Medicine Hat Tigers netminder Harrison Meneghin covers a loose puck against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Photo Credit: Randy Feere/Medicine Hat Tigers

By Will Bryant

Sports

Medicine Hat Tigers ensuring rest doesn’t become ‘rust’ ahead of Eastern Conference Finals

Apr 22, 2025 | 3:35 PM

The playoffs are usually the busiest and most exciting time on any sports calendar.

Often filled with high drama, ever-evolving storylines, furious comebacks, and a non-stop pace, the postseason is the most exciting time of the year.

This season, the Medicine Hat Tigers success has allowed the team to mostly avoid the anxious moments that often accompany playoff hockey.

The Cats dispatched of the Swift Current Broncos in five games in round one before sweeping the Prince Albert Raiders in round two.

But through that success, the Tigers have encountered a new dilemma, the battle of rest versus rust.

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“It’s a fine line,” said Tigers Associate Coach Joe Frazer.

“We wanna make sure we’re taking care of the bumps and bruises while making sure everybody’s healthy and ready to go Friday, but when we are on the ice we gotta make sure we’re going hard and the intensity is high,” he added.

Keeping the water hot has been a mantra for the Tigers this postseason.

Simply put, the team is doing all they can to stay game-ready.

Medicine Hat Tigers forward Hunter St. Martin is a key part of the teams leadership group, which has helped develop the culture that has led to the team’s success.

“If you get too much time off, the water can get cool and you can get a little rusty, so I think the biggest thing this week is keeping the water hot and preparing for whoever we play,” St. Martin said.

“We know that we have to come out on Friday and play our Tigers hockey and play fast and do our thing,” he closed.

Joe Frazer says the club’s ability to stay ready can be attributed to their fight to claim the Eastern Conference crown following the Christmas break.

“I think it started in the second half. We played lots of big games in the second half, a lot of must-win games if we wanted to win the division or conference.”

“Going through those experiences where it’s tough games against tough teams, whether it’s on the road or at home, guys have stepped up all second half.”

The Tigers will have to wait one more day to find out who they’ll be taking on in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes play Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series Wednesday night, with the winner advancing to face the Tigers.

Regardless if it’s Calgary or Lethbridge, Game 1 goes down Friday night inside Co-op Place, where the Tigers will aim to get one step closer to the WHL Finals.

Tickets for Round 3 are on-sale now, and you can secure your tickets by purchasing them online at Tixx.ca, or in-person at the Co-op Place box office.

You can listen to all Medicine Hat Tigers playoff games live on WILD 94.5.