Darren Steinke/Saskatoon Blades

By Will Bryant

Sports

Tigers bounce Blades, Molendyk and Volotovskii combine for game-winner in return to Saskatoon

Feb 11, 2025 | 10:10 PM

It was an emotional night inside the SaskTel Centre.

The Medicine Hat Tigers faced off against the Saskatoon Blades for the final time in the regular season, and the first time since the clubs pulled off a blockbuster trade back in January.

The trade saw the Tigers acquire Tanner Molendyk and Misha Volotovskii in exchange for Hayden Harsanyi and Jack Kachkowski along with five draft picks.

Pre-game the Blades honored Molendyk, who spent four and a half seasons in Saskatoon, with a video and changed the name of their defenseman of the year trophy to display his namesake.

Despite the pre-game emotions, the Tigers would be laser focused to begin the game.

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Four minutes in, Gavin McKenna sent a low backhander onto the net of Ethan McCallum who made the save but kicked the rebound right to Ryder Ritchie who shoveled home the loose puck to get the Tigers in front 1-0.

The goal would be Ritchie’s 21st of the season, and with the assist, McKenna extended his point streak to 29 games.

The Tigers strong play would continue, but in the final five minutes, the Blades caught a break.

Cooper Williams would lead a 2-on-1 rush into the Tigers zone and slid a puck across for Hunter Laing who tapped it home to tie the game at one.

The first would end even it at one, despite the Tigers outshooting Saskatoon 16-5.

The middle frame would start and the Blades would strike in the opening minute.

Former Medicine Hat Tiger Hayden Harsanyi would speed into the Tigers zone, slow up in the near circle, and rifle a puck past the blocker of Harrison Meneghin to give the Blades their first lead of the night 2-1.

The goal was Harsanyi’s eighth of the season and first against his former club.

Two minutes later, the Tigers would tie the game back up.

Markus Ruck would spring a 3-on-2 rush down the left wing of the Blades zone, wire a shot off the shoulder of McCallum and follow up on his own rebound, banking it off the back of McCallum and in to square the game up at two.

The Tigers would have four different chances to take back the lead, including a pair of Gavin McKenna breakaways but each time former Tigers goalie Ethan McCallum would make key saves, a couple in spectacular fashion.

Fortunately for the Tigers, the fifth time would be the charm.

Off a faceoff in the Blades zone, Wiesblatt won the puck cleanly back to McKenna who returned the rubber back in front for Wiesblatt who tucked the puck five-hole on McCallum to get the Cats back in front 3-2.

The Tigers would carry the lead into the third period and had outshot Saskatoon 32-12.

The third period would see 12 minutes of scoreless hockey go by, even seeing the Tigers kill off an early penalty.

But the Tigers would head back to the kill 12 minutes in when Jonas Woo got called for a hold, and the Blades would capitalize.

Rowan Calvert blasted a slapshot from the top of the right circle past the glove of Harrison Meneghin to tie the game back up at three.

Medicine Hat, who had relinquished a third-period lead Friday night against Swift Current would not let history repeat itself, and it would be the two former Saskatoon Blades combining for the go-ahead goal.

Forty seconds after surrendering the game-tying goal, Tanner Molendyk lobbed a puck towards the net of a screened Ethan McCallum.

Misha Volotovskii would get a stick on the point shot, deflecting it past McCallum to restore the Tiger one-goal lead.

The goal would be Volotovskii’s sixth of the year and second in as many games.

With their one-goal lead restored yet again, the Tigers weren’t done.

Two minutes after making it 4-3, Gavin McKenna would make it 5-3 with his third point of the night, sending a puck into the top corner of the net and right back out so fast it was initially called no goal on the ice.

The Tigers unperturbed did the fly by believing they had scored, and after a short review, they were right.

The goal stood, making it McKenna’s 29th of the season and getting Gavin to 95 points on the year, just two points shy of his season total from last year.

The Tigers would lock it down the rest of the way and skate away with a 5-3 victory.

This marked Medicine Hat’s first victory in Saskatoon since December 10th, 2019.

Medicine Hat (34-16-3-1) is right back in action tomorrow night when they take on the Prince Albert Raiders (28-17-3-1) in an attempt to avenge the 5-4 overtime loss they suffered to them Saturday night.

The pre-game show gets underway at 5:45 with puck drop set for 6:00.