Tigers take on “Curse of the Drop” at Memorial Cup

Gavin McKenna has had a spectacular season for the Tigers.

The Medicine Hat Tigers are now on the clock to see if the “Curse of the Drop” still lingers.

For the superstitious types, that event took place on May 25, 2008 after the WHL champion Spokane Chiefs downed the host Kitchener Rangers 4-1 in the Memorial Cup tournament’s championship game. After receiving the trophy, Chiefs captain Chris Bruton had the Memorial Cup fall apart in his hands as he attempted to give it to veteran defenceman Trevor Glass.

Since that drop, the WHL has only won the Memorial Cup once coming with the Edmonton Oil Kings win in 2014. In 2014, Edmonton captured the WHL and CHL titles that year playing to honour the memory of former player Kristians Pelss, who was with the Oil Kings 2012 WHL championship team and passed away in June of 2013 due to a recreation diving accident.

In the championship game of the 2014 Memorial Cup tournament played in London, Ont., on May 25 of that year, the WHL champion Oil Kings downed the OHL champion Guelph Storm 6-3. At the moment, that marks the last time a team from the WHL has won the Memorial Cup to become CHL champions.

The Tigers enter this year’s four-team tournament to be played in Rimouski, Quebec, as WHL champions. They will begin play on Friday taking on the host Rimouski Oceanic at the Coliseum Sun Life Financial (5 p.m. Alberta and Saskatchewan time, TSN).

Medicine Hat finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 47-17-3-1 mark and posted a 16-2 record in the WHL Playoffs capturing the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions. The Tigers were rated third in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings that came out on March 25.

The Oceanic were second overall in the QMJHL’s regular season standings with a 46-14-2-2 mark. They posted a 14-9 record in the QMJHL Playoffs falling in six games in the league championship series to the Moncton Wildcats. Rimouski was rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

Currently, the WHL as a league is going through its longest drought of not winning the Memorial Cup. That drought stretches across the last eight straight Memorial Cup tournaments. That includes the tournaments played from 2015 to 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Memorial Cup tournament wasn’t contested in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

During the drought, there were a few times the WHL champion was worn down by the grind of the WHL post-season, and while the players tried, they just didn’t have gas in the tank. That included the Swift Current Broncos in 2018 and the Prince Albert Raiders in 2019.

In 2023, the Seattle Thunderbirds made the championship game, when the tournament was played in Kamloops, B.C. On June 4 of that year, the QMJHL champion Quebec Remparts blanked the Thunderbirds 5-0 in the tournament final. That allowed then Remparts head coach, general manager and overall hockey icon Patrick Roy to raise the Memorial Cup for a second time.

Harrison Meneghin has been incredible in the WHL post-season.

For whatever reason, it seems like a dark cloud hangs over WHL representatives at the Memorial Cup since the Chiefs drop back in 2008.

This time the WHL sends one of its most storied legacy franchises to the CHL championship tournament in the Tigers. The Tigers and the Kamloops Blazers hold the distinction of collecting the most WHL title wins at six. Medicine Hat has won the Memorial Cup twice coming back in 1987 and 1988.

The Tigers head into the Memorial Cup guided by their legendary head coach and general manager in Willie Desjardins. He is aided by a high caliber staff that works behind the team’s bench.

Of course, Tigers superstar 17-year-old left-winger Gavin McKenna will be the player most hockey fans will be watching at the Memorial Cup. McKenna finished second in the WHL regular season scoring race piling up 129 points coming off 41 goals and 88 assists to go with a plus-60 rating in the plus-minus department in 56 appearances.

McKenna was third in scoring in the WHL Playoffs piling up 38 points on nine goals and 29 assists to go with a plus-14 rating in 16 games.

Overage captain Oasiz Wiesblatt has vaulted his way to legendary status in the history of the Tigers franchise. He finished fifth in the WHL regular season scoring race with 103 points coming off 36 goals and 67 assists to go with a plus-47 rating in 66 appearances. Wiesblatt also had 148 penalty minutes during the regular season.

He was seventh in the scoring race in the WHL Playoffs posting 29 points coming off 14 goals and 15 assists to go with a plus-15 rating in 18 games.

