Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Dru Krebs skates at practice on March 28, 2023. (Photo Courtesy Kevin Kyle)

By Chris Brown

WHL playoff debut a long time coming for Krebs

Mar 30, 2023 | 4:55 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – One of the longest-tenured Medicine Hat Tigers, Dru Krebs has worn the orange and black for 211 games. But not one has been in the postseason.

Between cancelled playoffs in 2020 and 2021, and the Tigers missing out on the playoffs last season, Krebs has to go back a while to recall his last postseason action.

“I don’t think I’ve played playoffs since like bantam so it’s been a long time,” he says. “But you know it’s always good to play games that really matter and it’ll be a great learning experience for all these guys and for myself as well.”

Krebs says the team’s goal at the start of the year was to make the playoffs after finishing last in the league a year ago. He noticed changes in the team as the season progressed and playoffs became more and more of a possibility.

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“It’s a big, big change in atmosphere and kind of mentality. A lot of guys achieved the goals, the team goal of making the playoffs so it’s really good,” he says.

Medicine Hat has drawn the Winnipeg Ice in the first round. The Ice won the WHL’s regular season title and are a favourite in the playoffs as well. Games 1 and 2 are Friday and Saturday in Winnipeg and Games 3 and 4 are at Co-op Place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Tigers won once in four games against the Ice this season, which Krebs says gives them confidence and something to build from for this series.

“They’re a really good squad so it’s just coming and playing our Tiger brand of hockey and just outworking them,” he says. “I think that’s what it comes down to.”

While Krebs is years into his WHL career, Gavin McKenna is just games into his. He joined the team for the stretch run, scoring three goals and five assists in the final five games.

It’s been a playoff-like atmosphere for the Tigers who didn’t clinch the final playoff spot until the final game of the regular season, beating the Swift Current Broncos 4-3.

McKenna says having those pressure-packed games behind them will benefit the Tigers in the postseason.

“The last Swift game there we had I think that’ll give us a taste about what the playoffs is going to be like just like from physicality and just the speed of the game,” he says. “Every play is going to matter, every shift every period so it’ll be a challenge for sure.”

McKenna knows what they need to do to be successful. Like Krebs, McKenna says it will come down to playing Tigers’ hockey.

“Play the way we’ve been playing like the last game we played there we won because we won as a team,” the rookie says. “We grind all game. We were eating shots and then we took a penalty there at the end and then guys were selling out and I think we just gotta do that all game, all playoffs.”

You’ll be able to hear all the Tigers playoff action live on Wild 94.5 with voice of the Tigers Gino De Paoli.

Tickets for both the Tuesday and Wednesday games are still available at tixx.ca and the Co-op Place box office.