Eye of the Tiger – Medicine Hat blanks Chiefs 6-0 in Game 3

Tabbies overcome big Game 2 setback and injuries

Adversity seems to make the Medicine Hat Tigers stronger.

After falling 6-2 to the Spokane Chiefs in Game 2 of the WHL Championship Series at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat on Sunday, the Tigers appeared to face a tough challenge in Game 3 of the set played before 7,814 spectators at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on Tuesday night.

The challenge appeared to grow for the Tigers when superstar left-winger Gavin McKenna took warm up, but was scratched from the game with an undisclosed injury. During warm up, McKenna appeared to have a lower body issue as he seemed to have struggles trying to power off his skating stride.

While those things were going against Medicine Hat, the Tiger proceeded to play their best game of the series and roared to a 6-0 victory getting goals from six different players and holding a 45-28 edge in shots on goal. 

That performance included extra adversity in the contest when star centre Cayden Lindstrom went down with an injury late in the second period in a regular hockey collision with a Chiefs player.

The Tigers were holding a 4-0 lead when Lindstrom went down, and he had the game’s first goal and an assist in helping build that advantage. The Fort St. John, B.C., product returned to the Tigers bench in the third period to cheer his squad on as they rounded out their win.

With the victory, the Tigers take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven set. Game 4 of the series is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. local time at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

In Game 3, the Tigers got the jump on the Chiefs holding a 15-5 edge in shots on goal in the first period and would open the scoring for the third straight contest. At the 11:45 mark of the first, Tigers captain Oasiz Wiesblatt intercepted a pass of a Chiefs player in the left corner of the Spokane zone.

Wiesblatt passed the puck to Lindstrom in the left slot, and Lindstrom quickly buried his second tally in his second straight contest into the Spokane net to give the visitors a 1-0 edge.

Harrison Meneghin stopped 28 shots to pick up the shutout win.

With 1:51 remaining in the first, Lindstrom stole the puck from a Chiefs player at the Medicine Hat blue-line. Lindstrom jetted back up ice and put a long backhand shot on target that was stopped by Chiefs star netminder Dawson Cowan but rebounded out to the left side of the net.

Tigers star right-winger Hunter St. Martin came up the left wing and potted home the rebound to push the visitor’s lead out to 2-0.

Like a racer out at the Medicine Hat Drag Racing Association Drag Strip or the Medicine Hat Speedway, the Tigers kept their foot on the gas pedal in the second.

Just 93 seconds into the second, Finnish import defenceman Veeti Vaisanen showed off his offensive skill. Vaisanen got deep in the Spokane zone and skated behind the Chiefs net going from left to right.

When he came out to the right side, Vaisanen put a pass out to sophomore left-winger Kadon McCann positioned by the right post. McCann quickly popped home his second of the WHL Playoffs to give the Tigers a 3-0 advantage.

With 5:08 remaining in the second, the Tigers were buzzing with all sorts of pressure in the Spokane zone. Tigers veteran right-winger Marcus Pacheco got the puck in the right corner of the Spokane zone and centred a pass out to super rookie linemate Liam Ruck. Ruck fired home his fifth tally of the post-season to make the Tigers lead stand at 4-0.

At the start of the third period, the Chiefs pulled Cowan to let him rest for Game 4. He turned away 28-of-32 shots to take the setback in net for the Chiefs. Carter Esler, who is a 16-year-old rookie, played the third period in relief turning away 11-of-13 shots sent his way.

Just 23 seconds into the third, Tigers star left-winger Andrew Basha jetted down the right side boards of the Spokane zone with the puck, cut across the front of the Chiefs net and tucked home a high shot for his second of the post-season to make the Tigers edge sit a 5-0.

The Tigers picked up their final goal of the night working on the power play at the 9:16 mark of the third. 

Hunter St. Martin had one goal and one assist for the Tigers.

Wiesblatt had the puck at the top of the left faceoff circle and passed it to offensive-defenceman Bryce Pickford just inside the top of the right faceoff circle. Pickford drove a shot to the top right corner of the Spokane net for his 10^th goal of the post-season to round out the 6-0 final score in favour of the Tigers.

With 5:01 remaining in the third, there was a scrum that saw Wiesblatt, Pickford, Chiefs left-winger Cameron Parr and Chiefs right-winger Coco Armstrong all pick up 10-minute misconducts.

