The Medicine Hat Tigers prepare to face the Prince Albert Raiders in the second round of the WHL Playoffs

“We were ready to play right off the bat and it was awesome to get that first one done but now we’re focused on this one and we’re really excited” he added.

The success the Tigers have enjoyed began this past off-season when Head Coach and General Manager Willie Desjardins built out this Tigers roster.

Willie’s hard work not gone unrecognized, earning him Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year nominations.

“I think that it’s a reflection of the team. You look at our team and if we don’t play well then there’s no awards so you gotta give the players a lotta credit,” said the Tigers Head Coach.

“Everybody played hard after Christmas, it was great to see” added Desjardins.

Tigers captain Oasiz Wiesblatt has played under Desjardins throughout his entire WHL career and had this to say about his Head Coach.

“He’s a players coach. He really cares about his players and he cares about his city and he just wants the best for everyone.”

A part of Willie earning an Executive of the Year nomination, were his key acquisitions made in the off-season up until the Trade Deadline.

That includes the acquisition of Minnesota Wild prospect, Ryder Ritchie from the Prince Albert Raiders back in August.

Ritchie was exchanged for St. Louis Blues prospect Tomas Mrsic and the two will now feature prominently in a second round series against their former clubs, adding an extra layer of intrigue to an already exciting matchup.

“I’m excited. It’s my first time being in the second round and it’s kinda cool I get to play against the team I was on last year,” Ritchie said.

When asked about facing against the player he was traded for Ritchie added “I try not to think about it, I’m not trying to make the game against him, I’m just trying to make the game the Tigers against the Radiers.”

Wiesblatt says the team has Ritchies back and the hostile environment of the Innovation Plex in Swift Current has helped prepare the Tigers for a similar rink in Prince Albert.

“It’s really exciting for Ritchie to get back to his [old] team, and get back in the Art Hauser,” Wiesblatt said.

‘That place [the Art Hauser Center] is a hard place to play too, and I thought we had a good experience in the I-Plex,” he added.

The Medicine Hat Tigers still have a little longer to wait before round two begins. Games one and two of the second round go Saturday and Sunday night inside Co-op Place before the series shifts back to Prince Albert.

Limited tickets for games one and two are still available for purchase online at Tixx.ca or in-person at the Co-op Place box office.

by Will Bryant

The Medicine Hat Tigers prepare to face the Prince Albert Raiders in the second round of the WHL Playoffs

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