Seemingly, everyone amongst the Tigers forward unit has skill with the big names including Andrew Basha, Cayden Lindstrom, Hunter St. Martin, Ryder Ritchie, Liam Ruck and Marcus Ruck.

Medicine Hat’s starting six on defence are as good as anyone’s in major junior hockey in Tanner Molendyk, Veeti Vaisanen, Bryce Pickford, Jonas Woo, Josh Van Mulligen and Niilopekka Muhonen.

The Tigers have received rock solid play in goal from star 20-year-old netminder Harrison Meneghin, who signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. Meneghin played one regular season game with the Lethbridge Hurricanes before being dealt to the Tigers.

In the 36 total regular season games he has played, Meneghin posted a 23-10-1-1 record, a 2.58 goals against average, a .900 save percentage and three shutouts. In 16 appearances in the WHL Playoffs, Meneghin posted a 14-1 record, a 2.35 goals against average, a .906 save percentage and three shutouts. He was named MVP of the WHL Playoffs.

Oasiz Wiesblatt (#7) is the Tigers fearless captain.

Back when the Oil Kings won the Memorial Cup in 2014 to be the only WHL club at the moment to beat the “Curse of the Drop,” they played with special emotion aiming to honour Pelss.

The Tigers might have a similar situation this season. When the Tigers closed their regular season schedule back on March 23 with a 5-2 victory over the Hitmen in Calgary, Meneghin found out about the passing of his father, Derek. Derek’s passing came in an unexpected fashion.

During the post-season, it was obvious Meneghin was playing for his father, and the rest of the Tigers were playing for him. Perhaps what seems like the dark supernatural forces that are haunting WHL teams at the Memorial Cup tournament will take a pass in haunting this year’s Tigers.

Maybe, just maybe, fate will look favourably on Medicine Hat.

Former Blades goalie Elliott spectacular with Knights

Austin Elliott has been a man on a mission after continuing his major junior career in the OHL.

The Strathmore, Alta., product, had been a star netminder for the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades playing two complete seasons for “The Bridge City Bunch” from 2022 to 2024. He struggled in the 2024 WHL Playoffs and the Blades turned the starting job over to Evan Gardner. With Gardner in net, the Blades advanced to the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series falling in seven games to the eventual WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors.

As an overager in 2024-25, Elliott started the campaign with the Blades winning all three of his starts with the team posting a 2.33 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. When Gardner returned from NHL training camp activities with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Elliott was cut by the Blades and cleared the WHL waiver wire.

Elliott was actually claimed on CHL waivers by the Barrie Colts, but the powerhouse Knights wanted to bring him to their squad. On October 16, 2024, the Knights dealt a 14^th round selection in the 2026 OHL Draft and a conditional fifth round pick in the 2027 OHL Draft for Elliott. The puck stopper never played a game for the Colts.

Elliott, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 180 pounds, played in 33 regular season games for the Knights posting a 32-1 record, a 2.10 goals against average, a .924 save percentage and three shutouts. Thanks to Elliott’s work, the Knights topped the OHL standings with a 55-11-2 mark and were rated second in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings released on March 25.

Austin Elliott in action for the Blades on March 22, 2024.

He started all of the 17 games the Knights played in the OHL Playoffs posting a 16-1 record, a 2.46 goals against average and one shutout as London claimed a second straight league title.

Now, Elliott will try to backstop the storied Knights to a Memorial Cup title. The annual CHL championship tournament is being held in Rimouski, Quebec, and the Knights begin play on Saturday taking on the QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats at the Coliseum Sun Life Financial (4 p.m. Alberta and Saskatchewan time, TSN).

The Wildcats topped the QMJHL regular season standings with a 53-9-2 mark and were rated first in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. In the QMJHL Playoffs, the Wildcats went 16-3 to capture the league title.

Saturday’s battle between the Knights and Wildcats is viewed as a contest that you have to watch. Elliott might prove to be the difference again for the Knights in that contest in what has been an unbelievable run for him in 2024-25.

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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Tigers sixth WHL title win had emotions like no other

Meneghin named MVP playing to honour his late father

The hand of fate made the Medicine Hat Tigers sixth WHL title win feel unlike the five other league championships that came before.