Tigers star 20-year-old netminder Harrison Meneghin stopped all 28 shots he faced to pick up his third shutout victory of the playoffs.

St. Martin had an assist to go along with his goal, and Wiesblatt finished the contest with two assists. Tigers star defenceman Tanner Molendyk has points in his last 11 straight games recording four goals and 13 assists over the course of that streak.

The Tigers placed second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 47-17-3-1 mark. The Chiefs were fourth overall in the regular season with a 45-20-1-2 record.

As for the final CHL Top 10 Rankings that were released back on March 25, the Tigers were ranked third, and the Chiefs were rated sixth.

Including play in both the regular season and post-season the Tigers have won 42 out of their last 50 games. The Tigers are also 10-2-1 during the 2024-25 campaign when they don’t have McKenna in the lineup. During the regular season, McKenna missed 12 games with the Tigers due to activities being a member of Canada’s team at world juniors and a three-game league imposed suspension.

Tuesday’s Game 3 win was arguably the best game the Tigers have played in the 2025 post-season. The Chiefs had arguably their best outing in the playoffs in their Game 2 win on Sunday.

Veeti Vaisanen had a sweet assist for the Tigers.

Now, it is anyone’s guess as to what type of stories these two clubs will write in Game 4.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Chiefs cruise past Tigers 6-2 in Game 2 of WHL final

Championship series evens up at 1-1 heading to Spokane

The Chiefs enjoy a third period goal by Berkley Catton, centre.

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – The Medicine Hat Tigers early jump on the scoreboard didn’t pay the same dividends this time around.

The Spokane Chiefs responded with a nasty counter punch.

Just 55 seconds into Game 2 of the WHL Championship Series at Co-op Place on Sunday night, Tigers star center Cayden Lindstrom scored to give his squad a 1-0 lead. Lindstrom’s goal was his first since returning from a long term back injury in Game 1 of the series.

In Game 1 on Friday, Lindstrom’s linemate Andrew Basha scored 54 seconds into that contest returning from a long term lower body injury as the Tigers skated to a 4-1 victory. A similar story didn’t play out on Sunday night.

Berkly Catton had two goals and an assist for the Chiefs.

Starting at the 6:50 mark of the opening frame, the Chiefs scored four goals in a span of four minutes and 46 seconds to surge ahead 4-1. They cruised to a 6-2 victory from that point to the disappointment of most of the 6,238 spectators in attendance outside of a contingent of Chiefs supporters.

“I think it was the response we wanted,” said Chiefs head coach Brad Lauer. “Obviously, we didn’t want to give up that first goal that quick, but I thought our kids it didn’t faze them.

“I thought we stuck with it and found a way. We had a really good first period. We were able to score four, so it was a good response.

“It was a good start, which is what we wanted.”

Cayden Lindstrom scored 55 seconds into Sunday’s game.

With the win, the Chiefs even the best-of-seven series 1-1. The series now shifts to Spokane. Game 3 is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. local start time at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

The Tigers jumped ahead 1-0 just 55 seconds into the opening frame when Lindstrom received a backdoor pass at the right side of the Spokane net from linemate Hunter St. Martin to pop home the first goal of the game. 

Ultimately, scoring the opening goal of the contest proved to be bittersweet for Lindstrom due to the final result of the contest.

“Scoring goals is fun and all, but I think winning is better,” said Lindstrom. “You can score as many goals as you want, but if you don’t win the game, it is not the best.”

Rasmus Ekstrom (#13) scored the Chiefs second goal on Sunday.

At the 6:50 mark of the first, Chiefs star left-winger Shea Van Olm brought the puck into the Medicine Hat zone and dropped the pass to linemate Berkly Catton at the right point. Catton drove to the front of the Medicine Hat goal, deked around a Tigers defenceman and tucked home the equalizer between the legs of Tigers 20-year-old star netminder Harrison Meneghin to even the score at 1-1.

The Chiefs surge continued with goals coming off the sticks of Rasmus Ekstrom, Owen Martin and Van Olm to give the visitors their 4-1 advantage.

“I thought Spokane played really well,” said legendary Tigers head coach and general manager Desjardins. “I thought they were quicker than us in the first period.

Owen Martin (#21) celebrates scoring the Chiefs third goal.

“They were just a little bit hungrier. I don’t think there is much more than that. They just played a really good game, and they outplayed us tonight.

