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VIDEO: Tigers getting players back ahead of weekend games

Feb 24, 2017 | 1:45 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Medicine Hat Tigers are beginning to get some bodies back in time for a crucial weekend stretch of games.

The Tigers travel to Calgary tonight to take on the Hitmen at the Scotiabank Saddledome, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. Head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston says the match between the two teams will be different from the last time the two teams faced each other, which ended in a 7-2 win for the Tigers.

“Two weeks ago, we were at the top of our game playing as good as we have all season long,” he said, citing the win over the Hitmen and a 5-0 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes as examples. “It was a stretch where we were firing on all cylinders…since then we’ve suffered a lot of missed time due to the mumps.”

Four of the eight players who missed the team’s past several games due to injury and illness are back in the lineup for the weekend.

Zach Fischer, Ryan Chyzowski and John Dahlstrom are skating with the team once again after being diagnosed with mumps. Defenceman David Quenneville is back for the first time since suffering a cracked fibula in January.

“It’s been a long eight weeks, but it’s pretty exciting to be back in the lineup,” he said.

Quenneville, who has scored 20 goals and notched 28 assists before going down with the injury, says he is excited to be back on the blue line for the Tigers.

“Obviously (my game) isn’t going to be 100 per cent like it was prior to the injury, but I think, for me, it’s just be a terrific first-passer for the forwards, help generate offence in that kind of sense and help the game move along,” he said. “I think I’m part of my best hockey when I’m really simple and defending at a high enough pace to bring the puck out quickly and start generating offence.”

Assistant coach Joey Frazer, who also missed games due to mumps, has returned to the bench and says it is time for the team to get healthy and make a run for the divisional championship.

“You always want to find your stride heading into the playoffs,” he said. “Before the mumps, we were playing some really good hockey. The Lethbridge game was one of the best games we played.

“It was unfortunate that so many guys have been sick, but we’ve been talking and said it’s a lot better to have it happen now than in playoff time.”

Defencemen Kristians Rubins and Jordan Henderson remain sidelined due to mumps, but they could be back in the lineup for Saturday night. Tigers forward James Hamblin also remains sidelined due to illness, while defenceman Ty Schultz is still recovering from a lower-body injury suffered in January.

CHAT 94.5 FM will carry Bob Ridley’s play-by-play call of Friday’s game, with the pre-game show starting at 6:30 p.m.

The Tigers are back in town Saturday night, hosting the Brandon Wheat Kings at the Canalta Centre. Prior to the game, the Tigers will retire Tom Lysiak’s number 9 jersey in a special ceremony starting at 7:30 p.m.