Tigers score early, often to rout Red Deer on Bob Ridley Night

“Rids has been a huge part of the team for myself for the five years I’ve been here,” said Tigers captain Ryan Chyzowski. “So, it’s pretty special just to be included and just to be here to witness a milestone that’s pretty special. I don’t think anybody else will ever come close to it.”

His first goal call of the night came just 36 seconds after the opening face-off, with Cole Clayton stepping into a loose puck in the high slot for his first of the WHL campaign.

“I think the night was Bob Ridley Night,” said Tigers head coach and GM Willie Desjardins. “I think what he accomplished tonight overshadowed the game for sure. I’m glad that his 4,000th game was a win.”

A Chyzowski power play marker three minutes later kept the ball rolling for Medicine Hat, before Lukas Svejkovsky went five-hole on a breakaway at the 12:11 mark to make it a 3-0 score.

For good measure, Tigers rookie Oasiz Wiesblatt put the rest of the WHL on notice with the first goal of his junior career less than a minute later pulling Rebels goalie Byron Fancy on 12 shots against.

“Was just waiting 11 months to score my first goal,” said Wiesblatt. “Ridley’s 4000th game, it was just so surreal seeing how much people respect him. It was just awesome.”

That 4-0 score held for most of the second period as well, before Red Deer’s Chris Douglas netted his second goal in as many games with a minute and a half remaining before the intermission to get the Rebels on the board.

Red Deer’s second goal of the night came five minutes into the third, a shot from the point by Chase Leslie that bounced a handful of times past Tigers netminder Garin Bjorklund.

The kids continued to come out to play for Medicine Hat however, with a two-on-one rush with under eight minutes to go finished off by rookie Brayden Boehm for his first WHL goal as well.

Late goals by Brett Kemp and Noah Danielson capped off the night, in what was a tidal wave of offence from the Tigers winning the shot count 37-21 over the Rebels.

Chyzowski said it was good to see the team lock things down defensively when the Rebels began to push back.

“The only thing that they were getting is what we were giving them,” said Chyzowski. “It was just a matter of us tightening up a bit, keeping it simple, not giving them anything, just playing our game and playing fast. I think when we play with our speed, nobody can keep up with us.”

Clayton led the way at both ends of the ice for the Tigers on Saturday night, contributing a goal and three assists in the win.

Bjorklund earned his second win of the brand new WHL season with 19 saves on 21 shots against, while Anders had 18 saves in relief of Fancy in the Rebels crease.

Improving to 2-0-0 through their first weekend of the season, the Tigers will next hit the road for Edmonton on Friday night to kick of their series against the Oil Kings at 7:00 pm.

by Scott Roblin

Tigers score early, often to rout Red Deer on Bob Ridley Night

Our Community