“They deserved the game.”

Lauer said his squad had productive video sessions and meetings following the Game 1 loss, which helped lead to a different result in Game 2.

“With these guys here, it doesn’t take a lot,” said Lauer. “We didn’t have to show them too, too much.

“It was just some conversations that we had, and then we backed it up with a little bit of video. This time of year, a lot of these guys know (what to do). After the game when we lost, we kind of asked them some questions about what we need to be better at.

Shea Van Olm had the Chiefs fourth goal on Sunday.

“They had all the right answers. They kind of knew what we needed to focus on. We don’t try to overload them, but right now, they are good students after this game.”

It appeared the Tigers were going to get some traction in the second period. At the 5:55 mark of the frame, offensive-defenceman Bryce Pickford drove home a mid-range shot from the front of the Spokane net working on a four-versus-three power play to cut the Chiefs advantage to 4-2.

With 55.7 seconds remaining in the second, St. Martin drove down the right wing and fired a shot off the left post of the Spokane net that one of the referees at first pointed to the net and called a goal. The play went to a video review that correctly determined the puck did not go in the Spokane net, which meant the Chiefs would continue to hold a 4-2 lead.

Bryce Pickford scored the Tigers second goal on Sunday.

“I thought we played pretty good in the second,” said Desjardins. “We had a chance and Hunter (St. Martin) hit the goalpost, and that would have put it 4-3.

“Maybe that would have made it different, but in the end, they deserved it.”

Still trailing 4-2 in the third, Tigers star defenceman Tanner Molendyk would ring a shot off the post. Following that scoring chance by Medicine Hat, the Chiefs would put the game away.

At the 12:07 mark of the third, Martin put a backhand pass from the right side of the Tigers net across the face of the goal to 16-year-old rookie right-winger Mathis Preston at the left side of the net. Preston knocked home the backdoor tap to give the visitors a 5-2 advantage.

Ryder Ritchie (#21) battles Andrew Cristall (#82).

Preston finished the night recording one goal, one assist and a plus-two rating in the plus-minus department. He said he enjoyed playing the first two games of the WHL final in Medicine Hat.

“It is a great environment,” said Preston. “They are sold out every night, and it is super fun to play with all these fans.

“Being the away team, it gives you energy too, not just the home team. It is lots of fun, and I think our team feeds off it.”

With 4:42 remaining in the third, Catton scored on a breakaway for his second tally of the night which rounded out the 6-2 final in favour of the Chiefs. To go with his two goals, Catton also posted one assist and a plus-two rating.

Mathis Preston accounted for the Chiefs fifth goal on Sunday.

“He (Catton) was there,” said Lauer. “Obviously, he understood the importance of this game and him being our captain.

“The way he played, and the way he came out and skated with the puck he wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to lose this game. You could see it by his effort tonight.”

Meneghin turned away 19 shots to take the setback in net for the Tigers, who lost for the first time at home in the post-season on Sunday and saw their 11 overall game winning streak come to an end. Dawson Cowan stopped 19 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Chiefs.

Tigers superstar left-winger Gavin McKenna was held without a point. That brought an end to his streak of recording points in 54 straight games played between the regular season and post-season. During the 54 games of that streak that dated back to November 6, 2024, McKenna recorded 137 points coming off 40 goals and 97 assists.

A group of young fans keeps cheering hard for the Tigers in the third.

The Tigers finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 47-17-3-1 mark. The Chiefs were fourth overall in the regular season with a 45-20-1-2 record.

As for the final CHL Top 10 Rankings that were released back on March 25, the Tigers were ranked third, and the Chiefs were rated sixth.

Looking ahead to Game 3 in Spokane, St. Martin said his Tigers have to play with a little more jump.

Gavin McKenna (#72) was held without a point on Sunday.

“I think they just outplayed us,” said St. Martin. “It was simple.

“They won more battles than us. They got more bounces. I think now we take and reflect what we can.

“We have to rebound. It is a quick turnaround here on the bus, and we have to get to it on Tuesday.”

Chiefs star right-winger Andrew Cristall, who collected a pair of assists on Sunday, said his squad heads into Game 3 with a renewed belief in themselves.

“All four lines played an unreal game,” said Cristall, who has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals. “We obviously wanted to have a little more of a bounce back game.

The Chiefs celebrate their victory on Sunday.

