NEWS FILE PHOTO
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Misha Volotovskii celebrates scoring in the first period of a 5-0 win at Co-op Place on Oct. 11 over the Portland Winterhawks.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
There’s been a lot of bus rides in Misha Volotovskii’s time in the WHL.
The 20-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers forward has travelled across Western Canada and the U.S. throughout his five-year career in the WHL and reached a milestone in the last few games.
Volotovskii played in his 250th WHL game on Nov. 29 in the Tigers’ 3-2 win at Prince Albert over the Raiders. It’s a team he’s faced many a time in his three and a half seasons as a member of the Saskatoon Blades. The same team the Tigers swept in the second round last year en route to a WHL championship.
It’s almost fitting he says, the milestone game against the longtime rival.
“I’ve probably played like 30 of those games against PA,” Volotovskii joked. “I’m just happy and thankful for everyone who got me to 250.
It’s a lot of games, 250. It’s a lot of bus rides.”
He’s enjoyed his time in the league, getting to play 43 postseason games, 17 coming in last year’s run to the Memorial Cup finals. Volotovskii was also part of the best playoff series in the last decade where the Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors battled in six overtime games in the Eastern conference finals.
It’s been a long ride for the Calgary product, one that’s flown by since he debuted in 2021.
“The days are long but the years have been short, some times it feels like it flies by,” Volotovskii said.
“I’m just grateful. It’s a great league and to be playing here everyday, that’s awesome.
The overage forward is setting new career highs in his last year in the WHL, entering play Friday with nine goals and 17 points, tying his previous high in goals and surpassing his highest point totals. He’s also 20 face-off wins off his career high of 266 in 32 fewer games played.
He added a goal and an assist in the Tigers’ 7-1 win Wednesday at home against those same Raiders.
It’s individual success that has come from team success, improvements he’s seen from the start of the season.
“We’re just focused on building every day, improving every day, finding our weaknesses, and just getting better from there,” Volotovskii said.
“Just playing within our structure, our structure has been a lot better and just every individual getting better. Their skills have gotten better, faster, stronger, everyone’s working on their craft every day. So when each individual gets better, the team gets better too.”
His play style leans towards defence, rolling out as the Tigers top penalty killer this season and leads the team in face-off wins. It’s a style of play and dedication to defence that his teammates try to emulate.
“He’s a great player, obviously really good at defence and that’s something I’ve wanted to add to my game,” forward Kadon McCann said. “Playing with him last year is something that really, really helped me in my game and how I kind of look at the game a different way now, seeing how important defence is to the team. If I can play both ends of the ice, that’s super special for the team and something that I want to add to my game.”
McCann says Volotovskii is two different people around the rink. The teammate he wants to be around and the competitor he doesn’t want to lineup with in the face-off dot.
“He’s a great guy in the room, he’s one of my best friends in the dressing room,” McCann said. “But he’s a guy who flips the switch and when he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go.”