On Friday night, the Tigers downed the Spokane Chiefs 4-2 in Game 5 of the WHL Championship Series played before 7,607 spectators at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The victory allowed the Tigers to claim the best-of-seven set 4-1 and raise the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions.

The WHL title win was a first for the Tigers since 2007 and sixth league championship win in team history. The six league title wins by the Tigers also equaled the Kamloops Blazers for the most in the history of the circuit.

It also seemed fitting Tigers star 20-year-old netminder Harrison Meneghin had another stellar outing in Friday’s series clinching win making 34 saves on the night. Meneghin was playing through an emotionally-filled post-season.

When the Tigers closed their regular season schedule back on March 23 with a 5-2 victory over the Hitmen in Calgary, Meneghin found out about the passing of his father, Derek. Derek’s passing came in an unexpected fashion.

During the post-season, it was obvious Meneghin was playing for his father, and the rest of the Tigers were playing for him. In the WHL Playoffs, Meneghin would appear in 16 games for the Tigers posting a 14-1 record, a 2.35 goals against average, a .906 save percentage and three shutouts. He claimed honours as MVP of the WHL Playoffs.

After Meneghin accepted the trophy as the MVP of the WHL Playoffs from Richard Doerksen, who is the WHL’s vice-president of hockey, the puck stopper was mobbed by his teammates.

Next on the agenda came the presentation of the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Tigers captain Oasiz Wiesblatt posed for the initial photos holding on to the WHL championship trophy with league commissioner Dan Near.

Wiesblatt proceeded to call Meneghin over to step in to be the one to take the Ed Chynoweth Cup from Near. Meneghin came in and posed for photos and proceeded to take the championship trophy from Near and raise it over his head. The goalie was then swamped by his teammates and the celebration began in earnest.

Meneghin then took the first victory lap with the trophy. It felt like it was a moment that was meant to be. The whole on ice celebration for the Tigers was a moment that everyone with the team who was soaking in the festivities wished could have lasted forever.

At the start of Game 5, Meneghin and Chiefs star netminder Dawson Cowan took centre stage in the opening frame making a number of big saves to ensure the stanza remained scoreless. The Tigers held a 14-8 edge in shots on goal after 20 minutes.

The Tigers also hit the ice with superstar left-winger Gavin McKenna, star centre Cayden Lindstrom and 16-year-old breakout centre Gordon-Carroll Shaeffer back in the lineup after all three missed Game 4 with undisclosed injuries. McKenna was out for Game 3 as well.

The Chiefs came out with a big push in the second holding a 17-9 edge in shots on goal for the frame. The Tigers would get in the only goal in the period.

With 7:18 remaining in the second, Tigers veteran right-winger Ethan Neutens won an offensive zone faceoff back to Finnish rookie import defenceman Niilopekka Muhonen. Muhonen fired an off-speed wrist shot from the left point home to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. The tally was Muhonen’s first goal of the post-season.

At the 5:01 mark of the third, McKenna wired home a power-play goal from just inside the top of the left faceoff circle to push the Tigers lead out to 2-0.

Harrison Meneghin on Friday night. (Photo by Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs)

Just 44 seconds later, Tigers 19-year-old right-winger Hunter St. Martin netted what would be a controversial goal to Chiefs supporters that put the visitors up 3-0. Tigers overage left-winger Mathew Ward drove to the Spokane net and was shoved from behind by Chiefs overage defenceman Brayden Crampton.

Ward slid into Cowan, who made a kick save on Ward’s initial shot. As Ward went into Cowan, the Spokane net came off its pegs. St. Martin swooped in, picked up the rebound and put it into an empty cage.

The officials went to a video review and ruled the tally was a good goal. Officials have the discretion to allow a play to continue if a net pops off its pegs and an attacking offensive team has a scoring chance. The officials in that instance are allowed to judge if the puck from a shot would go into the net, if it was still on its pegs.

The Chiefs would proceed to battle back after going down by three goals. Just 49 seconds after St. Martin’s tally, Chiefs superstar right-winger Andrew Cristall drove home a mid range shot from the front of the Tigers net for a power-play marker to trim Medicine Hat’s edge to 3-1.