“I thought five-on-five we played pretty well. It gives us a lot of confidence, especially heading back home and hopefully it keeps going.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Big saves, returns power Tigers in opener of WHL final

Medicine Hat claims hard fought 4-1 win over Chiefs

The Tigers celebrate their Game 1 win in the WHL final.

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – Harrison Meneghin, Andrew Basha, and Cayden Lindstrom oh my!

The Medicine Hat Tigers were full of storylines in Game 1 of the WHL Championship Series. Getting a big emotional lift from the return of Basha and Lindstrom coming off long-term injuries, the Tigers jumped out to 1-0 lead just 54 seconds into the contest.

Along with that spark, Meneghin would make 36 saves on the night to allow the host Tigers to skate a 4-1 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs before a raucous sellout crowd of 6,244 spectators at Co-op Place. With the win, the Tigers lead the best-of-seven set 1-0. Game 2 is set for Sunday at 7 p.m. at Co-op Place.

Andrew Basha scored the Tigers first goal on Friday.

Tigers superstar left-winger Gavin McKenna also picked up a pair of assists in the hard-fought contest, and he now has points in 54 straight games played between the regular season and post-season. During the 54 games of the streak, McKenna has recorded 137 points coming off 40 goals and 97 assists.

“I thought it was a hard game for sure,” said legendary Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins. “Spokane is a very good team.

“I thought that we had a great start, which was huge for us. Then I thought that, you know, we stepped back maybe a little bit, but a lot of credit goes to Spokane. We were ready, and you know, they played hard.”

Before Friday’s contest, Basha last played for the Tigers in their 4-0 home ice victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on December 28, 2024, and he had been out with a lower body injury since that time.

Cayden Lindstrom had an assist on the Tigers first goal on Friday.

Lindstrom had been battling a back injury since December 16, 2023. Before Friday’s contest, he last suited up for the Tigers on April 5, 2024. The Tigers fell 5-2 at home that night to be eliminated from the WHL Playoffs in Game 5 of a first round series against the Red Deer Rebels.

The two took the spotlight on the Tigers first tally just 54 seconds into the contest. Off a dump in, Lindstrom recovered the puck in the right corner of the Spokane zone.

He passed the puck to star right-winger Hunter St. Martin just above the right faceoff dot. St. Martin dished the puck across the front of the Spokane net to Basha at the left side of the goal. Basha fired home the backdoor setup to give the Tigers the first goal of the contest.

Andrew Basha (#34) celebrates scoring the Tigers first goal.

The 19-year-old Calgary product was awestruck by the whole experience of being back on the ice.

“It was really weird,” said Basha, who has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames. “I said it before it was just a very slow winter for me.

“The past kind of three weeks it just started picking right back up again, and now, we are here. I was kind of telling Willie the whole time I was going to do it. I was pretty just kind of mesmerized that it was unbelievable to see that crowd.

“It is so special how well the boys have played throughout this whole run. It is just great to get back out there with them.”

The fans at Co-op Place cheer the Tigers first goal.

At the 6:27 mark of the opening frame, McKenna broke into the Spokane zone on an offensive rush. He dangled and did a half-spin at the top of the right faceoff circle and put a pass out to offensive-defenceman Bryce Pickford. Pickford drove home a mid-range shot for his eighth tally of the post-season to push the Tigers edge out to 2-0.

Pickford, who turned 19-years-old in early April, scored his Game 1 tally in the WHL final a year to the day he was acquired by the Tigers in a trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Chauvin, Alta., product played two complete seasons in Seattle before coming to Medicine Hat.

Bryce Pickford had the Tigers second goal on Friday.

“Gav (McKenna) made an unreal play entering the zone,” said Pickford, who was a member of the Thunderbirds 2023 WHL title winning team. “I didn’t think he was going to find me, but he always does.

“I came as the fourth guy, and he found me and I scored.”

The Chiefs proceeded to mount a pushback and outshot the Tigers 13-7 in the opening 20 minutes. Meneghin ensured the visitors didn’t get on the scoreboard.

Meneghin and Chiefs star netminder Dawson Cowan took the spotlight in a scoreless second period that saw the Tigers hold a 12-9 edge in shots on goal. Cowan made the biggest stop of the period as his left pad denied a breakaway chance by McKenna just past the midway point of the frame.

Harrison Meneghin makes one of his 36 stops on Friday night.

