The Medicine Hat Tigers salute the crowd inside Co-op Place after advancing to the second round of the WHL Playoffs following a 3-2 Game 5 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. Photo Credit: Randy Feere/Medicine Hat Tigers

By Will Bryant

Sports

Medicine Hat Tigers defeat Swift Current Broncos 3-2, advance to the second round for the first time since 2017

Apr 5, 2025 | 1:09 AM

Markus Ruck, Schaeffer Gordon-Carroll, and Ryder Ritchie each found the back of the net Friday night, as the Medicine Hat Tigers secured a 3-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos to advance to the second round of the WHL Playoffs.

The scoring began 10:15 into the first when Tigers rookie forward Markus Ruck centered a pass for his twin brother Liam that deflected off the stick of Broncos defenceman Hunter Mayo and in to get the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The goal was Markus Ruck’s first career WHL playoff goal and point.

That lead would carry over into the second before the Tigers stretched it to two.

With under seven minutes gone, Schaeffer Gordon-Carroll finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play and one-timed the puck past Broncos goaltender Reid Dyck for his first career playoff goal, making it 2-0 Tabbies.

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Despite a Tiger powerplay moments later, the two-goal lead would be short-lived when the Broncos scored short-handed.

Four minutes later, Broncos forward Rylan Gould blocked a shot that left him hurt on the ice, and the puck ricocheted to center-ice, where Connor Dale sped to the loose puck and went in alone on Harrison Meneghin.

Dale sniped a shot underneath the blocker of the reigning WHL Goalie of the Month to shrink the deficit to one.

Medicine Hat failed to score on the remainder of the powerplay, and shortly after returning to even strength, the Tigers would head to a penalty kill of their own.

Swift Current would capitalize.

Former Tiger Carlin Dezainde fed the puck to Hunter Mayo, who hammered a slap shot past Harrison Meneghin to even the game up 2-2.

Medicine Hat would take the lead right back less than a minute later.

Ryder Ritchie got left alone at the side of the Bronco net and tapped home an Oasiz Wiesblatt pass to restore the Tiger one-goal lead.

That lead would carry over to the third period, which had been the Tigers best period throughout the series.

Once again, that was the case.

The Tigers held the Broncos to just eight shots in the third period and slowly bled the clock while controlling the majority of play.

Swift Current had their chances, but every time Harrison Meneghin stood tall and made the save.

The Broncos pulled the goalie with 1:48 left but it would not be enough as the buzzer sounded and the Medicine Hat Tigers defeated the Swift Current Broncos 3-2 to advance to the second round.

It marks the first time since 2017 the Medicine Hat Tigers had made it past the first round of the playoffs.

Medicine Hat now awaits the winner of the series between the Prince Albert Raiders and Edmonton Oil Kings, with Edmonton currently leading that series 3-2.

In the regular season, the Tigers went 3-0-1-0 against Prince Albert and 4-4-0-0 against Edmonton.

Round 2 begins next weekend, with dates and times TBD.