NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Bryce Pickford makes an exit pass out of his defensive end in the first period of a 6-3 preseason loss on Sept. 15 at Co-op Place to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
There are some new names for Medicine Hat Tigers fans to get used to on the blue line.
The Tigers brought in four 18-year-old blue liners over the offseason, adding to the five returning D-men from last season.
The WHL Draft-day acquisitions of right-handed defencemen Bryce Pickford and Jonas Woo were supplemented by the signing of CHL import drafted defencemen Niilopekka Muhonen and Veeti Väisänen from Finland. They join 19-year-old Medicine Hat product Josh Van Mulligen, 18-year-old Nate Corbet and 17-year-olds Matt Paranych and Jack Kachkowski on the blue line.
There’s also a pair of 16-year-olds looking to crack the WHL lineup in Riley Steen and Koray Bozkaya to round out a D-core of 11 skaters. It’s a defensive group that Pickford says skews younger, but one that will stand its ground.
“We can still bring some toughness, we’re still all pretty tough,” Pickford said. “We’re still really skilled, so I think we’re gonna be the fastest D-core in the league.”
Pickford joins the Tigers from the Seattle Thunderbirds, bringing along a 2023 WHL championship ring. He’s looking forward to brining that pedigree to the Medicine Hat blue line and donning the orange and black, his two favourite colours from childhood.
The Chauvin product had two goals and 17 points in 65 games last season. He shoots pucks as often as he can and is hoping to help add to the offensive production of his new team.
He’ll also bring an edge of physicality and meanness to the team, having no qualms when it comes to dropping the gloves. Pickford squared off in a bout in the Tigers’ final preseason game, his first taste of action after missing the previous three games and his chance to attend Colorado Avalanche rookie camp due to an allergic reaction to cold medication.
He was one of five Tigers’ defencemen to get NHL camp invites, with Corbet back in Medicine Hat and all three of Van Mulligen (Detroit), Väisänen (Utah) and Muhonen (Dallas) attending main camps.
Head coach Willie Desjardins anticipates the defensive group will need some time once they’re all back in Medicine Hat before they’re operating as a collective.
“You have to give them at least a month to figure it out,” Desjardins said. “But I like that group a lot, it’s a really strong group.”
The four absentees, with Woo having to serve a one-game suspension carried over from last season, gives more ice time and responsibility to the Tigers’ younger D-men.
An example is Kachkowski, who wasn’t on the team last season opening, signing in December after starting the year in the AJHL.
He’s looking forward to the early opportunity to prove himself and to try and cement himself a role on a loaded back end.
“I’m just gonna work as hard as I can, the decision is with the coaches but as long as I work hard, play my best, I think it’ll be good,” Kachkowski said.
