Expectations around the team are sky-high and the Tigers hope to live up to them. File Photo/CHAT News

By Will Bryant

SPORTS

Medicine Hat Tigers, full of confidence, launch quest for WHL championship

Mar 28, 2025 | 12:04 PM

The playoffs kick off Friday for the Medicine Hat Tigers as they begin their quest for the organization’s fifth WHL championship and first since 2007.

Expectations around the team are sky-high and the Tigers hope to live up to them.

The Medicine Hat Tigers are all business as they get set to take on the Swift Current Broncos in Round 1.

The Tigers are playing some of the best hockey any team has played all season, entering the postseason ranked as the third-best team in the country.

The Tigers have assembled a dominant 28-3-2-1 record since Christmas. That’s built confidence heading into the first round, Tigers associate coach Joe Frazer said.

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“Yeah obviously some big games in there, last 10,” Frazer said.

“Now that we’re finally fully healthy, I thought last week was a great experience against Lethbridge and Calgary, two top teams, to get guys back in the lineup and get going so it’s an exciting time”

After last years first round exit to the Red Deer Rebels, the Tigers feel they have learned from last years mistakes and are excited for the opportunity to avenge last years early exit.

“Yeah I mean it’s super special. Like I said this whole year, we have a really special group,” Tigers forward Kadon McCann said.

“We wanna make it a long run here and Swift’s a really good team, so yeah they’re gonna be a big challenge for us but we’re gonna be ready.”

The Tigers enter the postseason on the heels of selling out Co-op Place for the first time since 2023, and the players are excited to see fans get the towels waving.

““Yeah that’s huge, it gives us energy, gives everyone energy,” Tigers forward Misha Volotovskii said.

“Yeah we love when the fans are going like we noticed it especially in the last couple of games so that’s huge for us”

Despite this Tigers team not having a lot of playoff experience, the club got a look at how they’d play in a game seven with their final game of the season in Calgary deciding the division.

“We kinda looked at it the last four games were all game sevens. We knew we probably had to win out if we wanted to win the banner,” Frazer said.

“I just think, those big games, we’ve played a lot of them this year, and we really like how the bigger the moment is, usually we play a little better,” he added.

“I think just learning that, getting that experience in those big games should help us”

The Tigers will get to put their big game experience to the test Friday at 7 p.m. at Co-op Place when they begin their quest for a WHL Championship.

Tune in live on Wild 94.5 radio with commentators Will Bryant and Lance Doll. The pre-game show starts at 6:30 p.m. ahead of the 7 p.m. puck drop.