HJHL All-Star & Top Prospects Games a tune-up for provincials for Cubs

The game served as the bookend to a hectic day of games at the home of the Medicine Hat Cubs, who played host for the All-Star Game and the newly formed HJHL Top Prospects Game.

Dressing for the South All-Stars alongside Cubs teammates Chandler and Fletcher Aleman, Fischer was unable to light the lamp in the victory but chipped in with a helper for the team’s second goal of the day.

“It would have been nice if one of us could have scored a hometown hero goal, but unfortunately it didn’t happen,” said Fischer. “The assist is good enough for me.”

Team South’s Devin Reagan and Team North’s Jackson Little kept the game scoreless for most of the first period, that was until HJHL leading scorer Tyson Scott opened the scoring late for a 1-0 lead.

The South All-Stars expanded on Scott’s scoring prowess with four goals in the middle frame including a snipe off the wing from Strathmore’s Garret Vander Ploeg, a goal that would net him South player of the game honours.

A goal from Connor Sullivan would pull Team North within three goals late, but the Southern Division was able to wind out the clock to earn the bragging rights.

All-Star weekend in Medicine Hat also debuted the Top Prospects Game on Sunday after the Cubs attempted to hold a showcase in Calgary earlier in the year.

Four Cubs were named to the early game including forwards Cooper Hilworth and Levi Schlosser, defenceman Brandon Hauck, and netminder Dawsen Savage.

Photo courtesy of Scott Roblin

Cubs general manager Dave Kowalchuk said it was important to create a game aimed at giving scouts a firsthand look at players with junior ‘A’ potential.

“We pushed a Top Prospects Game to showcase guys like Cooper Hilworth and those younger guys that might want to make the jump to junior ‘A’ and showcase their abilities,” said Kowalchuk.

The game was as faced-paced and physical as any during the HJHL season and according to Hilworth was a great opportunity to promote some of the league’s top young talent.

“I think it definitely opens up a lot of routes in the league,” said Hilworth. “It definitely brings a bigger eye to the game and the HJHL, and it shows that there are players in different leagues that can produce and show up.”

It was a Southern Division sweep on Sunday with the Cubs contingent helping pick up a 7-3 win over Team North, led by a 22-save performance by Savage over the first half of the game and one assist courtesy of Hauck.

Team South defenceman Chase Clayton took home player of the game honours for his side and had a rare supporter in the building for the game in his brother and Medicine Hat Tigers blueliner Cole.

“They get to come watch me a bit more than I get to watch them,” said Cole. “So, anytime I can go watch them I jump at the chance.”

Chase picked up a pair of assists in the win, but that was nothing compared to seeing his family above the corner boards at the Kinplex.

“I don’t see him as much because we’re always playing at the same time too, but it was cool,” said Chase. “He gets to come watch me play because he’s got his day off… now I’m going to go probably hear the gears about it after to see how I should have done better.”

Among the biggest surprises of the afternoon was the quickly developing chemistry between newly formed lines and defensive pairings, as for one day divisional rivals became teammates.

“You play Coaldale, get a good win, come out of there and you’re sitting beside them in the dressing room just all buddy-buddy,” said Fischer. “That’s the good thing about hockey.”

For Cubs brass, the focus now turns to the spring with the organization set to welcome Alberta’s best junior ‘B’ clubs to town for the 2020 provincial tournament in April.

A tournament that Kowalchuk feels the franchise is ready for after a successful All-Star weekend.

“We got great talent, a good organization, good fan support,” he said. “It’s a good city to have a hockey team and we just want to showcase that at provincials, this was a tune-up for that.”

Fischer’s time in junior hockey is fleeting as he is set to graduate from the Cubs following provincials, a fact that has given him some extra drive after getting a preview of what’s to come this weekend.

“Give it the test run, make sure everything works to show all the teams in the league that it will be a good experience down here and we won the bid for a reason,” he said.

Long time coming

For all the success the Medicine Hat Cubs have enjoyed in 2019-20, the one opponent that’s given them fits has been the Coaldale Copperheads.

On Saturday, the Cubs finally took down their Highway 3 rivals with a 4-2 doubling up of the Copperheads in Coaldale to win their fourth straight game.

Ethan Machan and Levi Schlosser both potted goals in the second period to head to the second intermission tied at 2-2 with the Copperheads, setting up a big third frame for the visitors.

Spencer Chapman scored the eventual game-winning goal with 9:07 remaining in regulation, while Brandon Hauck added an empty-netter to secure the two points.

Backup netminder Logan Leroux improved his record to 4-0-0 on the season with 19 saves on 21 shots, while Coaldale’s Broc Merkl allowed three goals on 24 shots against.

Reaching the 40-point mark with a 19-7-2 record, Medicine Hat passed Coaldale for second place in the Southern Division and hold two games in hand.

The Cubs hit the road for the Foothills this upcoming weekend with stops in High River and Okotoks on Friday and Sunday.

by Scott Roblin

HJHL All-Star & Top Prospects Games a tune-up for provincials for Cubs

Long time coming

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