Tigers netminder Garin Bjorklund stopping Edmonton Oil Kings forward Jaxsen Wiebe on a penalty shot in Friday's 3-0 loss to conclude the 2021-22 WHL season (Photo courtesy Randy Feere / Medicine Hat Tigers)

By Scott Roblin

Season Finale

Tigers blanked by Oil Kings in emotional final game of 2021-22 season

Apr 15, 2022 | 11:43 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – On a night filled with returns and goodbyes, the Medicine Hat Tigers wrapped up a trying 2021-22 WHL season with a 3-0 shutout loss on home ice.

Shea Van Olm netted a goal and two assists for the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings, as the Tigers weren’t able to the find the back of the net in their last game of the campaign to wrap up one of the most trying seasons in franchise history.

The Tigers finished their year with an 11-53-3-1 record, marking their fewest wins in a season going back to the club’s first season in the WHL.

It wasn’t all bad news for the Tigers however, as longtime voice of the team Bob Ridley returned to the broadcast booth for the first time in close to a year Friday night.

Ridley had missed the entirety of the season before Friday’s return recovering from radiation treatment and was able to extend his streak with at least one game called in all 52 seasons of Tigers hockey.

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He was given a salute following the game by both clubs, with the Oil Kings also shaking the hands of graduating Tigers Logan Barlage and Carter Chorney.

It was the final WHL contest for the pair of vets, who were swarmed by teammates post game as they left the ice.

Both Barlage and Chorney were acquired by the Tigers midway through the season, wrapping up their junior careers wearing the black and orange in front of supporters.

Also honoured was five-year Tigers defenceman Daniel Baker who was unable to play due to a season-ending injury suffered in March, but Medicine Hat’s captain was able to participate in pre-game warmups and was named the evening’s first star.

Baker captured several year-end team awards which were also handed out before Friday’s contest, including Tigers MVP and top defenceman and the Gerald Moyer Leadership Award.

As for the game itself, Garin Bjorklund starred for Medicine Hat in the first period with several highlight-reel saves but it was Cole Miller opening up the scoring just over three minutes in for Edmonton.

The Oil Kings doubled their lead from Medicine Hat product Dawson Seitz off the rush midway through the second, scoring in his hometown with a rifle of a wrist shot top shelf.

Van Olm added his eighth of the season 2:56 into the third period from the top of the left face-off dot, while Sebastian Cossa made 21 stops to earn the shutout for Edmonton.

With the Tigers saying goodbye to their three overagers, the club will also see NHL prospects Bjorklund and Dru Krebs head to the American Hockey League to join the Hershey Bears for the remainder of the season.

Finishing last place in the WHL this year, the Tigers will now turn their attention to Thursday’s WHL Draft Lottery in which they hold the highest odds of winning at 28.5 percent.