Plenty of new faces at Tigers’ training camp
The boys are back and the ice is in. It’s time to get excited for hockey season.
The Medicine Hat Tigers will start gearing up for the 2017-18 Western Hockey League season with tonight’s orientation, leading into the weekend’s training camp at the Canalta Centre.
The Tigers can return as many as 15 players from last year’s team to this season’s roster, but with three key veteran players departing the team in the summer and six more entering their overage seasons, there should be plenty of competition for a handful of open spots on the roster — one of which will likely go to Langley’s Josh Williams.
Medicine Hat’s highest bantam draft pick in more than a decade at fifth overall in 2016, Williams already proved his ability to compete in the WHL through his four games as an affiliate with the Tigers last season. The 6-foot1 forward notched his first career WHL goal for one point over four games as a call-up amid a prolific year with Yale Hockey Academy — recording 55 points in 27 Canadian Sport School Hockey League games. Now he’s finally eligible to secure a full-time role with the Tigers.
While Medicine Hat will be without captain Clayton Kirichenko, top pointgetter Chad Butcher and veteran sniper Steven Owre — all of whom graduated from the WHL in the off-season — this weekend will feature the debut of a number of newly acquired Tigers.
Goaltender Jordan Hollett will skate with Medicine Hat for the first time since being acquired in the trade that sent Matt Bradley to the Regina Pats. The 6-foot-5, 193pound netminder finished his season with a 2.83 goals against average and a .901 save percentage before hearing his name called by the Ottawa Senators as the 183rd overall pick in this year’s NHL entry draft.
German forward Mick Kohler, selected 53rd overall in last month’s CHL import draft — will also take his first strides with the team. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound lefty scored 60 points in 31 games with Deutsche Nachwuchs Liga’s Kolner EC last year. The status of 6foot, 174-pound Swedish defenceman Linus Nassen, selected by Medicine Hat at 119th overall in the import draft, has yet to be confirmed.
Impending overagers Michael Bullion, Brad Forrest, Ty Schultz, Zach Fischer Mark Rassell, and Kristians Rubins — a ‘two-slot- defenceman with both import and overage status — will all be in attendance for pre-season activities, though only three can occupy Medicine Hat’s roster after the overage cutdown in mid-October.
Other notable players eligible to crack this year’s roster as 16-year-old players include forward Henry Rybinski and defenceman Cole Clayton, while new prospects like goaltender Garin Bjorklund and Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League-leading scorer Noah Danielson will get their first taste of fall camp after joining the WHL squad at this year’s bantam draft.
The Tigers open a five-game preseason schedule on Sept. 1 against the Hurricanes in Lethbridge.
Medicine Hat will kick off the regular season in Lethbridge on Sept. 22 for the first half of a home-and-home series against the Hurricanes.