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By Scott Roblin

Erased 4-1 Deficit

Hopwo leads wild third period comeback, Tigers victorious in return

Feb 26, 2021 | 8:52 PM

RED DEER, AB – In the craziest year of most of our lives, it only makes sense that the first game back on the ice for the Medicine Hat Tigers was equally as insane.

After 353 days since their last WHL game, the Tigers rallied from a 4-1 third period deficit to score four consecutive goals to shock the host Red Deer Rebels 5-4 in overtime.

It was the first game back in black and orange for the ‘Tabbies’ since March 10, 2020, with the 2019-20 campaign coming to an abrupt end as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple league re-starts were proposed over the following months, but it wasn’t until February that the WHL received provincial approvals to return to play.

That return came on Friday night in Red Deer with Corson Hopwo registering his first career hat-trick, including the overtime winner which didn’t come without some controversy.

Medicine Hat third-year forward Nick McCarry netted the opening goal of the entire WHL season just over four minutes into the game, taking advantage of a bouncing puck in the slot.

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It was a lead that only lasted for just over three minutes however, with Tigers rookie Oren Shrtom taking a high sticking minor to give Red Deer their first power play of the night.

Off the ensuing face-off, Rebels forward Jayden Grubbe was able to pull the puck to his forehand in the crease to net a beautiful first goal of the season.

Like McCarry one period before, Red Deer’s Ethan Rowland made use of a fortuitous bounce in the slot early in the second frame for the home side’s first lead of the night.

Kyle Masters added some insurance just past the midway point of the middle period for the Rebels, taking a bad angle shot that squeaked its way past Garin Bjorklund.

Red Deer’s fourth goal of the night came 4:36 into the third period with veteran Chris Douglas grabbing the puck for a breakaway, going top shelf on the blocker side for the three-goal advantage.

While that appeared to take the wind out of the sails for the Tigers, Corson Hopwo started to give Medicine Hat life five minutes later with a laser beam of a wrist shot beating Ethan Anders.

Hopwo wasn’t finished there however, perfectly tipping a Ryan Chyzowski slap shot on the power play to pull the Tigers within one with less than two minutes to go.

With Bjorklund on the bench for the extra skater, Lukas Svejkovsky sent the Tigers bench into hysterics with 41 seconds remaining. Off a clearing attempt by the Rebels, the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect chipped the puck over the shoulder of Anders to send the game into overtime.

Two minutes into the extra frame, Hopwo grabbed the puck at centre ice and fought off Masters on a partial breakaway to send both the puck and Rebels defender into the net.

The play would be talked over by referees for a few minutes for goalie interference, before Hopwo was credited with the game-winning goal in dramatic fashion.

Bjorklund earned his first win of the 2020-21 season with 29 saves on 33 shots against, while his Rebels counterpart in Anders made 26 stops on the night.

The Tigers and Rebels cap off the season-opening series on Saturday night with the rematch coming in Medicine Hat, serving as the home opener for the black and orange.

It will be a special evening for the Tigers, as 51-year play-by-play voice Bob Ridley will call his 4,000th WHL broadcast after almost an entire year’s wait.

Fans are encouraged to pick up commemorative banners in the Co-Op Place parking lot on Saturday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, with the chance to record messages for the Tigers icon.

Opening face-off for the historic night goes at 7:30 pm later that night.