Photo courtesy of Colton McKee

By Scott Roblin

MVP Again

Hamblin crowned Tigers MVP for second consecutive year

Apr 21, 2020 | 6:23 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – There may not have been the usual pomp and circumstance surrounding this year’s Medicine Hat Tigers awards, but the impact still resonates with this year’s winners.

Graduated captain James Hamblin cleaned house in the various categories announced online by the Tigers over the last few weeks, taking home six awards including Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year.

“Just to be able hear your name being put on a trophy is something really special,” said Hamblin. “With that being said, I don’t think I get there by myself. There’s a lot of credit that goes to teammates and especially linemates, so a big shout out to them.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s formal awards ceremony was scrapped for the health and safety of all players, coaches, and staff that usually attend.

Hamblin torched the WHL for 36 goals and 92 points in 63 games to lead all Eastern Conference players and finished third in the league in scoring.

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A WHL first-team all-star for the Eastern Conference, Hamblin picked up a variety of other team awards over the last few weeks including the Tigers 3 Stars Award, Leading Scorer, and Most Goals Award.

However, it’s two other honours that he picked up that have additional meaning with those being Hardest Working Player and the Gerard Moyer Leadership Award.

“I think it means just as much as MVP,” said Hamblin. “Everything that you put into it, the MVP kind of feels like a final end product. But, when it comes to day-to-day it’s about the hard work, it’s about the leadership that you put in.”

Cole Clayton and Parker Gavlas split the Cliff Bast Best Defenceman Award, while Corson Hopwo was a two-time winner by taking Top Defensive Forward and sharing Most Improved Player with defender Daniel Baker.

It was a three-way tie for Tigers Rookie of the Year between Cole Sillinger, Dru Krebs and Garin Bjorklund, while the two former freshman players also split Scholastic Player of the Year.

Linemates Ryan Chyzowski and Brett Kemp both took home the Unsung Hero Award, along with Clayton taking the Community Service Award.

“I’m really proud of a lot of guys,” said Hamblin. “If you look at this year’s awards especially, there’s a lot of diversity with who got the awards. That’s just a lot of people putting in a lot of hard work, I think for that hard worker trophy you could give that to almost every guy on the team.”

Hamblin has been spending his time post-WHL working with power skating company Quantum Speed in Edmonton while he awaits to see what hockey opportunities could present themselves in the coming months.

“It’s been giving me basically something to do,” said Hamblin. “I’ve been working almost every day just on webinars with hockey specific stuff and stick-handling specific stuff just with kids ranging between 10 and 15. But, it’s been a lot of fun.”

On Wednesday morning, Tigers head coach and GM Willie Desjardins and his team will head to the virtual draft floor for the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft which will be held in an online format.

Medicine Hat owns the 11^th overall pick in this years draft, a pick that was acquired from the Saskatoon Blades in a deal involving Max Gerlach in early 2018.

Recent first round picks from the Tigers include current standouts Sillinger and Bjorklund, and incoming prospect Oasiz Weisblatt last year.