Spokane made another big push in the third. At the 4:44 mark of the frame, the Chiefs broke through on the scoreboard tallying on their fourth power-play chance of the contest. Chiefs star left-winger Shea Van Olm had the puck along the left boards on a rush up ice and flipped a pass over to captain Berkly Catton to send him in alone on the Medicine Hat goal.

Catton put a backhand shot between Meneghin’s legs to cut the Tigers edge to 2-1.

“Special teams are huge, and obviously, it is even bigger in the playoffs,” said Catton. “I think we like to have speed in our break in.

Two Tigers fans show off signs and lead crowd chants.

“I think that Shea (Van Olm) made a great play to me, and I just finished it. I think it was a great break in, and it just started off that.”

Just 72 second later, the Tigers pushed their advantage out to 3-1 when right-winger Ethan Neutens, who turned 20-years-old on May 3, flipped a knuckleball shot that flipped high through the air and overtop Cowen into the Spokane net.

Tigers star defenceman Tanner Molendyk rounded out the game’s scoring with an empty-net goal with 2:17 remaining in the third. The Chiefs had outshot the Tigers 15-3 in the stanza.

Cowan turned away 18-of-21 shots to take the setback in net for the Chiefs.

Berkly Catton had the Chiefs lone goal on Friday.

“We had some chances,” said Chiefs head coach Brad Lauer. “I think some of the areas where we were getting a little bit frustrated were the turnovers and making the mistakes that we did over and over again a couple of times.

“It is one of those games where we kind of kept giving them the puck, especially in the second period and kind of put us on our heels for a little bit. We did stick around. We did find a way to get to 2-1.

“We’ve done that all year. We find ways to get back into games. We’ll go through the videotape, and we’ll make the corrections that we need to make for Game 2.”

Shea Van Olm had an assist on the Chiefs lone goal on Friday.

The Chiefs defensive players started to jump up in the play a little more in the third period attempting to help their squad get on even terms with the Tigers. 

Chiefs overage defenceman Brayden Crampton said the blue-liners understand the risks of jumping up in the play against the Tigers.

“We want to get up in the rush as much as possible,” said Crampton. “I thought there were times where, you know, we could jump up in a rush, but it is a bit risky just because they are such an offensive team.

“We know that. You just have to take your chances when you can go and when you can’t.”

Gavin McKenna had a pair of assists for the Tigers on Friday.

Overall, Meneghin had a night where Tigers fans could have been seeing flashbacks of Matt Keetley making stops in the Medicine Hat net, when he backstopped the Tigers to the WHL title in 2007 and was named the MVP of the WHL post-season.

“’Keets’ (Keetley) was an unbelievable goaltender,” said Desjardins, whose squad has won 11 straight post-season contests. “He was so good during that run.

“It is hard to say how good he was. He was there every night. Harrison (Meneghin) has been for us as well.

“We’ve had lots of tough games, and tonight, he was good. He was just so calm back there, and that gives you a lot of confidence, when he is that calm as well. There is a lot of series left here, and we’re going to need him to be big as we go forward.”

Ethan Neutens had the Tigers third goal on Friday.

The Tigers finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 47-17-3-1 mark. The Chiefs were fourth overall in the regular season with a 45-20-1-2 record.

As for the final CHL Top 10 Rankings that were released back on March 25, the Tigers were ranked third, and the Chiefs were rated sixth.

With the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band set to play Co-op Place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night, the Tigers and Chiefs will enjoy a day off before going at it again in Game 2 on Sunday. Desjardins believes the day off will be good for both teams.

“We will get the rest we need,” said Desjardins. “We’ll go over video and take a look at it.

“It is good to get that break especially guys like Andrew (Basha) and Lindy (Lindstrom) where they haven’t been playing for a while. It is nice to get the break. It is good for everybody.

The Tigers enjoy their win on Friday night.

“Playoffs is such a hard time that you need every break you can get. They will get the same break though, and they’re going to be really hungry for Game 2. We’ll have to be better Sunday.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Will Oilers band break up of 2006 repeat in 2024?

A Connor McDavid card.

The business of hockey dealt a seemingly cruel blow to Edmonton Oilers fans in 2006.

On June 19 of that year, the Oilers took the ice for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final against the host Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Centre. The Hurricanes prevailed in the contest 3-1 to win their first Stanley Cup.

