Medicine Hat Cubs on a 12-game winning streak at Christmas break

Cubs head coach Trent Derzaph said it’s been a good last month and a half.

“Guys are playing good, it’s a really good feeling coming into Christmas and being on this winning streak and give the guys a little bit of a break to relax a little bit and heal up some bumps and bruises and be ready for the new year for the last part of the season,” Derzaph said.

“We’re finding the net from a number of guys, obviously Saturday night’s game, a majority of them came from our captain, but we’re finding ways to score, and the guys are playing as a team, moving the puck and playing with pace, so it’s tiring out the rest of the other teams.”

Cubs captain Kyle Woolridge had a statement game on Saturday night, scoring five of the Cubs’ goals in a dominant 9-2 win over the Carstar Okotoks Bisons at the Kinplex.

The 21-year-old forward set a modern-day Cubs regular season record with his 120th goal in his career in a game against the Rocky Rams on Dec. 13. He also got his 200th career point in the process.

Heading into the break, Woolridge leads the HJHL in goals with 24 in 26 games, with his 43 points only one back of the Wranglers’ Maddex Bignell for top spot.

—

Medicine Hat Cubs Defenceman Austin Derzaph. Jesse Gill/CHAT News

The Cubs are also getting strong offensive production from the blue line from 21-year-old alternate captain Austin Derzaph, who sits in a tie for the league lead among defencemen with 21 points in 26 games.

Coming out of the break, the Cubs will host a pair of opponents further down in the HJHL standings.

On Saturday, Jan. 3, the High River Flyers, who sit at the bottom of the South Division, are in the city.

The Flyers have five wins and 22 losses on the season, and with 10 points, are 20 back of the pack, leaving them mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

It will be the fourth meeting between the two teams this season.

The Cubs started the season off with an 8-3 win in High River on Sept. 19, following up with 4-1 wins on Oct. 24 and Nov.15.

“I don’t want to say it’s gonna be easier, our first couple games back are gonna be a good potential of putting us at a 14-game heater,” Derzaph said.

“But past that, there’ll be tough games, but I think we’re up for it.”

The Cubs host the basement-dwelling Ponoka Stampeders on Sunday, Jan.4, for the first meeting between the clubs this season.

The Stamps head into the Christmas break with one win on the season and 26 losses.

The following five games include two against the Agra Risk Wheatland Kings, two against the Cannex Cochrane Generals, and one against the Red Deer Vipers, all teams close to the Cubs in the standings.

The Cubs will then face the Stamps in Ponoka, before hosting the Bisons on Jan. 30, and the Mountview Colts on Feb. 1 to round out the regular season.

Regardless of the opponent, Derzaph said it is important to keep the players in the right mindset.

“I believe that it’s harder to coach a winning team than it is when you’re losing. To keep guys motivated so they don’t think it’s easy,” Derzaph said.

“Coaching staff and I are looking at it as one game at a time. When I talk to my players, it’s one shift, one period in one game right at the time.”

The Cubs wore some special orange jerseys during the home games on Saturday.

“They’re the original jersey [design] from the second season, the first season the Medicine Hat Cubs in 1974 wore hand-me-downs from the Medicine Hat Tigers Memorial Cup team for the first season, and the second season they came out with their own, the Cubs ones,” Derzaph said.

“We surprised them with them on Saturday when they came into the rink, and that came from coach Johnny [Stehr] and me, and it’s kind of a little early Christmas gift for the boys and just to keep that mojo going.”

Derzaph also said he wants to wish the entire team, board, and fans a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

“Looking forward to huge fan support, the guys really enjoy it, and we’ve got a pretty good bunch of home games to finish off the season, so looking forward to the crowd boosting the boys.”

by Jesse Gill

Medicine Hat Cubs on a 12-game winning streak at Christmas break

Our Community