Lockner meshing well with Tigers
With four points in his first four games as a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers, Bryan Lockner seems to have found the perfect fit.
The 17-year-old forward was traded from the Regina Pats to the Saskatoon Blades, and then immediately shipped to the Medicine Hat Tigers on the Western Hockey League’s trade deadline day last Wednesday. While he was forced to part ways with this year’s Memorial Cup hosts, Lockner says his style of play meshes far better with the orange and black.
“It’s been real good so far,” said Lockner, who will make his Canalta Centre debut tonight at 7 p.m. against the Kootenay Ice. “I’ve been getting a huge opportunity playing with (Mark Rassell and James Hamblin). They’re two good players and it’s been real good so far.”
Lockner logged seven goals and five assists in 39 games with the Pats this season —and 25 points over his 101-game tenure with the team — but those numbers seem to be changing for the better since joining the Tigers. Lockner started heating up after returning from the Christmas break with goals in three straight games. He then pushed the streak to four with his first goal as a Tiger, just six minutes into last Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades.
“It was just kind of a little bobble in front. I picked it up and went backhand with it. It was good to get that first one out of the way. It’s a huge relief,” said Lockner. “It was a lot of relief off the shoulders coming to a new team. Getting the first one out of the way was real nice.”
While his point streak was snapped in Friday’s 3-1 loss to his former franchise, Lockner started another one up with two assists in Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Brandon Wheat Kings and a goal in Sunday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Despite being 17 years old, Lockner is one of biggest forwards on the Tigers roster at 6-feet and 201 pounds. The Windsor, Colo. product spent the majority of his first four games with the Tigers on the top line with Mark Rassell and James Hamblin, and Rassell says Lockner’s work ethic fits nicely with the team’s structure.
“He’s a really honest player. He just does the right thing all the time and so far he’s been fitting in and contributing,” said Rassell. “He’s huge, looking at the guy you don’t realize he’s 17, he’s 200plus pounds and he’s a real workhorse. He was very good in Regina, he was pretty much the only piece they had to move at the deadline and we’re really glad we got him.”
“He’s a really honest player. He just does the right thing all the time.” – Tigers captain Mark Rassell on newly acquired forward Bryan Lockner