NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Mat Ward takes a face off in the first period of a 6-0 preseason win Sept. 7 at Co-op Place over the Calgary Hitmen.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
It may take Western Hockey League fans awhile to get used to the sight of Mat Ward in a Medicine Hat Tigers’ uniform, the 20-year-old forward feels at home in his new colours.
The Kamloops product was acquired from the Swift Current Broncos in one of four WHL Draft day deals by the Tigers in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick along with a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fourth-round pick.
Ward had been a longtime Broncos, suiting up in the green and blue for four seasons, the last three featuring many a battle with the Tigers. Medicine Hat beat the Broncos in Game 68 of the 2022-23 season, clinching a playoff spot and sending Swift Current off for an early summer.
Last season, the Broncos overtook the Tigers for first in the Central division. Ward has been a Tigers killer over his career, in 21 against Medicine Hat, the gritty forward has 10 goals and 32 points.
Through three preseason games and ahead of the Tigers’ season opener against the Edmonton Oil Kings tonight at Co-op Place, Ward is proud to call himself a Tiger.
“It’s exciting the group we have,” Ward said. “Sometimes with teams like this you can get past the skill and stuff but with Willie (Desjardins) here, he does a great job having everyone together and on the same page. Everyone has a role here and everyone’s valued.”
Ward recognizes its a new look for him and one that many fans might have never pictured, him in a Tigers uniform. It gives the impression of a Halloween-time, ‘Freaky Friday’ inspired social media post the WHL could have ran in years prior, putting him in the orange and black and a fellow pest and now teammate Oasiz Wiesblatt, in the green and blue.
But he’s just focused on where his feet are at and he’s ready to get the season underway. What has made it so easy for him to become acclimated in Medicine Hat besides a pro-like maturity? The early respect he’s felt from the seasons past.
“With all those battles, comes with a lot of respect,” Ward said. “I have a lot of respect for the guys in this room and as well as the coaching staff, they do a great job here.”
Before the Tigers’ first home preseason game, a 6-0 win over the Calgary Hitmen on Sept. 7, the players stood in the tunnel waiting to take warmups. Returning Tigers could be heard wishing their new teammate a warm welcome with phrases such as, “welcome to the good side,” and “glad to have you on our team.”
Reflecting on the moment, Ward says it’s been a welcoming feeling to be wanted in Medicine Hat as much as he has been.
“Especially by guys you did a lot of battles with,” Ward said. “I probably said a couple things to some guys before, but that’s all in the past now. It’s just respecting, we move past and we’re ready to go together.”
Ward enters his 20-year-old season looking to cap off his WHL career in style and with ultimate glory. He’s played 199 games in the WHL, all with Swift Current, tallying 73 goals and 208 points. He’s already put thought into what it means heading into his final season and what he wants to make of it.
“It feels like the last kick of the can, which it is, ” Ward said. “We’re just kind of on this mindset of we want to win, make this last year a good one.”
He’s already the second oldest player on the roster, born Jan. 24, 2004, nine days after fellow 20-year-old Brayden Boehm. But with nine Tigers at NHL camps to start the season, his veteran status gains a little more stature with a younger lineup for opening night. Having worn a letter on his chest in Swift Current previously, he’s not afraid of a leadership role and he looks to pass on the wisdom he’s gained throughout the years.
“That’s where I got to step up a lot, I’ve been this league for a long, long time here, a lot more than all the other guys in this room,” Ward said. “There should be a lot of young guys in that lineup so I have to take charge here and have them follow my lead.”
His word of advice to the next wave of Tigers, enjoy the time in the WHL because it goes by fast.
“You don’t want to look back at in your career and have any regrets, right,” Ward said. “You want to put in the work while you’re young and then have it come out when you’re older. That’s just the biggest thing, don’t take anything for granted.”
