Medicine Hat Tigers ready for WHL Yukon Showcase

Medicine Hat enters the two game set 2-0 thus far in the preseason, having had a pair of wins over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

“Everyone’s excited” said Tigers Associate Coach Joe Frazer

“We have a lot of new guys, so just getting out of town, getting away where it’s just the team together is great timing.”

The Rockets meanwhile enter also at 2-0, with wins over the WHL’s newest franchise, the Penticton Vees, and the Kamloops Blazers.

Road trips like this don’t often come until the regular season is in full swing, and are often times when teams can become families.

The Tigers view this preseason getaway as an opportunity to see how the players deal with the adverse circumstances in being away from Co-op Place.

“It’s always great to have some adversity and to see how guys deal with that” added Frazer.

“It’ll be great to see kind of a different setting and how guys react mentally.”

Medicine Hat Tigers second year forward Liam Ruck is excited for the early opportunity for the team to bond, ahead of the regular season.

“Having a couple guys that were there last year, it’s gonna help us a lot. We know what it’s like to come together on those trips” said Ruck

“We know what we need to do to become a tighter group and we’re ready to do it in the Yukon” he added.

One of the underrated factors in last year’s championship winning squad was how tight knit the group had become off the ice.

Returnees like 20-year old defenseman Josh Van Mulligen, and second year forwards Schaeffer Gordon-Carroll, and Liam and Markus Ruck, will be crucial in helping carryover that championship winning culture.

The battle for the Northern Lights Cup gets underway at 8:00 p.m. tonight, and both games can be streamed live and for free on Victory+.

by Will Bryant