With 10:47 remaining in the third, Chiefs rookie import right-winger Assanali Sarkenov potted a goal from the front of the Medicine Hat to further cut the Tigers lead to 3-2. Sarkenov converted a nice pass from linemate Sam Oremba, who was positioned by the left side of the Medicine Hat net.

The Chiefs weren’t able to find the equalizer from that point.

With 74 seconds remaining in the third, Tigers offensive-defenceman Bryce Pickford fired a puck from his own zone into an empty Spokane net to seal the 4-2 victory for the visitors. The tally was Pickford’s 13^th of the post-season.

The empty-net marker extended Pickford’s streak of scoring goals in eight straight games, which is the longest consecutive string of games with a goal by a defenceman in the WHL Playoffs since 1996. Pickford has 10 goals over his last eight outings.

Pickford also equaled the WHL record for most goals by a defenceman in a single WHL Playoffs with his 13^th tally. Darren Veitch of the Regina Pats scored 13 goals playing on the blue line in the Pats run to winning the WHL title in 1980.

During the 18 games the Tigers played in winning the WHL title, Pickford recorded 24 points off 13 goals and 11 assists to go with a plus-23 rating in the plus-minus department.

Jonas Woo picked up a pair of assists playing on the back end for the Tigers, while St. Martin had an assist to go with his goal.

Cowan turned away 32-of-35 shots to take the setback in net for the Chiefs.

Before entering the WHL Playoffs, 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.

Over their last 52 games combined in the regular season and post-season, the Tigers have collected 44 wins.

The Tigers, who went 16-2 in the WHL Playoffs, now advance to play in the CHL championship tournament – the Memorial Cup. The Memorial Cup runs May 22 to June 1 in Rimouski, Quebec.

Medicine Hat opens play at the Memorial Cup on May 23 taking on the host Rimouski Oceanic. The Memorial Cup tournament also includes the OHL champion London Knights, the Oceanic and Moncton Wildcats from the QMJHL. The Oceanic and Wildcats are currently going at it in the best-of-seven QMJHL Championship Series that is being led by the Wildcats 3-1.

Still, Friday night was a special one for the Tigers as Meneghin continues to write an incredible story. The Tigers are ensuring the 2024-25 campaign is one of the most memorable in the team’s storied history.

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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Won’t back down – Tigers fight for 3-1 series lead in WHL final

Chiefs’ backs against wall after 5-2 loss in Game 4

The Medicine Hat Tigers theme song in 2024-25 has been “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds.

They might consider adding “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty And the Heartbreakers to their musical repertoire.

Going into Game 4 of the WHL Championship Series on Wednesday night against the Spokane Chiefs at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, adversity continued to pile up for the Tigers. For a second straight game, they were without superstar left-winger Gavin McKenna due to an undisclosed injury.

The additions to the injury list included star centre Cayden Lindstrom and head turning 16-year-old rookie centre Gordon-Carroll Shaeffer. Both were out with undisclosed injuries. Lindstrom played the first three games of the WHL final after missing the rest of the 2024-25 campaign with a long term back injury.

Despite those big losses, the Tigers roared to 5-2 victory to the disappointment of most of the 7,865 spectators in attendance outside of a healthy contingent of supporters that were present for the Medicine Hat side. With the win, the Tigers take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

They will try to close things out and capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions in Game 5 set for Friday at 7 p.m. local time at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The Tigers will be trying to win their sixth WHL championship in team history and first league title since 2007.

If needed, Game 6 is set for Sunday at 7 p.m. local time at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat. If the series gets to a Game 7, it is slated for Monday at 7 p.m. local time at Co-op Place.

In Game 4 on Wednesday, both teams broke on to the scoreboard early. Just 31 seconds into the opening frame, Tigers star right-winger Ryder Ritchie knocked home a puck from the front of the Chiefs net to put the visitors up 1-0.

Just 18 seconds later, the Chiefs evened the score at 1-1. Chiefs 19-year-old defenceman Saige Weinstein fired a shot from the left point that was tipped home by import right-winger Asanali Sarkenov for the equalizer.

The Tigers would take control of the contest in the second period scoring three straight power-play goals to jump ahead 4-1. At the 2:29 mark of the frame, Tigers offensive-defenceman Bryce Pickford drove home a shot from inside the top of the right faceoff circle to put the visitors up 2-1.

