Tigers send Heathcote home

The Medicine Hat Tigers reassigned winger Dawson Heathcote to the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League’s Nanaimo Buccaneers Thursday.

Heathcote, an 18-year-old Nanaimo product, had two assists with a minus-9 rating in 27 games on Medicine Hat’s fourth line this season.

He joins a junior B club that’s 14-9-1-1 entering action Thursday. Fox to coach Team Alberta Medicine Hat Tigers director of player personnel Bobby Fox will serve as head coach for Team Alberta’s under-16 hockey team at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in February.

Fox spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Tigers before moving into a scouting role. The Calgary product also has previous experience with Team Alberta after winning a gold medal as head coach of the province’s squad at the 2015 Western Canada Challenge Cup. Fox also won gold as an assistant coach of Alberta’s 2013 Western Canada Challenge Cup team — a roster that featured former Tigers David Quenneville and Mason Shaw on the roster.

Team Alberta released its Canada Winter Games roster Thursday, which features 19 Western Hockey League prospects and one bantam draft eligible forward — projected first overall pick Matthew Savoie, who could be granted exceptional status next season. No Tigers prospects were on the roster.

The Canada Winter Games kick off on Feb. 15 in Red Deer.