NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Luke Cozens carries the puck in the Swift Current end in the first period of an 8-1 win Jan. 2 at Co-op Place.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Luke Cozens will get to see some familiar faces tonight on the road.
The Medicine Hat Tigers forward will make his return to Lethbridge for the first time since being acquired from the Hurricanes ahead of the WHL trade deadline. It’s a game he’s seen coming on the calendar for a while.
“Obviously it’s in the back of my mind a little bit returning there, but I just have to think of it as another game,” Cozens said. “It’s going to be weird playing on the other side in that rink but I’m super excited to return.
Cozens was drafted 140th overall by Lethbridge in the 2021 WHL Draft, playing 150 games in the red and white. He’s looking forward to seeing his former billets, Kevin and Diana, and former teammates, once the game is done.
“It’ll just be good to see all the familiar faces, even some fans that I met over the years,” Cozens said.
The 19-year-old Whitehorse, Yuk. product has enjoyed his first month in the orange and black, getting to know his biggest rivals before the move.
“It’s been amazing, since I got here everyone’s been so good, they’ve been so welcoming and they’ve shown me they want me here,” Cozens said. “At the start it was a little weird, but now it’s starting to get super comfortable, I feel really part of the team. Just keep growing from here and hopefully do what we can to win.”
Cozens has played 16 games for the Tigers, tallying four goals and nine points. He’s hoping to get back to his full, confident play style he had before the trade. Cozens says it’s taken some time to adjust to different ice time and responsibilities.
“I want to put a lot of pucks in the net over the next 14 games, just do what I can to contribute and do what I can to help the team win,” Cozens said.
“When you go to a team that’s a lot higher in the standings, there’s less opportunity, but they’ve given me everything that I deserve. So I love it, everything they’ve given me I’ve earned, so it’s been great.”
The Tigers (37-9-5-3) enter play Friday five points up on the Edmonton Oil Kings (36-13-3-2) for first in the Central division. They trail the Eastern conference-leading Prince Albert Raiders (42-8-5) by seven points, though holding a game in hand.
With 14 games left for the Tigers, Cozens says they have to balance wins with ensuring they’re at their best ahead of the playoffs.
“We have to really dial in all the little details that are so important in playoffs, ” Cozens said. “All the work off the ice, keeping your body in shape, everything like that is huge when it comes to playoffs. So over the next 14 games just focus on all the little things that we need to tighten up right before playoffs is going to be important.”