The contest took a big turn at the 7:50 mark of the second when Chiefs 18-year-old defenceman Nathan Mayes hammered Tigers defensive centre Misha Volotovskii into the boards, when Volotovskii didn’t have the puck. Mayes was given a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct. Volotovskii left the game favouring his right arm and didn’t return.

The interference major to Mayes will be automatically reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

Part way through that five-minute power play, the Tigers would go on a two-man advantage when Chiefs 20-year-old import star centre Rasmus Ekstrom was given an unsportsmanlike minor for giving Tigers 20-year-old star netminder Harrison Meneghin a snow shower when Meneghin froze the puck.

Bryce Pickford scored a pair of goals for the Tigers.

Just six seconds into that two-man advantage, Pickford drove home his second power-play goal of the contest to the top right corner of the Chiefs net to push the Tigers advantage out to 3-1.

Before the major penalty to Mayes expired, Tigers super rookie Liam Ruck backhanded home a loose puck in the crease of the Spokane net for Medicine Hat’s third power-play marker to give the visitors their 4-1 lead.

With 2:30 remaining in the second, the Chiefs got a power-play goal of their own to trim the Tigers lead to 4-2. Chiefs superstar right-winger Andrew Cristall had the puck at the left point and passed it to linemate Shea Van Olm at the top of the right faceoff dot. Van Olm wasted little time in one-timing home the power-play marker.

Just when the Chiefs thought they had the momentum, Tigers star 19-year-old right-winger Hunter St. Martin took it away. With 30.6 seconds remaining in the second, St. Martin jetted down the right wing, cut wide around a Chiefs defenceman, drove to the Spokane net on a partial breakaway and roofed a shot to the top right corner of the goal to make the Tigers lead stand at 5-2.

The two squads proceeded to skate through a scoreless third frame.

Meneghin stopped 28 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Tigers. Dawson Cowan turned away 29 shots to take the setback in net for the Chiefs.

Pickford had an assist to go with his two goals. He has scored at least one goal in his last seven straight games, which is the longest consecutive string of games with a goal by a defenceman in the WHL Playoffs since 1996. Pickford had nine goals over his last seven outings.

Tigers star defenceman Tanner Molendyk had three assists in the win. He has points in his last 12 straight games recording four goals and 16 assists over the course of that streak.

Ruck had an assist to go with his goal.

Before entering the WHL Playoffs, 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 43 out of their last 51 games. The Tigers are also 11-2-1 during the 2024-25 campaign when they don’t have McKenna in the lineup.

Tanner Molendyk had three assists for the Tigers.

Over the last two games of the WHL final and throughout the 2024-25 campaign, the Tigers have thrived on adversity. That characteristic has them one win away from another WHL title.

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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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.”

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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.”

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Tigers, Chiefs accomplish a lot making WHL final

League championship series starts Friday in Medicine Hat

Oasiz Wiesblatt, left, and Gavin McKenna enjoy a Tigers goal.

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. - The Medicine Hat Tigers and Spokane Chiefs have had memorable seasons.

Of course, they would both love to make the 2024-25 campaign more memorable by winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup to become WHL Champions.

The two sides will go at it in the best-of-seven WHL Championship Series starting Friday at 7 p.m. at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat. 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 all that noted, it is a major accomplishment for both to make the WHL final. It is hard to win in the WHL let alone win it all. That goes for two legacy franchises like the Tigers and Chiefs.

Since first hitting the ice back in 1970, the Tigers have won five WHL titles and claimed the Memorial Cup twice in 1987 and 1988 to become CHL champions. Medicine Hat’s last WHL championship came back in 2007 when the circuit’s championship trophy was still called the President’s Cup.

After last winning the WHL title in 2007, the Tigers continued to pile up wins and accomplishments. They advanced as far as the WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series in 2011 and 2014. A berth in the league final eluded the Tabbies until this year.

The 2010-11 Tigers battled a whole host of injuries finishing fifth overall in the WHL with a 46-18-4-4 mark and still looked poised to go all the way. They were swept in the Eastern Conference final by the Kootenay Ice who went on to win the last WHL title in the team’s history in Cranbrook, B.C.

