Photo courtesy of Randy Feere / Medicine Hat Tigers

By Scott Roblin

376th Career Win

Desjardins reclaims Tigers career wins record in sweep over Red Deer

Apr 19, 2021 | 10:52 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Monday night’s 3-2 victory is one Willie Desjardins has enjoyed hundreds of times over his WHL coaching career, but this one was even more special.

For the second time in his career, Desjardins became the winningest head coach in Medicine Hat Tigers history by recording his 376th victory in black and orange against the Red Deer Rebels.

“You just look at the history of this team and to be part of it is great,” said Desjardins. “To be part of having the most wins is huge too, but saying that those wins come with the other coaches and with the players. I learned long ago that I’m not the guy responsible for the wins.”

As the Tigers edged out the one-goal victory against the Rebels, Desjardins moved past his former protégée Shaun Clouston into sole possession of the Tigers record.

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Clouston, who is now with the Kamloops Blazers, passed Desjardins for the franchise record in late 2017 and held that honour before Desjardins returned to the Tigers in 2019.

“Shaun Clouston is a really good coach,” said Desjardins. “To pass a record that he set is good as well. He did a great job with the franchise and is a good coach. So, to be able to pass something like that is special as well.”

Monday night’s victory, Medicine Hat’s 12th of the season, also sent Desjardins down memory lane for a time reflecting back on the literal road that brought him to the city in 2002 running on fumes.

“The second time after I got the job I was so looking forward to coming in here and I was thinking of so many things,” said Desjardins. “I forgot to stop in Brooks to fill up and it’s the only time it’s ever happened to me.”

Desjardins’ impact on the Tigers dressing room is well documented, something that even newcomers to the organization like rookie defenceman Rhett Parsons picked up on.

“He’s the best coach I’ve ever had,” said Parsons. “The amount he puts into the guys, it’s unbelievable. For him to get that record, congratulations to him.”

For the better part of two decades, the Tigers-Rebels rivalry has been punctuated with Desjardins on the Tigers bench and Brent Sutter on Red Deer’s.

Though Sutter wasn’t there in-person for Desjardins’ accomplishment after stepping down as head coach just over a week ago, the Tabbies bench boss paid tribute to his coaching counterpart following Monday’s win.

“Brent wasn’t behind the bench but maybe I would have liked to try and get one more on him,” joked Desjardins. “But, he was great to for me through the years. I remember the very first time I played against him they beat us 8-3 at the old arena at home, then we lost to Brandon 9-3. So, it’s good that things changed a little bit since then.”

As for the game itself, Ryan Chyzowski opened the scoring midway through the first period with a laser beam on the power play that beat Rebels rookie netminder Chase Coward.

Red Deer’s Dallon Melin tied up the game just a few minutes later, but Parsons was able to net his first career WHL goal 12 minutes into the second frame off a deflected shot.

Brett Kemp set up Oren Shtrom for a sweet one-timer goal midway through the third for the eventual game-winner, while a late Rebels comeback punctuated by a Chris Douglas marker eventually ran out of time.

Tigers first-year goaltender Beckett Langkow ran his undefeated record to 4-0-0 with 27 stops, though Coward wasn’t a slouch either with a 32-save performance in his first WHL start.

Improving to 8-0-1 in their last nine games, the Tigers now await the WHL schedule makers to decide where they will be playing next weekend.