The Oilers made the post-season finishing eighth in the NHL’s Western Conference with a 41-28-13 mark. They went on a magical run in the NHL Playoffs making the Stanley Cup final for the first time since last winning the iconic trophy back in 1990.

The run to losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final offered hope of a great new era for Oilers fans. The 2005-06 campaign was the first NHL season played after a lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 campaign.

Before the lost 2004-05 campaign, the NHL didn’t have a salary cap, and it was viewed small market teams like the Oilers would only be able to win the Stanley Cup through a miracle run where a goalie steals a number of games. That view was held even though a team like the Oilers had won the Stanley Cup five times in their history.

It was believed Stanley Cup title wins would be left for big market teams with big budgets like the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. Often, the Rangers and Leafs would be made fun of for their inability to buy a Stanley Cup win with an expensive roster.

A league wide salary cap leveled the playing field for small market clubs like the Oilers for the start of the 2005-06 campaign. Before the beginning of that season, the Oilers acquired all-world defenceman Chris Pronger from the St. Louis Blues. The Oilers proceeded to sign Pronger to a five-year contract worth $31.25-million US.

The Oilers also acquired star defensive centre Michael Peca in a trade with the New York Islanders before the 2005-06 campaign began.

In the era before the salary cap, the Oilers didn’t make these types of moves. When salaries in the NHL really started to escalate in the 1990s, the Oilers weren’t able to keep talented players, if they became too high priced.

When the salary cap came in after the lockout, the Oilers had new freedom to go out and build a winner. The additions of Pronger and Peca and the exciting long run in the 2006 NHL Playoffs brought out optimism for Oilers fans that their team was in for another golden age bringing back reflections of Wayne Gretzky’s and Mark Messier’s era with the club in the 1980s.

The Edmonton Journal front page from June 20, 2006.

On June 23, 2006 just four days after the Oilers lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final to the Hurricanes, Pronger requested a trade through his agent, Pat Morris, from the Edmonton franchise. Then Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe said the request was for personal reasons, while Edmonton media outlets reported that Pronger’s wife, Lauren, was not happy in Edmonton.

Oilers fans did not take that situation well. Pronger was dubbed by many as “Public Enemy No. 1” in Edmonton, and even to this day, a lot of Oilers fans don’t want to recognize he was ever a member of the team.

Pronger was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks on July 3, 2006. In that first season with the Ducks in 2006-07, Pronger joined star right-winger Teemu Selanne, head coach Randy Carlyle and general manager Brian Burke in helping the Anaheim franchise win a first Stanley Cup in team history.

At that point, Pronger became seen as the poster boy case of the NHL player that didn’t want to play in a Canadian market and looked to leverage his way to a team in the United States when his stock was up. That 2005-06 campaign was the only time Pronger played for a Canadian based team in his NHL career.

I remember dealing with a couple of Edmonton sports media colleagues during the 2006-07 campaign who described Pronger as being an asshole. I don’t know if those feelings have faded with time, but Pronger’s departure from Edmonton was a “don’t let the door hit you on the way out” scenario.

No matter what one thought of Pronger, you have to conclude looking back on video of his play in 2005-06 that he was that damn good. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 220 pounds, he had the skill of Ray Bourque and the toughness of Dave Manson.

When he was on the ice, Pronger controlled play when he had the puck, and he was presence whether he had the puck or not. He was in his prime, and if he was in his prime in today’s day and age, he would still be one of the top three defencemen in the NHL. Pronger was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.

Pronger’s departure started the “Decade of Darkness” for the Oilers, who would miss the NHL Playoffs for the next 10 straight seasons.

A Leon Draisaitl hockey card.

Along with Pronger, it seemed like a mass exodus followed of players leaving from the Oilers 2005-06 roster. Peca signed as a free agent with the Maple Leafs on July 18, 2006.

By the time the 2006-07 campaign ended, the Oilers were also without all-time fan favourite and hero in left-winger Ryan Smyth. Smyth was playing through the final campaign of his contract, and the Oilers were trying to sign him to an extension before the NHL’s trade deadline.

Unable to negotiate an extension, the Oilers dealt Smyth to the Islanders on February 27, 2007 in order to not lose him for nothing as a free agent.

Looking back at the history of the 2005-2006 team, one wonders if the Oilers squad in the current day could break up as fast as that squad did. The Oilers posted a 49-27-6 mark in the recently completed 2023-24 campaign.

