It's been a busy week of activity for Medicine Hat Tigers past and present. (Medicine Hat Tigers)

By Jesse Gill

RECAP

Medicine Hat Tigers pick up Finnish defencemen and alumni sign NHL deals in busy week

Jul 5, 2024 | 12:03 PM

It’s been a busy past week of activity related to the Medicine Hat Tigers past and present.

Tigers select pair of Finnish defencemen in CHL Import Draft

The Medicine Hat Tigers selected two 2006-born left-handed defencemen from Finland in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft on Wednesday.

Both players were picks in the past weekend’s National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Niilopekka Muhonen drafted by the Tigers with pick 47, was also taken by the Dallas Stars 158th overall.

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Tigers director of player personnel Bobby Fox provided a statement on the stay-at-home defencemen.

“Muhonen is a large man. He utilizes his wing span to defend and has strong exits with clean passes,” Fox said.

Listed at six foot four inches and 194 pounds, Muhonen split last season between KalPa’s U18 and U20 teams, also getting into games with JoKP in Mestis, Finland’s second-highest professional hockey league.

He also got into games with Finland’s national U-18 team.

The Tigers 107th overall pick was two-way defenseman Veeti Väisänen, also a 96th overall pick of the Utah Hockey Club.

Väisänen spent the majority of last season with KooKoo in Liiga, Finland’s top professional hockey league after a short stint with the KooKoo’s U20 team.

He also played internationally for Finland’s U-18 and U-20 programs.

Fox offered a scouting report in a statement.

“Väisänen is a mobile dman that can play heavy minutes. He has a presence on the ice and brings a lot of grit,” Fox said.

Väisänen stands at six-foot-one-inch and weighs in at 197 pounds.

Eight Tigers players from last season are at NHL development camps

• Cayden Lindstrom – Columbus Blue Jackets
• Andrew Basha and Ethan McCallum – Calgary Flames
• Tomas Mrsic – St. Louis Blues
• Rhett Parsons – Toronto Maple Leafs
• Shane Smith – Vegas Golden Knights
• Hunter St. Martin – Florida Panthers
• Oasiz Wiesblatt – Washington Capitals

Former Tigers signing NHL deals

• Forward Mason Shaw, a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers from 2014-2018 signed a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, July 3.
• Defenseman Cole Clayton, a member of the Tigers from 2017-2021 signed a one-year entry level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, July 1.
• Forward James Hamblin who played for the Tigers from 2015-2020 signed a two-year deal with the Oilers on Monday, July 1.

Four Tigers selected in NHL draft

• Cayden Lindstrom – Round 1, 4th overall (Columbus Blue Jackets)
• Andrew Basha – Round 2, 41st overall (Calgary Flames)
• Tomas Mrsic – Round 4, 113th overall (St. Louis Blues)
• Hunter St. Martin – Round 6, 193rd overall (Florida Panthers)