best, crediting the captain for making his job simple.

“Playing with Picks is so easy, he’s so fast, skilled, smart, physical, he’s the ultimate hockey player,” Reschny said. “Playing with him, I just had to up my level, facing their top line, I just tried to up my level and then in the O-zone, you’re playing with 27, so you just try and get him the puck as much as you can.”

Pickford says the Macklin, Sask. product has a bright future on the blue line.

“Not many guys can play forward and defence, so it’s a lot of props to him, he plays unbelievable for us on the back end,” Pickford said. “He’s a nice kid off the ice and he works really hard.”

The Tigers have also had forward Gavin Kor step up in the playoffs. After playing just 38 games in the regular season, tallying three goals and 16 points, the Rochester, Minn. native had a goal and four points in his four playoff appearances.

“Obviously it’s great to produce, but our team’s been playing unbelievable and I’ve been playing with really good players,” Kor said. “So I really just try to give them the puck as much as possible and usually they make something happen. So it’s been fun so far.”

Kor was scratched in Game 5 only because Luke Cozens made his series debut, a decision that wasn’t easy to make for head coach Willie Desjardins. The Tigers bench boss says Kor and Reschny have played an important role all year and that continued through the first round.

“Players stepping up has been big for us all year, we’ve been missing guys and we’ve had other guys step up,” Desjardins said. “So it’s a credit to our team, it’s a credit to how hard everybody works so they’re ready if something happens. Both those guys did well for us.”

The 19-year-old Kor has experienced playoff hockey before, winning a USHL title in 2024 with the Fargo Force. He saw a change in pace entering the Pats series, settling in after the opening period of Game 1.

“Everybody’s game picks up a little bit, you have to hone in on the details,” Kor said. “Mistakes can hurt you a lot more in playoffs than regular season.”

The Tigers find themselves in good standing health wise entering the second-round series with the Calgary Hitmen. Desjardins says they’re fortunate with their health situation, which based off regular season playing time, would see Kor as the next man up to get into the lineup.

He says he’s ready to play, and if he’s not in the lineup, he’s ready to do whatever the rest of the team needs to be at their best.

“I’m here for whatever the team needs, really, whether it’s in the lineup or out,” Kor sad. “It kind of doesn’t really change. I’m here for the guys, the guys in the locker room, the guy next to me. So just do whatever the coaches need and whatever my teammates need me to do.”

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