They went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final falling 2-1 this past Monday to the Florida Panthers at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. 

Supporting a team that contains superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and longtime star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the excitement Oilers fans had for this post-season matched and maybe even exceeded the run from 2006.

The Oilers almost pulled off the reverse sweep in the Stanley Cup final. After the Panthers took the first three games of the series, the Oilers took Games 4 to 6 to force a series deciding Game 7. In their three wins, the Oilers outscored the Panthers 18-5, and Oilers fans thought the roll would continue in Game 7.

The Panthers rallied to take Game 7. McDavid claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the NHL Playoffs.

With the Oilers down 2-1 with about seven minutes to play in the third period of Game 7, McDavid looked like he was going to net the equalizer. With Panthers star goalie Sergie Bobrovsky sprawled on the ice, McDavid moved the puck to an open left side of the Florida net and was about to pat the puck into the empty side of the goal.

Panthers defenceman Gustav Forsling reacted to make a critical stick check on McDavid that saw the puck drift into the left corner of the Florida zone and preserved the win for the Panthers.

A Ryan Nugent-Hopkins card.

At the moment, Draisaitl has one year remaining on his contract, and McDavid has two seasons left on his current deal. The Oilers have a number of unrestricted free agents coming up including forwards Connor Brown, Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, Corey Perry, Warren Foegele and Sam Carrick.

Defenceman Vincent Desharnais also needs a new contract.

With his contract expiring, general manager Ken Holland and Oilers announced on Thursday they were parting ways. CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson assumed the role of interim general manager.

Holland, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2020, is 68-years-old and won four Stanley Cups as an executive with the Detroit Red Wings. If he doesn’t retire and takes another job in hockey, odds are high that could be the last job he holds in the game due to his age.

Is Holland’s departure the first sign the band is breaking up?

Time will tell if the lasting effects of the appearance in the Stanley Cup final in 2024 is as fleeting for the Oilers as the one in 2006.

Tigers roar at NHL Entry Draft, other notes

Cayden Lindstrom (#28) take part in a goal celey in Nov. 2022.

The Medicine Hat Tigers had a banner two days at the NHL Entry Draft.

The legacy major junior franchise didn’t need any luck at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, leading the WHL having four players selected in the drafts seven round that were held on Friday and Saturday. That marked the first time since 2005 the Tigers have had four players selected in the NHL Entry Draft.

That development wasn’t that much of a surprise considering the Tigers had a breakout campaign with a relatively younger roster finishing seventh overall in the WHL with a 37-23-6-3 mark. The NHL Entry Draft selections were deserved.

Tigers 18-year-old centre Cayden Lindstrom was the first player from the WHL to be taken in the draft going fourth overall in the first round to the Columbus Blue Jackets. On June 1, he was named the winner of the CHL Top Draft Prospect award.

In 32 regular season games in 2023-24 with the Tigers, Lindstrom, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 213 pounds, piled up 27 goals and 19 assists to go with a plus-12 rating in the plus-minus department. A disc herniation in his back saw his participation in the regular season come to an end on December 16, 2023.

Lindstrom returned to play in four of the Tigers five games in the 2024 WHL Playoffs recording one goal and one assist after his extend layoff where he was recovering from his injury. The best is still to come from the Chetwynd, B.C., product who has a tremendous upside.

Tigers left-winger Andrew Basha, who will turn 19-years-old in November, went in the second round and 41^st overall to his hometown Calgary Flames. Basha, who stands 6-feet and weighs 187 pounds, recorded 30 goals, 55 assists and a plus-six rating in 63 regular season games with the Tigers. He has a tonne of potential to be a hometown hero with the Flames one day.

Tigers skilled 18-year-old centre Tomas Mrsic was selected in the fourth round and 113^th overall by the St. Louis Blues. Mrsic, who stands 6-feet and weighs 170 pounds, had a solid sophomore season with the Tigers recording 23 goals, 39 assists and an even rating in 63 regular season games.

Andrew Basha was taken by the Flames in the NHL Entry Draft.

The Surrey, B.C., product will likely get to be part of potentially strong Tigers teams over the next two seasons, which will further help him make the jump to the professional ranks.

