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By Scott Roblin

Four-Point Night

Scintillating Svejkovsky leads Tigers to first win over Rebels

Oct 8, 2021 | 10:46 PM

RED DEER, AB – Lukas Svejkovsky has been a man possessed to begin the WHL season and on Friday proved why he’s one of the most fearsome scorers on the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Svejkovsky recorded his first career WHL hat-trick and added an assist to power the Tigers to their first win of the season 4-2 over the Red Deer Rebels.

Tigers goalie Beckett Langkow was stellar in his first outing of the year, stopping 30 of the 32 shots he faced to get Medicine Hat in the win column for the first time in 2021-22.

Despite only putting up three shots on goal in the first period, the Tigers got out to a 2-0 lead with back-to-back goals from Svejkovsky.

The first came just 3:24 into regulation, as Corson Hopwo sent a cross-crease pass that was one-timed home by Svejkovsky for his third goal of the year.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect added to his lightning quick start to the season with a rocket shot from the slot six minutes later to stun the Rebels who pressed Langkow for much of the opening 20 minutes.

Langkow’s luck finally ran out with seven minutes remaining in the second, with a Hunter Mayo point shot deflected over his shoulder by Carter Anderson to cut the Red Deer deficit in half.

Near the end of the second, Tigers defenceman Ryan Nolan dropped the mitts in his first career WHL game with Rebels sophomore Kalan Lind.

Medicine Hat’s start to the third period mirrored their first, scoring just 20 seconds into the frame with defender Bogdans Hodass putting home a juicy rebound from Rebels goalie Chase Coward on the power play.

Svejkovsky competed the hat-trick five minutes later on a scramble in the crease, pulling the puck to his backhand and netting his fifth goal in six periods.

Red Deer’s Jace Weir scored with the goalie pulled late in the third, but the Tigers were able to wind down the clock to pick up their first win of the season.

Along with Svejkovsky’s career night, Hodass and Hopwo each had multi-point efforts for the Tigers in Red Deer.

Improving to a 1-2 record through their first three games of the season, the Tigers wind up the weekend on home ice on Saturday night when they welcome the powerhouse Edmonton Oil Kings to town at 7:00 pm.