New-look Medicine Hat Cubs set sights on back-to-back HJHL titles, banners raised Friday

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A banner-raising ceremony will take place during Friday’s opening game.

Head coach Trent Derzaph says the team knows it will face increased expectations after last season’s success.

“The pressure of an opportunity to go back-to-back here is building, but we’re just going to take it one game at a time,” Derzaph said.

“We know that it’s going to be tougher than it was last year, because everybody’s out to get us.”

The Cubs have also gotten younger after losing several veteran players from last year’s championship roster.

Derzaph expects that the Cubs could once again be among the league’s youngest teams, but he doesn’t see that as a concern.

“We’re going to be young again this year,” Derzaph said.

“I believe we were the youngest team in the league last year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re that again this year.”

The Cubs went through the preseason with a 3-1 record, splitting games against Coaldale before winning a pair against Strathmore.

Derzaph said the results provide some confidence, particularly because Medicine Hat wasn’t always using its full lineup.

“Our first game in Coaldale, to be honest, we dressed as weak as we could, and dropped that one just barely,” Derzaph said.

“And then we kind of went about three-quarters throttle, and we took it to them pretty handily.”

The preseason opened with a 6-5 loss in Coaldale followed by a dominant 10-0 Cubs win over the Copperheads at the Kinplex.

Last weekend, the Cubs also picked up a 6-5 win in Strathmore before returning home for a 6-2 victory over the Agra Risk Wheatland Kings.

The head coach says the team will look different this season.

“Quite a drastic shuffle, actually,” Derzaph said.

The Cubs’ preseason roster had 11 regular players and four affiliates from last season.

The obvious omissions are the four players who aged out of junior hockey. They include former captain Kyle Woolridge, Austin Derzaph, Ethan Burgeson, and Keynan Cairns.

Notable players absent from the preseason were forwards Mason Osinski, Makhi Carriere, and Connor Chapman, along with defencemen Blake Girard, Hayden King and Slade McFadzen, and goaltender Marlo DeRosa. Affiliate defenceman Carter Allan has also moved on to play Junior A.

Chapman will face the Cubs this season, suiting up for the Carstar Okotoks Bisons. He led the preseason points race with nine in four games. DeRosa was a member of the Sylvan Lake Wranglers for the preseason winning a game while stopping 24 of 25 shots.

The Cubs will still bring some familiar faces to the ice this season. Forwards Jacob Hazzard and Tash Armstrong are expected to play their fourth and final season with the Cubs, with two overage spots still open. Also back for another season is 2006-born forward Jesse Klimosko.

The potential 2007-born group from last year includes forwards Josiah Jackson, Cole Fisher, Nolen Sutherland, Randen Collier, and Carson Kraft. That age group also includes a pair of returnees with injuries ahead of the season, defenceman Parker Kienzle and goaltender Kayne Wright.

Leading the Cubs offence in the preseason was 2008-born defenceman Lucas Dulle, who played with the team last year.

He scored six points, including four goals and two assists in four games.

“He was an underage for us last year, and coming into his first, what you would call, legitimate year of playing junior hockey, and he’s scoring early,” Derzaph said.

“That’s a really good sign coming from our back end.”

Joining the Cubs full time after playing as 2008-born affiliates last season are forwards Treyden Kleinknecht and Ryker Watson, and goaltenders Kayden Van Ham and Hudson Corbett.

Expected to play a large role on the Cubs’ defence this year is Brodie Heimbecker, a 2007-born player from Balgonie, Sask., who played the 2025-26 season with the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.

“He’ll for sure be one of our leaders on our back end,” Derzaph said.

Kade Dickie, a 2008-born local defenceman who spent last season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes U18 AAA team with Klienknecht and Watson, is also expected to play a big role on a defence that is only returning Dulle and Kienzle from last season.

The Cubs’ 25-man roster was still being finalized ahead of the home opener, Derzaph said.

Local 2007-born forward Colby Gulliver who played last season with the Grand Forks Border Bruins in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League returns to the Cubs after affiliating with the team for the 2024-25 playoff race.

Brennan Finke, a local 2008-born forward who played the last three seasons with the South Alberta Hockey Academy Prep teams is also expected to be a regular for the Cubs.

Some 2008-born players from last year’s Medicine Hat Hounds U18 AA team looking for spots in the lineup are forward Ethan Hall, Jaxon Bohrn, and defenceman Jackson Brassard.

Logan Neuls and Cameron Slater, a pair of 2009-born players, look to make the jump to junior hockey.

Additional locals competing for spots out of camp are defencemen Gradon Goodberry, Ethan Stuber and Easton Hirsch. From southwest Saskatchewan are Reeve Zacharias and Wryder Soveran-Welte.

The Cubs will lean on some veteran players for offence, but Derzaph believes they also have plenty of new players ready to step up.

“We’ve got a ton of new guys that are fully capable of filling the net,” Derzaph said.

Derzaph said the team remains open to movement before they finalize the roster.

“It is junior hockey, and we’re always looking and have our ears to the ground,” Derzaph said.

“Don’t expect anything drastic; however, you just never know.”

The Cubs will open their regular-season home schedule this weekend against the High River Flyers on Friday and Mountain View Colts on Saturday.

After strong attendance at two preseason home games, Derzaph hopes that support continue into the regular season.

“Hopefully that’ll flow right into the start of the season here this coming weekend, with back-to-back games at home for openers,” Derzaph said.

The Cubs logo is prominently displayed at centre ice in the Kinplex 1 Arena this season.

The season opener will also include a special ceremony featuring championship banners and former Cubs players.

For Derzaph, the message for their fans heading into the season is straightforward.

“Just come on out and support our Cubs, and let’s win another championship this year.”

Puck drops on the games Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

There will be a tailgate before Friday’s home opener starting at 6 p.m.

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(Image Credit: Medicine Hat Cubs)

by Jesse Gill

New-look Medicine Hat Cubs set sights on back-to-back HJHL titles, banners raised Friday

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