In 2016-17, the Tigers finished second overall in the WHL with a 51-20-1 mark and looked like they would have a storybook season. That campaign came to a heartbreaking end when the Tigers dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to their traditional rivals the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series. Hurricanes captain Tyler Wong netted the winner for Lethbridge at Co-op Place, which was then known as the Canalta Centre.

The Chiefs began play in 1985 when the Kelowna Wings franchise was relocated to Spokane. Spokane won the WHL title in 1991 and 2008 and marched to capture the Memorial Cup as CHL champions in both those campaigns.

Since winning both the WHL title for the now minted Ed Chynoweth Cup and Memorial Cup in 2008, the Chiefs weren’t able to make it back to the WHL final until this year. They returned to the Western Conference final in 2011 and 2019.

In 2010-11, the Chiefs were fourth overall in the WHL with a 48-18-4-2 mark and fell to the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Conference Championship Series in six games. Spokane fell in the 2019 Western Conference final in five games to the Vancouver Giants.

Both the Tigers and Chiefs in the current day are loaded with talented rosters.

Some of the big names dressing for the Tigers include and are not limited to Gavin McKenna, captain Oasiz Wiesblatt, Ryder Ritchie, Hunter St. Martin, Tanner Molendyk, Bryce Pickford and netminder Harrison Meneghin. 

Fans in “The Gas City” have some extra home that star forwards Andrew Basha and Cayden Lindstrom could return from long term injuries.

Basha last played in the Tigers 4-0 home ice victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on December 28, 2024 and has been out with a lower body injury since that time. Lindstrom has been battling a back injury since December 16, 2023 and last suited up on April 5, 2024, when the Tigers fell 5-2 at home to be eliminated from the WHL Playoffs in Game 5 of a first round series against the Red Deer Rebels. Both have been practicing regularly this week with the Tigers.

McKenna has had the most memorable campaign. The superstar left-winger finished second in scoring during the WHL regular season recording 129 points off 41 goals and 88 assists to go with a plus-60 rating in the plus-minus department in 56 contests. On Wednesday, McKenna was named the winner of the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Player of the Year.

He currently has points in his last 53 straight games played between the regular season and post-season. During the 53 games of the streak, McKenna has recorded 135 points coming off 40 goals and 95 assists.

The Chiefs roster is loaded with big names that include and are not limited to Andrew Cristall, captain Berkly Catton, Shea Van Olm, Brayden Crampton, Rasmus Ekstrom, Chase Harrington and Dawson Cowan.

Tanner Molendyk has been stellar on the Tigers back end.

Cristall came to the Chiefs in a blockbuster trade with the Kelowna Rockets on January 8. In 57 regular season contests played between the Rockets and Chiefs, Cristall, who turned 20-years-old on February 4, topped the WHL in scoring to claim the Bob Clarke Trophy with 132 points coming off 48 goals and 84 assists to go with a plus-59 rating in the plus-minus department.

Van Olm topped the WHL with 49 goals during the regular season.

Both teams have outstanding coaching staffs. The Tigers are led by their legendary head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins. The ultra-talented Brad Lauer leads the Chiefs bench staff as head coach. Chiefs general manager Matt Bardsley was named the winner of the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s executive of the year.

In the WHL Playoffs, the Tigers have posted a 12-1 record so far and swept the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final. The Chiefs have gone 12-3 so far and swept the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Conference final.

The statistical difference that jumps on the page comes in goals against in the post-season. The Tigers have given up 35 goals against in their 13 contests and have a 2.65 goals against average as a team. The Chiefs have given up 59 goals against in their 15 contests and have a 3.57 goals against average.

It should be noted that you can bet Lauer and his coaching staff have been working on team defence during their lengthy stretch of time off.

The Chiefs will have had seven off days leading up to the WHL final, while the Tigers will have had eight off days leading to that series. Both squads should be fresh for Game 1.

Again, both teams should be praised for getting this far and for being two of the six squads across the CHL who are still in action. A total of 60 teams took the ice across the CHL this season, which means 54 clubs have seen their 2024-25 campaigns come to an end.

The Tigers salute their faithful at Co-op Place.

What the Tigers and Chiefs have done to this point is special, and it can’t be taken away from either squad.

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