Central Division race now one game shorter

The race for the Central Division crown has been shortened by one game.

The Western Hockey League announced some scheduling changes Wednesday, with the Medicine Hat Tigers now set to open a three-game series against the Oil Kings tonight in Edmonton at 7 p.m.

The Tigers (12-3-0-1) sit four points back of the Oil Kings (14-1-0-1) through 16 games, though Medicine Hat’s ability to erase that gap has become slightly more challenging, as both teams will now close out their campaigns in a clash at Co-op Place on May 6 after just 23 outings.

The league had initially planned for a 24-game regular season, however Wednesday’s announcement confirmed the Lethbridge Hurricanes will be the only team from the Central Division to complete all 24.

The Red Deer Rebels will also get in 23 games while the Calgary Hitmen — recently cleared to return after a positive case of COVID-19 suspended team activities for two weeks — will play 21.

Following Medicine Hat’s three-game stretch against the Oil Kings, the Tigers will enter another three-game series against the Lethbridge Hurricanes, April 29-May 1, before closing out the season with a solo game against Edmonton.

No teams in the B.C. Division will get in all 24 games. The Kamloops Blazers, Victoria Royals, Vancouver Giants and Prince George Cougars will all play 22 games, while the Kelowna Rockets — whose season was also marred by COVID complications — will play only 16.