Tigers 19-year-old left-winger Hunter St. Martin was the last player from Medicine Hat to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft. The Edmonton product went in the sixth round and 193^rd overall to the recently crowned Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

St. Martin, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 175 pounds, had a breakout campaign for the Tigers in 2023-24 posting 24 goals, 28 assists and a plus-14 rating playing in all the club’s 68 regular season contests. St. Martin has all the potential to one day show the Panthers they got a gem with his late in the draft selection.

Prince Albert Raiders star right-winger Ryder Ritchie, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 177 pounds, went in the second round and 45^th overall to the Minnesota Wild. Ritchie was limited to 47 regular season games in 2023-24 after being injured on a knee-on-knee hit by Kelowna Rockets left-winger Max Graham in a Raiders 4-3 loss at home on December 15, 2023.

Ritchie, who will turn 18-years-old in August, still recorded 19 goals, 25 assists and a minus-one rating in those 47 regular season games.

Saskatoon Blades netminder Evan Gardner, who had a breakout rookie season in 2023-24, was picked in the second round and 60^th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 30 appearances in the regular season with the Blades in 2023-24, Gardner posted a 21-5-2 record, a 1.91 goals against average, a .927 save percentage and four shutouts.

In the WHL Playoffs, Gardner, who is 18-years-old, played a key role in helping the Blades make it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Championship Series, where they dropped a 3-2 decision in overtime to the eventual WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors. Gardner appeared in 15 games in the WHL Playoffs posting a 10-4 record, 2.33 goals against average, a .910 save percentage and one shutout.

Hunter St. Martin was picked by the Panthers in the NHL Entry Draft.

Gardner stands 6-feet and weighs 175 pounds, so it was nice to see he wasn’t overlooked due to the fact he wasn’t at least 6-foot-3 in height.

As expected, 18-year-old centre Macklin Celebrini went first overall to the San Jose Sharks. Celebrini played last season as a 17-year-old with the Boston University Terriers in the NCAA Division I ranks.

He had 32 goals, 32 assists and a plus-25 rating in 38 overall games with the Terriers.

Saskatoon product and skilled centre Berkly Catton was chosen in the first round and eighth overall by the Seattle Kraken. The 18-year-old has a sensational campaign in 2023-24 with the Spokane Chiefs.

Catton finished fourth in the WHL regular season scoring with 116 points coming off 54 goals and 62 assists to go with a plus 15 rating appearing in all of the Chiefs 68 games. In 140 career regular season games in the WHL, Catton has posted 78 goals and 97 assists.

He has strong potential to make the Kraken’s roster as an 18-year-old rookie.

• Right-winger Reggie Leach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1976 and Flyers netminder Ron Hextall in 1987 both won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the NHL Playoffs. Both played on the team that lost the Stanley Cup final. The award presentation was done away from the ice surface for both players. If a player from the team that loses the Stanley Cup final is named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in the future, they should go back to making that presentation away from the ice surface. That way you don’t get a situation like this past Monday where Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid didn’t come out to accept the award after his team fell 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final to the host Florida Panthers.
• Since the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in 1993, Canadian based NHL teams have lost seven straight games when they’ve had the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup. The Vancouver Canucks have been part of three of those losses including one in 1994 and two in 2011. The Calgary Flames had two chances to clinch a Stanley Cup win in 2004. The Oilers dropped a pair of chances to capture the Stanley Cup with one chance coming in 2006 and the other this past Monday.
• Doesn’t it seem that with each passing day the social media line Platform-X, which is formerly known as Twitter, gets more and more toxic? It feels like any time spent on that social media line is wasted time.
• The Kelowna Rockets, who are working in partnership with the City of Kelowna, and Brandon Wheat Kings, who are working in partnership with the Keystone Centre, have declared their intentions to big on the 2026 Memorial Cup, which is the next time the WHL gets to host the CHL championship tournament. The Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL will host the Memorial Cup in 2025.
• The under-18 AAA level of the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League is an under-appreciated circuit. On Sunday at Cairns Field, the Saskatoon Diamondback and Saskatoon Cubs played a fantastic game. Trailing 4-1, the Diamondbacks scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull out a 5-4 victory.
• The defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes (4-0) and the Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-0) are the remaining undefeated teams in the CFL. They are slated to meet on Thursday, July 25 in Montreal. One also wonders when excitement for the Roughriders hits high level heights in Saskatchewan, or if a knee injury to quarterback Trevor Harris throws cold water on a possible excitement burst.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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