Bosch’s 2OT winner in Game 7 ends intense
series
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| The Tigers team picture after winning the 2007 WHL title. |
It is the second overtime in Game 7 of the WHL Championship series, and the host Medicine Hat Tigers are locked in a 2-2 tie with the Vancouver Giants.
Tigers talented
centre Brennan Bosch has the puck near the blue-line in his own zone, and he is
tapped by a swinging stick of a Giants player. The Martensville, Sask., product
goes down to his knees, quickly gets up and a 3-on-1 break ensues.
Bosch
skates two to three strides past the Vancouver blue-line and wires home the
winner low stick side on Giants goaltender Tyson Sexsmith. The sellout crowd of
4,006 spectators at The Arena explodes like never before with the home side
pulling out a 3-2 win and capturing their fifth WHL title.
That was
how the scene played out on May 14, 2007 in what goes down as arguably one of
the greatest games in the history of the WHL.
From that
moment, Bosch would be forever cemented as a hero in “the Gas City.”
It is crazy
to think 13 years has passed since that game was played. I worked that game for
the Medicine Hat News as the beat writer that covered that Tigers team.
I can still
remember that day and game well.
Looking
back now, I see myself as being really young. I was a really young guy who was
locked into that series that day.
That series had been an intense one. Before the opening faceoff of Game 1, there was a jostling match, followed by a beautifully conducted tag team fight in Game 2 and an overtime winner by Tigers defenceman Trevor Glass in Game 3.
After Game
3, the Tigers were up 2-1 in the set.
That series had been an intense one. Before the opening faceoff of Game 1, there was a jostling match, followed by a beautifully conducted tag team fight in Game 2 and an overtime winner by Tigers defenceman Trevor Glass in Game 3.
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| A Tigers celebration picture from the pages of the Medicine Hat News. |
Game 4
featured “the bite,” where Tigers agitator Derek Dorsett bit the finger of
Giants pest Kenndal McArdle, when McArdle was trying to use his finger to fish
hook Dorsett.
Dorsett was
ultimately suspended for Game 5 for the bite. There were members of the
Vancouver media that painted Dorsett as the real life Hannibal “The Cannibal”
Lecter.
The Giants
claimed a 4-0 victory in Game 4 and a 3-0 win in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in
the series as it returned to the Hat for Games 6 and 7.
Dorsett was
inserted into the starting lineup for Game 6. He was the last Tigers member
announced as part of the starting six.
The fans at
The Arena rose to their feet to give Dorsett a standing ovation that was cut
off after 90 seconds by the start of the national anthem.
Dorsett
went out and immediately laid a massive hit on Giants captain Brett Festerling.
The Tigers took the game 4-3 with star centre Darren Helm scoring the winner
with 7:43 remaining in the third period that broke a 3-3 tie.
The series
was now tied 3-3 going to the first Game 7 to be played in a WHL final in 13
years.
Looking at
the intensity of the battle in that 2007 WHL final, one would never suspect
both the Tigers and Giants had berths locked up in that year’s CHL Championship
tournament – the Memorial Cup – due to the Giants being the host team for that
event.
With all that had happened in the series to that point, I was ready for anything to happen in Game 7. Of course, I wanted the Tigers to win, and I believed they would find a way to get it done.
With all that had happened in the series to that point, I was ready for anything to happen in Game 7. Of course, I wanted the Tigers to win, and I believed they would find a way to get it done.
The guys on
that team were my buds. Until this day, the guys that played for the Tigers
over the two seasons from 2005 to 2007 are still the best group I ever dealt
with in hockey.
It also
helped that Tigers star captain Kris Russell and the leadership group were
great at making you feel a part of everything.
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Still, I
prided myself in being able cover games objectively, and I felt set for any
outcome to play out. I wasn’t making any predictions for that game.
In the
hours leading up to that game, I remember fielding a couple of requests from
people looking for Game 7 tickets. The Tigers were in the midst of a lengthy
sell out streak, and I had to tell those looking for tickets that they were out
of luck.
I arrived
at The Arena about 90 minutes before puck drop. I remember being so nervous
that I had to go to the washroom to vomit.
About four
of the Tigers veterans saw me throw up before the game, and that seemed to
provide a laugh and levity.
I was
thankful I had a great crew at The News to cover that game with and the bench
was emptied for that one. I was in the press box with my partner in crime
Collin Gallant.
Sports
editor Sean Rooney motored back and forth between the rink and The News office
putting together a column and handling the desking.
The talents
of Emma Bennett and Ian Sorensen expertly took care of the photography.
Believe it
or not, there was a time I went a lengthy stretch where I didn’t shoot photos
of sports events. As a result, you won’t see a whole lot of photos with this post.
In later
years, I would try to mirror a lot of Bennett’s pictures when it came to
championship celebrations.
I just had
to focus on my main story and a sidebar column filled with my three stars and
odds and ends.
Another
group that was ready for the game were the fans. The rivalry between the Tigers
and Giants built up to the ferocity you would see between bitter division
rivals, and the Tigers faithful did not like the Giants.
Despised
might have been an accurate descriptor. The biggest Vancouver villains were
McArdle and right-winger J.D. Watt.
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| A Tigers WHL championship T-shirt. |
When the
Tigers came out to the ice before the start of the first period, they were
greeted with a wave of noise the drowned out the public address announcer.
They were engaged in the game with constant chants of “Go Tigers Go,” cheers for every big Tigers play and hit and chants of “Keets!” for every big save from hometown hero netminder Matt Keetley.
They were engaged in the game with constant chants of “Go Tigers Go,” cheers for every big Tigers play and hit and chants of “Keets!” for every big save from hometown hero netminder Matt Keetley.
Game 7
carried the intensity of the previous six encounters of the series.
Tyler Ennis
put the Tigers ahead 1-0 in the first period.
Vancouver
forwards Wacey Rabbit and Michal Repik potted singles in the second period to put
the Giants up 2-1.
At the
media break of the third period, in game host Mike Thibeau rallied the fans to
give a salute to Tigers overagers in Dorsett, Keetley and Chris Stevens for
playing their final home game that night.
Within
about a couple of minutes of that salute, centre Daine Todd scored for the
Tigers to even the score at 2-2 and force overtime.
Another
what would become a romantic moment came in the extra sessions. Due to being
warm outside, the fog descended on to the ice at The Arena.
On about
two or three stoppages, the players came off their respective benches to skate
circles to dissipate the fog.
The Tigers
hit another gear in the first overtime holding a 10-6 edge in shots on goal.
That set
the stage for Bosch’s goal in the second overtime frame creating the signature
moment in the Tigers storied old home rink.
Right after
Bosch scored, I phoned my mom in Saskatoon, who was watching the television
broadcast of the game with family.
Energized,
I jetted to the ice surface. I remember interviewing both Bosch and Keetley and
their excitement was going all over the place.
Keetley,
who was named the MVP of the WHL playoffs, spotted a big gathering of his
family in the crowd and gave a shout out and wave to them.
Even at
that time and looking back now, that was a game neither team deserved to lose.
With that
noted, the fact the Tigers won was a good thing.
Even with a
deadline looming, it felt effortless to finish of the work that night.
After the
work was finished, it was off to the Silver Buckle for a victory party. There
were a few different ones that happened in town that night.
To this
day, that game is still my best memory in hockey.
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| My story of the Tigers Game 7 victory in the Medicine Hat News. |
There are a
lot of points in time I wish I could go back, be as young as I was and relive
that day again. The fact that day happened will always make me smile.
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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